![]() Sievers (?) (shows as #19 on search)Īs far as you can tell from a photo on Etsy - those both look like very nice pieces, in terms of design, forge work and finishing. 'Typical' rail spike knife - here by Salem Straub (shows as #2 on search) Go and search Google Images : 'railroad spike knife'. I personally consider making knives from rail spikes as a kind of a beginner's trick. More important is 'how long will it *keep* that edge?'. The question should not be 'how sharp is it?' (a function of care with polishing). At that size limit, normally use of a higher carbon range is indicated.ĭo also remember that you can make a piece of paper 'sharp' enough to cut your finger. The amount of raw material on a rail spike will limit the finished cutting edge to something in the range of 4 - 6 inches. With a box cutter, which is razor sharp, but breaks with the least amount of force to it. You can hack down a tree with it, but it does not stay sharp all that long. This refers directly to what I at least call 'the Bladesmith's Dilemma' :Īs you increase * hardness * (via more carbon), you also increase * brittleness *.Ĭompare a typical machette at about 0.50 % carbon. Any knife expected to holdĪ decent working edge should be at least the range. The second number of those specifications is 1/100 of percent carbon. The problem with rail spikes as a starting material is that the highest Heat and pound the ends into steak knives and or cheese knives? If you would like to show off your spike knives or anything else made with a spike check out this Facebook group, that is if you tolerate Facebook.I have numerous rail spikes that I was hoping I could bring to you to If you want the head then either forge the head manually or make a swage block, best part is you can use a swage block to shape any tool steel into a spike and have a functional knife in the end that looks like a spike. You can buy bar stock from any steel supplier in the AISI 1040 or 1045 category and have a steel that will work easier without having to deal with rusty spikes. Imagine being at work and having several people walk in each day looking for free stuff and you can see they might be less than friendly. Visiting the rail yard and talking with the crews is better but you have to also consider how many people go wandering through the yard every week looking for free steel. ![]() One word of caution though is that walking the tracks can be hazardous to your health and is considered trespassing so if you get arrested and charged don't be shocked. fact is like any mild steel they can be shaped into anything you heart desires. ![]() ![]() Things I have seen to date range from knives, forks, flowers and coat hooks. Now the good parts? If you are given a few hundred pounds of spikes and want to make something with them then go for it. It simply shows that pretty much any steel can be used if prepared properly. ![]() To get it out of the way right off the bat:ġ) not a high carbon steel, the HC simply designates a spike with higher carbon than a conventional spike.Ģ) no magical properties, HC spikes have on average 0.33% carbon and minor alloys.ģ) holding a rail in position does not require super strong steel or even super duper strong.Ĥ) Paper can cut you that does not make it the ultimate material for knife making.ĥ) passing the blade smith test with a spike knife is not testament to the high quality of railroad spikes. ![]()
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