One of the current projects at the Parksville Museum forge involves hand crafting knives from series Land Rover leaf springs––a tool for adventure made from a vehicle for adventure! Series spring steel has not changed spec since the first run in 1948 and even today replacements are made with the same composition. The projects shown below are made from original 1965 Series 2a Land Rover steel by heating in a charcoal forge and hand hammering to shape on the anvil.
Poppy the 1966 Series 2a rover is currently earning her keep hauling hundreds of lbs of blacksmithing tools to and from the forge. Generally on Saturdays from spring to late summer the forge is open and running knifemaking demonstrations in conjunction with the artist-in-residence program as the weather permits. For more about the Land Rover projects visit islandrovers.ca
Poppy is currently earning her keep hauling hundreds of lbs of blacksmithing and knifemaking tools to and from the museum forge for Saturday knifemaking demonstrations. 1965 Series 2a Land Rover front axle leaf springs, well beyond their useful life on a vehicle. Lighting the charcoal sword smith style knifemaking forge.The hand powered fuigo (box bellows) provide air to the fire to heat the steel.1965 Series 2a Land Rover leaf springs disassembled with hammer and chisel in preparation for forging.Plenty of corrosion and loss between leaves so some clean up preparation is helpful.Hand forging 1965 Series Land Rover leaf springs into a knife blade.The forge is fueled by charcoal and air is provided by hand powered fuigo box bellows.After several hours forging the blade will be within a mm or so of finished dimensions by hammer work alone.Some minimal hand filing is required to clean up the profile and adjust the edge geometry.Applying the clay in preparation for yaki-ire, quenching and hardening the edge.Drying the clay in preparation for yaki-ire (hardening the blade).A successful hardening leaves the edge as hard as a cold chisel and the body of the blade at full toughness.Forming a pommel cap from reclaimed sheet steel used for the vintage Angolan plate cover.Heating some reclaimed copper scrap in the forge provides a few moments of bright blue flame.Turning electrical bus plate copper into a guard by hammer work and tang-shaped punches.Texturing the outside rim of a copper tsuba (handguard) using a small hammer.Filing some reclaimed lighthouse bronze for a handguard.Bronze guard shown with vintage lighthouse glass reflector frame it was made from.
A seppa (blade washer) cut from an annealed reclaimed brass door push plate using hammer, chisel, and shears.
After final fitting and coining the edge in edo style the seppa is ready for service.
A batch of Rover steel blades receiving various fittings in preparation for mounting.
Wood working in the coastal forest, Arbutus leaves continue to fall all year long!
Hauling woodworking tools in summer mode, no need for a roof for a couple of months.
The best kind of air conditioning is outdoors!
The interior carved and ready for fixing back together using hide glue, it will cure for a week before further work.
Using a kanna (handplane) to roughly shape the outside of a handle block carved from magnolia.Using a kanna (hand plane) and kiridashi (carving knife) to shape the handle and scabbard. Using a nomi (chisel) to carve and adjust a tsuka (handle) contours.
A thin kiridashi knife is used to create subtle sculpting to all areas of the handle in the style of a classical tanto.
The placement for the mekugi-ana is chosen and drilled through the tang using an antique hand-cranked post drill.
The mekugi (retaining peg) is carved from susudake, bamboo that has spent the greater part of a century as part of the ceiling or roof inside a kominka farmhouse, darkened and strengthened by the smoke from the hearth.
Lunch break view towards the forge, toolboxes and tools must be onboard for whatever may be required on a given day.
Late fall sunlight still bright at midday but shadows are lengthening as the museum season comes to an end.
The first application of natural fukiurushi seals the wood in preparation for following layers, it is cured slowly in a slightly warm humid muro/furo box, each layer takes 1-4 days to cure. Natural urushi lacquer is made from the sap of a certain tree, evaporated, fermented, and filtered.
After the first few thinly applied and textured layers have cured the cotton reinforcement cord is tied tightly in place and then saturated with urushi. Final stages of lacquering after several layers have been built up to the appropriate texture and colour. Next the handle and scabbard will sit at room temperature and humidity for a couple of weeks to finish curing while moisture stabilizes. Traditional togi-dai (sword polishing platform) for finishing and sharpening blades.Waterstones from Japan, used for polishing antique and classical style swords.
After a couple of weeks to allow the wood moisture levels to stabilize after lacquering, final adjustements to the fit are made. The blade is finally sharpened and the knife is ready for assembly.
