Design for first knife, & questions

UnixDork

UnixDork

Joined
Dec 2, 2001
Messages
453
I've worked up just enough hubris to attempt making knives. This spring I'm going to start getting tools together and get started. I've been working on this design for my first knife. I hope to make something that roughly resembles this drawing when I'm finished, but we'll see.

nessmuck3pu1.jpg


It's my take on a more modern Nessmuk. It'll be flat ground, with micarta scales. I plan on using the cheapest suitable carbon steel I can. Any suggestion on steel would be good too. I'll use solid pins and whatever cheap thong hole tubing I find. It'll be roughly 9" long overall.

I'm posting this because I'm hoping for some input from experienced makers here. Does this drawing jump out as something a beginner shouldn't attempt? I plan on buying a cheap belt/disc sander to start out with.

Thanks for any help you all can provide. Wish me luck!
 
I'm no pro by any means but I've put together a few using a small amount of tools. Your design looks pretty good for a starter, not too complicated by tapered tangs and bolsters. It looks to be a full tang design is it not? I say give it a shot! You won't know till you try!

Try some 1095 or O1 to start. You can heat treat it yourself. I started with just some files and sandpaper. You can do a lot with files and it will give you the time to think through your process. Remember that the faster you remove the steel, the faster you can make a mistake.

You can get brass tubing and rod from the hardware store or one of the knifemaker's supply vendors and there are lots of materials you can use for handles. I know you are planning to use micarta. It's pretty stable and will give good use. However, if you should decide to use wood, choose something that can take some punishment. Dense woods like Cocobolo and African Blackwood are popular choices. Be careful! Some woods are pretty nasty (They are dangerous to breathe and they smell bad too). Unstabillized wood will move around on you depending on the climate so keep that in mind.

Get a good respirator and WEAR IT! After your first blade you will want to make more and you will need to be able to breathe.

Good Luck and keep us posted with your progress!

Curt Wommack
wommackcustomcutlery.com
 
BigJim's leading you exactly the right direction, Dork. 1080's the ticket for your first try. It's cheap, shipped, from www.admiralsteel.com (IIRC, they might call it "1075/1085"). You can count on being able to heat treat it adequately yourself. And it's 100% suitable for knives (unlike, for example, railroad spikes or lawnmower blades).

You can easily get yourself a year's supply delivered for around $20. And honestly, you might as well. If the steel is $8 and shipping is $12, you won't be doing yourself much of a favor by skimping and getting half as much steel.

Pin and tube material won't hurt you too badly either- couple bucks each, and just like the steel, that couple bucks is going to last you a good long time.

One thing to remember is this: you won't need to finish the handle slabs all the way before you pin and epoxy them on, EXCEPT for the front of the shoulders.
Make sure to pin the scales to each other, no knife between them, and round those shoulders together so they match, then finish them to whatever final grit you're shooting for (at least 400). THEN pin and glue them on.

Oh, last bit of advice- cheap abrasives on expensive grinder, DUMB...
expensive abrasives on cheap grinder, SMART (not ideal, of course, but if your budget is limited, that's the smart way to go). Spring for the good abrasives, seriously. Norton or 3M, pretty much. It's really, really, really important, for the quality of your product and for the quality of your knifemaking experience. Expensive abrasives will make you HAPPY, cheap abrasives will make you get FRUSTRATED, SAD, and then QUIT. Don't go there!

Good luck! You'll do great, I'm sure, and then post pics for us. :)
Mike
mscantrell at gmail.com
 
Good to see another UN*X geek around the grinder :)

I'll assume that you're going for stock removal for your first blade (since you said nothing about forges and anvils). Your design looks pretty straightforward, which will be a good thing for your first piece. As folks have said already, take it slow and you can screw up at a lower rate. I also concur that simple 10XX series steels will be a good starting point. For the shape of the piece you've designed, you might want to contact our local steel baron Aldo Bruno for some 1 1/2"x1/4" 1084 barstock. Take a look in the supplies for sale section for contact info and prices.

You should fill out your profile a bit (at least with some location information). You never know who you live near to that might offer to give you some hands-on help.

-d
 
That's a good design.

A drill press will help with the holes a lot. It's very, very difficult to keep the holes at right angles if you do them by hand.

Why are you waiting till spring?
 
Thanks for all the help, guys.

I'm waiting till spring because my shop will be half of our unheated garage and it was 18 degrees this morning :) I've also just moved and I'm still looking for work. Come spring I should have some money to devote to heating and outfitting the shop.
 
deker said:
Good to see another UN*X geek around the grinder :)

I'll assume that you're going for stock removal for your first blade (since you said nothing about forges and anvils). Your design looks pretty straightforward, which will be a good thing for your first piece. As folks have said already, take it slow and you can screw up at a lower rate. I also concur that simple 10XX series steels will be a good starting point. For the shape of the piece you've designed, you might want to contact our local steel baron Aldo Bruno for some 1 1/2"x1/4" 1084 barstock. Take a look in the supplies for sale section for contact info and prices.

You should fill out your profile a bit (at least with some location information). You never know who you live near to that might offer to give you some hands-on help.

-d
Click to expand...

Thanks Deker. Yes, I'm another unix geek. I have been for many years. Thanks too for suggesting I fill out my profile, I didn't think of that. I'm back in Indy after being gone for about 5 years. I planned on staying away but an old flame brought me back. She likes to backpack and shoot, I think I picked a winner. She said to me the other night, "You should make knives, why don't you use one side of the garage for a shop?" I'm tentatively planning the marriage for next year. :D
 
UnixDork said:
Thanks Deker. Yes, I'm another unix geek. I have been for many years. Thanks too for suggesting I fill out my profile, I didn't think of that. I'm back in Indy after being gone for about 5 years. I planned on staying away but an old flame brought me back. She likes to backpack and shoot, I think I picked a winner. She said to me the other night, "You should make knives, why don't you use one side of the garage for a shop?" I'm tentatively planning the marriage for next year. :D
Click to expand...

Sounds like a keeper! I should know, I found one similar. We just moved and I have a new 30x36 shop building :) Watch out for the ones that shoot...I know my wife is a better shot than me, so I can never run away! :D

As for the shop being too cold...that just means you need a forge! :)

It's a good thing you haven't started yet, because if you had you certainly wouldn't make it until spring...You'd be out grinding as fast as you could in 5 degree weather so you could get back inside to do finish work...

Welcome to the nuthouse!

-d
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top