$0.75 Start to finish bushcraft knife in less time then it takes to get a pizza.

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I suggest that you make what you want with cardboard or wood and then lay it on top of the billet of steel to get your profile just the way you want it. You can always take off a little more steel, putting it back is very difficult!
 
Alpha Knife Supply said:
Why do you assume File = Good Steel?

Some files are case hardened. This means the steel on the outside is hard but the inside is soft.

Call me and I'll give you a free piece of blade steel for you to make a knife from. Have the knife properly heat treated and compare the knife against other knives you have. You may find the comparison interesting.


Chuck
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Shaw Blades said:
I'll heat treat it if big boy pays shipping both ways.

I like where this is going. I've bought a couple of knives and said man I'm going to use the piss of of this next time I go out but I didn't then I sold them. I see your point big boy. I'm seeing a TEOTWAWKI kind of vibe going here. But it did cost more than 75 cents, the work sharp belts and the angle grinder disc cost someone something at some point.

Let's make another knife man! Chuck gave you a nice offer.
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Hey Kudos on the information, kindness, and generosity you two. Very impressive.
 
I dub this project Carnivore I think I am done for tonight not bad for about 4 hours of work but I had my girlfriend go get the pizza this time.


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Well I followed the video and did my own heat treating. I have it tempering in the oven right now at 400. I followed the directions and got it hot enough to lose all magnetic attraction yay for magnetic retrieval tools. My buddy had 3 gals of used motor oil worked great did not even catch myself on fire lol. I guess I am just impatient it seamed to turn out well its a lot harder then it was. I think I see what the difference between the 2 types of knife making are. When I made my file knife I did not temper it first it was just as hard as it ever was. Which I think is why it seamed not to need any type of hardening and still holds a great edge and has decent edge retention. I did a lot of sanding to give it the profile which I believe is why it did not get hot enough to kill the tempering. The new knife with the 5160 seams like a different way all together. The knife blank was very very easy to work with like it was annealed from get go and very soft. I did most of the cutting edge with a big metal file it was just like filing wood with the amount of removal off each stroke. I was able to drill the holes through it like it was butter. Once I heat treated it it was like pulling teeth to get the final edge on it. I went convex on it to put some more beef behind the cutting edge. I went 3/4 of an inch back with the primary bevel and brought that all the way to the edge with a convex grind it seams to work ok for this. Thank you for all the help I still have some clean up to do and to put handles on it but I will take some pictures when I get it done. I think I am keeping the heat blueing on the main body of the knife to help with the rustic feel of it. I do not want it perfect I have already proved to my self I can get perfect or close enough to it for me. It is time to put it to work :) Thank you again Chuck from Alpha knife supply and Shaw blades for the offer of the heat treating :)
 
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Right out of heat treat and tempering in the oven
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I cleaned up the blade some and oiled it up. I may keep the forced bluing on there I may clean it up a bit with some steel wool to even it out a little but I like it :) I may go with red or red and black G10 scales for it because I am calling this project Carnivore

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I'll just not comment on the blade beyond saying...."Zombies Beware".

It is sad that you are in such a rush and don't read the stickys and post drawings, etc. If you had you would have known to drill the holes before HT. Also, you would have known used motor oil is not a recommended quenchant fro several reasons. It probably got your 5160 hard, though.
 
I'll just not comment on the blade beyond saying...."Zombies Beware".

It is sad that you are in such a rush and don't read the stickys and post drawings, etc. If you had you would have known to drill the holes before HT. Also, you would have known used motor oil is not a recommended quenchant fro several reasons. It probably got your 5160 hard, though.
 
Blade is...........unique


I do agree with Stacy, it seems like you definitely have the drive, but could benefit from a few hours of reading posts, PLANNING, etc. Patience goes a long way when getting started (I learned the hard way).

I was in your shoes before, I started about 5 years ago and could not wait to finish as many knives as I could. A few turned out OK, but most were terrible and showed the rush and lack of focus or planning. I then went to college, after graduating last December I decided I was going to try it again. I have upgraded my equipment, read a ton, practiced with some scrap steel, and actually tried to plan out what I am doing. It has allowed me to be more organized while creating a much nicer end product. I am taking my time although I am still working slower than I want to. :D

The point is, there are a TON of great people here, and this IS the number one resource (IMO) for aspiring knifemakers. You've found it, now take advantage of it. Listen, take advice, take constructive criticism, etc. the people here KNOW what they are talking about and they WILL make you a better knifemaker if given the opportunity.

