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 "Forging to Shape" by Terry PrimosPHOTO: A Terry Primos Forged Blade.
The Purpose of This Article
If you're looking for a tutorial on how to forge a blade to shape, then you're going to be disappointed. This is not a "how to" but rather a "how come?" article. If you've already read the What Is A Bladesmith? article, then you know that a bladesmith heats a piece steel to a point in which it becomes malleable, then shapes the blade with hammer and anvil. Forging to shape does not necessarily mean the same thing to all bladesmiths, so in this installment I explain what it means to me and why I attempt to achieve it. By the way, you may click on the small picture to look at the full picture with description.
What Does It Mean?
The blade shown at the top of the page has been forged to shape. It is obvious that when used, this term means the basic outline (or profile) of the blade has been established at the anvil. To most bladesmiths the term also means:
The blade bevels have been forged in
The choil and heel have been defined
The ricasso shoulders have been established
Distal taper has been forged to the tip of the blade
The tang has been tapered
The back shoulders of the ricasso (for the guard) have been defined
Why Even Be Concerned With It?
I can think of two obvious reasons. One would be that it shows the bladesmith's skill at shaping a piece of steel to very near its final shape and dimensions. But if there's nobody watching, what good is showing one's skill? That brings me to a second reason, which is more important to me. It saves time and is more cost effective. Huh?
That's right. Think about it. A little extra time spent at the anvil, saves whole bunch of time at the grinder. The less time spent at the grinder, the fewer belts used. The fewer belts used, the more money in the pocket. You get the idea.
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Index
