Steel hike and a new knife

 So the woods called out again, and more so, the song of steel was joining in; so I packed a hacksaw and made for the hills. Cold it was, but the sun came out, and I slowly trod my way up the hillside.

 And as always, as the first trees embraced my stride, calm washed over my ravaged soul and soothed my pain.

 Deeper yet I walked and higher I came. It was like a walkabout, to find a dream in a piece of steel lying in the woods for a hundred years.

 The hills were radiant with a winter sun.

 And the light woods faded into the twilight of spruce and fir. And while I like the radiant birch and the elegant beech and the strong oak, the shadow of the twilit spruce woods holds no terror for me, for I was born in a place like this and know its ways well.

 The trail lay frozen, enchanted by a crystal veil.

 The sun was already sinking when I reached the hilltop, embracing me with shadow.

 Through the woods I trod, and there...

 ...behind a thicket of fallen trees and branches

 ...there it was that a secret of steel awaited me with its silent, violent song.

 Those leaf springs from a forgotten chariot have a carbon content of about 0,75-0,90%.

 And make an excellent Nessmuk...;-)

 Old leaf spring steel, selective temper, with a hefty blade thickness at 7mm...12cm blade, elk antler scales, high convex bevel, mosaic pins.

 And still slicey enough to make a delicious snack.

This knife now bears the soul of the woods, and it gives me more comfort than a run-of the-mill production knife ever could. This is the soul of Tribal knifemaking in my book.

An old knife revived - Fimbulmuk....

Now this is an old knife I have somewhat revived these days. I just cleaned the blade a bit and did some stropping. I had shared it some time ago, and I find it appropriate to share some thoughts with you.

First and foremostly I want to say that I searched for it for some time until I realized it rode on my belt. I guess that tells more than thousand words. I use it hard. Every day. It´s a good kitchen knife, it cuts meat and skin and chops bone and antler, opens boxes, letters and destroys analog spam. I had to fix the scales a bit for they came a bit ajar, but nothing that could not be mended with a drop of epoxy and a gentle tap with a peen. I like the blade´s offset a lot, and the simple spring steel has never seen actual sharpening, just a bit removing of scale due to a fit of aestehtics;-). By the way, the lanyard bead is by my lovely magic troll... ask politely and she´ll make you one, too;-). (I know she will whack the good out of me for that, but it´s worth it;-)) Contact her via her blog: Koboldkerker.blogspot.de

I will try to enhance the design in a further knife, but it will be hard. Why do I rant about this here?

I made this knife from scrap steel and antler from a flea market find. I use it hard for years now. There´s a message... I daresay you can find it.

Tribal knifemaking rocks!!!!

On the bench- another Fimbulmuk from crap steel

This is something I have in the works to date. This design is becoming a favourite of mine, and I prefer to call it a Fimbulmuk;-P, for there are some minor differences to your common Nessmuk design. First and most obviously, the blade is offset to make it easier to use in a kitchen application. That way, slicing onions or processing herbs is a cinch. But there´s always some kind of downside to an offset blade, as e.g. the Grohmann Canadian Belt knife, which is good enough. But I find knives like the Grohmann a bit awkward when whittling. I thought long and hard about that, and one of my all - time favourite backwoods whittling knife is the Roselli carving knife with the 85 mm blade, closely followed by this one:

So I found out that a knife whittles best when you can draw an imaginary axle through the butt and it is in a straight line with the tip. Also, if you draw this axle through the blade, the major contact points of the hand should not be too far off. With the Fimbulmuk I think I solved the problem by radically curving the handle. Take note that both edge line and handle silhouette follow a whiplash line, which I think makes for more dynamic cutting. To put the balance point on the finger tip, however, I had to shorten the tang a bit, because drilling out the tang was not an option with the shallow silhouette. I solved this one problem with a cigar - shaped end, and the knife will get a short lanyard fitted with those lovely lanyard beads by my CUTIE *ggg*magic troll (she always get mad when I call her cutie, and she´s so cute when she gets mad*ggg*). The blade is made from an old wrench I found in the woods, apparently out of crucible steel, 85mmx3,5mm, olive wood handle, screwed and glued on with a screw cut / rolled into the tang and scales. Convex bevel, that will see a lot of polishing still.

