Billet Making
For details, call Donna Haddow at 719-846-5724.
Continuing Education only - not for college credit
This class is a hands on class for the students. This class will be focused on the
making of Damascus (pattern welded) steel for use in gun hardware and knife blades.
Each student should finish the class with at least one billet of Damascus steel to
take home.
This focus of this class is to teach "dry welding" technique, that is the making of
Damascus steel using no flux. This approach provides steel of much greater consistency
and strength. We will be using gas forges to weld our steel not coal. Subjects covered
will include: Dry vs. Wet forge welding, steel selection, tool selection, use of power
equipment such as power hammers and forging presses, pattern development, heat treating
and etching. Steve Rollert has been making knives for over 40 years, starting with
a Burr King grinder in the spare bedroom of a duplex in Denver, Colorado in 1980.
Steve's interest in knifemaking started while attending Skunk Hollow Blacksmithing
School. After graduation Steve sought out Japanese Swordsmith, Kuzan Oda, then in
Colorado Springs. Kuzan taught Steve the Japanese mindset and disciplines of knifemaking
necessary to produce knives of enduring quality and value. Steve has progressed to
producing Damascus Steel and hand forging fine blades in his large shop in Keenesburg,
CO. He is well known for his quality pattern welded Damascus and his earlier work
in cable welded Damascus. In 1999 Steve started Keen Edge Knives in response to a
number of requests for high quality training knives from his fellow martial artists.
Over the years Steve has strived to provide the best quality product possible at a
reasonable price.
Tool list:
(Please keep in mind that the tools suggested for each class are the minimum tools
you should bring. Please feel free to bring any additional tools you feel you may
need)
Students will pay the instructor $30 per billet for the raw steel at the time of the
class
• Safety glasses
• Respirator either dust mask or double filter (preferred)
• Work apron
• Baseball or other brimmed hat
• Hearing protection
• Welding gloves
• One pair large vice grips
• Hammers - cross pein and ball pein of about 1.5 to 2.5 pound in weight
• Grinding belts
- 2 each in 36-40, 60, 220, 400 grit
- Zircon or ceramic recommended but aluminum oxide is acceptable but will not wear
as long, size: 2 inch by 72 inch in length
Please bring a refillable water bottle since we will be working around hot forges
in June