Railroad spike knives 

Steel snobs can stop commenting any time now. Someday you may not have proven steels to purchase. This is good and proper knowledge everyone should know. State of the world being what it is.....

That is a really high quality level of finish for a spike knife.

RR spikes are a carbon steel. They usually range from .2 to .4 in carbon content. They have to have this higher carbon content in order to stand up under the flexing that a train puts them under. So while they won't hold an edge as long as 1095 or fight rust like stainless, they are a higher carbon steel. This complaint that they're rubbish is a modern thing really. Take those spikes back 2 or 3 hundred years, and they would be considered top-notch steel.

Chandler Dickinson was what you might call a railroad spike expert. In my view he is sadly missed here on RU-vid. In my opinion you are both similar blacksmiths both good guys. Thanks for your continued efforts in entertaining and educating people. Happy New Year.

Thank you so much for posting... . I m a newbie waiting on fire bricks. Found a awesome anvil.... Barely used from 1899 225 lbs. This will be my first project and tongs... 🛠👍👍👍👍

Enjoyed every moment of this video, you have this relaxing vibe to your content!

I’m a Welshman working on North American railroads and the spikes are high carbon Steele. Smiths love them here. Nice video indeed thanks.

Man, you really chiseled those grooves in crisp. Bravo

I'm just starting to forge this video is awesome

The letters H M L On the end depict the carbon content nice work Gary from an old farrier.

I’m a sucker for rr spike knives. Love! Thanks Gary!!

I like using the top of the spike as the pommel it just makes perfect sense. I’ve seen so many guys flatten it and I never understood that

Less than six minutes and at this point but I wanted to make the comment before I forgot it a blacksmith named Chandler Dickinson used your Rams Head videos as his inspiration and made quite a few railroad spike knives. And I very much agree that your voice over work in your descriptions is very pleasing to the ears and entertaining when you brought a little bit trying to get that wrench back on to correct your twist, I live in the u.s. so we don't call it a spanner but I understand very well what you mean

Hey bro I’m in the middle of building my 2x72 grinder had shoulder surgery a few weeks back so as soon as I can get back in the shop I might just make this my first project a warm up for building a hoof knife, very inspiring thanks Gary!

This is “play-by-play” forging. Good work!!!

You can sometimes figure out the grade by the stamping on the head. I've made a couple and only one dosen't hold an edge for as long as the others. First one was uncomfortable for my hand personally so gave it to a fried that likes fat handles on everything. So made another one for myself and streched it out a bit before twisting it. It holds an edge well enough I use it to butcher hogs.

Nice work, I work for the railroad as a train driver and as a new blacksmith I’m hoping to learn a lot from railroad spikes. Once I get everything set up for my forge I will follow your advice and hopefully I can get some nice results. Thanks for the vid!

As always, this was both educational and inspiring! I appreciate that you show us what can be done with heat and a hammer. Most of us don't have presses and power hammers. Thank you for the encouragement ! Happy New Year !

Thank you for your inspiring work ! I have learnt much from your videos over the years. Happy new year from Sweden Gary!

Nice work, especially for only 2 hours. I live right near a patch of rail so I use spikes pretty often. The HC on the back stands for high carbon as I understand it. I'm sure it's not as high quality as tool steel or the like, but it's not a katana. There's also MC and LC for medium and low carbon. Happy new year!

Love those tongs you modified just for spikes.

Sempre é uma alegria ver seus vídeos,o senhor não imagina quão bem eles nos faz.Não nos deixe tanto tempo sem novidades.Felicidades e muita saúde para o senhor.

i dont feel like they're "rubbish" knives/steel. just not as preferred as other knives, i love them. great knife all around! Tanto blades are my favorite style to forge. cheers

Nice looking knives. People can what they will about RR spike steel, it can still make a decent knife as long as you're not expecting it to be the same as 1080 etc. Fine for a practice or trinket piece, I've even seen people who have used them for a long time and liked them, as long as you don't mind sharpening often. 😉 I saw the AvE sticker on your grinder and immediately subscribed. Thanks for the vid!

While there may be other steels one can use to make a knife from about the only difference is the edge holding ability. All in all you only need to sharpen or touch up the edge to keep it sharp depending on what you are cutting with it. The railroad spikes do make nice looking knives. Good job!

Enjoyed the video. Big time jealous of that anvil.