The other pic, by the way, is of a knife I made years ago from cold -rolled file steel, selective temper, Scandi grind, elkhorn handle with brass fittings, 90x4mm blade. I tested it hard these years. The handle has minor cracks towards the end due to constant exposal to the elements, but is trustworthy as a rock still.

The more I get into knifemaking, the more I get interested into the finer points and details. Peter Johnsson did a lot to promote my thinking geometrically when blades are concerned. What´s good for a sword can´t be bad for a knife, if you know when to apply geometry. And the principle of the whiplash line fascinates me ever since I first heard about its use in the art nouveau movement which far transcended mere art.

Still so much to learn;-). As is, I am content with the outcome. If you want elegance, look elsewhere. But I think I can safely say that I am nearing the point where I can make knives that actually work.;-)

Short introduction of a Boker plus Colubris tactical belt knife

 Okay, I admit it. I am a geardo.

I am an inconsequent asshole jibbering and jabbering about going simple and then going along and buying the latest paraphernalia. I can tell you, I have told myself so.

But then I never stated I was completely off the grid, whatever that might mean. And I still have no TV, no fridge, no personal personal computer, I am neither facebooked, xinged or whatever still, I still forage for my food. So you might forgive me if I buy something from time to time, just because I want to;-).

Fact is, I did not need it. I could make something very close myself.

The culprit is, I just wanted it. I was on a marvellous trip to Solingen, doing some visits, renewing some very valuable acquaintances. Not the least was my visit to Tobias from Boker Baumwerk, Solingen. They have a sales shop where you can get second grades and production leftovers and one or the other proto that did not see actual production. Now Boker is famed for their tactical knife designs. I still don´t like tactical knife designs. I am not overly fond of G-10 and Micarta, and I don´t believe in this super steel prybar shrapnel designs. But, as is, I visited the shop, had a chat with Mrs. Felix, until she was going home, and Tobias came in. I was quite delighted, for we hadn´t met in a year or so. Tobias is one of those guys you may take for a thug at first sight, and he is no stranger to the martial arts, in fact... not that any martial artist is a thug, mind you!;-) But you can tell by the way he moves and walks that he knows how to take a beating and defend himself. If you get to know him, however, you will learn that the first glance at his being a  "thug" might cheat; suffice to say that he is a very nice and reflected guy with a calm, but persistent air about him. Of course, we talked a lot, and I played some knives, actually quite absently, to be honest. Then I laid my fingers on something weird, a bit like a crossover between a Nessmuk and some alien starship wreckage;-). Oh, and do you know that feeling, when you play something and it just falls in place?

This actually was the case. And NO, I didn´t get paid to write this. You all know my stance towards things that look like alien starship wreckage. Then I learned it had a 440C blade, with a legal length in the bargain (10,9cm). I at first wasn´t too fond of the spine thickness, which is at least some 6 mm, but it has a high slightly hollow grind with a flat secondary edge bevel, and a very wide blade.

 Oh, and the packaging alone is worth mentioning. You get the impression you bought some quality item, and the idea you bought a firearm, which, I daresay is not all by coincidence. The knife is designed by DJ Urbanowski (American Kami). He is a madman, I think;-). Good thing for starters, I think;-).

The way it is accomplished is a very American way of designing knives, to be true...;-)

It comes with a well - fitting kydex sheath with a Tek - Lok carrying system. I am fond of carrying systems and extra bits and gimmicks actually, ever since I got my first "LEGO" playing kit;-). Kitting aside;-), this knife feels sturdy, and comes with a blade that does even work, which is not the case with all tactical designs.

