The General Blacksmith by Malcolm Paine has just been released in Western Australia and I can truly recommend it to any knife maker thinking of turning to the dark side and forging blades.
This course introduces the concept of forge welding cable to create patterns in the steel. This not only makes attractive blades, but also a very tough, flexible blade that keeps a great edge. This process is called "pattern welding" or sometimes "Damascus" after the city which made the process famous.
The finished blade is then etched in acid to bring out the patterns of the different parts of the cable - often with dramatic results.
Tharwa Valley Forge is pleased to offer our propane powered knife making forges. These forges are the same design as used in our courses. Dimensions are 30cm long with a 24cm wide barrel chamber. Custom sizes are available on request. The forges come fully lined with a gas burner and fittings. You just nned to add a gas bottle. It gets up to welding temperature in 10 minutes and has a good reducing atmosphere for forging Damascus. Clean, compact and fast way to forge your own blades.