thank you so much!

its greatly heartening to see these posts inspiring others

i started down this part myself decades ago after drawing inspiration from others' creations.

of coz, as life got in the way & priorities changed - this fascinating art took a back seat... but with the advent of the internet & fantastic shows like 'forged in fire'... that old itch begun anew

i'm glad its restarted your enthusiasm for crafting. hope to see your inspired creations & in turn be inspired by them. its an old saying, but a particularly true one for this subject matter; "steel sharpens steel"

lookin forward to seeing your 'beauty' posted here eventually.

am sure your little miss will be the belle of the nile with her lovingly crafted khopesh. thats great parenting ... you would have created something for her that she can proudly & fondly reminisce about many years from now.

as always - open invite. come whenever. i love to collaborate. the more the merrier. hope to see you & collaborate together in the (near) future. tc & keep crafting (& posting result pix here), dan1el86!

reposted above video again coz didnt appear correctly in initial post. these are the steps to make a no frills kukri knife, old skool style

... though its a shame having to waste a post redoing this, guess i can use the opportunity to talk about the kukri @ khukuri design

kukris are highly recommended for those doing lot of chopping work in confined spaces

its curved fat belly geometry makes it perfect for making precise heavy deep slices wid minimal force

think of it as a deep cutting axe in a sleek blade form. thats basically what it is

i have chopped huge swathes of trees and bamboo groves with my kukris

learnt early on that less is more wid a kukri in terms of weight & thickness

they shud be weighed to ensure can chop efficiently for a few hours, wid the least strain to shoulder & forearms

let the blades' fat belly design do the work, instead of mass & brute force

basically:
lesser weight = lesser power needed to lift it up/swing it
forward curving wider mid belly + tapered convex or flat grind = deeper targeted cuts & better edge retention

over time, i've experimented & learnt to play wid the belly placement to better suit it for a particular function - slicer, cutter, chopper, batoner, general purpose, etc.

case in point, look at the myriad shapes of kukris, each with its own advantages > https://www.google.com/search?biw=1422&bih=...Q4dUDCAc&uact=5

all r good ... just depends how/what ur using it for

anyways, since this post is bout old skool forging, am including a bonus vid below on old skool forging of kukris done the TRADITIONAL way in nepal... might wanna mute ur volme tho >

today we venture into the midpoint of old skool forging (no power tools) meets modernised forging/smithing (very heavy reliance on power tools).

in this midpoint method, you will definitely see lots of angle grinder usage... its a heaven sent tool that cuts metal, grinds edges & sands/polishes surfaces, all in one.

if there is 1 tool i'd recommend new smiths to get first - it'd be the angle grinder. of are the more commonly known

super versatile, cheap & easy to use. go for a 100 mm disc type @ m10 thread version & get a cutting + grinding disc to start off first.

with that said, i move on to today's video that epitomises old skool forging meets new tech.

its another personal fave of mine as the master craftsman uses purely old skool methods, right up until the near end where he uses an angle grinder to bevel & edge the knife.

this knife type is known as the 'indian araval' @ indian billhooks. they vary greatly in size, shape & length.

it can be found throughout asia, latin america & parts of europe, where its also referred to as a 'brush axe'.

these billhooks also stick to the more commonly known definition of what a billhook design subjectively is; perhaps a 'hook tip thats shaped like a bird's bill'.

the smith is using a coal powered forge + a manual hand crank blower to produce 4 beautiful workhorse knives. though its not shown, he's probably using a 'burn through' method to attach the knife blade to the handle with a 'bracing collar'. i doubt he's pinning it. enjoy!

the weekend is here again!

time for another quick project

today, i'll be makin a quick wooden mallet

generally, this is one of the more popular methods to make em, the 'wedge in' stye:


... but i had my own idea & want to experiment wid a different approach, as have already made mallets in the above manner. so time to experiment again

will be posting results shortly, as i'm setting a timer for 40 mins. wateva comes out at the end - post!

time to start...

done!

attached are pictures and progress. kinda looks like thor's mjolnir hammer. lol

i got really far for the time put in. but it def wil be revisited again, to do more modifications.

