Forging a Railroad Spike Knife

In this video, we are forging a simple railroad spike knife. We are using our new propane forge from our previous video. A train spike doesn't make the best knife steel; however, they look rather pleasing, so we decided to forge one for a small project. We hope you enjoy the video! Make sure to SUBSCRIBE! Thank you.
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[@kinetoscopes]

Great video. I appreciate you not editing out the hammering and not adding loud music to cover it up. Great work!

[@yerrrrrd]

The anvil is giving me anxiety

[@InTheDarknessOfWorld]

This is natural bro not edit

[@erinadams4802]

Me too

[@peacemaker2249]

Why?

[@elguapo.1234]

@@peacemaker2249 one murdered his family as a kid lmao

[@seanroseblacksmith4036]

Same lol still works though

[@skoitch]

I picked up a few of these spikes lately, was gonna try to forge a pair of tongs. Maybe I’ll try a blade first. Great work, not so intimidating to some of us beginners!

[@betafishjeremy7454]

@@gavintrafford4338 or a blade

[@Aba_KoTO]

For your first, I would suggest using thin rebar for both tongs and blade

[@stevehensley7920]

Anvil looks a little loose partner but I love to hear that steel rang

[@hdrjunkie]

I like it when I see someone make something really cool and they are using the same “non pro” too.s that I use... it gives me hope for the world!

[@adamhamrick4637]

If you would tighten the chain on your anvil where it couldn't bounce back your swings would be more effective allowing your forming process to go much faster.

[@JohanGavieres]

Now that’s a knife I would buy. 🙌🏼

[@arcturusbbqsausagemaking2435]

Great job, People see the quick video making the knife but there's a lot of time skill and hard work go into making a good knife.....Well done

[@rts4133]

I like the real time filming. Alot of videos speed the footage up. Good work

[@matthewkolonics1392]

I’ve made two railroad spike knifes and I can say it was not easy flattening them out like this

[@CagedSUPERMAN]

Look at the video I just posted. This one guy does insane work

[@greenchiliforge1059]

Nice shape to the blade

[@kensmapleleafretirement]

Well done, Thank you for the video.

[@LeonidasSparta-Fun-History]

Thats cool! I love how you can take any object and turn it into something else.

[@killman369547]

blacksmithing is great that way. add a little machining/fabrication into the mix and it's possible to make literally anything. the imagination is truly the only limit. plus there's the satisfaction of knowing you created something out of (almost) nothing.

[@tomjones639]

That thing turned out beautiful

[@DRAGNET-pn5vf]

LOOKS GOOD, THANKS FOR THE VIDEO.🇺🇸✌️👍🏻

[@victoracosta4796]

I like that you didn’t do the twisted handle like on other railroad spike knives.

[@maddox9423]

You noticed he said train spike knife

[@adamschaeffer1436]

I'm far from an expert but seems like your anvil is jumping around a lot more than it should be.

[@jongress4445]

Adam Schaeffer well that’s cause it’s broken in half

[@jamesdavies1462]

I was thinking this exact thing! Would be quieter fastened down too

[@outdoorperson6411]

It’s very hard to get an anvil to stay completely still if it doesn’t have concrete cast around it

[@patrickwhite4810]

@@outdoorperson6411 mine stays completely still and its on a stump

[@outdoorperson6411]

patrick White good for you I believe it but in that’s just from my experience though so maybe there’s something else to it also the one I use is just a pice a rail road track so it much lighter But thank you for the input

[@christinamcghee1370]

found this very helpfull

[@RC-Heli835]

Nice! Thanks for sharing!

[@BurningOakForge]

Thank you!

[@anthonythompson4110]

Amazing

[@leviblackwood3258]

May I suggest watching Brent Bailey and Mark Aspery. I’ve never seen anyone else move steel as efficiently as those two

[@joeblo1130]

Love the ring of the anvil

[@jasonclinton3367]

I have that same 4x36. Love that thing. Keep up the good work.

