Outdoor Life Prepare for Anything Survival Manual (64 page)

There are plenty of projects you can do with a blacksmith’s forge and tools, but one of the simplest and most useful ones—and a good traditional way to get some practice—is making a blacksmith’s knife. All you’ll need are a few tools and a piece of steel (like an old file, a railroad spike, or a bit of leaf spring from a truck’s suspension).

STEP 1
Fire up your forge and heat the steel in the coals until it’s at about 2,200°F (1,200°C). It will be a pale yellow-white color.

STEP 2
Using tongs, pick up the metal and hammer it on the anvil to flatten it and begin making one side of the knife’s edge.

STEP 3
Reheat as needed, and work on both sides to prevent distorting the steel. Save a good chunk at one end for a handle.

STEP 4
Continue forging the blade’s point by hammering in small taps to shape the metal, and then give the opposite side a bevel by hammering near the point.

STEP 5
Once you have a rough blade shape, reheat to red-hot a few times and let cool, then leave it to cool overnight as the coals die down. Grind or file the blade into shape.

STEP 6
Refire the forge and heat the blade until it’s very hot as in Step 1, then dip into a pan of oil to harden. Let the blade rest in low heat for about an hour to temper the metal.