Pickles are all acids. All my acids are stored in opaque plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. Direct exposure to sunlight will weaken the acid....

If it's mild steel (it probably is), and your welding chops are good, I would just weld a piece of square bar to the base. Make sure the square stock ...

Here is a photo of one of my templates for a full tang blade. I was asked to make two identical copies of a blade I had made many years ago. The steel...

@Allen Crowell Pin placement mishaps happen. How I avoid it is by using a template that already has the hole placements drilled. I layout the hole pla...

That is a very good job for #8 Allen. The situation with the bevels has already been covered, so I'm going to talk about the handle.The pin placemen...

If I were to answer this question, honestly and simply, I would just say "no". Most of the fulltime "bladesmiths" I know now and have known in the las...

I feel your pain Ed. That reminds me of the time one of my chef's knives came back after the customer's daughter put it in the dishwasher....... By ...

My rough cast pommel cap.  Casting.jpg

Kevin,I made a Scots Dirk a couple of years ago: Scots Dirk – Show and Tell – Your Work – American Bladesmith Society ForumI also sand cast the bronze...

Now for one of those differing opinions that Ed referred to. When I started making knives back in 2005-2006 I was working out of a shop that was abo...

The liquid metal probably leaked out of the dish through weld voids. Without looking at the dish in my hand, it's difficult to say, but knowing that y...

I'm about halfway through that video you posted and I wanted to address the addition of green vegetable matter to get hydrogen into the crucible. At a...

OK Kevin, this is what I think is happening.First I want to look at the materials you are using. The copper from Speedy is pretty pure, at least accor...

Thank you for saying that. It helps me understand you a little better, and allows me to modify how I respond to you. There is a lot to unpack in you...

Where do you get this information? Green plant matter in the crucible to donate hydrogen and help the vanadium permeate the steel? Who is telling you ...