Thanks for the kind comments, all. I appreciate it!
Scott, I sent you a pm about your question, but I don't remove the forge scale by soaking. I like the patina they give the blade, but I do scrub the blade thoroughly with a wire brush and sand following that. I do, however, remove all of the scale from the area where the handle scales are epoxied on to ensure a good mating surface. On that note, though, I have a good friend who is the master blacksmith at an 1812-era historical site that we both volunteer at. He has been teaching me a great deal about traditional techniques, specifically how to draw a temper by resting the spine on a red-hot piece of steel and using the resultant colors to affect the temper line. This subsequently requires a smooth, scale-free surface to adequately judge, so I will be soaking the next few blades I've heat treated to try this out.
Keith: The tubular pins are simply made from copper tubing. After drilling the holes, I take a small conical Dremel grinding bit chucked up in a drill press and run it about 1/8" into the hole. After the pin is inserted, I take a small nail punch and flare/peen it open a bit on both sides until it rests snugly in the openings.
Sheepshooter: No, the hole is simply cosmetic, although some believe there are historical uses for it. I simply do it because I like the way it looks.
Again, thanks all.
Topic: Latest Batch of Neckers (Read 820 times)
