Altering production knife 440c stainless

[mjbrucks]

New guy posting.

I've been trying to build a hunters knife from a production blank I bought online, and they all look so hokey.

After weeks of research I just picked one and got as far as using the ferric chloride to give it a dull finish and it looks great. Now to the roundness of it. I took a dremel to it last night to add some notches to the top, as well as squaring some of the round edges.

Now my questions.

1. Was that a bad idea? Should I have used a file instead to reduce the heat?

2. The most hunter-ish knife I have found in a production blank is Texas Knifes Falcon. Do any of you know somewhere that sells or makes a more rugged knife blank for $15-$20?

Any advice, direction, or insults would be appreciated!

 

[Navin_R_Johnson]

A file won't cut hardened steel. Unless you have diamond files?
If your dremel work was on the spine no worries.

 

[killgar]

A file won't cut hardened steel.

Of course it will, as long as the hardness of the file is greater than the hardness of the steel.

I can't count how many times I've used regular files on hardened, finished knife blades. Including re-grinding edges and re-profiling tips.

 

[eKretz]

A steel file won't cut most good knife blades without doing a lot of damage to or destroying the file. Lower hardness blades in the low 50's Rc hardness and below will cut just fine, though using a file on those toward the upper end of that spectrum will wear the cutting edges of the file teeth out pretty fast. A steel file will not cut blades at 58 Rc or above worth a darn, and if you take a look at the face of the file after the attempt you'll find shiny lines across the surface everywhere the knife touched the file - these will be rolled teeth.

 

[killgar]

I used a regular file to grind the curved/upswept false-edge of my early 80's era Buck 110 flat and straight. I don't recall offhand what hardness level they used on 110's back in the early 80's.

I've also used regular files to re-profile blade tips on an old Marine KABAR, and a modern Next Generation KABAR (stainless steel), as well as regrind the serrations on that knife.

I used a regular file to re-profile the tip of an 80's Camillus pilots knife, re-grind the edge, and completely remove the sawteeth.

All performed without difficulty. And that's just to name a few. And the files were still useable after (though certainly not as sharp as before).

Considering how inexpensive regular files tend to be, I regard them as expendable. They're certainly a lot cheaper than diamond files of the same size (and more widely available), and a lot cheaper than power tools like a grinder or bench top belt sander.

I say- use whatever works for you, and is affordable to you. If a person plans on modding a lot of knives, and knives with really hard steel, then it might benefit them to invest in more expensive tools. But if they are only looking to modify one or two knives, and if a regular file will work with the steel they've got, then spending a few bucks on a expendable file might be the better way to go.

But I've only been doing metal work for the past 30 years, so I don't claim to be an expert.

 

[eKretz]

Lol, you're not the only one. No one said you couldn't do whatever you want if it works for you, it's just important that guys with no experience understand the consequences - that they will probably destroy their file pretty quickly if trying this.