[@codyorvis6598]

Yeah harbor freight is the bomb

[@kingdavid367]

Adam is Right ! U Should Forge a Couple of Bolts to Hold Your Anvil Down So It Doesn't Fall on You're Foot !!!

[@ragingwerewolfdude3797]

Great video I'm trying my first forging on spikes Hopefully they come out as well as yours

[@DrewJacobson61]

It’s such an amazing discipline! ❤

[@BurningOakForge]

Couldn’t agree more!

[@julieanddavidmyers6641]

I like to add a twist to the handle. Great knife shape!

[@BurningOakForge]

We thought about doing that but just really liked the smooth look. Next one though will have a twist no doubt. Thanks for watching!

[@patrickmitchell6330]

Pretty nice piece

[@seanroseblacksmith4036]

Nice!

[@BurningOakForge]

Thank you!

[@lvanzant3074]

I just got to say I really like the name of your Forge the first time I forged a blade it was 3 years ago I used an offset smoker and ran a pipe in with a vacuum blowing air inside of it and I used honey locust and Oak + lots of air to get my blade up to temperature now I have a two burner forge that I use

[@oldgoblin7312]

I like how you kept the head of the spike on the handle. Gives it a rustic and rugged look.

[@BurningOakForge]

Thank you.

[@OlneyaTesota]

A secure anvil and a larger hammer would help. Love to see a man shape steel.

[@jz0111]

With a walnut handle it will look very good!

[@druidd.4549]

Amazing how a rough finish can look so good, 🤔

[@zacharygirgenti3790]

Wicked blade man.

[@bdogminecrafts7637]

I like how you curved the knife it has a nice shape

[@stacase]

The curve forms naturally when you bang on the cutting edge. If you're not careful it will come out looking like a butter knife (-:

[@ajhproductions2347]

Love how you forge at actual forging temp 👍

[@DovahBrony]

A J H PRODUCTIONS what do you mean by this? Im a complete beginner at forging so I’m reading and watching as much as I can. What do you mean by actual forging temp?

[@Aba_KoTO]

@@DovahBrony bright yellow

[@valdineilima9017]

já ganhou mais um escrito

[@dafrog491]

Youre like a mixture of rambo & iron man

[@gangsta1355]

How do?

[@richardjones1257]

I hear the quality of steel is uncommon today very cool

[@trainedmonkeycompany4770]

Now I must find a spike!

[@user-cs3hi8zp7p]

Just walk down a train track....

[@Dusktooth]

I dear you guys to do an inlay technique with two of these railroad spikes it would be cool

[@kensmapleleafretirement]

Good fun. Thanks for showing. I have never made a knife. I think this would be a good place to start... Thanks.... TTYL...

[@ztheblacksmith]

I hope I get a forge for my birthday and I want to make a knife like that

[@user-cs3hi8zp7p]

Did ya get it?

[@TallManIsaac]

b80 imma say based on his videos he did.

[@senpaisd422]

please make a cutlass loving your videos :)

[@einarlotric]

Nice work, 💯👍🏼😎

[@moscoweagle2846]

Oh wow i didn't know you can make a knife out of those 😳

[@cristophercaraway8703]

The Secret Man TV wouldn’t recommend it because they are usually of low carbon steel. When he starts to use his belt sander, it was very obvious as there were hardly any sparks. When you stock hc steel to a belt sander sparks go everywhere

[@cvbpo]

@@cristophercaraway8703 i normaly add carbon to mine they come out perrty damn good and u get that nice rr spike tang look

[@nomadichunter2818]

Very nice! Sitting here drinking Breznak and watching this shit. Thanks for sending beautiful hand ceafted items to Smooth Gefixt, that's how i found you. Awesome work man!

[@valdineilima9017]

muito legal a criatividade. quantos centímetros tem esses pregos de trilho?

[@leh3827]

Fasten dowN thAT ANVIL!!! AAAAAAARGH!