Of course, I tested it and estimate the hardness at 58-60 HRC. It carves steel rods, chops antler, and is capable of doing more delicate work. The finish of the blade consists of tiny scratches ("stonewashed"), so no harm done if you add some more. Using a firesteel and all that other abuse did not have any adverse effects on the blade. Balance point is slightly hindward of the index finger handle point, and with a lanyard will go further back. That makes for a bit of a less than ideal balance, but hey, it´s just that I have to find a flaw to make sure I am living up to my personal image;-) of being a groping moron...;-). The handle is special waste G-10, of course, but you can use  ´em to drive nails, so no complaint. Also, this product will have an exceedingly long life-cycle. It is not exactly beautiful, no sir, but has a kind of brutal aesthetics to it. If you can live with the somewhat martial appearance, it´s a great blade with a serviceable steel. I do not like to modify this opinion of mine, no sir;-), not at all, but it maybe that tactical designs might have their advantages after all;-)

I bought it, and we continued to have some chatting about mountainbiking, survival and martial arts and this and that, until I said goodbye, because I had to get my bus...

Children´s birthday party at the Bethaus smithy - and the birth of a Nessie

 Hope I am not getting on your nerves;-), for this is another children´s birthday party post, and, while they tend to look all the same, and chance is, they do for onlookers, rest assured, there is no one alike the other one. It´s often kids that tend to be motorically impaired (But being tauted as "normal". Many so-called handicapped persons tend to be more capable than average "normal" kids.) Many of them arrive drugged with Ritalin or the like, and if they don´t, you usually have a problem. (Kai-Torben, NO! You WON´t stick your finger into the forge, Kevin- Dennis, NO! Do NOT poke Dennis-Kevin´s eye out with that bar of steel!*ggg* Schankktal-Schakkeline, put that knife away, you WON´t cut your forearm again...;-))

It´s often arduous work, but this time it has been a right pleasure. The kids were accompagnied by parents who actually had fun organizing the event for the kids, the kids had fun playing games (playing games! Remember that time when children actually used to play actual games? Not sitting paralyzed before the great one-eyed snake box?), the adults had fun playing games with the kids, they were actually around and seemed to enjoy themselves because the kids did. Okay, I admit it... they bribed me into writing this by offering chocolate brownie cookies;-), but me, being above being bribed, declined;-), while Volker gladly accepted, that old sweet-tooth;-).

 It was a very relaxed atmosphere. That was not to say there was no work to be done! But the kids being creative, capable of concentrating, and enjoying themselves, it was real fun. The adults, however, were laid-back and friendly people. Perfect!

 Here Volker putting the kids´ tools on the desk...blimey, that guy was moving so fast, the picture is blurred! Even with this high - end, completely functional *g*camera, I did not manage to get the picture right!*ggg* Imagine that!*ggg*

 Here Volker explains the history of the Bethaus. The miner´s chapel house was built in 1830 as a meeting point of miners before their shift, and was the site of a miner´s worship of St. Barbara, the patroness of miner´s, smelters, artillerymen, and black- and weaponsmiths. Before the shift, miners came together for a prayer to the saint for a happy return. A great and amtospherically dense novel to transport the terror of the subterranean, but also the hope for riches and prosperity the miners were confronted with in those days is "The Mines Of Falun" (Die Bergwerke zu Falun) by E.T.A. Hoffmann.

After the shift, the miners hopefully returned to have their tools repaired for the next day. For that purpose, there always had been a smithy at the chapel, too. There picks, shovels and hammers were repaired or made anew, later on the chisels of power hammers and other power tools were repaired. And the best thing about all that is - we still do that!;-) The kids were enthused to be smith´s apprentices, and we did our best to let the old times revive for them, even our skills still are not up to par to those of those ancient miner´s blacksmiths. But that´s not our purpose in the first.

 We are here to let the kids have some fun and to keep the flame burning.

 The kids were enthusiastic about the work, and many of them took a great deal of time polishing their works. We made pendants, snakes, small knifelookalikes;-) from mild steel which I tried to work-harden by coldforging. A bit hard on the ears, and I fear my hearing is already impaired a bit... blimey, have to get some ear plugs... but it´s hard to communicate with the kids when you wear plugs.

 And yes, it´s pictures like this that keep me going, even when it´s sometimes tough. It simply feels good to pass on the enthusiasm for the next generation.

