Ever skin a deer with a chainsaw?

[BobUrban]

Not actually with the saw but I did just find a new use for old(or in this situation new but tore up) chains.

I cut two sections of chain and forge welded them to a piece of 1080 steel just to see what it would look like. My goal was a servicable knife that you could actually see the chain in. I have made blades by forge welding up a billet out of chain but the final product, although cool, resembles nothing of the original chain. Once polished and etched the chain should really pop on this one. It was just an experiment but it turned out really solid and I think with a few tweaks I could really turn of a decent blade that has the chain profile obviously in it. I will probably not even put a handle on this one and just polish the whole thing, etch it and whola. the other is a little damascus hunter I made for a friend this weekend.

 

[DexterDay]

Wow..... Thats a very nice Skill you possess.

Love them both...

 

[swagler85]

That is awesome

 

[bogydave]

Very nice. Nice drop point. Work well for a hunting knife
Made a few from 440 C stainless blanks & other old saw blades but never forged any.
Gonna look sweet when all polished up.
Clear plastic handle? Might magnify the saw chain.

 

[Crane Stoves]

thats great work, do you have a gas forge ? is this a hobby for you at home? id be interested in seeing your forge and shop if possible? it would be awesome to try and create a temperline along the edge!

 

[yooperdave]

Good work! Almost looks like the shape of Texas in the metal-if you use your imagination-sorta-well, you know.
Who knows, maybe there's a market there? I can see the slogan already..."my knives have the heart of Texas in every blade"! ( I'm available for sales/marketing when you get this off the ground)

 

[BobUrban]

Gas and coal - and yes it is just a hobby. Everything I make I give away to friends and family members. I just like making functional art and got bored with making longbows. The shop I work in belongs to me good friend and they do everything steel. I am going to play around with this for a bit and see if I cannot clean it up a little bit on the next few I make. I do/did see Texas in there but I think I have noticed that looking at the drive links on my chains as well.

It would be very tough to find a clear plastic that you could both work and retains its clarity as well as stand the riggers of being a hard use knife. I may do a cord wrap but it would look nice with a couple osage scales on it?

Bob Urban

 

[Crane Stoves]

Ebony would be great to try with all those dark hue's your coming out with, but its your taste thats important and go with what YOUR feeling... im looking forward to some more pics! keeps us updated with your methods and results...

 

[BobUrban]

Doug - I agree a nice dark wood might look nice. I will make another that is a little better and a little longer to add handle scales too. As far as a hamon I don't think there is enough steel to get it as the pic is a bit deceiving - the blade is only about 3.5" on this one. Time will tell if I can make decent knives like this but it is very solid with no cold shuts in the weld - just some void spaces from the chain moving into the 1080. With the 1080 at the business edge I can get a nice heat treat on it though and it will hold an edge. I am thinking I need to make something like this with a "Squench" tool on the other end and market them here for the wood cutting bunch. I mean we all have a squench but who has one made from their chains?

My real obsession lately is large kitchen knives but I find it hard to relate them to wood cutting so I have avoided posts on those. I am in the process of a 15" sushi knife out of a slow twist damscus billet I forged up from 1080 and 15n20 - wish me luck on getting this one to turn out - warpage during heat treat on long thin blades is an ever present reality Here is a Chefs knife I made for my brothers kitchen with an 8.5" blade. Don't mind the optical illusion with the blade on the rail and my feet on the deck - it is not 4' long!

 

[webbie]

When the revolution comes, I'm headed over that way to arm up.

I'll bring along any hardened steel which I have laying around.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Slick as hell, Bob.Really sweet work

Do I remember you from the stickbow site? I went by pablo, pablo del norte, Dancesinspeedo, and a few other names there. I used to make bows as well- made a mess, had a lot of fun for about 5 yrs, then when I could make a decent bow any time I wanted- the challenge ran out and I moved on.

I plan on taking a blacksmith class in the fall and was thinking about forge welded chain knives- are you saying they don't show the chain very well when done with just chain?

 

[swagler85]

So If i want to buy one of these chainsaw knives what would it cost me?

 

[Murphy118]

Doug - I agree a nice dark wood might look nice. I will make another that is a little better and a little longer to add handle scales too. As far as a hamon I don't think there is enough steel to get it as the pic is a bit deceiving - the blade is only about 3.5" on this one. Time will tell if I can make decent knives like this but it is very solid with no cold shuts in the weld - just some void spaces from the chain moving into the 1080. With the 1080 at the business edge I can get a nice heat treat on it though and it will hold an edge. I am thinking I need to make something like this with a "Squench" tool on the other end and market them here for the wood cutting bunch. I mean we all have a squench but who has one made from their chains?

