cut knife blanks with power saw?

[Walter smith]

hi i want to make knives,got some o1 steel have plans,but how do you cut the i need a power saw to cut blanks.what do you knives makers do.i need easy.thank every one who can help.walter

 

[Petunia D. Feeble]

Metal cutting saws tend to be expensive. I think the cheapest option I've seen is using a band/chop saw and buying a mount to hold it upright and stabilize the band. If I recall correctly the mount kit and saw should run around $300... I could be off on the price. It's been a while since I looked them up.

You can always go old school and use a bench vise and a hacksaw. Takes a while, but it gets the job done.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Because you didn't fill out your profile, we don't know where you live. That makes it a bit hard to tell you where you can get things.

A 4X6 metal cutting band saw is what most folks use. Harbor Freight is where most folks get one.
https://www.harborfreight.com/horizontal-vertical-metal-cutting-bandsaw-93762.html
You use it in the upright position with the cutting table attached. Most folks make a sturdier table and brace the saw in the upright position.

That said, a hand held High Tension hacksaw and a 24 tooth Lennox bi-metal blade will cut steel quite well.
https://www.amazon.com/HO-11110-Hea...1-1-spons&keywords=high-tension+hacksaw&psc=1

 

[Grayzer86]

Cheapest options would be a hacksaw, an angle grinder, or a portaband saw.

 

[Lieblad]

Cheapest method powertool wise is an anglegrinder and cutoff wheel.
With care, and grinding wheel, bevels can be roughed out also. Then finished up with files.
Good luck, enjoy the learning...

 

[crank78]

Portaband saw from harbor freight.

 

[ShannonSteelLabs]

Angle grinder and cutoff wheels.
Hell i still use it for custom orders. I have a big Kukri that i gotta cut out from a chunk of 8670. Probably gonna take 2 wheels!

 

[Ian Fifelski]

I got an harbor freight angle grinder for 12 bucks three or four years ago. Still running strong. Only time it felt underpowered was when I was cutting 3/8 inch 1075 for a guard.

 

[Drew Riley]

What kind of tools, if any, do you already have? What's your budget? Where are you located?

You can often find a usable 4.5" angle grinder at your big box stores for around $20 to $30 dollars. Use a bench vise, or even just a c-clamp on a workbench, sawhorse, or a table of somekind to hold the blade while you cut it.

Another option is drilling holes around the perimeter of the blade profile and "connecting the dots" with a hacksaw. You might also check your local craigslist or other classifieds for a used porta-band, or even a vertical/horizontal band saw.

 

[Ian Fifelski]

Sometimes using a grinder with the "connect the dots" method works too.

 

[Walter smith]

thank all great info, may try the drill with the dots.thank you walter

 

[crank78]

i use to be like all you guys recommending the angle grinder and cut off wheel. that was until after years of using them for everything i had a wheel come apart. it skint my forehead and ripped the bill on my hat. luckily it didn't get a eye or go through my face. got a harbor freight band-saw the next day. that was about 2 years ago. just put the fourth blade on it today.

 

[Randy3000]

I have found a face shield, respirator, and ear muffs get frequent use. I wear all 3 when cutting with an angle grinder.

 

[Tehemton]

Angle grinder is by far the quickest and most versatile way to get your blanks cut and profiled in my limited experience(although I haven't really tried the big boy band saws, so who knows). You can get your blanks profiled to pretty much the final dimensions just using the cut off wheel, grinding disc and flap discs. It is the workhorse for any new knife maker.
And if you're creative enough, you can also make a quick jig for the angle grinder with a sanding disc to rough grind the bevels quite nicely.
PPE is a must have while using the angle grinder though.

 

[Horsewright]

Variable speed Portaband saw with a SWAG table. One of the handiest tools in the shop. Not only can you use it for cutting out blades but cut pins, bolster material, handle materials etc, etc, etc. Easy to run and safe. Not a bunch of learning curve.