Let me give a more personal take on that. We live in a very, very strange and estranged world. We tend to blabber about freedom all the time, and when we get it, we use it to simply kill time and refine our boredom. We are not free, for we work to earn money we believe we need, because we believe we need a fifth laptop or the latest smartphone, a third car or, yap, a fifth mountainbike or surfboard. Mountainbiking is a great example. Many of the people I know who ride mountainbikes call themselves "freeriders". To do this sport, you need at least 1.500 € worth of bike, plus some 700€ worth of equipment, protection, gear, clothing, and you have to spend at least 1.400€ worth on holidays. Maybe a bit exaggerated, for most of the people I know would not be able to afford this,  but that´s what the magazines keep telling you. All this you "need" to ride free. To ride "free", a person with an income not exactly middle management thusly would have to work 1-3 months just for the tools of the trade;-) and a holiday. I therefore very much doubt that he or she then is "free". We are told so, but we are not. The examples are legion. You can be free by buying deodorants, insurances, cigarettes. Interestingly I read an ad about a deodorant named "obsession"  that transported the message of freedom some years ago, which is outright ridiculous in my book.

But then, how can one be free? Is there anything like freedom?

I have a maxim I try to live by: "As long as I do not harm anyone and the world benefits from it in any way, I do whatever I want." This is sometimes very, very hard, for the world generally does not care a runny shit about me or anyone else doing anything for its benefit, for its surface is designed by mammonists. Those are glad if anyone does anything "for free", for he or she can be exploited much easier that way. You do not get any money equals you cannot buy symbols of status equals you have no status. But we are talking surface here. I learned for myself, that in-depth, the world is a beautiful place. If you do not value money that much, if you simply regard it as a tool, not a toy, there is much to discover; a flower growing through the concrete, the grain of some burly wood, the pattern of damascus steel. Your own body, aside from the advertisment-hysteria and the beauty- and wellness-hype. Your power, of body, mind and soul. The beauty and terror of the actual world. The terror and greatness and the overwhelming beauty of actual life.

Blacksmithing has done one thing for me: It made me realize I could shape my own world. From junk and scrap and ashes I have learned, the hard way sometimes, to shape whatever I desire, or at least, to be capable of learning it-potentially at least. It means, while I often have a tight schedule with little or no room for toodling about, and sometimes work 70 h a week with an income that´s not worth mentioning and amounts to 30 % less than the minimum dole would sum up to, I have a freedom that I need for the sanity of my soul. I might not be the best of blacksmiths, but a blacksmith I am.

But what does that mean? In Volundar - saga it is said that Wayland the smith was taken captive by some king named Nidung. He cut his tendons to keep him captive and demanded he forged for him wondrous armour and weapons. Wayland escaped. He forged himself wings and flew away. In the bronze - age smiths of the Unetice culture are said to have had prince status. The metallurg was master of the elements, and legend has it he or she was also master of fate. Smiths have made this world, and those who know this blog know that there lays a hope for me, for the world has gone mad and false.

Genetic manipulation is not evil, but we simply do not understand enough of the whole to do it-and yet, corporations like Monsanto monopolize on bringing out manipulated seeds on the market, and there are little options left for the common man. There only but recently was an attempt to illegalize self- harvested seeds, even in private gardens. It might have been another attempt of corporations like Monsanto to get a monopol on victualies and seeds.
Capitalism is not evil, and it has secured peace for a long period of time. But it bears strange fruits. Ecologism is not evil, either, but to burn down acres of rainforest to plant rapeseed (genetically manipulized, of course), exclusively for CAR FUEL, while the inhabitants starve, is mad. Mammonism is not evil, either, if Mammon gets assigned his place in the pantheon he actually had ages ago. It´s all a system, and this system is the reason we not only cannot be free, but are subject to tyranny. But who are the tyrants? Can we hang them?

Bit difficult, could do that just if you feel so inclined to commit suicide. The enemy is within, within the gates. It´s us. We can´t escape.

Can´t we, really?

