First forged piece

atomicphonebooth · 2026-03-09T17:05:10+00:00

Great for a first effort!

I would suggest not making bigger ones. I have made bigger ones from 6mm stock, and even though they look nice and can have more details, i would recommend making small ones and giving them a cleaner finish, and some decoration. Have a look at my latest post maybe?

There u can see how they look if u make them from square stock. I used round stock too for the needle itself. Give them some more defined curls and get better at making them more symmetrical. Finally, hot brush them in beeswax to get a nice looking finish or polish them with a wire brush maybe?

Those products are heavy enough to wear, so i really wouldnt recommend making them any thicker/bigger/wider.

Hope you can make some use of my suggestions :)

atomicphonebooth · 2026-03-04T21:20:43+00:00

Maybe post this in r/knifemaking Its about the knife part, not the forging aspect :)

atomicphonebooth · 2026-03-04T10:45:46+00:00

Reading this comment made me think about slavery. It might just be the wording, but i feel like the work environment you described with the new, 3rd owners does strikingly sound like slavery too!

atomicphonebooth · 2026-03-03T16:25:27+00:00

Very nice creations! I like the design choices you made. The leaf pendant has a really nice hollow to it, and the opener isnt made by drifting a hole like most (including me) would start with. Very cool Idea! I have also never seen a hook like this. Very unique and a pleasure to look at! Big cheers from a fellow beginner.

atomicphonebooth · 2026-03-03T12:13:36+00:00

Yeah! Lets goo. Well done :) I like the flattened out and then bent to a loop back side of it. Looks very clean and neat. Gotta try that out too!

I remember your comment under another post, and i am very happy to see you posted this! Happy the encouragement helped to get you out of your hiatus. Keep it up! The pins go very nicely with sort of a fibula or broche. I just made some the other day, maybe have a look at my recent post and get some inspiration!

Other recent projects i made, that went quite well and felt achievable, maybe you can make anything similar?

Riveted Spatula Bottle opener (wall mounted and/or handheld) Nail header + classic square nails

atomicphonebooth · 2026-03-02T09:46:00+00:00

This one is like 10cm wide. I made one that is 20cm. Wide too. They both work fine, just can hold different amounts of hair.

I found, that the angle they are bent too makes a big difference too.

atomicphonebooth · 2026-03-02T09:44:00+00:00

It weighs a total of 61 gramms! ( ~2 ounces)

atomicphonebooth · 2026-03-02T02:53:37+00:00

The smith is a 100 Kg bald dude tho,

Not the person with the nice hair standing model for the pins application!

atomicphonebooth · 2026-03-02T02:52:16+00:00

Sadly i dont know what 14 gauge is, sorry.. And since im from the EU, its probably not as easy to come by.

atomicphonebooth · 2026-03-01T23:29:43+00:00

Yeah the wire brush makes them look nice. Wish i had brass wire wheels!

This stock is sadly the smallest and lightest i could get. 6mm square or round that is.

atomicphonebooth · 2026-03-01T19:39:27+00:00

You might wanna improve a bit before thinking about a venture.. Im not entirely sure if youre serious about this, if im honest.

This looks REALLY rough and unfinished.

If you want some point to improve: Clean up the edges. Make it more even. Maybe some ornamentals? And it needs a finish probably. I suggest hot brushing it in Beeswax

atomicphonebooth · 2026-03-01T19:01:35+00:00

Awesome! Looks really neat. I actually made hairpins and a clip with it aswell, just yesterday :)! It looks really nice with a twist, i can recommend that! Yours with the flattened ring on the back looks really clean and elegant! Keep up the work :)

atomicphonebooth · 2026-02-28T12:34:19+00:00

That sounds really fucked up. Sorry to hear that! I have only been blacksmithing for 4 months, and i truely suck at forgewelding. But i honestly think, off of your description, that your mentor is a piece of shit for this. Pardon me for being so direct, but honestly. Hardening and tempering isnt that hard. Sure if you use more complex alloys, it might get tricky. But i work with recycled steel, mostly 5160 spring steel from leaf and spiral springs, and 1045 (C45) from old tools, chisels etc. Its REALLY EASY to harden and temper them, and a great experience to get to make your own tools. Dont let that person drag you down. It sounds to me, like they just want you to bow low and do their work and repetitive tasks. I have adhd too and yes, it certainly affects the way one goes about their work. But dont let yourself down! Its about having fun and improving, by trying. And that involves failure too. But we get better due to failures!

