![]() Those under 18 years of age must have parental consent / a signed waiver. Please note: Workshop participants must be 16 years of age or older. You will leave the workshop with a finished knife, completely hand-forged by you! ![]() You will use the heat of the forge to harden and temper the blade of your knife, after which you will complete your project by stropping and honing its edge. In this exciting, hands-on workshop, you will forge a Railroad Spike Knife using basic blacksmith tools and techniques to draw, upset and twist the spike into the desired shape of your knife! Considerable time will be spent hand-filing the bevels and plunge lines of your creation using hand files and a filing jig. These spikes are identified by the letters ‘HC’ embossed into the head of the spike, denoting their higher carbon content which allows for the finished blade to be hardened for better edge retention and tempered to reduce brittleness associated with hardening. Not all spikes are created equal and the best spike knives are made from rail spikes used to secure tracks at bends and crossings. Today, the Railroad Spike Knife is a popular forging project amongst both beginner and seasoned blacksmiths/bladesmiths, resulting in the rich variety of shapes, sizes, and ornamentation found in these knives today!įorging a useful spike knife begins with selecting the right type of spike. The Traverse Spiral Railroad Knife is a railroad spike knife hand. They are not that great an alloy-too soft for blades and too hard for other stuff) and a hard to work shape-in my not so humble opinion-lots of better steels in more convenient shapes out there.The origins of the Railroad Spike Knife are not well documented, but it’s easy to imagine them being fashioned by the countless number of American Nomads who walked and rode the rails during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Molten metal twisting over what looks to be gears and tangling itself together to cool. I don't use them for anything else and live 2 houses from a RR line.Ī friend forges garden trowels from them. The other thing I've found to use them for is tentstakes-good practice tapering them and drawing them out on a powerhammer-and it's hard to mess up so badly that it can't be used as a tentstakes. I made a spoon stake for plannishing spoons from a RR spike. Axle is about 10 points above that boundary. HC RR Spikes have a *top* carbon content *under* the bottom boundary for medium carbon steel. No, a chunk of car/truck axle would be better for a hardy than RR Spike. I have a hardy hole on my avil but no hardy's would that be a good steel for that kind of stuff Now i just need projects to use the railroad spikes on, any ideas? I want to make a kukri but i guess i will buy steel for that. Its not so much money as it is the fact i ordered 25 railroad spikes and need something to do with them. Buy some steel and read up on it's heat treat specs, and if you do everything carefully you will have a good knife that can hold an edge. Now compare that to all the hours spent making the knife, and to what your time is worth. Any of the knife making supply places should have a suitable piece of steel for $5-10. Isn't it worth it to spend a few dollars on a decent piece of steel? I understand money can be tight, and when I started I used scrap steel, but when you spend that much time only to have the blade crack at quenching or not harden up properly it really sucks. Brand New custom handmade Full Tang Railroad Spike Carbon Steel Skinner Hunting knife With Resin Scales Handel or Free fine Lather Sheeth. If you are going to take the time to forge and grind and heat-treat and sand and fit a handle, etc.
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