Forging an Iron Knife from a Wrought Iron Bar — The Smith's First Project

The iron knife is traditionally the first object a blacksmith apprentice learns to forge. It teaches every fundamental operation: drawing out (lengthening the metal), tapering (creating a point), bevelling (forming the cutting edge), and finishing (grinding and hafting). An experienced smith can forge a knife in under an hour; a beginner should expect a full day of practice.

Unlike bronze tools which are cast into shape, iron tools are forged — beaten into shape from a solid bar using only heat, hammer, and anvil. The wrought iron bar is heated to bright orange in a charcoal forge, then hammered on an anvil to draw it into a blade shape. The tang (the part that goes into the handle) is formed by drawing the opposite end to a narrow taper.

The blade is then ground, and the edge can be hardened by case-carburising (packing in charcoal and heating) to add a thin layer of steel to the surface. This gives a wrought iron blade the best of both worlds: a tough, shock-absorbing body with a hard, sharp edge.