3 Diffrent files

R

running bird

Joined
Sep 29, 2015
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497
I picked up 3 files today at a flee market and they each have very diffrent spark patterns.

The first is a Vixen file from 1905, the spark patter was pretty crazy. The spark were very short only extending about 4" off the file but were very very frizzy almost no long streaks. Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/cnSBS

The second is a Delta file, the sparks were medium length about 6-9" and but still had a lot of "frizzyness" going on. Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/KX73u

The third file is a more modern Japan stamped rasp with 4 diffrent cut patters on it, the sparks were as long as the delta file but they didn't have many sparks. Pictures: https://imgur.com/a/zKk2f

I'm planning on making a knife from each one and wanted to share my findings. The vixen file is pretty interesting to me I haven't seen a piece of steel shoot out so maybe sparks before. How well of a blade steel do you think each file will be?
 
Good files are harder to find then good steel, why not use them as files to file some good steel?
 
I have plenty of files that I keep and use, these files have a lot of teeth missing or have large chunks broken off. If they are not in good condition I prefer to just use them for there steel.
 
A lot of files these days a pretty useless for making knives out of. They are not just simple high carbon steel any more and require precise heat treating. If you want to make good knives, start with a known steel. something like 1084 is a good steel to start with.
 
I probably should have explained this a bit better, I have plenty of known steel. Sometimes when I am not making a knife for someone else I just make something for fun for myself. I enjoy making knives out of diffrent old tools. I was mostly wondering what others thought of the spark tests just to get as much knowledge as I could before I start.
 
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