One thing ive kearned is having a single edge bevel can make the knife cut funny, like, the bevel will cause the knife to glance to the direction it is slanted at. It will still work just fine, just a nuance.

Keep on forging chap, there is always some wanker that says spikes make crappy knives, they are not high carbon for a fact, I sell them as novelty items, not a working blade, here's the positive _ folks will buy them all day long for 30, 50 Us dollars, second plus is for many new blacksmith's, bladesmiths, it great hammer control practice

Your spike was marked HC - making it the equivalent of 1045. It'll hold a edge somewhat and is tough.

Looks nice sir. Also handy bit of info. Spikes can very in carbon content. But for what it is...it works well enough as youve proven. 🙏Blessed days and hearty wishes for a happy new years Crawford out 🔥⚒️🧙🏼‍♂️

I heat treat mine in vegetable oil and temper in oven for hour at 425, get a fine edge and a fine knife. I’ve add Ferrier rasp to them and 1095 but I like them best as is. Thanks for video god bless

Super master Bravo 👏👍🔥.

Happy Holidays mate!!! Have a great new year my friend!!! Luv what you do and plz keep it up!!! ❤️❤️🙏🏻💪🏼💪🏼👊🏼👍🏻🎄🤣

AS USUAL a proppa job, love your videos mate.

Don't know about the UK, but here in the US, RR spikes come in two flavours. Regular and high carbon. If there is an HC on the head then you have the better quality for knife making. The regular was used on straight tracks and the HC on the curves.

Nice work! We posted this video in our homemade tools forum this week :)

I've made spike knives out of spikes that had HC stamped on their heads and quenched them in water and they're got hard enough my good files skate on them.

That hc on the head means high carbon....this spike is good knife steel...you should temper.

Very nice! Happy New Year!!

well done !

Happy new year from the USA gary!

Good every day knives, nice! Wouldn't shave with one though :) Have a good one, Gary. Take care mate.

This is awesome I’d like to try forging

Happy New Year sir hope your family doing well nice job

Looks great.

Make couple of hori hori for you and your missus. Get some use when the weather turns.

Nice work sir! Now your ready for Forged in Fire 🔥! Haha

I have not made anything out of railroad spikes. I have a bunch just laying around. I will give it a try soon. Doctors have kept me out of my shop for a little over a year. Now they are telling me to go for it..

Beautiful

Love the British slang on this as opposed to american. "Give it the beans" or "I'm really hitting it" instead of "I'm really beating the fuck out of it" and "im going to have to give it a think" instead of "I've got to figure out how I'm going to fix this piece of shit." 🤣

Happy new year Gary.

I would buy one of these

Happy New Year Gary

It should be a little more refined as a blade... But it's good first try!! Very beautifull!

I had one that got so hard my 65 hrc file couldn’t dig into it

Tomahawk axe are easy to make with railroad spikes.

someone correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't "high carbon" for a railroad spike something equivalent to about 1030 steel? better than mild steel at 1018, but still less than a desirable 1040 for tools and axes and 1080+ for slicing blades. regardless, it looks great. i've been working on the same thing as practice blades and gifts.

Nice. How about a farriers rasp tomahawk. Thanks.

You do have “high carbon” spikes there. They have the HC stamped on the end. That being said that’s not high carbon steel.

Great work New subscriber Cheers

If you would add chisel cuts 90 degree to the to the one that is already there you will create what some call alligator skin handle

Rockwell 40

Enjoyed the video Gary, looking to buy an anvil for the new workshop, (despite the channel name I'm not a blacksmith), would rounded edges or an uneven face bother you when buying an anvil, or to what extent would it become a problem? Cheers

Did you made the railroad spike knife looks like a miniature chef's knife? Or did you buy it from someone or somewhere?

Where did you get your GH stamp? I would love to get one of those. Thanks. Frank

Top demais

I have a question, ever so often when I'm attempting to make a railroad spike knife the metal tends to crack, what factors can cause this?

Great job, how's the best way to get a sharp edge on these

what was that tool at 5:46?

Shouldn't the other side of the knife also have a bevel?

Regular coal fire ?

where can i get those tongs??

very nice do you sell them i live in the usa keep up the good work bob here see ya

I wonder where he's from

How I will buy in india these knife

Where can I buy one?

Railroad spikes don't make good knives carbon points are too low make a striking tool

First

I will trade you 10 railroad spikes for your anvil...

well, okay. Still stolen.

That don’t look very good.