What's going on in your shop? Show us whats going on, and talk a bit about your work!

Here's a new Long Tanto in NitroV, Ironwood (sap and heartwood) and G10. I'll be final polishing the handle and sheath edge today, then sharpening. Pretty thin behind the edge and featuring a bit of filework. The swedge flairs at the tip for extra strength. It says "Peace from Strength" on the sheath.
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Slaving away in the dungeon 😂
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weo said:
Finished up the one for my neighbor. 210mm (8.25") cutting edge, 360mm (14") OAL. Double dyed maple burl (from D DevinT 6-7 years ago, IIRC) African Blackwood and Holly handle.
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He's a professional photographer, so hopefully I'll get some better pics.
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One piece of photographic advice: be careful photographing knives on a soft piece of material. In your upper photo the material overlaps the edge slightly and makes it look like it's full of chips!
 
I set up a nice anvil from a 60 lb piece of railroad track (I weighed it, not a guess). Did my first real forging session today with some rebar to make some tongs. Not done yet but turning out okay for my first hammering experience. I stripped the varnish off of the handle of my harbor freight cross pein hammer but it still left a blister on my hand right before my pointer finger.

Veteran smiths of bladeforums, is the blister from a bad handle shape, improper grip, or simply a first time forging callus?
 
N.W. Gean said:
Veteran smiths of bladeforums, is the blister from a bad handle shape, improper grip, or simply a first time forging callus?
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Yes, probably yes. 😜

Not sure if this is the solution for you, but I've re-shaped almost all of my forging hammers to a rectangular shape.
 
weo said:
Yes, probably yes. 😜

Not sure if this is the solution for you, but I've re-shaped almost all of my forging hammers to a rectangular shape.
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Thanks. I tried to establish a flat on both sides of the handle, as Alec Steele showed in his video about improving a harbor freight hammer. I want to keep at it though. As soon as I saw the rebar start to move under my hammer blows I smiled to my self and thought "this is for me". I am completely hooked on forging, the same as I felt about making knives when I started 3 years ago.
 
This is my second try at leather carving. It's always interested me but I never seemed to have the time to give it a shot. Even though I've been making knives for 20 years I find doing this takes some different skills. I don't have artist skills, I can't draw free hand so I new from the start this would pose some challenges. It's not something I'm doing for money; I'm doing it for the satisfaction of doing something new. I'll post upcoming things I've tried, if they are worth looking at. Happy grinding, Fred
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Fred, if you can't draw free hand like me, try stamping like a basket weave etc.
It's all about straight lines but looks beatiful!
 
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