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Old 06-08-2017, 05:57 AM
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Crex Crex is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Acworth, GA and/or Hanging Dog, NC
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I have heard the "grain" pattern referred to as carbide banding (not totally sold on this, but may be). See it a lot in forged O1. Do not believe it has anything to do with scale, but you should get in the practice of wiring off scale between heats anyway.
Soak the blade in warm white vinegar for several hours then wire brush off the scale. You will then be able to determine just how deep the dings are and go from there.
Got to learn when to stop with the bigger hammer and go with a smaller flatter faced hammer and concentrate on flat controlled strikes when you get closer to your final forge bevels/tapers and plunge lines. Work your plunge lines on the edge of the anvil (cleanest most defined edge), again with lighter flatter faced hammer and focused control. Yeah easier said than done, but gets much easier with practice.
Not a bad shape, however if you plan to put a guard on it you need to start your tang a little lower from the spine. I teach my students to forge in the tang first and get it positioned, before forging the blade. Lot harder to chase it back to where you want it once the blade is formed.

ps- most of us are busy recovering from last weekend, cleaning, sorting, etc. Me, just getting ready for another 3-4 day weekend doing a demo at the Highland Games (then more cleaning and sorting ..... and hopefully replenishing my inventory for the rest of the season). Not ignoring just busier than a weasel with his tail on fire.


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Last edited by Crex; 06-08-2017 at 06:01 AM.
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