Westmead Artificer - Knifemaking

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Artificer: [ART-IF-ISS-URR] : Noun: A craftsman who makes things

What I do...

Following a long interest in knives in general, I began making knives in 2007. To be more accurate, I first made a knife when I was at school, but let us draw a discreet veil over that effort, and say merely that in 2007 I started making knives that I wasn't embarrassed to be seen in public.
I use either recycled steel from old files and other tools, which is generally W1, W2 or one of the 10xx series, or O1 high carbon tool steel (or the British Standard equivalent for the pedants among us), which is much easier to work and heat-treat.

Everything on here is all my own work, unless stated otherwise.

In the pipeline...

I am in the process of making a tanto using an old file - half-round file, forged down to a square bar, then forged to shape and ground. The current iteration is the fourth attempt - first one cracked between hardening and tempering, the second (ahem) broke when I tried to straighten it without annealing and retreating (oops...) and the third cracked in the first quench (water quench too cold, possibly). These are all being clay-hardened - the spine of the blade is coated with clay and allowed to dry before hardening. The edge is quenched first in water, then the spine is quenched more slowly, due to the clay reducing the heat transfer. This should result in a hard edge with a softer, tougher spine, and with a visible temper line or hamon between the temper zones. Work in Progress page.

I have an Enzo Nordic blade in O1 on the go, with some wild olive and desert ironwood to fit.

Still in the queue is a Nessmuk-style stick-tang blade. Convex-ground, this has been heat-treated and is awaiting a handle. This will probably be stacked leather with brass bolsters and horn spacers - I have enough off-cuts of leather to do it, plus the horn and brass sitting in the Box of Bits.

What is new/available...

This is done:

4mm O1, scandi ground, with a full distal taper down to the point. Tang shape is inspired by the Texas Toothpick style. Scales are desert ironwood, with vine filework along the tang. This one is to be awarded as a prize to one of the Scouts at our Summer Camp in the Lake District.

Previous work...

The sheath for Tony's fish-filleting knife is finished, but I forgot to take any photos!

The pattern-welded seax blade now has an alder root handle and nickel-silver fittings.