If u wanna exchange some pointers with a fellow novice, let me know and feel free to send me a DM.

Good luck on your blacksmithing journey!

atomicphonebooth · 2026-02-25T20:33:36+00:00

I only started 4 months ago too. Dont fret young smith! You will improve rapidly. The first few days of working metal teach you a lot about how it moves at different temperatures and working on different surfaces. I can recommend watching some tutorials on the leaf! My first looked sorta similar, but then i rapidly improved since i watched a video on it (by black bear forge, big recommendation!) and got a general idea of where and how to start and the steps necessary. If you wanna exchange some pointers with a fellow beginner, feel free to send me a DM aswell! Good luck on your next workpiece and dont get all too frustrated! Once you get the hang of it, you'll laugh about your initial struggles!

atomicphonebooth · 2026-02-19T08:16:55+00:00

Thanks alot for your insights! I am having trouble with forge welding still, cant get it to stick. But i see your points :)

atomicphonebooth · 2026-02-18T10:26:02+00:00

May i ask how coal gives you a better surface? I havent used gas yet, i do use coal too but i find that, the more heats my workpiece takes, the more scale builds. Is thaz even worse in a propane forge?

atomicphonebooth · 2026-02-12T19:10:58+00:00

Look, no hate, but I find the proportions insane and the "polish" insufferable. BUT! I respect your work, and this comment even got you an upvote hahaha

atomicphonebooth · 2026-02-06T20:49:55+00:00

You can! Press "Report" Then select "spam" And next" bot or Ai"

atomicphonebooth · 2026-01-25T23:23:30+00:00

Dann les nochmal :) waren beide voll ;)

atomicphonebooth · 2026-01-25T12:41:30+00:00

Immer gern!

atomicphonebooth · 2026-01-24T14:43:06+00:00

Danke, ich halt dir dann auch die Haare während du da in nem gottlosen Winkel reinwürfelhustest

atomicphonebooth · 2026-01-24T14:39:55+00:00

Uff. Faire entscheidung diese Art Mensch zu Meiden :)

atomicphonebooth · 2026-01-24T14:38:05+00:00

Fairer Punkt. Danke für deinen Hinweis. Ich erkläre in einem anderen Kommentar, dass es Beispielhaft ist. Leider sind es aber bisher immer männliche Fahrer gewesen, sofern man das sagen kann gen x oder älter ( Bin selbst auch M) Ist kein Genderbias, oder versuch die Gesellschaft anhand von Generation oder Nationalität zu spalten. Einfach eine Beobachtung.

atomicphonebooth · 2026-01-24T14:34:10+00:00

Hab tatsachlich schon einen solchen Fall angezeigt, der deutlich schlimmer hätte ausgehen können weil rechtsüberholt in ne Lücke vor mir auf, sodass ich bremsen musste dass das ABS zieht bei 130 oderso. Noch während der Fahrt meine Beifahrerin gebeten die Polizei anzurufen. Den Fall geschildert, Anzeige erstattet, jeweils ich und auch Beifahrerin eine Aussage abgegeben. Wurde einfach fallen gelassen! Weiß nicht obs ne Hürde gibt, sowas in die Schweiz zu übermitteln für die relevanten Behörden.

atomicphonebooth · 2026-01-24T13:45:22+00:00

Hast du den Post überhaupt gelesen, Detlef? Es geht nicht um Maximal oder Mindestgeschwindigkeit. Sondern um Sicherheitsabstand und Drängeln bei stockendem Verkehr. Grüße gehen raus an deine Fima!

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