Very nice.

Thanks!

Thank you! The last rail spike knives I made included a leather sheath and went for $60 each. This one is more complicated though, so I think I'd like to start at $60 (plus S&H) and tack on an additional $15 to add a sheath if wanted.

Very cool. I'll continue work and make sure it's good to go ASAP.

No sweat, I'm glad to have your interest.

that is really nice, if i may ask, how did you draw out the head of the spike so far/well?

Thanks! The 'trick' here was close attention to preventing the sides of the head from mushrooming over as I forged it rectangular. Once it was flush with the body of the spike, it was fairly simple to draw it out on the horn of my anvil, knocking it back into shape over the corner as needed. As to drawing it out that far, the process speeds up as you go; the smaller the stock, the easier it forges.

Very unique take on the spike knife, it's amazing how much metal are really in these things. Have you considered carbeurizing the steel after the final grind before heat treat?

Thanks! The game changer for me was when my master instructed me to draw out the handle; suddenly there was much, much more steel to work with. I should probably have thought of that myself. I've tried (with limited success due to technique) carbeurizing knives of questionable carbon content, but more recently I'm not sure whether it's worth it for the depth of carbeurization achieved. Maybe I could heat it in the woodstove for a day and see what happens. If I were to use a sealed steel pipe full of crushed charcoal for this, would you call that an effective carbeurization vessel or a pipe bomb? Hmm... maybe if I drilled a small gas outlet hole?

My uncle taught me to carbeurize using a ceramic vessel in a large bonfire, We'd keep it as hot as we could over 8 hours and we could get 1/8" pieces of steel that would through harden. But by that point the blistering from carbon absorption would be so severe we'd have to homogenize the steel through copious amounts of folding. With the carbon already in a RR spike, you shouldn't need to go near as long. We never needed a gas outlet

Hmm, better do a test piece first I guess. I'll have to see what I can put together for a vessel and get on it before the next cold night. Thanks!

god i want this >8)

I want dis too

Even though it still has scale on it (I assume it is your opinion of aesthetic because I enjoy that myself) and isn't polished I find this blade quite appealing none the less.

I've been working some more on this; more work than the price tag can justify, really. I really ought to get a new picture up once I'm happy with the finish.

Ah. Okay I cannot wait to see the end product!