Publisher's description: Looking for instructions in bladesmithing that'll put you on the cutting edge of the custom blade market? Then this definitive guide to forging world-class blades is for you. Written by a master bladesmith, this book tells you how to set up your forge, select your materials, fashion grips and hilts, grind edges and much more! From the back cover: Anyone who has ever searched for good custom blades knows that they are hard to find. Stop wasting time looking for that perfect blade and make your own! The Complete Bladesmith will show you how to take a bar of steel and forge it into the blade of your dreams. This guide to smithing world-class blades is for the novice and experienced bladesmith alike. With this book you will be able to build your own forge, equip your workshop, choose your materials from the exotic to the mundane, and get to work. You'll jump at the chance to heat the steel, bending, twisting, folding, cutting, and stretching it. Finally, you'll put the perfect grind on the new blade; fit the softest, hardest, or the most exotic wood to the grip; and slip your blade into your handmade sheath. Whether you want a survival blade, commando dagger, broadsword, tanto, or just a trustworthy utility knife, it's all here. Enter the custom-blade world with an edge! Contents: page VII Foreword 1 Chapter 1. The Workshop and Tools of the Trade 19 Chapter 2. Steels to Use 27 Chapter 3. Fire and Forge 37 Chapter 4. Forging Blades 49 Chapter 5. Rough Grinding 55 Chapter 6. Heat-Treating 59 Chapter 7. Final Grinding 63 Chapter 8. Fittings 71 Chapter 9. Grip Materials 79 Chapter 10. Grip Making 91 Chapter 11. Polish and Finish 93 Chapter 12. Sharpening 97 Chapter 13. Leatherwork 111 Chapter 14. Scrimshaw 117 Chapter 15. Sword Making 125 Chapter 16. Damascus Steel 133 Chapter 17. Heat-Treating Damascus Steel 135 Chapter 18. Damascus Patterns 149 Chapter 19. Cable Blades 155 Chapter 20. The Japanese Blades 163 Chapter 21. Japanese Heat-Treating and Polishing 169 Appendix A. Compounds 175 Appendix B. Weights and Measures 179 Bibliography