tempted to go further, but just wanted to show how much can be done in a very short time frame like 40 mins & minimal tools.


this was the type of wood used & the cuts made for the base





this is after 2 additional pieces of hard wood are sandwiched to the base




this is where i nailed 3 nails in an alternating pattern & pinned the exiting tip


base nearly fully assembled

Lol your knife will keel

added an additional thick wedge on 1 surface to strengthen it. its now fully assembled & ready for refining





after sanding the striking surface & handle



lookin good!


it was a fun project. was crushed when the 40 min alarm went off... really wanted to modify/refine further.

but that can wait. good to take a breather & play wd it a lil too to see what future changes can be made.

hope others are going to make their own versions!

its super easy. i will go into further details 2moro, as my daily post limit has been hit today.

till then - go make sumtin, folks!

first, a quick wrap up post on my made mallet...

whats is a mallet for? - use it when need to knock something gently/without marring surface or finish/when need to distribute impact force over a wide area. vid below details further:

i use the many types i have usually to nudge handles into rat tail tangs, for chiseling, etc. it has MANY uses. cracking walnuts on xmas is also fun too

this simple diagram below is the blueprint for my mallet;


wood material: reclaimed scrap wood. the base is upcycled medium hard wood from a bedpost. the 2 attached side wood pieces are upcycled hard wood from a cupboard. all free & easily found - just walk around your neighborhood or any house undergoing construction. there will be a huge amount of abandoned wood waiting/hoping to be reclaimed & made into something beautiful.

if i had to link a vid that most closely resembles my eventual mallet build, it'd have to be this;

he uses a similar 3 wood layer build like mine for the striking surface, instead of the more common 1 big chunk of wood style. both are great.

tools used for building my mallet: saw, hammer, wood rasp, sandpaper(s), 3 nails. thats all needed to recreate what i did.

i will test mine over the week & determine what other tweaks/experiments wanna do with it... regardless, its a very handy tool to have around & even safe in kids hands. so get started on ur own mjornirs, folks!

... and now, back to our continuing journey into the midpoint of where old skool forging (no power tools) meets modernised forging/smithing (very heavy reliance on power tools).

in today's video, we see another master craftsman making yet another traditional knife by fusing traditional forging methods with modern day power tools.


where the previous indian smith only used an angle grinder, this nepalese smith additionally uses a buzz saw, bench grinder and drill too to create one gorgeous kukri knife.

i bet the air intake blower for the forge is powered by electricity too.

this shows a marked increase in reliance of power tools & consequently, a more 'polished' end product.

do also note the handle material - thats buffalo horn. tough stuff.

.. and the journey continues, with today's video featuring our very own malaysian smiths!

the smiths in question are the excellent parang bidor folks.

in this video, we see all the modern tools used by the nepalese smith, in addition to the 'power hammer' - a very serious piece of equipment. it can effectively shorten 8 grueling hours of pounding metal to mere minutes!

personally, the owning of a power hammer is what differentiates a hobbyist/pro vs a serious crafter intent on mass production for me. many top level pros dont own/use a power hammer... but in my experience, those who do own a power hammer are serious experts who can mass produce huge numbers of their creations.

the show 'FORGED IN FIRE' is also a perfect example of this midpoint method of old skool forging aided by power tools. you will see them using 'big blue' (the nickname given to the inhouse power hammer), in addition to a myriad of other tools as they race to finish their creations. i will go into details on the power tools used in a much later post after covering the basics.

as an aside & to give credit where its due = the bidor parangs are truly stellar things. quality blades with good sharpness, edge retention, quick to resharpen & not too overtly brittle.

here's a bonus vid showing the making process & a bidor parang being put through a decent field test.

the only issue i ever had with them were the rough, casting made plastic handles - blisters fast & starts rattling after a few years of wear & tear. never had an issue with the blades themselves.

i'd heartily recommenced these parangs for camping needs & general household chores. you get the same performance of a rm 400 or more branded knife for a mere rm 22 - 28. talk about the deal of a century (coincidentally, the knife may well last that long with the proper tlc).

