1st knife in progress - Need some advice

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2301hb

Joined
Oct 3, 2014
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I made a very rookie mistake when cutting out my knife. I traced my drawing in the middle of my 1.5 wide steel. The spine now has about an 1/8 inch border that I'm unable to hacksaw due to lack of skill and the way I started sawing. It's also too narrow to get holes drilled, at least with my skill level. I attempted to use my bench grinder but felt a little uncomfortable with that. I then started the long task of filing it down. That is going well, if slow, except for 2 spots. It appears as though I have hardened the steel with the grinder. The spots are very small, about 1/8" but the file just skates over them. At this time I have no forge or oven to try to anneal it. Will I be able to eventually file through these spots or should I cut my losses and just cut out a new one using the lessons that I've learned?

Thanks for your advice!

Joe
 
You haven't given us any info on the metal and knife size...but the most likely answer is that you will be able to file through it. Maybe get a new Nicholson file. A 10" double cut bastard will take down steel fast.
 
Seems unlikely that you work or temperature hardend the steel, could happen, but unlikely, maybe the file is dull, will it cut other areas. 1/8 is not tough to take off with a good file like stacy recommends
 
Sorry, I'm using 1/8" 1084. While I was grinding I did see the two areas that are being difficult turn red. My file is new but it may not be coarse enough. I'll grab a bastard and see if that helps. Thanks for the advice!
 
Can you show us a drawing or the template of the knife you are working on?
 
If it is 1084, you should be able to file past the slightly hardened places.

You could also anneal the whole blank with a plumber's torch ( just a simple propane bottle torch). Hold the end of the tang in a pair of pliers or vice grips and heat the blade until it turns a darker color, and then gets just the slightest hint of dull red. Stop heating and let it cool in the air for a few minutes. You can turn the blade around and do the same to the tang if needed. Repeat a time or two if you wish. Once cooled off, it should file much easier.
 
I finally finished the filing. I got a double cut bastard (thought that's what I using already) and it went much faster. It was still a bitch! Anyway, here's the final shape. I'll start filing the bevel tomorrow.
1627097e-5da5-4e13-b2b6-6eca12bb4903_zps7deaa56b.jpg
 
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