I used to buy a lot of knives and other tools in my time. I learned to forge, now I do not buy them anymore (that frequently, okay, I admit;-)). I had no money for a decent pair of reenactment shoes. I made them myself. While not exactly perfect, I wore them for one year and used them very hard, for I used them for hiking also, because they were just so comfy, now there´s a hole in one sole, but no harm done, I can repair that. I  wanted a Sarouel pants, and I made one. I want a kuksa... what will I do? I make my own mead, I brew my own birch sap beer, kwass and sloe champagne, cure my cough with herbs I collected, treat my wood with resin I found, drink my tea made from leaves I collected.

I am realistic: Not everyone can make his or her gear all by themselves. I can´t, myself. But that´s not the culprit. It´s not about making these things, but about understanding again THAT these are made in the first place. That they transport the time and energy put into them, that they rely on natural resources, and to understand that everything we claim has its consequences, and that our behaviour has consequences, too, and not because someone tells us so. It is easy to even work with difficult kids at the forge, because you can easily illustrate why one should obey the rules. They are made by iron, fire and water, not by the smith. 1.200 degrees Celsius will be dangerous, and anyone possessed of the ability to feel pain will recognize that without further ado.

The world will not be saved by that. We will still have to endure the consequences of the exploit we did to the planet, and chance is, few will survive the breakdown of western civilization that will come. We are in the middle of it, in fact. It´s not the punishment of God or the Gods. It´s just the consequences of our false behaviour. And it is a chance to learn how it´s done properly.

I hope that with my blacksmithing an tutoring, I achieve one thing: To get minds to think for themselves, if only one out of thousand. I might not be free, and I am not Wayland for sure, but I hope to one day look back on my life and to be able to say that it was okay.

That´s all I can say.

By the way, I just wanted a Nessmuk. Willy is doing these all of the time, and I did not want to stay off the back, so I made one from a piece of spring steel: 

 It came along quite nicely, done with a forge, tongs, hammer, two files and that´s it. I drilled two holes near the back of the tang for balance, but I might add more of them, depending on what scales to fit. I recently found a block of Pertinax in the woods, which looks very beautiful, but I learned it is toxic due to the Formaldehyde and Phenolic contents. Guess I´d rather get rid of it.... and fit some stag or ramshorn scales. We´ll see how it goes, but the choice of scales will have an influence on the drillings, for I like to have my centre of gravity on the index finger to make for more nimble handling of the knife. I also choose an edge line in line with the handle outline (does that make sense to you?;-))to make for more acurate carving ability and a somewhat milder S-form of the knife in general. Having played a lot with it already, I can say that I really like the feel of it, and as there´s still this ominous crane bag / ditty bag project on the bench for some, wait, is that two years??? I rather say, this might find its way in... but talk is cheap, and there are too many options as far as this bag is concerned, and I daresay I rather stitch this thing together any which way. I simply have too many ideas that in the end I follow none of them... so I guess I´ll rather put the rubber on the road soon. But, this knife first.;-) Or that cleaver. Or that bush knife, oh, and the damascus blades and and and...

Anyaway, I´ll keep you informed!

Some smithing tutorial with Pam and René at the Bethaus

 On Saturday, I had an appointment with Pamela and her boyfriend, René. René is one of my oldest friends, and Pamela, his girlfriend, is a goldsmith. On a recent party, she addressed me if I could teach her how to forge some real material;-). Now it is somewhat funny - I always shunned her a bit, for when we met each other for the first time, she sneered at me. But when we got to actually talk, it happened, that thing that always happens when two smiths meet, may they forge iron, steel, or gold and and silver. The others on the party did not understand much anymore, and we had a great time. And she wanted to make a knife bad;-), and we even talked about making some damascus. When the two came by, she even brought some Borax! When she had her first go at pounding steel, however we consulted again and came to the clue, that plain spring steel woulöd suit her fine;-). I am kidding, of course, for she did extremely well. Volker had a children´s birthday party going on at the time, and we arranged ourselves.

 We used the manual forge. I normally am very fond of it, but it proved less than ideal that time. The transmission belt had shortened due to the cold, and the fan did not work properly, so we took Viktor´s forge instead.

