My other hobby filling time in isolation. Finished page 8.

[Weathers]

Thanks Duncan. I’d imagine it takes years of puddles and burnt offerings before one gets to a sufficient level of experience and more importantly skill.

Hats off to you for this. Very impressed.

[SteveRST]

Great thread Duncan, really intersting! Sure will make a lovely, personal wedding gift.

I made a forge welded billet of 72 layers of....

Does this mean you basically alternate really thin layers of those two metals, and build it up to 72 layers and then melt that down to form a solid billet?
Why the twist? I can only think it mixes the layers further and adds strength/hardness?

[Crunchie Gears]

Brilliant Duncan. Both art and cool (hot) blacksmith skills. Very impressive. The gift will be priceless and a great thing to hand down.

My father was a butcher and I still have some of his knives. I do not use them but ——. Your knives will be too valuable to use. Great gift

[DJ.]

Thanks

Steve, I start with 1/8" sheet of the two steels. I have found starting with 9 alternating layers works best. As I don't have a power hammer, I make small billets of 4" long and 1" wide strips tack welded together with a mild steel bar handle . As I wanted to make two matching knives, I made two billets.

As you said, the layers are built up by drawing out , folding and rewelding. I took each billet to 36 layers, then cleaned them up, tack welded them at one end and then forge welded again.

If a forge weld is done correctly, there shouldn't be any weakness as the layers merge into one, so the twist is just to give a more interesting pattern. Twisting creates a lot of shear stress, so if there is a bad weld, the billet tears open......

[b33fy]

I remember having a few sparklers in metalwork back in the day!

Is there an optimum number of layers Duncan? Can you have too many?

[DJ.]

I remember having a few sparklers in metalwork back in the day!

Is there an optimum number of layers Duncan? Can you have too many?

Originally, when pattern welding was used because the steels were very variable and not homogeneous, the more layers, the more likely the steel will be of even quality. That's why Japanese swords had so many.

With current steel available, it is just an aesthetic choice. Some patterns look better with high level counts and others with lower ones, but I don't tend to use less than 36.

[DJ.]

I've been working hard with the belt grinder and then finishing by hand with 80 grit emery cloth. To the extent that my thumb print is so worn it won't open my phone

Here are the blades ready for heat treatment next:

[leegav]

Beautiful.

[bigstuff]

They are looking great Duncan, love the initial emprininting. What do you have planned for the handles?

[Crunchie Gears]

Duncan they are brilliant!

looking forward to see the final gift