First forged knife

[Joshigon]

I have been blacksmithing for the last 6 months or so. Here is my first gyuto. I hand forged it out of 52100. It measures just over 240. I heated treated it by eye and it's better 62 and 65 rockwell. The handle is Lignum Vitae with a black and white ebony ferrule.

[Bensbites]

Very cool. I need to start my blademaking journey...

[cjmeik]

Way to go! Looks like a really strong first effort!

[milkbaby]

Nice job! I like how you used the old school approach of heat treating by eye too.

[Chefspence]

Nice. You definitely like the curved choils eh?

[Joshigon]

Nice. You definitely like the curved choils eh?

I really do! I like the finger clearance.
Balance point is on the pinch.

[Chefspence]

Nice. You definitely like the curved choils eh?

I really do! I like the finger clearance.
Balance point is on the pinch.

Totally. I'm willing to bet if my Gihei didn't have that feature, I wouldn't like it as much

[nevrknow]

Need you a nice trademark stamp and stamp it #1. May be worth a fortune in the future. You never know.

[Joshigon]

Need you a nice trademark stamp and stamp it #1. May be worth a fortune in the future. You never know.

I am in the process of making my own touch mark. I'm not sure if I can mark this knife now because it's hardened.

[nevrknow]

One of these other blade makers could chime in and help you. I only work with wood tho so much props to you guys that can use steel.

[Bensbites]

Need you a nice trademark stamp and stamp it #1. May be worth a fortune in the future. You never know.

I am in the process of making my own touch mark. I'm not sure if I can mark this knife now because it's hardened.

I have looked into the DIY electroplating. I am pretty sure you do that after you harden.

[Carter]

Hi guys...you can etch and/or mark a blade after is has been hardened....in fact, it is one of the last things that I do. The Personalizer (or the Plus model) is a good machine.

[Joshigon]

Hi guys...you can etch and/or mark a blade after is has been hardened....in fact, it is one of the last things that I do. The Personalizer (or the Plus model) is a good machine.

What about embossed with a metal stamp and hammer?

[GopherBroke]

What about embossed with a metal stamp and hammer?

Now that it's hardened... thats not an option. You could do that prior to HT.

Options after HT:
Laser engraving
Acid Etch
Silk Screen.

[Joshigon]

What about embossed with a metal stamp and hammer?

Now that it's hardened... thats not an option. You could do that prior to HT.

Options after HT:
Laser engraving
Acid Etch
Silk Screen.

That's what I thought.

[Chefspence]

When do makers hand chisel the kanji? Before or after?

Just use a dremel

[Joshigon]

When do makers hand chisel the kanji? Before or after?

Just use a dremel

That might work. This knife is just a tester. It has some issues I really don't like. They are only going to get better, then I will start marking them.

[Carter]

You could use a torch and soften up the area where you want to stamp the makers mark post HT, but using something like the Personalizer is easier and less risky. I would be real cautious with a Dremel for this....you will have a knife that is close to being ready to go and if the Dremel "got away" from you, the blade could get scratched up or damaged.

[GopherBroke]

Dremel tool.. bad!

[Chefspence]

It was a joke though I have wondered a couple times