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Classes . Metallurgy

Making Your Own Shear Steel is Entirely Possible

On December 5, 2013 by totum

Making shear steel from wrought iron is something I’ve been experimenting with for the last year.  It’s a unique and fascinating process – and,  it is entirely possible to do yourself!   A few weekends ago, I taught a class that started with making shear steel, then using it to make a fire steel. In one day, we went over all the steps, from starting with wrought iron and the carburizing medium, to the carburizing itself, to forging out the blister steel into shear steel through forge welding.

What the class showed is that it is entirely possible to learn the process in one day. On the Saturday, the focus was on making shear steel and by the end of the afternoon all students had made a great little high-carbon billet of shear steel. Sunday revolved around making a fire steel from the billet of yesterday, and by late afternoon everyone had a finished piece.

I am in the midst of creating a guide on how to make shear steel from wrought iron (which I’ll make available online here at forgedaxes.com), and I’m excited to host a lot more classes revolving around the historical uses of shear steel in the new year. Check back in the coming weeks for news on both, and in the meantime, I hope you will enjoy these photos from the Saturday of the class.

Gathering around the steel
Gathering around the steel
Demonstrating the process
Demonstrating the process
The tell part of show and tell
The tell part of show and tell
The furnace is ON
The furnace is ON
Forging starts
Let the forging begin!
Let the forging begin!
Two students forging
Two forging at a time at first
Two forging at a time at first
ANN_0117-2000
James Austin giving an intro to power hammers
A quick intro to using a power hammer
A quick intro to using a power hammer
Students got to use the power hammer for the drawing out of material
Students got to use the power hammer for the drawing out of material
Helping out a student in need
Helping out a student in need
Offering advice
Offering advice
ANN_0162-2000
Experienced eyes surveying the work and offering advice
Experienced eyes surveying the work and offering advice
Finishing up the billet
Finishing up the billet
The finished billets
The finished billets
Carburizing vessel in the furnace
Carburizing vessel in the furnace
Jim’s Class Firesteel
Jim’s fire steel made from a shear steel striking edge and a soft, wrought iron backing.
Phil B Firesteel
A fire steel forged by Phil B. Very Viking!

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