one parang bidor should easily last 8 - 20 years with very hard use or 2 - 3 generations with occasional use & basic upkeep. numbers derived based on my experience. when i do chip/break a blade - i just reprofile it & get another few decades of use from these supreme workhorse of knives.

while the bidor parangs have its own charming rough & tough aesthetics - in terms of functionality, its unsurpassed by other pricier options.

further bonus - no hesitation or guilt of putting if through the ringer as there's no beautiful surface/finish to be marred by rough use. i always grimace when having to put a beautifully finished knife through its paces - thats never an issue with bidor parangs

do choose a size that best fits ur needs though - i constantly wish i had brought my smaller versions when having to do close quarter work. the extra length affects the swinging angle/precision. based on ur needs - less just might be more. they rate them along '125', '135', etc classifications that denote length.


so, if you want a ridiculously cheap workhorse of a knife - get a bidor parang. available in most/all hardware shops here... thai neighbours, please get urselves aranyiks ya. another brilliant cheap & supremely functional workhorse line of knives. i will touch on the aranyik lines & others much further down the line.

today, we head to vietnam to watch a xa gac forged by utilising old skool methods aided by modern tools.

the new modern tool seen in this video is the electrical planer used to shape the handle.

it quickly turns any branch or piece of wood into a faceted handle in short time, as opposed to using a drawknife or other such manual shaping tool. i will detail further on planers, drawknifes, etc in a much later post down the line.

do also note that ingeniously modified belt sander - it even has a drill head attachment!



the xa gac is basically 2 hander machete thats similar in design to the malaysian oil palm chisel.

the difference is that its more tapered forward to be a chopper/slasher & one of its longer side edge is sharpened, as opposed to the top tip as in a oil palm chisel.

its long pole handle allows arcing momentum to be built when swinging it. couple this with the thick heavy blade, the xa gac delivers forceful chops to clear heavy brush.

it was rather strenuous to use for long periods. great core & cardio workout though. lol

i greatly appreciate the ingenuity showed by this smith. in addition to modifying his tools, he also demonstrates some very novel techniques & showcases some rarely seen ones too. lot to learn from here for any wannabe/future smiths. repeat viewing is encouraged as his technique is stellar. enjoy!

typo. that should be 'bench grinder', not belt sander. i'll go into detail on both these tools on much later posts.

the weekend is upon us again!

today's weekend quick project is gonna focus on making light custom leather sheaths for some of my machetes.

these will be lightweight versions designed to protect the machetes & allow them to be transported/wedged inside a belt without risk of injury to the carrier.

its a very fast project, so pix will be up very shortly, or as soon as there's decent light to shoot good pix.

if its too gloomy today - i'll post pix 2moro.

here we go!

all done. finished ages ago.

took bout 19 minutes in total.

weather has been gloomy the whole day though, so kept waiting for sunnier conditions to snap pix.

but til now, still slightly overcast.

so just shot in low light conditions & posted below.

anyways, gonna do another one tomorrow.

hopefully sunnier then, so can post better pix.

tomorrow's version will be different than the one made today.

i'll go into details about both & include the step breakdown tomorrow too.

it was a really simple, fast & straightforward project

& another quick custom leather sheath's done!


even faster than yesterdays.

yesterday's took about 6 minutes to make the 'cocoon' inner layer from ah long poster. i use the posters coz its upcycling junk, is free, benefits the environment & the material makes a strong base casing to wrap the leather around. its tough, yet pliable.

then, the leather or pleather - derived from discarded sofas dumped in neighborhoods - is tightly wrapped around the ah long poster casing.

i then mark off the desired length after ensuring there's about 1.5 inch overlap & proceed to cut the leather.

i additionally cut a short strip to seal the bottom of the sheath. marking & cutting took 6 minutes.

all thats left now is to stick & seal the bottom part of the sheath with the cut strip first, then wrap the cut leather around the 'cocoon' tightly & stick the overlapping ends.

