Thread: My first forge/ attempt at making a razor

This is off topic, but if you were interested in forging with the RR spikes they are fun to make into bottle openers & gardening tools. Like everyone's already said there's not enough carbon even in the HC ones to make a good knife. I'm new to this forum, but have been blacksmithing for a year.



On my forge I used an 11" brake drum w/ refractory cement. Do you have a means of easily turning on & off the blower, as well as controlling air flow? This helps conserve fuel and keeps it from getting out of control when your back is turned. I used a Christmas tree light footswitch and have a furnace blower on a hinge that I can change the angle on to control how much air the firepot gets. I started off using a piece of RR track for an anvil mounted vertically. PM me if you have any questions on my setup.

Beautiful Stuff there; you're a natural.

Thanks, though the more time I spend reading on this forum, the more I realize how much there is to learn. The skill level and razors being made here are both inspiring and humbling.

Are you a railroader?

No, but my house is fairly close to a railyard and people keep asking for things made from them. When I was getting started I contacted them about getting a piece of track to use as an anvil. They also gave me a bunch of spikes which I made into openers, gardening tools & stuff. The novelty of something being made from a RR spike seems to be a big selling point. From that I bought a used anvil and my other tools. Later took a few openers back to the yard w/ some ice cold beer & got more spikes. Then I started making knives from old files. Right now I'm saving up now for parts to build a 2x72, almost there.

I got interested in razors when I was asked if I could make one. At the time I said yes...now I think eventually yes, but it's going to take much longer than I expected with a lot more reading, trial & error.

Yeah the steps have me a little bumfuzelled too. But after forging IM extremely confident in my abilities to fab a razor. The stock is also holding me up. I can't seen to find any razor stock and/or coal. But after forging you do first grind, then heat treat, then final grind (be shure to keep cool so you won't soften temper), then polishing wheels with compound on table grinder. Then I polish with Mothers mag polish on my dremel. Pin and hone.

No luck finding old files either garage sales, craig's list or flea markets? That's what I'm working with. I want to try some O1 eventually, but have enough going on right now.

Do you have the option of making your own charcoal? If you google "purgatory ironworks charcoal youtube" you'll find a process for doing so. I've been using blacksmith coke, but have made my charcoal on a smaller scale using a BBQ pit, or just collected it from the fireplace.

What are you using for a grinder and what type of grind do you do for your razors?

I use FlatGround.Com - Precision Flat Ground Tool Steel Stock and Drill Rod in O1, A2, D2, S7, and Low Carbon. as the cost of the steel isn't all that bad, check it out...

Ok thanx for the info.

Since your planning on doing your own HT, (if your buying stock, which is the best route to go IMO, mystery steel can work sometimes, and sometimes you just get a hunk of metal that doesn't perform), I would suggest buying some 1084 steel, it's very forgiving with the HT process. Unless you have a good amount of experience anything but 1084 can give you some problems getting the perfect HT. I would put 1095 next, THEN O1, O1 makes great blades but if not HTed properly it you can end up with a blade that's not as good as it should be.

Just my .02

oh and if you do want to buy steel (and simple carbon steels, 1084,1095, and O1) can be found for prices that make it worth it to know what your working with. Check out admiralsteel.com, and newjerseysteelbaron. They carry stock with the knifemaker/razormaker in mind.

Also, since your getting into forging, they carry the good steels to make damascus... now that's and endeavor that makes forging worth it!