their starting rate is RM 1.50 per inch. <-- THis is very good price, are they any good? >> i cant say. never used them.

but, if u wanna learn urself how its done/experiment - come on over. <-- Hence my problem, had to give up too many hobbies as it is due to lack of time >> lol. yup, join the club. when the collection gets big = space to display & maintenance becomes an issue.

key reason why i gave away like 90% of my hard earned collection - now i just make what i want when i want. no more payin huge $$$ for knives 4 me anymore.


i'm currently perfecting my chisel grind. its somewhats keeps in line with my initial japanese sword making roots as well as greatly compliments the rough & tough bushcraft knives i make these days. <-- I have a few japanese kitchen knife (made in japan), picked them up at those small little japanese knife shop whenever i dropped by Japan, not big commercial brands >> hmmm... those dont sound like they use chisel grinds to me... all my jap/sushi knives are def hollow, flat or high flat grind... no chisel at all ... yours are true chisel?

honestly, its a lifelong learning/experimening thing. have seen 'experts' screw up edges coz they were unfamiliar with the bevel. sumtimes it permanently affects/changes the profile of the knife. ex: putting a full hollow grind on a convex grind. so, i can put an edge on a knife that u can shave reasonably well with - but it is dependent on the underlying bevel/knife HRC. <-- THIS is my concern, anyone can put a edge to a knife, but if its done by totally changing the grind.. then I'll probably prefer to keep a dull knife.. >> 2 things > (1) for those new to edged tools/smithing/knife aficionados - it has to be said that not everyone can put an edge on a knife - at least not a razors edge. this would be up to the individuals skill & tools, the knife's HRC & even the edge geometry up to a point. i worry this over simplification might result in those reading these posts wasting their time trying to sharpen 'unsharpenable' knives like i did in my early days of trying to sharpen those cheapo alumunium taiwanese machetes - they cannot be sharpened beyond a terribly dull edge. not all knives, regardless how much time/skill used, can be 'sharpened' or retain its edge even when slicing something as thick as cardboard.

(2) seems like u have 3 options >

1) try buat sendiri. study the knife thoroughly and decide what grind is best suited for it. i have all sharpening tools other than a belt sander.

2) try the above service. if so - suggest meet em up first & actually look at their collection of finished work & see what watches the grinds of ur tools. chances are if u dun see any grinds that match urs - probably they cant do it. even experts are clueless & will just do their best when faced with a unusual/unfamiliar grind. i spoilt the edge of a urasuki and a few asym semi convex grinds this way, despite the sharpener being a master sharpener of more than 40 years.

3) retain blades as is - sad to see a knife not live up to its potential... but to gamble sharpening it at the risk of permenant damage - thats a tough choice

its been a fun long weekend!

as stated, i made some fun lil projects.

here's the first of the posts on wat went down...

here's a wooden dao (chinese braodsword) made over the course of a weekend. pix below. all steps from start to finish are outlined clearly.

enjoy & hope it serves as muse to others.

i will consider what kinda handle to put for it & whether to thin out the edge, etc at a later date. no rush. enjoy the process

material: scrap wood. 6 mm, mid hard wood.
time taken: under 1 hour.

ps: lookin fwd to a time when can make as many posts as want without worryin bout goin over the 3 - 6 a day limit...

handle wrapped with electrical tape btw

just a temp place holder for better grip pieces

this vid below is another example. it shows the rough steps i did.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Zl2nYp-hI

this will be the next projek,

an egyptian khopesh. a forward heavy slicer/chopper.

i'll give it my own twist & flourish.

a quick wood version first to serve as prototype. belajar from it.

then down the line - prob the real deal.

akan datang!

saw ur youtube page, its nice.

btw i'm in PJ too

hi fellow pj-ite

1) thats not my vid/channel. i added a link to a vid that best-suited my working method/final creation to show others how to replicate my results. i will do so for most of my projects. it'll help others to recreate my results & pay homage to my fellow crafters. so to clarify - not my channel ya... no time to edit videos... i spend my (limited) time makin knives & dreamin of makin knives

2) koff koff.. the usual questions.. 1) have u made anytin b4? 2) keen to try if not?

lol.