-Therron
 
I actually did have a plan I wanted something a cross between a bowie knife and a cleaver. Its perfect I drew out what I wanted before I even got the metal and went with that. I made a knife blank out of cardboard and then changed the finger grips where they would be more comfortable. The holes were drilled before it was put into heat treating. I have read that 5160 can be cooled with used motor oil or vegtable oil. I also heat treated it in the oven for 4 hours at 400 degrees then let it cool down slowly.
The resin is still drying on my epoxy knife as well but I think it turned out very nice.
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"Its perfect"....I can't see many agreeing with that.

"Something between a Bowie and a cleaver".........I would suggest you look at some pictures of both and see where any resemblance could be found.

"I have read...." .....You may have read it somewhere, but I doubt you read it here or in any knife making text or article by an experienced maker. You-Tube is just about the worst place for a beginner to get knife making info.



Your file knife came out fine for a first knife project. A few issues, but overall a good effort. Keep at it ...but try and slow down. "Good things come to those who wait." - Benjamin Disraeli.
 
Bowie knife
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Meat cleaver
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I see the resemblance. I know its not for everyone and that actually is the point. Its for me and its ment for use does not need to be pretty. Its a replacement for my kukri. The only think I am worried about is from heat treating it bent the sharpened part in the middle of the blade inward. I figure since its going to be used and does not effect use then after a few sharpenings it should even the blade back.
 
Thanks Stacy! We need more eloquent speakers in this world that aren't completely biased or have a selfish agenda :)

Bowie.. cleaver.. uhm, your "knife" looks almost cleaverish.

What is your point, and why are you continuing to use this thread for your original $.75 knife that wasn't even really close to that cost, and barely a knife that will hold an edge - I have a strange feeling... You should use it to pry with, I want to see it break and then show the micro structure of the brittle steel... I mean, it was just a $.75 knife that took all of 30mins to make into perfection.


Sorry Stacy! :D
 
I think this all comes down to managing someone else's expectations. I know that I thought my first 2 knives turned out pretty good and then I went to the Little Rock knife show. I came home and wanted to throw them in the garbage. Whether someone wants to explore balance points, edge retention, UNDERSTAND heat treat instead of just step 1-2-3 or not doesn't matter to me. It is pretty apparent when someone wants to learn something versus just do something to scratch an itch.
 
Shaw Blades said:
I think this all comes down to managing someone else's expectations. I know that I thought my first 2 knives turned out pretty good and then I went to the Little Rock knife show. I came home and wanted to throw them in the garbage. Whether someone wants to explore balance points, edge retention, UNDERSTAND heat treat instead of just step 1-2-3 or not doesn't matter to me. It is pretty apparent when someone wants to learn something versus just do something to scratch an itch.
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I was also proud of my first two knives but I didn't think they were perfect by any means! Its been 19 years and change and over 2200 knives made later and I know that they still aren't perfect!
Perhaps our new Bushblade friend will slow down for the next one? I think the pizza delivery time thing has become a syndrome of this generation.
"30 minutes or less or its free"has really taken hold!
 
Well, it's certainly a KSO (knife shaped object), and if you choose to stick with it, the first steps of what is hopefully a long and productive learning process.

When I designed and made my first few knives, I had a MUCH different idea/perspective on what a knife should (or could) be. That's not to say my first knives weren't functional, as they certainly were. But where I originally thought there may have only been one or two "areas" of improvement, looking back I can see there were perhaps dozens of things I needed to improve upon.

If you choose to make a 3rd knife, look at your first two and decide what is wrong with them. Then simply "fix" them on the third. Repeat that process indefinitely.
You'll soon find out that you'll never made a "perfect" knife, but hopefully you find that each one is better than the last.
 
bigboysbushcraft said:
I do not want it perfect I have already proved to my self I can get perfect or close enough to it for me
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Lets leave perfection out of it. That really is not something you should be concerned with right now.

What you should be concerned with is the huge stress risers in that blade at the ricasso. There is very good odds that blade will break right at the peak of that slot.
 
I was wondering about mabe running a drill bit in there slowly to make it rounded edges instead of a straight edge. With straight edges it puts more stress then rounded. The whole thing is still about 1/4 inch thick and about 1.5 inches in depth at that spot.
 
Do you plan to keep making knives?

With the offers you got you could have made something great with that hunk of steel. Doesn't have to be pretty, it doesn't have to be anything at all besides what you like, but you were given some great steel and there's just no way that it is heat treated to its potential.

I can understand grinding away everything that doesn't look like the thing you wanted, it sounds like you did a great job in that regard, but to finish it out with impatience seems disrespectful to the steel, the people who have offered you free help and even yourself. Make what you want. I can totally get behind that, but use your resources to treat it right.

No point in using steel with incredible potential just to throw that away.

Hope that doesn't come across as rude. I really mean the best by it and would tell anyone the same, here, or in person.
 
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