Beautiful custom knives - D. WEATHERBY FORGE

[JJEH]

I know we all appreciate master craftsmanship and almost all of us appreciate having a high quality knife.

A few days ago Adam Weatherby posted a picture on Instagram, showing off the work of his brother Dan. I had no clue that they made custom knives, so I had to check it out. Have a look:

Just wow. I'm sure a few of you have an interest... I already put an inquiry in

This particular knife (Deer Hunter) was offered for $750 and while this is a lot of money, I don't think it's outrageously priced for a true custom knife.

The interesting part is that

"I specialize in a unique form of bladesmithing. I take used rifle barrels from my family's company Weatherby Inc. and I forge them into functional blades."

I know I'm biased but I want a knife made by him!

Dan Weatherby knives | D. Weatherby Forge

 

[Valmet]

That is definitely an interesting looking knife

 

[pawngal]

Very nice knife! Interesting that he uses rifle barrels for his blade stock. That give him a special nitch in the market.

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

Very nice knife! Interesting that he uses rifle barrels for his blade stock. That give him a special nitch in the market.

If I wanted a high quality using knife there are better steels than rifle barrels. Most blue rifle barrels are 4140 steel, which
means only .40 percent carbon. This is not enough carbon to
make a hard blade, not sure of other alloys in their barrels, and
this could have some effect on hardness.
If stainless it is probably 416 stainless which means it has a
chromium coating over iron. These will last somewhat longer
than the 4140. Note, some mil spec rifles are 4150 steel.
I am only a backyard shop blacksmith, mostly a hobby. So,
there are probably folks on this forum that know a lot more
about the subject than I.
Rifle barrel steel, my guess, is a gimmick to sell knives to the
non educated on the subject. What say everyone?

 

[JJEH]

If I wanted a high quality using knife there are better steels than rifle barrels. Most blue rifle barrels are 4140 steel, which
means only .40 percent carbon. This is not enough carbon to
make a hard blade, not sure of other alloys in their barrels, and
this could have some effect on hardness.
If stainless it is probably 416 stainless which means it has a
chromium coating over iron. These will last somewhat longer
than the 4140. Note, some mil spec rifles are 4150 steel.
I am only a backyard shop blacksmith, mostly a hobby. So,
there are probably folks on this forum that know a lot more
about the subject than I.
Rifle barrel steel, my guess, is a gimmick to sell knives to the
non educated on the subject. What say everyone?

This is what he says on his website:

BARRELS
The next thing I do is choose which barrel to use for a blade. Weatherby uses two different steel types for their rifle barrels, chrome moly and stainless steel. I primarily use Weatherby's stainless steel barrels which are made of 410 stainless steel. This material resists corrosion much better than chrome moly and produces a drastic pattern when combined with the high carbon tool steel that forms the edge of the blade.

and

CORE MATERIAL THAT FORMS THE CUTTING EDGE


Once I have the barrel picked out, I choose the material to put inside the barrel before forging. This steel will ultimately form the cutting edge of the blade and therefore needs to be a steel that will harden and hold an edge for a long time. I have experimented with various high carbon tool steels and have successfully used different combinations of 1095, W1, O1, 52100, and 1084. These steels can be in the form of rod, powder, or ball bearing. This design is actually a form of Damascus steel called "San Mai." It means "three layers." Once the blade is forged out and one side is cut away there is a softer jacket of steel, in this case the 410 stainless steel rifle barrel, that surrounds the high carbon steel cutting edge. This pattern is not only aesthetically pleasing but it serves a function as well. In fact, high-end Japanese swords have used it for hundreds of years. The softer steel on the outside strengthens the more hardened core material on the edge as this harder material is more brittle and prone to break. It is less likely to break when surrounded by the softer steel along the spine and sides of the blade.

 

[Fishinfool]

Quote:

CORE MATERIAL THAT FORMS THE CUTTING EDGE


Once I have the barrel picked out, I choose the material to put inside the barrel before forging. This steel will ultimately form the cutting edge of the blade and therefore needs to be a steel that will harden and hold an edge for a long time. I have experimented with various high carbon tool steels and have successfully used different combinations of 1095, W1, O1, 52100, and 1084. These steels can be in the form of rod, powder, or ball bearing. This design is actually a form of Damascus steel called "San Mai." It means "three layers." Once the blade is forged out and one side is cut away there is a softer jacket of steel, in this case the 410 stainless steel rifle barrel, that surrounds the high carbon steel cutting edge. This pattern is not only aesthetically pleasing but it serves a function as well. In fact, high-end Japanese swords have used it for hundreds of years. The softer steel on the outside strengthens the more hardened core material on the edge as this harder material is more brittle and prone to break. It is less likely to break when surrounded by the softer steel along the spine and sides of the blade."


That sounds similar to what Cold Steel did to make San Mai blades popular in the US years back. From watching that TV show "Forged In Fire", it appears to take a lot of skill and handwork to make a good blade this way. They give the knifesmiths a total of 5 hours to make a blade, and most look only barely OK at best, and many fail. Figure what, 10 hours to make one right? If you value his skilled time at $50 an hour, which I believe is reasonable, that's about $500 before material and associated costs. Seems fair to me. Heck, the local Harley shop gets $100 and hour for some guy with the skill level of a chimp to change brake pads. I like it, and they are sure to be collectables among Weatherby fans. I have a lot of respect for guys who can make something like that with their hands that I know I cant do.

Larry

 

[Old Arkansawyer]

The above explains a lot more about the blades than just
rifle barrel steel. The knife pictured sort of looks like some
Japanese work that uses a clay mixture to get the pattern.
I also think the OP is right about time spent making these
blades even with power equipment, maybe 4 hours.