in my next few posts, i'll elaborate on the knife making options available. most of the pm's to me cant difeerentiate between stock removal style and forging style. these have further sub-sets within them.

i'll find sum nice vids & post. hopefully ever1 gets a better idea of the differences/requirements. the version i'm reccomending is the super easy & more relaxed/forgiving one.

right, lets get started.

first, a vid to broadly explain the 2 major differences > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3fNxCEdk9I

this will aid in understanding the requirements and challenges of each.

later posts will delve deeper into the minutia. enjoy!

now, we move on to the first of the stock removal methods.

below video is the most hardcore version of stock removal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUS1ExIo8p8

just need piece of steel, hack saw & file. thats it to start.

if the steel u use does not require heat treat (like mine) - even better/faster finish.

based on size of ur knife design & steel thickness - can be done in 3 - 5 hours.

the whole process is very zen...

next is stock removal style using power tools - this is the style i use most frequently now.

u will need an angle grinder with cutting & grinding disc & a drill usually. can skip the drill if gonna paracord wrap the handle or do a burn through.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2YGx4CIuEM

it will cut knife making time down tremendously. anywhere from 60 - 90% faster.

results will also be more uniform, especially if using a belt sander/grinder.

lol.

new knife making style - must learn from tofu sifu.

prob all the tofu makers / soya bean drink sellers are masters in this.

<iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r3fNxCEdk9I" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

as my first attempt above at embedding vids rosak, i redo for the posts below. here goes;



now everything is neatly in 1 post wid embedded codes. senang nampak

today, i gonna make the wooden khopesh as prototype for a future steel one. should be done in 40 mins. will post pix later today.

done!

pix enclosed below. more pix 2moro if clearer skies - today too overcast for good shots.

took 7 mins to cut, 20 to planar & file down crevices & surface, 2 mins to burn treat & seal wood (also gives a richer darker colour) + 1 min to cincai pleather wrap handle. all in = 30 mins to completion.

tools used = saw, wood rasp, spokeshave, lighter.

material = scrap balsa wood from shipping crate. very lightweight

as usual, this is the rough/prelim version. i'll revisit down the line to make modifications - might thicken the handle, then rewrap wid pleather or string, as well as maybe hone the edge to a sharper point.

for those wanting to recreate what i did, here's a good video. his khopesh is more detail oriented that my rough cut version >

... & those who wanna make the genuine thing, here u go >

do share pix here ya if u do. mine is below

more pix!

hope its encouraging others. make fun easy things for your kids & nephews/nieces.

now, we move on to the actual forging styles.

there are 2 main known types - classical forging & modernised forging.

most smiths, realistically, use a combination of both techniques to best effect.

i will start of with the most hard core version - forging without the use of power tools or machines. this is the most grueling of the forging arts.

while i luv & respect all things/types of forging, smiths who practice this style have my particular admiration. i hope to one day be a smith who only makes things in this style. there is something about the simplicity of it that is very peaceful & zen to me. it greatly appeals to the soul.

first video depicts the making of a bill hook... though in the broadest sense - this is not a functional bill hook. the 'bill' part is more ornamental than anything. anyway, its a scandanavian style one versus the more popular ones with actual functional cutting 'bills'... regardless its a work of beauty & is one of the most relaxing videos ever. i watch it to destress. enjoy;


more vetted vids coming...

... & here's another smith doing it in the same manner... fire, tongs, hammers, a file & an iron will... end result = a good and rough & tough bushcraft kukri



and in my next post...

... of coz gotta mention the ubiquitions katana if we're talking old skool forging... prob the most reconisable type of sword.. def got a few fans here no doubt... brings back fond memories of making them.. good times



so havin met my daily post limit today, tomorrow we delve into the midlevel realm of forging styles - the meeting of modern machinery & old skool pounding of hot metal. i got plenty of fave vids on it.

Gosh! That sounds perfect, CRAFT_COACH, but as for now - unfortunately - just videos for me.
But thanks for the offer and your posts anyway. I hope that in future I could join you as I've always wanted to try something like this.
I made some wooden swords for my nephews in the past (fantasy-ish european ones), now I'm probably going to make a khopesh replica for our little lady who is going through Ancient Egypt (because of mummys, mostly) phase.

Subscribed to this thread, so I'll be waiting for your updates! Keep going!