 René looking on and commenting on Pamela´s work. It´s funny that couples who really love each other tend to get mad at each other all the time;-)... but they are both friendly people, and so it was no problem at all... just interesting to see.

 The kids apparently had a lot of fun, too, forging snails and hearts and snakes and mini horseshoes...

 When my psychotic clients*ggg* got too mad with each other, I gave René the sledge to remove some excess energy*ggg*. Just kidding again, that guy does not look the part, but he is a brute. We went felling trees at one time a lot, working in landscaping together. I remember him calling me one Friday evening and saying "Hey, bro, got anything to do on Saturday? Got an easy job, nothing really difficult, some ten trees no larger than 30 cm diameter, and they can all fall freely..." Having worked with him at that time for some time already, I was alert and packed ten times the food and water I would have normally had, and went to bed five hours earlier. The culprit is, it were one of those jobs I just so survived. There were 18 trees, most were rotten, one had a hornet´s nest in it, and none of them could fall freely, so we had to cut them off in tiny slices. We raced each other delimbing the fallen slices, him with a chainsaw, me with two Khukhuris, and, when they were too dull to work anymore (!), with two hatchets. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done - and one of the funnest things along the way. When I told another friend of mine, no stranger to hard work, too, and doing lumberjack work himself, he asked me about our tractor and what model it was, for he was fond of tractors. The face he made when I asked "What tractor?" was worth it;-). There are not many people with whom you can do that and still be friends afterwards. René is someone I trusted my life to and would do so again, and he does the same. We lost a bit of a contact, and I am really glad that seems to change again, with a bit of negotiation by Pamela. I really look forward to what will happen and to learn from each other. René is a industrial design engineer, Pamela with her goldsmithing background, and myself as the ironpounding brute might influence each other, and that´s a good thing I hope for.

 Also, I have to thank Volker once again, for providing a smithy, which is not self-evident. He also provided us with a constant flow of coffee, and had his own work going on all the while.

 René having his own go at Pamela´s knife.

 Here he forges the blade already. Note how he stands at an angle, looking towards the horn of the anvil. That way he does not interfere with his own tongs and can quite easily access the piece he is forging with controlled hammer blows.

Pamela, however, making a mistake. See how she cramps using the tongs in front of her? To be fair, it was a tong not quite suited for the task, and we had no time to make another, so it is obvious she could encounter some difficulties;-). She made a leaf-handled kitchen knife with a Nessmuk-shape blade. Since you know the type, I spare you another photo. I really look forward to see how it will look when finished! René announced he wanted a knife, too, and we will make damascus, and the next project will be a knife with a horn handle. Both had fun forging, and will return to the smithy sometime soon after their holiday. I look forward to it!

New Nessie design

 I was feeling inspired by my mountain man bushcraft as well as the "Flachschmieder" by Rudolph Broch, one of those people I have learned a lot from, so, when I was at the last Hammer - In of the season, I made this blade out of spring steel. 110 mm long, the spine is 5 mm thick, and the knife has seen little stock removal as is and no power tools except for drilling the holes for the tang. I will keep working on that, too;-). The handle is made from sambar stag antler I found on a flea market, wait, is that 8 years? 8 years ago;-) it is indeed, and I am an old fart!*ggg*. I really like this material a lot for its amber colour. The pins are made from copper tube. With a length of Paracord you can fix it to a stick to harvest apples, plums or herbs normally out of reach. To me, the handle is comfortable, and I like the slightly offset edge for cutting on a level, as when snacking with a wooden board. In spite of the chunky spine thickness, it really cuts well and even works great in the kitchen. Chopping onions, slicing salami and bacon are a cinch, really. I guess it has something to do with the fact that it has no secondary bevel, and the little convex part there is is virtually non-existent. It is edge - quenched, though, and I already slammed it into a mild steel bar and unmounted a tin can;-) with it, with no dents whatsoever.

 The spine. The tang will see some filing still.

I also made a simple sheath already. Wet - formed around the handle, and hot - waxed to give a firm base, almost like Kydex! (not that this would be a good thing, mind you*ggg*.