i use a glue gun + glue stick for this. both are easily found in daiso for rm 5 each. looks like this:


the entire sticking process took 7 minutes. so, all in, it took 19 minutes & your leather sheath is now complete!

i usually like to leave the completed leather sheath with the knife inserted inside a vice wedged between wood for a whole night. this helps mould the shape & better form fits the sheath to the knife through extended compression. no vice? just place a piece of wood on top of the sheath & place heavy things on top of the wood - same effect. it will 'roti canai' the sheath.

i brush the sheath with oil the next day & dry under bright sun for a whole day. this helps dry, stiffen & seal the leather further. polish with a final application of oil to add another moisture repelling layer & you now have a shiny, but tough light leather sheath!

the second sheath was made in about 16 mins, even though its a longer blade.

wish could add vid links to showcase my method, but there just isnt any - my speedy light leather sheaths are too unique. no similar vids unfortunately.

other than the blade length, the additional difference between the 2 is yesterday's sheath had a feeder line at the bottom. today's doesnt.

whats a sheath feeder line?... its when i make a small opening at the bottom part of the sealing strip of the sheath to allow a piece of rope or lanyard through. this string allows the bottom part of the sheath to be firmly fastened to your leg & stops it from flapping/banging around your leg or caught in undergrowth. particularly useful when waterfall rappelling or horse riding. pix shows sheath with feeder line on left and sans on right.


the above sheaths were put in a vice for a few hours & polished with oil too btw. they are snug fit & shiny now.


on an aside, if you ever find your leather is too soft, fully soak in water & dry in hot sun - its becomes super hard!

its a way how leather armour was made in ancient times... do note though that this method may well ruin your leather too if not done right. its also called 'leather wet forming' & these vids show the technique:


and this

leather working is another skill that most crafters eventually master. wood working, steel working & leather working all go hand in hand when it comes to modern knife making - so do give it a go & grow your skills!

any interested in visiting me can try their hand on any or all 3 of the above skills. all tools & equipment to get started will be provided

... so just come on down.

btw, using the last post of the day to list the tools needed/used for making my sheaths: ah long poster, recycled leather/pleather, glue stick & glue gun (can skip & melt glue stick over candle too).

tomorrow's posts will resume the continuing journey of the evolution of smithing & the intersection of old skool blacksmithing converging with the use of modern power tools.

lol.

just realised my 'p lesen' just finished. yesterdays' last post was my number 50... ergo my probationary period is over.

nice to no longer be encumbered by a daily post limit

i would like to take the opportunity to draw some attentions to another local malaysian smith.

this adventurous crafters' creations verve towards unique & fantastical elements. his designs & accents show a very creative aesthetic flair & he's definitely most familiar with the art of steel working. wonderful to see that he has mastered some of the fine aspects of crafting in the 4 years he's been part time blademsithing. well done

this is his actual video page > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsAU4pCvs_...h9beIWmQ/videos

& this video showcases a highlight montage of most of his works:


some of his videos particularly appeal to me because he uses the same scalloping/faux hammer forge scale method for texturing that i love to do too. examples can be seen here:

a truly very creative individual who deserves to have his unique creations highlighted. keep up the creative work

and in our continuing journey, here's another great example of old skool bladesmithing aided along by modern tools.

we go to taiwan today in this video to watch wu sifu make old bombs into artistic bombs. lol.

in addition to all the modern tools already mentioned in past posts, the additional new tool used today would be the oxy cutter used to quickly cut steel down to manageable pieces.

here's another longer, more detailed behind the scenes vid of what goes on in the factory floor.

do also note the nice manual powered shearer used to trim the knives to desired shapes.

moving on, the below video demonstrates how an oxy cutter cuts steel

& this video shows how a knife maker cuts steel with a plasma cutter. he's making what is known as a 'blank'

both are great fast steel cutting options. main difference is one uses flame to cut steel, while the other uses electrical current arcing through a gas medium. both require great practice too.

below is a good vid that compares both:

the above cutters are more often used by stock removal crafters to cut blanks from ready made billets. i'll detail about this style further down the line.