Hand Forging a Ball Bearing Hunting Knife

A demonstration of how to forge a ball bearing into a knife by hand.

[mrsimpson]

enjoying your videos James. Im in Pulaski Tn and using your techniques on cable and bearings

[johnmood]

I manage to get some nice heavy hardened steel billets from a friend who runs a scrap yard, he got me one for smaller work that's 50 pounds, and on end, it's so smooth and flat, it does nice work on finer pieces. He's a good pal, and pulls stuff useful for me. It never hurts to work up a good working friendship with a man in metal recycling. He knows it's worth more than just melting down when he gets useful pieces.

[stizan]

Holly crap! I never thought of welding a vice grip on tho a hardie. thank you!

[GodseyKnives]

Makes my shoulder and arms ache watchin.   I thought 5160 was hard lol!  Nice work brother  thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills with us .

[OlneyaTesota]

Try turning down the acetylene on your torch and make a point meeting the oxygen. Makes for better brazing. Very impressive knife!! Jc

[marcbailey]

Thank you... I'm just starting out and love the video... Very clear and through

[truckertom]

That was amazing to watch you make that knife from a Ball bearing..

[artisansportsman]

The finished job looks beautiful well done & thanks for sharing

[johnmood]

Too bad you're in a "neighborhood". I live rural, and do use hearing protection, but the sound of an old school anvil ringing when it is struck is music to my ears. Makes me think of Chester on "Gunsmoke"working a few horseshoes or whatever, and ol' Matt Dillon comes up and needs him.

I love the old school approach you use, and the choice of the industrial bearings is brilliant.

Thanks for the sharing of your wisdom and knowledge sir.

[Pablo]

I read in a knife making magazine many years ago that you should anneal the bearing material first, before welding to it as there is a risk of it shattering under the stresses of welding.
Now you appear to have done this without ill effect call I guess.

[juliocavalera]

Hello thanks for video, how to unite the plates of ex-plane exhaust and a hundreds electrik guitar string waste made from nikle and leaf spring or bearing how to joined that layer by forge to be solid pieces???

[johnmood]

+James Mcclendon I wonder how the ball of a large trailer hitch ball (horse trailer or large boat trailer hitch) ball would work as a substitute for a ball bearing? it's truly very strong steel... Though it's characteristics may be a bit too different. Thinking of a LARGE full tang knife.

[davidrquinones]

Nice work James, saw this posted on TBH.

[PinoyBlacksmith]

I tried forging a similar sized ball bearing with a 4 lb hammer and I could only dent it a little for 1 hour

[gadgetlam]

Do you have any idea what the piston from a car's gas shock would be made of? It would seem comparable to the material in a bearing no?

[jakethatsnake]

Wow you must be strong to swing hammers like that

[relykofwar]

where on earth do you get the Bearings? they came from that hunk of brass and steel. but where did you get it?

[JohnDoe-yerj]

how do you get your anvil to be so silent it doesn't ring at all.

[nemoz]

does the brazing not ruin the temper???

[IIIANVILIII]

Don't make anything of that bronze. It contains berillium.