Today I MADE

thankyou sand surfer, and your right once it starts to fall into place it gets so much easier, and you get to know the heat by the colour of the metal, I would love some of the gear they had in the Kalgoorlie shop where I did the course, but I have learned to use the basic gear I have.

Mono steel blades were relatively easy, but the Go Mai style were/are a real challenge, putting three different types of metal together in a forge and making it come out how you want it, Go Mai stands for 5 layers, which in this case is a center core of 1095 or 1084 high carbon streel, then a layer each side of that which is 0.1mm Nickel sheet or can be 0.1mm Copper sheet, depends on the effect you want, then a cladding outside layer each side of that can be mild steel or Damascus pattern welded steel or Wrought Iron, are just some.

Then the handles, the Octagon Chefs style Japanese ones, which were quite hard to do for quite awhile, on the gear I have, but with some trial and error it finally came together also, and the timber used is just up to your imagination of what might look nice.

A basic single burner gas forge an anvil and hammer and a modified grinder to be a belt sander and make it all work

Most of all enjoy doing what your doing

cheers dave

So this is the first handle I put a brass spacer in, the previous ones I used a copper spacer, the handle is ebony and rosewood with the brass spacer



cheers dave

I finished this small kitchen/Chefs knife today, Go Mai construction blade, 135mm long and the handle is Mulga which I brought home from WA, and a copper spacer, all finished with beeswax and baby oil mix 50/50 warmed and polished in.

The blade is forged so the Nickel sheet is fused to the layers of steel, hammered out on anvil to a suitable width and length, then the blade profile is cut to shape, course sanded with 40 grit to thin it down so the spine is 3mm thick and flat from spine to where the cutting edge will be.

Then the blade is heated and cooled a few times (thermo cycled) and then heated and oil quenched, and then tempered in the oven at 200 deg c for two hours.

Then hours and hours of belt sanding, starting at 40 grit, and working up through the grits, 80 to 120 to 240 to 400, to get the bevels from the cutting edge to the spine, and then had sanding with 600 grit to finish it off.

Go Mai is 5 layers, a center core of 1095 high carbon, then a 0.1mm Nickel sheet each side of the core, and then Mild steel cladding on the outside, all sanded to 600 grit and etched in Ferric Chloride, and then re-etched in Coffee for a couple of hours, rinsed and dried and also treated with the beeswax and baby oil mix warmed up.




cheers dave

the paring knife in the above post I sold so I made another one today

Blade construction is Go Mai center core is 1084 high carbon steel then 0.1mm Nickel sheet then Wrought Iron cladding.

The handle is rosewood and ebony with a copper spacer



I also made up another handle from scratch to fit on another knife that was missing a handle

This handle is Red Gum and Ebony with a brass spacer, Octagonal shaped and finished in Beeswax and baby oil mix 50/50


cheers dave

Beautiful craftsmanship Dave.

looking good dave
still waiting for that special order one dave
if it turns out as good as i think it will you may be busy mate

sand surfer said:

looking good dave
still waiting for that special order one dave
if it turns out as good as i think it will you may be busy mate

Click to expand...

yes it's not far from getting started now, I have all the materials on hand now and just have to get the gold rolled out to the right length and thickness so it's getting very close, and as James the guy who's knife it is going to be.....says don't rush it, just take your time

I've been getting a bit of practice in making Wa Octagon style knife handles from scratch.

Cut and squared, drilled and slotted dowel inside, and a dummy knife with the right size tang glued in and let the glue (Arildite) dry for awhile till it is tacky and sticky, then pull the dummy knife out and let the glue cure over night, then finish shaping and sanding the handle ready for a proper knife.
This one is Red Gum and Ebony with a Brass spacer, finished to 600 grit and polished with Beeswax and Mineral Oil 50/50 mix warmed up and polished in.

I like the look of this one so I started another one today, same material and procedure as the first one

the first one from the other day


the next one I started today


and this is where it's up to now

cheers dave

Got that one done and finished today

So the next handle finished waiting for a knife,
This one is using Red Gum and Ebony with a Brass spacer, sanded to 600 grit and polished with Beeswax and Mineral Oil 50/50 mix




cheers dave

Just finished this morning, Rosewood and Ebony with Brass spacer

Another one that needs to find a knife to go with it


cheers dave

Just finished this Veggie Cutter kitchen knife.

The blade is Go Mai type,1095 core and 0.1mm thick Copper sheet with Damascus cladding,

Handle is Red Gum and Ebony with brass spacer, all sanded to 600 grit and finished with Beeswax and mineral oil warmed and polished in

A quick etch in Ferric Chloride and an over night etch in strong Coffee to darken the blade.

Blade length is 135mm long





cheers dave

That is beautiful mate.