[@nellieclay8851]

There she blows🤯🤯😱😱

[@patrickmitchell6330]

Careful you don't cause stress fractures hammering on cold steel

[@charleshopkins8197]

Patrick Mitchell Those are caused by the anvil being cold? Or letting the blade itself cool down too much while hammering?

[@Melik565]

A blade worthy of Cullen Bohannon

[@wendyhance5991]

Melik565 f

[@user-kt8yp5ho2y]

I have a question. Which oil that used to quench?

[@JohnDoe-bd3gi]

What grit or attachment where you using for the polish at the end? At 6:39

[@craftsman7756]

What did you quench your knife in

[@nicolausurnin8377]

Que bom, agora está trabalhando em uma bigorna, parabéns!(Português do Brasil)

[@jongaddis5821]

I'm new to knifemaking, what disc did you use to 'polish' the blade at the very end with that angle grinder? Thanks

[@stevebohemier]

I'm not the author, but I use scotch brite wheels. they are a bit expensive, but the ultra fine wheels make a beautiful polish. They are sold in belt form as well.

[@user-gm1yj9hr4r]

0:50 thought he was about to lay down a diss track

[@samuelstephens8909]

you should put some fire bricks at the front of your forge because you are losing a lot of heat

[@vincentrosa9631]

Did you temper it?

[@elitegdog]

very nice blade and techniques used in forging. what type of liquid did you use for the quench looks like peanit oil. but overall very nice job.

[@BurningOakForge]

The Seeker Thank you. That was canola oil.

[@aslob9321]

Hi, how do you like that TFS100 anvil? Any negatives?

[@aussiecrypto2733]

Just wondering how many times on average does the spike have to be heated up again. Im no blacksmith at all but im bloody good at melting led in an old tin can and making fishing sinkers haha..

[@airussss6509]

I am making one of these myself too. Side note:You should quench it in water not oil

[@dobson.]

People have there own quenching preferences , I prefer oil because it's less likely to break the blade after you did a ton of work

[@matthewtomes9396]

Also less likely to fully harden a steel that hardens in water.

[@KaiserMikael]

AIRUS SSS Thats a yikes from me chief. Water will destroy a thin blade- almost like making cracks in glass. I would heavily NOT recommend water

[@macgyver186]

I have forged a lot of spike knives over the years and I quench in water every time. Spike knives are a novelty item. The steel is not a good knife steel. Will it cut? Sure, but it might not hold an edge for long. If you quench a spike knife in oil it will not be as hard as a water quenched blade. Oil cools down the blade a lot slower in the quench than water. That's the point of the quench, bring the temp of a hot blade down as quickly as possible making the steel super hard. Lots more to it than that and with a lot of big words lol. I also do not temper my spike knives. They are not hard enough to be brittle because of the low carbon content in the spike. They won't crack or shatter like glass I promise. The HC knives I make are a different story. They will absolutely crack and be garbage if quenched in water.

[@georgeyoung613]

Wonderful knife. I really like that you left a lot of the spikes rustic look and feel. I do have a question. How hard where you able to get the blade? I personally have no idea what quality material went into making them from the start. I am interested in knowing what it takes to get a good edge on something like this. Also how good of an edge could you get and how long will it last once you get it. 🤔 Thank you for posting this video.

[@shockwave6213]

There are essentially 3 different classes of Railroad spike steel. Low Carbon, Higher (not High) Carbon and Structural steel with about 0.4% carbon. The spikes aren't really gonna get much higher than 1045 Carbon steel when made into a blade on a good day. When I learned of this, I switched priority of what to make from them. My personal favorite thing to do is combine a couple and make Mace or Warhammer heads. The knives made from them won't hold an edge worth a damn, but they're tough and very hard to break, hence my Warhammer preference.

[@stevesyncox9893]

If you forge weld a file into it, it’ll be a real knife.

[@georgeyoung613]

@Steve Syncox thank you. I did some research and you're absolutely right. The only way this would have a useful cutting edge is if you added it.

