Forging the BBC Pocketknife
My BBC Pocketknife ("Ball Bearing Canister") is my fanciest and proudest accomplishment so far: a Damascus knife I forged myself! With something like this, it's all about the process, so here we go.
In order to create the Damascus billet I needed, I combined three sources of steel:
- 4.5mm ball bearings made of "high precision carbon steel", from Amazon.
- 1090 steel powder, from USA Knife Maker.
- 16 gauge mild steel square tubing, from my local hardware store.
It's unknown what exact alloy the ball bearings were, but based on their look and necessary properties, I believe they are some kind of stainless yet hard steel, or some tool steel. That is different enough from the 1090 powder that I expected to be able to etch out a nice pattern.
I filled all the gaps with 1090 powder, welded it shut, and got to work.
I have no power hammer or hydraulic press, so I had to compact and set the weld by hand. Despite the canister coming a little loose, I succeeded!
The next step was etching it. I do not have ferric chloride, so I used 50% hydrochloric acid... To not much of an effect. Having played with electrolysis before, I decided to try that next, in a warm saline solution.
Safety note: Hydrochloric acid and electrolysis (especially using salt water) are both dangerous. Don't try this at home without thorough research and safety precautions.
It worked!
Next steps: working it into an actual knife shape, heat treating, re-etching, making a handle, and finishing everything up.
The fun was not done, though... A few weeks later, I apparently left the knife in just the wrong place, and a bored puppy chewed the handle irreparably. I had to take everything apart, re-finish the blade, and fit a new handle on. I switched to adifferent wood and pin materials and had to slightly re-grind the tip of the blade, too.
The outcome? Different from the original, but a huge improvement!
The process was lengthy, meandering, and very educational. I'm proud of the result, and I use this knife anytime it is in reach. I've already got another batch of ball bearings, and am looking forward to making it a brother at some point, too!
I hope you've enjoyed the journey. I may post again about some of the specific, less common techniques, such as the electro-etching process. Let me know if you'd be interested!