As is, I like it. It will see some refining and polishing the edge, and then I will be in for some interesting testing again.*ggg*

Another day in the smithy-some musings on steel qualities and how to forge a Tai - Goo - style bush knife..

 On Tuesday, Istopped by the Bethaus smithy do do some projects for myself. First and foremostly, I had that urge again to do another bush knife;-), but I also tempered the leaf handled Kopis knife I made on Sunday, and a Nessmuk design knife with a flat tang. Then I took the uppermost piece of spring steel and set out to forge a hollow tang bush knife after Tai Goo.

 First I forged the blade part and set it to be about half the width of the handle part. A tip was then forged.

 Then the tang part was flattened, and, with the help of a hardy device, rolled onto itself. You can also use a vice with the jaws slightly apart. Use the peen of the hammer to do the preform. Then you can use the anvil´s surface to roll it onto itself. Be careful to execute the same number of blows on both sides.

 Then the blade was forged, and at the end of the handle a hook was formed to prevent a wrapping from sliding off, the handle being not conical. The blade itself was forged to edge. This knife was already ready to use after forging with no stock removal, and no, I am NOT going to tell you how I did it;-). There was clay involved, so much I can say;-).

The knife will get a ground edge surface, though, to enhance the geometry and get rid of some irregularities in the edge line, though. The blade has a selective temper.

Now to the steel: I find I use spring steel ever more often, in fact, I realize that there is all you need in this steel for bushcraft and hard use applications. It simply works. I have thought about that. The spring steel I use ranges from a carbon content between 0,55-0,80%, with manganese and slicium in the alloy, making it tougher, and maybe one or the other Chromium atom. It´s nothing compared to highly alloyed steels that are all the rage in the knifemaking world. D2 is an example I love to use to illustrate the fact. Known in Germany under the material cipher 1.2379, it is most commonly referred to as "tool steel", and most commonly used for stamping tools and cold and warm chisel tools. As the saying goes for knives out of that material, "they take a lousy edge but hold it forever". The high degree of alloy in this steel makes for vast carbides, nearly visible to the naked eye and resulting in a more coarse edge, almost like micro - serrations. For a hunting knife, this might even be an advantage, but for a bushcraft knife you want a fine edge. Woodcarving requires a polished edge surface to make controlled, powerful cuts manageable in a better way.

Spring steel, which is alloyed with Silicium, which, generally spoken, delivers a higher ductile strength and a higher flexibility, and manganese, which is also responsible for a higher flexibility and contributes to even out the carbides in the steel, is, while offering a tempering potential up to 61 degrees Rockwell after annealing, higly flexible, and makes, when treated the right way, for quite a tough blade. Plus, it is dead cheap and widely available. I really put my blades through their paces, and I hope one day they might pass the ABA test. I have worked with some fancy materials, and I get them to work quite often, even tested hard. But in an equation, I tend to return to spring steel more often than not, for, honestly, a knife has to be reliable and serviceable, especially in the woods.

For that, I have come to love those bush knives. They are dead simple, and that means little can go awry with them. No scales to come loose, no handle either, and you can even cover them up with makeshift cordage. They are widely used by indigenous cultures for a reason. You can use them for knife throwing or fit a stick into the hollow handle to make a spear. I have even harvested wild apples and plums and maple blossom that way. I already tested the knife some, for I was being curious, and it supports my weight when stuck in a wooden pole, and that´s a feat;-). A think a thorough test will follow soon...*ggg*
Try that with a 64 HRC D2 blade*ggg*.

Sheath for my mini Nessmuk;-)

I made a new sheath for my mini integral bolstered Nessmuk the other day. I am really fond of this knife, for it is compact and sharp and gets the job done quite good. Silver steel, convex bevel, 85 mm, deer bone handle (I found in the woods), burned and waxed to finish. The sheath is made from naturally tanned leather with a knotwork triskell bird design. The stitches could be cleaner, as usual, I was too fast again, but since no seam on any sheath has ever come apart in years of hard use, I guess I got something right nonetheless. Yap, there´s still a lot to learn, and I keep practicing;-).