[@happytrails5342]

It seems like our steel cools rapidly, maybe just a few hits and it has to go back in the forge. We were using 3/8"rebar, had 2 pieces side by side and forged some damascus out of it. We could not keep it hot for more then maybe 10sec although it started at near welding tempature? Common or what's the problem?

[@shanewinters3009]

Was the anvil warmed up?

[@Dillan96]

FIRST!!!

[@csykesforge7220]

Railroad spikes won't hold an edge , they have just a little more carbon content than mild steel, you can however get a rail road spike that's specially made to make knifes out of.

[@deborahsiphone5820]

question: how do you take care of a knife like this

[@Alwaysfishingne]

Hi what size are the spikes pleas as im in the uk and there hard to get so having them made :-)

[@dobson.]

If you're having them made why not just buy a knife with that money? And you can find A BUNCH of them on Ebay or Amazon for $1 Usd to 20 usd (Idk what that converts to in thr Uk's system) but they're cheap

[@forrestogden7600]

Just a question, wouldn't grinding with the angle grinder after your heat treat ruin the heat treat? I thought after heat treating, you're supposed to temper, and then be careful about how much you heat the blade up? Just wondering!

[@BurningOakForge]

It is okay to grind the blade after heat treating, just make sure to keep cooling the blade off so the temperature doesn’t get hot enough to ruin the temper.

[@miletemfortuna9636]

Haven't made to may knives at all, but I'm pretty sure with the amount of grinding that you did you could have gotten the rest of the pitting off of the side of the blade to make it look cleaner. Plus, your anvil moves way to much.

[@fearthespear4242]

He likes the forged and rustic look

[@hdrjunkie]

All in all, by hand, how long did it take you to make this?

[@wilhelmvonbergen2675]

You can put a edge on a rr spike but it will not hold a edge as it has not enough carbon a reg spike about 28 points of carbon and a hc spike is around 32 one needs 45 points to hold a edge. these make great letter openers

[@Michael-ox2cx]

Hey, did you have to normalise the spike first?

[@BurningOakForge]

If I remember correctly we didn’t.

[@supersendojarren]

Whatd you quentch that in? And will water work? I know people use oil

[@Jack1rules]

supersendojarren a common thing which is very easy to notice, if it lights on fire on contact they’re quenching in oil, because oil is flammable and water is not.

[@garycarraigeacha8794]

@@gavintrafford4338 Just use canola oil.

[@The_Nailsmith]

Excuse me but where can I get one of these railroad spikes? Are they up for sale somewhere? Can I go to Home Depot or should I just find a rail road site and pick one up

[@caseyfilippo8768]

Walk the tracks

[@benderover6007]

Your anvil is wayyyy to wobbly

[@Khonda300ex]

What type of oil did you use to quench?

[@BurningOakForge]

That’s canola oil Thanks for watching!

[@darrelsmith4549]

Could I use a torch if I don't have that equipment you have?

[@BurningOakForge]

I have seen people use a torch for projects before but this is a good bit of forging so personally I’d go for some kind of small forge.

[@brianganstine5889]

I'm a novice at this and I've only made one knife. What's the best oil to use for quenching or is any okay?

[@BurningOakForge]

Brian Ganstine I would recommend canola oil or vegetable oil because it is cheap and easy accessible. Motor oil may not harden some types of steels.

[@brianganstine5889]

@@BurningOakForge Thank you. Will pick up some today. 👍

[@matthewlem4624]

tear is an h c on head of rail spike for high carbon

[@JasonGroom]

Actually or means higher carbon, not high carbon. They are still only maybe 1050 us you're lucky

[@TheD3monicfairy]

Hahaha 😂

[@einarlotric]

Did that actually harden, because most railroad spikes are at the most a mild steel.

[@DemoDan81]

Your burner needs adjustment. Nice work though.

[@Mr.duryong]

Is it low carbon steel?

[@freedbirchmlg2299]

What did you quench it with

[@keepitasecret48official53]

Freedbirch MLG Gatorade

[@clecub3360]

A 50/50 mixture of virgins blood and tears of the innocent.

