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I was going to write about striking knives and why you might want one…but then did a quick search of our web site and came across Christopher Schwarz’s early 2009 post “3 Things I Like About My Striking Knife” – so I’ll just send you there instead.
But you don’t need to troll the antique malls and ironmongers for a vintage one like Chris’ (though it is, admittedly, pretty cool). Instead, you can make your own. The latest video in our Blacksmithing for Woodworkers series shows you how. It’s “Forging a Striking Knife with Peter Ross” (and there’s a video excerpt at the link).
There are lots of video posts on YouTube and articles online about making a backyard forge, just in case you haven’t access to a proper smithy (though my article on Peter Ross from the November 2012 issue has a pretty cool opening shot of his, if I do say so myself – you can read it free: “Peter Ross: Controlled Irregularity“).
And, here’s a little teaser about the next video in the blacksmithing series: Coming in February 2014, Don Weber’s “Make a Viking Tool Chest” (working title) is going to show us how to make a nifty backyard forge for about $40, with a propane tank, plumbing supplies and fire brick. (He’ll be teaching us how to make both the chest and the hardware for it – cool.)
p.s. I’m looking for an excuse to play with fire – wonder if my mom would appreciate a hand-made striking knife for Christmas. Probably not. That would playing with fire of an altogether different kind.
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This offering doesn’t seem very creditable. We’re going to learn how to build a forge and create a striking knife in 26 minutes? And, there’s also the comments by Sawduster that the statements about cost are a little deceptive. It may cost $40 to purchase the materials to build a forge, but there’s also the tools and materials necessary to actually make the striking knife. While the topic is interesting and I’d like to learn more, I’m not going to pay $15 to download a 26 minute video that couldn’t possible do anything more than gloss over the general topic. I can spend a whole day in the blacksmith shop in my nearby historic village, and ask all the questions I can think of, for ~$20. Personally, I see this as a pattern with all PW videos; grandiose promises, disappointing delivery.
Thanks for the free read on Peter Ross! His work looks outstanding.
Beside the $40.00 or so for the forge then there’s the cost of the heavy protective golves, blacksmith’s tongs, cross pean sledge, protective apron, anvil, and such, But barring the set-up costs, the experience will be educational and enlightning and a lot of fun. And, ya end up with a super useful tool. Then once introduced to smithing you’ll follow ot up with a couple of bench hold fasts from bar stock. And the lisy goes on. Haha.