1st time poster, thought I might start with making some bent knives for carving, need to perfect my hardening and tempering skills. I'm thinking i should start with w1 or 1095 tool steel 3/4" x 1/8 or 3/16 thick, what do you think? is there a supplier in Canada that you know of or does anyone have a couple of feet that i could buy off them? Is there a better steel to use? thanks I'm sure this is the first post of many.
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Bent/crooked knives
- Thread starter mcgyverdc
- Start date
KnifeHead
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Apr 5, 2006
- Messages
- 5,575
Maybe for a first post it would be a good idea to introduce yourself and go from there. Folks here are VERY helpful, especially if they know you are contributing to the forum in a positive way and not just kicking tires, so to speak. Some more info in your profile might be a good idea so we can get to know you.
I haven't been making knives that long but it seems that starting with bent knives would be in the area of a 7-8 on a 10 point scale of difficulty. If I were starting out, I would begin with a simple straight knife with flatgrinds done with a file(not sure what tools you have).
Your choice of steels seems ok but 3/16" may be a bit thick for a carving knife. 3/32" or 1/8" would do and the width probably needs to be 1"-1 1/4" for handle shaping room.
I'm not familiar with where you might aquire stock in Canada so maybe someone else up North can help with that. I'd suggest looking here http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=387503
at all the helpful links for knifemaking. Read this stuff....you won't be sorry.
Funny, you mentioned "carver" and I thought of this one I just put together a week or so ago. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=446167 (shameless self promotion
)
I haven't been making knives that long but it seems that starting with bent knives would be in the area of a 7-8 on a 10 point scale of difficulty. If I were starting out, I would begin with a simple straight knife with flatgrinds done with a file(not sure what tools you have).
Your choice of steels seems ok but 3/16" may be a bit thick for a carving knife. 3/32" or 1/8" would do and the width probably needs to be 1"-1 1/4" for handle shaping room.
I'm not familiar with where you might aquire stock in Canada so maybe someone else up North can help with that. I'd suggest looking here http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=387503
at all the helpful links for knifemaking. Read this stuff....you won't be sorry.
Funny, you mentioned "carver" and I thought of this one I just put together a week or so ago. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=446167 (shameless self promotion
)
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2005
- Messages
- 4,527
I suggest Rob! (on this forum) from Ranger Original if you are in the west. Welcome!
Alan Molstad
Banned
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2006
- Messages
- 422
mcgyverdc....
I only have a small history with such carving knives.
a co-worker who knew I like to sharpen hunting knives asked me to sharpen a few of his carving knives.
I told him "Sure I would be happy to"
I didnt have a clue what a "carving knife" was, but I believed that , "a knife is a knife, how hard could it be?"
So the guy hands me two knives...the blade on the first was 1/2 inch long at most
The 2nd knife was curved....
Both were sharpened on one side only.
I had a very hard time even holding on to them little things...
It was very tricky to get an edge on them. None of my normal tools and ways of doing things would work on a blade that was paper thin, 1/2 long, and curved....
I only have a small history with such carving knives.
a co-worker who knew I like to sharpen hunting knives asked me to sharpen a few of his carving knives.
I told him "Sure I would be happy to"
I didnt have a clue what a "carving knife" was, but I believed that , "a knife is a knife, how hard could it be?"
So the guy hands me two knives...the blade on the first was 1/2 inch long at most
The 2nd knife was curved....
Both were sharpened on one side only.
I had a very hard time even holding on to them little things...
It was very tricky to get an edge on them. None of my normal tools and ways of doing things would work on a blade that was paper thin, 1/2 long, and curved....
