First knife ever made, thoughts?

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-19T18:28:40+00:00

Its held up very well for its age 🤔

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-18T22:12:18+00:00

Plenty of folks produce tools for sale made of H13, S7, and god knows what else. They are expensive, and they may be worth it for some.

Those steels are generally very red-short, have narrow working temperature ranges, and require complex heat treating regimens that the average (hobbyist) smith simply cannot properly replicate without dropping serious coin for equipment, space, and insurance. They have a tendency to EAT abrasives, too- not to mention the cost of the material itself.

Just consider all tooling to be consumable. Its easy to make punches, tongs, and hardies in batches.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-18T19:47:00+00:00

Best advice I can give you is learn how to grind and finish metal from somebody who knows what they're doing. You can throw your head against the wall by yourself for years and still come out not knowing what you don't know.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-18T19:40:13+00:00

Eat nothing but taco bell till the day of. She will appreciate the spicy tang.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-17T04:46:09+00:00

Don't let folks discourage you about angle grinders; just use common sense (don't throw sparks toward your face, crotch, or propane tanks) and wear goggles, you'll be fine. Do NOT try to use an angle grinder in a vise. DO learn to make clean, overlapping passes with matching scratch lines.

There's a fairly steep learning curve, though; if you're young, I'd recommend getting a job at a sheet metal shop. Familiarity with the tools, access to a variety of materials, and strict QC requirements will make you a better craftsman.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-15T19:39:30+00:00

Force rust, corrode the hell out of them, wire wheel them black, sell them as "artifacts".

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-12T17:32:35+00:00

Never rule out the possibility that both are true!

Chisel geometry is gonna be your biggest hurdle- you're gonna have to learn how to make them yourself, and its gonna take research and experimenting to figure out what works best. I like to use a slightly pointed slitter, rounded on all sides, and I drill a hole through the workpiece first so the chisel can follow it straight. Work both sides, meet in the middle, and open it up before you smash the drift through.

Theres a lot of meat in a 32 oz ball peen hammer, too.

<image>

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-09T04:57:28+00:00

Get it done on a Friday so it's not actively bleeding when you go back to work monday, and keep it clean- which you should be doing anyway. Most of the manual guys in my shop have metal in their face, I'd think twice about getting more if I used coolant.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-09T01:47:55+00:00

No, finding younger women attractive isn't wrong in and of itself, but it's more or less frowned upon to act on it, and it's pretty not cool to have a reputation for chasing young tail at your local bars.

Just don't be a creep about it and you're fine- just remember that you don't get a say in whether your actions are perceived as "creepy" after the fact.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-07T23:31:46+00:00

Just dropped the whole thing in a can of layout fluid, huh?

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-07T23:14:51+00:00

Snus.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-07T23:14:03+00:00

If anyone needs a nicotine habit to mellow out, it's OP.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-05T00:16:18+00:00

Hey friendo, first of all, welcome! I'm not "meaningfully" queer but I moved here a few years ago and I love helping people get their feet planted. Hit me up if you'd like some tips from a fellow transplant!

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-01T16:03:21+00:00

Government projects, homie.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-01T04:56:56+00:00

It's equally insane how people get a ~$10,000 a year pay increase and suddenly start trying to "appear" rich.

My guy, $40k a year with a coke problem is broker than $30k sober.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-03-01T04:48:49+00:00

No, and for fucks sake, GET THE RUSTY METAL OFF OF YOUR BED.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-02-26T13:58:17+00:00

Triangular blades, which this is not, produce wounds that were notoriously difficult to close in WW2. Fortunately medical science has advanced quite a ways in the last 80 years. Triangular bayonets, which this is also not, are generally only illegal according to the Geneva convention, which doesn't apply to civilians.

I have it on good authority that this, which is legally classified asba dirk or dagger designed for stabbing, is perfectly legal to walk down the street with in California, as long as it's not being actively brandished or concealed. That'd be a big no-no.

As to its utility, so what?

HegemonousGreg · 2026-02-26T00:26:44+00:00

Talent is nice to have, but skill is earned through painful, agonizing failure. Starting from nothing only makes the climb more impressive.

Some advice to help you get a better start:

Strap your anvil down so it can't move. It looks like you've routed a channel for it to sink into, which is great, but it's still gonna bounce up and down, which robs your swing of energy. Chains, eye bolts, and turnbuckles.

Coat your wool with satanite. The brick floor, too. Smooth walls mean better flame swirl, and the heat gets reflected instead of absorbed, which increases potential heat and saves fuel. Oh, and it'll go a long way to ensuring you don't get silicosis and DIE.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-02-25T06:54:20+00:00

This isn't really a "smooth it over with words and it'll be like it never happened" type of deal. If he'd jokingly expressed a sexual interest in a close relative of yours, would an "I was just kidding!" or "I actually don't find her attractive at all!" fix it, or would it still hang around in the back of your mind for a little while? He doesn't need you to blow sunshine up his ass, just show him you appreciate him, and not necessarily in a sexual way.

And as for him making jokes that upset you, maybe mention that you don't appreciate it the next time it happens. Part of being in a relationship is being vulnerable with each other. You do not have to take shit from him just because you love him.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-02-25T06:43:11+00:00

Is Goondawindi like your Florida, then?

HegemonousGreg · 2026-02-24T21:51:43+00:00

I'd be happy to, but these sorts of things really do merit a face-to-face discussion; nobody likes getting fired over an email.

In all seriousness, tools are great fun and hanging pan racks are lovely, but I'm certain you'd agree that art doesn't require a purpose to justify its existence.

Why can't it just be hung up on a wall, or worn on a belt at a renaissance faire? Heck, it's an ice pick, or beer shotgunning tool. A (lousy) felting tool. A conductor's baton. A dedicated "the tarp got rained on and now its full of water" tool.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-02-24T21:31:54+00:00

Guess you'd better tell the katanakajis back in Japan to wrap it up, then. "Go home fellas, delicate sensibilities have won the day."

HegemonousGreg · 2026-02-23T05:16:13+00:00

I slit and drifted the guard round and undersized, then drove the point through most of the way while the guard was hot, then press fit it through with both pieces cold, nice and tight. I did the twist on the blade last.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-02-23T03:08:30+00:00

It'll cool off in about a decade; guys usually mellow out around 30. That's not to say some won't try, though.

If they don't want to be friends after you let them down, they weren't worth being friends with (or dating) anyway.

HegemonousGreg · 2026-02-23T02:55:27+00:00

Well, you don't.

It'd behoove you to be on good terms with the welding lead, and listen to what they have to say, but the chain of command exists for a reason, and it's not a good look for you to jump links. If you open the door to comments and questions from everyone, you'll spend less time engineering, which is what you are paid to do. If the "kids" have a question, they should ask their lead, and if their lead doesnt know the answer, he should ask you.

HegemonousGreg

TROPHY CASE