[@bdogminecrafts7637]

Oil

[@PalomboDylan]

How were you able to draw the steel out so easily to where you had enough room for a handle? I tried this and I wasn’t able to draw the steel out as easily even with the steel being at about 2,500 degrees. Please let me know. Thanks

[@therealamerican99.76]

dylan palombo. Hit harder. Also using the rounded part of a cross peen hammer works!

[@garethbaus5471]

@@therealamerican99.76 A halfway decent anvil also helps a lot.

[@TheCoolmandarek]

How long did it actually take to make

[@shanewinters3009]

That anvil rocking back and forth plus the ringing gave me a headache.

[@Grant_Gold]

For how much do you sell one of these?

[@waaagh3203]

You can get a bunch of rail road spikes for free or very very cheap. Perfect material to really start learning bladesmithing and blacksmithing. You can use them to make blades, tools, hatchets, lots of things. No they aren't the best steel, but they WILL harden to a degree. Go through about 25-50 spikes making all types of stuff, and you'll be well on your way. Who cares if they turn out shitty?

[@banerey6829]

Im about to start forging myself. I think this would be a great thing to start on. but i do have a few questions. When you quince you blade what kind of oil do you use? and Does it matter the weight of an anvil?

[@epion660]

My experience about anvil weight is: as long as it's stable, you should be fine. For absolute beginning, the 10-20lbs cast iron anvils are a cheap option you should be able to find at hardware stores. However, they dent when you hit them, so once you truly decide you want to do this, get some harder steel. I use a bit of railroad track. I just have it strapped down on the stand, and it works fine.

[@banerey6829]

@@epion660 thank you man. Like I'm 15 yrs old and I've always had a passion for knives and swords, and now I'm deciding to forge.

[@epion660]

@@banerey6829 That's right about when I started too. Btw if you're hurting for cash, you can use used motor oil to quench. Don't do that for something that you handle actively though, some of the chemicals will transfer to your hands. I think I saw this youtuber say he used Canola oil to quench. That's a much better option. You can also quench with canola oil when making a food-safe knife, like a kitchen/butcher's knife, so that's an advantage.

[@banerey6829]

@@epion660 thanks man your giving me great advice. I'm starting to build a home made forge today, going to go get reformatory cement and some metal tubing. And about to go look for some railroad track to make an anvil with

[@epion660]

@@banerey6829 Good luck with the forge, I've never done that. Always bought pre-made.

[@Wexellence]

How long did it take you to make it?

[@BurningOakForge]

We were able to finish this in a single session. I want to say if I remember correctly about 6 hours. Longest part was drawing out the handle.

[@coreyfmiller]

How many hours would a project like this take you?

[@BurningOakForge]

I would say it took us roughly 3hrs+ (that was to complete the whole project)the tongs we used just would not grip well enough to really move the material fast. Could it be done faster? No doubt!

[@mlasko74]

Approx how long do you let one sit in the crucible initially ?

[@miletemfortuna9636]

There isn't a crucible used in forging knives. A crucible is what holds metals that are being melted. That is just a forge. But, most likely left it in the forge long enough to get the metal glowing evenly so it can be worked without fracturing. It all depends on the forge and type metal being used.

[@mlasko74]

Miletem Fortuna Gotcha, I'm new to this, but I do have access to a fair amount of spikes and trying to find what to do with them. I'd be interested in making tomahawks or throwing knife or throwing spike, the latter probably being possible perhaps

[@talonjuel2098]

What kind of anvil is that

[@PalomboDylan]

Can someone tell me what liquid he used to quench the steel? Thanks

[@BurningOakForge]

Canola oil

[@brandonleach1326]

Ive used burnt motor oil.

[@bengalsguy101]

you need to secure your anvil a little more brother, it shouldn't be bouncing and moving like that so much.

[@benmorris7276]

thats a great looking knife. but i personally would have made the tang longer and bent it in towards the edge to give it a more substantial handle. like in the style of a "viking" knife the first knife i made was in that style . but i mean its all personal preference right so either way great work