My real obsession lately is large kitchen knives but I find it hard to relate them to wood cutting so I have avoided posts on those. I am in the process of a 15" sushi knife out of a slow twist damscus billet I forged up from 1080 and 15n20 - wish me luck on getting this one to turn out - warpage during heat treat on long thin blades is an ever present reality Here is a Chefs knife I made for my brothers kitchen with an 8.5" blade. Don't mind the optical illusion with the blade on the rail and my feet on the deck - it is not 4' long!

this pic looks like the knife is about 6 feet long in relation to the feet that show in the bottom,,,,,, took me quite a few minutes to figure out it's settin on a railing
All kidding aside, i envy guys like you that have an artist talent,, especially ones that do it with molten steel

John

 

[BobUrban]

Swagler - from the time it goes from a chain and piece of raw tempered 1080 to a finished knife it will have literally been touched by at least $30,000 worth of tools/materials and I will have 15+ hours into it. I have never sold a knife or bow - I just give them to friends and family so?? I can tell you that although I am not a master smith my knives will take and hold an edge and stand up to hard use for your grand children. If you are serious PM me and we can discuss the idea?

AP - yes I am on stickbow as Bushbow and my greatest obsession is traditional archery - bowhunting with longbows

Weebie - after a year of survival school and many, many years of hunting for my own food with bows, arrows and stone points I make if there ever is an armagedon and your on my team - you won't go hungry.

 

[Crane Stoves]

So If i want to buy one of these chainsaw knives what would it cost me?

Hand forged blades such as this are alot for sure (mostly hundreds of dollars per knife, but into the thousands if the maker is known and his knives preform well). Bob knows full well the equipment needed to produce these and just his anvil and hammers prolly cost thousands, nevermind his forge, gas gear, etc (thats kinda why im so interested to see and hear about other peoples gear and methods). Its kinda like being an artist with paints and brushes, just the brushes and paints cost $20,000 LOL (especially when he starts getting into different oils and brine , etc for quenching and different clays or ceramics for tempering)... Its an art for sure

someday when i hit the lotto this will be mine...

 

[BobUrban]

I forgot to answer your other question AP - regarding a knife made from just chainsaw or timing chain the process is to take a bunch of chain, forge weld it together, fold, weld again, fold weld again and again... until you have created a billet of solid steel. Then if you are really good(much more talented than I) you can forge it into the shape of a knife, grind, polish, heat treat, temper, polish and etch in acid. The final product looks really cool and not unlike the lava lamp blade above but unless you are showing it to an acomplished smitty who has made some - no one would know what it was made out of. When I have done it I skip the "forge to shape step" and cut the blade shape out of the billet and follow the rest of the steps.

My goal with the above saw chain knife was to be able to detect the chain in the blade.

 

[jimbom]

Reminds me of going to a work friends house in Japan. The secretaries advised me not to touch or breathe on any sword that might be brought out for display. Sure enough, out came the swords, but he was prepared with white cotton gloves to wear while touching. Those swords are generations old, but still perfect.

People who forge these amazing knives are real artisans. BobUrban fits that category and is leaving a legacy his family will cherish for generations.

 

[swagler85]

I forgot to answer your other question AP - regarding a knife made from just chainsaw or timing chain the process is to take a bunch of chain, forge weld it together, fold, weld again, fold weld again and again... until you have created a billet of solid steel. Then if you are really good(much more talented than I) you can forge it into the shape of a knife, grind, polish, heat treat, temper, polish and etch in acid. The final product looks really cool and not unlike the lava lamp blade above but unless you are showing it to an acomplished smitty who has made some - no one would know what it was made out of. When I have done it I skip the "forge to shape step" and cut the blade shape out of the billet and follow the rest of the steps.

My goal with the above saw chain knife was to be able to detect the chain in the blade.

wow that is a very involved process. would be really cool to watch one be made. Always intruiging to watch a skilled craftsman create something like that. I had no idea how it was done so thatnk you for the lesson. And your finished products are true pieces of art.

 

[Sisu]

Beautiful work! What are you using for etching? Ferric or vinegar?

 

[BobUrban]

I think what we have at the shop is sulfuric but I am not sure.. I use vinegar as well, whatever I have availabe. I did the lava lamp knife with good ole yellow mustard. I am wanting to buy some feric but the only place I know that has it is Radio Shack and those are few and far between anymore so if anyone knows another source for feric I would be grateful for the tip.

 

[ScotO]

Bob I love the work you do. You sir are an up-and-coming master of the forge.

 

[ScotO]

I may do a cord wrap but it would look nice with a couple osage scales on it?

how about some black or honey locust? If you do that, I know a buyer who would probably scoop it up in a heartbeat!

 

[Retired Guy]

Used to use ferric to etch circuits and switched to ammonium persulfate, much faster and "stain free"

 

[Jags]

so if anyone knows another source for feric I would be grateful for the tip.

My Google-fu is strong:

http://www.havilandusa.com/ They stock it.
Grand Rapids.

http://www.lenderink.com/ - in Belmont is a possiblitly

www.dynecol.com -in Detoilet is another possible one.

 

[chuckie5fingers]

Bob, that is amazing work, very cool!
could you use Hydrochloric acid for the etching?
just wondering?
chuck