Possible New Forging Challange Thread

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith

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I have been cleaning and moving things around in the shop getting ready to finally get back to working in there. I realized what a LOT of steel I have. More than I will ever use in my remaining years, and I plan on making knives into my 90's, b’ezrat Hashem .
One surplus in particular is about 100# of Don Hanson's low Mn W2. It has been forged down to about .25-.35" thick by 2" wide. This is the legendary stuff of show Bowies and camp knives. I haven't seen any for sale in a very long time. I'd like to share it with some of you forging chaps with experience in hamon quenching.

I thought I might cut some up into pieces around 8"to10" long and send it free to 10 folks who can do it justice (probably USA. and Canada only, but I'll see who asks). The thread would be to do a WIP in forging the W2 bars into a large knife of the smith's choice. Maybe I could require those who want a bar of the W2 to show a photo of their work.

In the same challenge thread, I could start a challenge for forging a large knife from a shorter piece of 2X.25 steel. Those who want to join that part of the challenge could, for instance, take a 12" piece of 2X.25" bar steel and forge a machete, or an 8" bar and forge a bowie, ... strictly up to the smith what he makes. They would record/photograph what they started with and the final knife they ended up with (as well as progress photos if they remember to take them). A WIP or video would also be great.

What are your thoughts on these challenges?
Length of the W2 bars?
Requirements for selecting the recipients if I get too many?
Other parameters?


Joshua Fisher
 
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It sounds like a great idea to me and it's very generous of you!

Even though I would love to participate, I believe it'd be a waste of precious steel to work with it at the time being.

I hope this challenge comes to fruition and learn a lot from the sidelines.
 
This sounds exciting! I’ll be fallowing this thread, would love to see what people whip up.

I’m in the process of moving across town so I’m going to be missing out on my forging time for a while. This thread will keep me from going insane
 
I would love to participate and make a few knives out of that material, maybe part of the requirement is that each smith make atleast one knife that they sell/donate for charity. That way the challenge becomes about having a positive impact as makers as well as getting to make some awesome knives.
 
I am completely unqualified to have an opinion but I can say I would love to watch the wips involved in the process. I remember watching a Jason Knight Livestream with his wife making a couple of big hunters I think it was. And about 5 min in he looks over and says hey babe is that a piece of my w2? She said yes and he said said something to the effect of " you're literally the only person I know that could get away with using a piece of that" ever since then I've been keeping my eye out for a stick and it is not to be had. A very generous offer indeed.
 
I was hoping Josh would join. You are definitely on the list.

I like the idea of making two blades, one to keep and one to donate/sell. Proceeds to any charity of your choice. Probably a voluntary part of te challenge. I don't know if I want to automatically send two bars to everyone, but certainly to folks who have the skills and want to make two knives. What I may do is send a 12" bar to everyone and a good smith can easily make a big knife and a hunter from that. If the person has plans for two nice large knives, I would be willing to send two bars. We can play that by ear as this gets set up.
 
If it's not too wasteful for your liking, I would do a stock removal Bowie. I'd need more like 14" though...
 
Is this the same material Don refers to as "old ass W2," Stacy? Stuff makes awesome hamon.

Cool give-away challenge! Have fun, lads.
 
Yes, this is Don's "Old Ass W2".

This is forging steel. It would definitely be wasteful to just grind it. A 14" bar to grind a Bowie would forge two Bowies.
I think the many cycles in forging also reduce the hardenability and aid in a superior hamon. That is why some folks, like Don Hansen III, don't even clay the spine. They get an auto-hamon.
 
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If this were to open up on an amateur level (Ive forged about 20 knives, a hatchet, and a damascus bit/mild body tomahawk) I’d love to participate.

If not I completely understand the steel going to those more capable than myself. I applaud your efforts to pay it forward either way.
 
This is rare steel. It can't be found anymore as far as I know (except in Don Hanson's vault). Of the original 30,000 pounds in this batch Don bought over 20,000 pounds of it.
One thing I really regret was at Bill Moran's estate sale. They had a big stack of 21' long 1.5" and 2.0" round drill rod W2 (I believe it was from the same batch that Don bought). It was selling for around $20 a rod!!! I could have bought ten rods, but had no way to transport it home to Norfolk in my min-van.

I think I have plenty of regular W2 that made a good hamon. I think there are several other thick forging steels like 1075 and 1084. I could share with those wanting to grind or who are still learning to forge. I'll have to look.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
This is rare steel. It can't be found anymore as far as I know (except in Don Hanson's vault). Of the original 30,000 pounds in this batch Don bought over 20,000 pounds of it.
One thing I really regret was at Bill Moran's estate sale. They had a big stack of 21' long 1.5" and 2.0" round drill rod W2 (I believe it was from the same batch that Don bought). It was selling for around $20 a rod!!! I could have bought ten rods, but had no way to transport it home to Norfolk in my min-van.

I think I have plenty of regular W2 that made a good hamon. I think there are several other thick forging steels like 1075 and 1084. I could share with those wanting to grind or who are still learning to forge. I'll have to look.
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would it be possible for me to join the challenge?
I wont need any of dons W2 as I have some already,sounds like a fun project and I would love to join the challenge.

the idea is great I think.
 
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Sure, this is just the planning stages. When I get things together, we'll get the challenge thread up.

I have had a few requests for some of this steel for stock removal folks. I will likely offer those chaps some regular W2.
I'll send the Hanson W2 to those experienced in forging and doing a hamon.
 
I have exactly one knife's worth of experience in forging this specific material. Stuart Branson has some of it and the first knife I ever forged was from this old ass steel in Stuart's shop.
I'd be down for participating, and particularly with two knives- one for a charitable donation and the other for personal use/testing
 
I do not have much experience with hamons, (Though I do have everything setup to do it properly now) but would love to participate if it's okey with you! I will happily respect whatever you decide.

Perhaps me and Richard338 Richard338 could collaboration on one since I like to forge?
 
Joseph Bandeko said:
I do not have much experience with hamons, (Though I do have everything setup to do it properly now) but would love to participate if it's okey with you! I will happily respect whatever you decide.

Perhaps me and Richard338 Richard338 could collaboration on one since I like to forge?
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Sounds great to me Joseph. Let's hope it works out.
 
This could be an epic WIP thread maker. I would like to play as long there is an understanding that I am as slow as a turtle walking backwards uphill. I will be glad to take pics, share them and detail any part of it that interests anyone. DH W2 is the gold standard by which all other W2 is measured. I have had a big puck of if for years that I would rather hold onto and dream of making something cool from it than actually using it.
 
I would like to participate. Plenty of expierience with W2 and Hamons.
 
I would like to have a go, it would be great to forge my second forged knife, and second hamon, I learned so much on my first one thanks to Stacy, on some great low Mg steel.
I understand if I am to far out for shipping etc
 
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