First File knife

[BFH44]

been working on this in my spare time

it will be a while before its ready but does anyone have an idea on the macarta handles - brown or green?

ideas on blade edge ? i was trying for almost full flat grind but now i am thinking convex - but that might be a bit hard for my first grind.

i have been cutting and grinding steel for decades just structural and machinery not knives - so i might go for beveled edge.

But i was reading about the Japanese convex grind called Hamaguri-ba and have a couple videos on it seems really good idea


i have just been doing a little bit every other couple of days -- thanks

 

[JayGoliath]

Good choice Bro!

There was file metal made into a hybrid of Malla/Kobra model by Kumar Kami and owned by forumite Sta94.

 

[Yvsa]

been working on this in my spare time
it will be a while before its ready but does anyone have an idea on the macarta handles - brown or green?

ideas on blade edge ? i was trying for almost full flat grind but now i am thinking convex - but that might be a bit hard for my first grind.

i have just been doing a little bit every other couple of days -- thanks

Aho, BFH:
Personally I'd go with the green.

As to the blade grind from what I can see it appears that you've already got the beginnings of a good convex grind going which is what most beginner/fledgling knife makers come up with by grinding freehand which I'm assuming is what you're doing?
Actually IMO without a proper grinder that has a sturdy flat platen it's gonna be very difficult to fashion either a flat or saber ground blade.
I've long said that, "A convex edge is what the majority of folks are gonna get when they set out to sharpen a new blade of most any sort..... it's just simply human nature..."

 

[Howard Wallace]

Looking good.

Did you do any heat treating of the steel? Or will you? Files can be pretty hard and brittle in their starting form.

 

[BFH44]

I annealed it three times - first time i wasn't sure - i didn't get it hot enough and my magnet still stuck to it - but in a thread about it i found out it isn't necessary to go all the way to non-magnetic - preferred but not necessary there is a good bush craft video on it

i had it bright orange in my wood stove which was rally stoked.

so i did it a second time and had a metal 4 gallon ash can for the wood stove so i heated the ashes i saved up in a lasagna pan in the oven for an hour at 350.

so when i pulled the file out red/orange hot i stuck it down in the hot ashes for insulation and let it cool slowly overnight

i had read that the worst thing is to let it cool to fast - there were a lot of forum guys gave good advice (like the ashes for insulation) in a couple threads about it - what was great is when i screwed up they didn't make fun of me - i an an ole iron worker we are used to getting are balls busted when we goof up

so once i was able to cut a gouge in the old file using a new file i then knew it was soft enough when i am done with all the grinding and drill the holes for the handle pins then i will heat treat it -- i have been reading a lot

 

[Steely_Gunz]

Looks great so far Sarge would be proud
I have often thought about attempting one of his Po' Boy file knives that he did a tutorial on.

Of course, Andy Roy (aka Fiddleback) started out with such things, and look at him now:thumbup:

 

[BFH44]

thanks guys
-- i think i am going with the green macarta for the handle. The guy i bought it from said it it is old stock looks better than the new stuff once you start sanding it - but that's a ways off.

a lot was done with a 4 inch grinder and a few different wheels and one diamond blade

the Axe heads are going to be cut, ground, edged, differentially heat treated and finally turned in to hawks

after Christmas gift to myself was 160.00 dollar combo shop grinder 4 inch by 48 inch belt and 8 inch disc that helped get everything smoother - i cant afford one of those 1,200.00 plus knife grinders maybe if i save up for a year or so; disability doesn't pay well (but glad i have it - way better than nothing).

i have three others i am working on two small and a 14 inch half round file that i am going to grind similar in style to one of those new Graham bros, knives that kinda look like a chisel.

i annealed 4 files at one time and started drawing on them - for layout i sprayed them with white rustoleum primer and then used a pencil. I was really gung ho and read and read a lot of threads here at blade forum and a couple other places and articles - didn't want to mess u to bad ( i figure the first couple i might mess up but that's OK i expect to when learning)









Some days i just hurt to bad to get much done and the chores pile up - it hurts siting here typing much less when i get out try to do stuff -- oh well gotta keep moving or i end up all stove up i see my doctor next week maybe he will have some ideas to help me and i start going to the gym with a trainer next week too - opps how did i get in that

i used to be pretty good with a 4 inch grinder - i could almost grind a circle round a gnats ass - even on a windy day with poor lighting

 

[BFH44]

i used to be pretty good with a 4 inch grinder - i could almost grind a circle round a gnats ass - even on a windy day with poor lighting

i was joking i couldn't really make a circle that small with poor lighting

 

[Yvsa]

thanks guys
-- i think i am going with the green macarta for the handle. The guy i bought it from said it it is old stock looks better than the new stuff once you start sanding it - but that's a ways off.

a lot was done with a 4 inch grinder and a few different wheels and one diamond blade

the Axe heads are going to be cut, ground, edged, differentially heat treated and finally turned in to hawks

after Christmas gift to myself was 160.00 dollar combo shop grinder 4 inch by 48 inch belt and 8 inch disc that helped get everything smoother - i cant afford one of those 1,200.00 plus knife grinders maybe if i save up for a year or so; disability doesn't pay well (but glad i have it - way better than nothing).

Some days i just hurt to bad to get much done and the chores pile up - it hurts siting here typing much less when i get out try to do stuff -- oh well gotta keep moving or i end up all stove up i see my doctor next week maybe he will have some ideas to help me and i start going to the gym with a trainer next week too - opps how did i get in that

i used to be pretty good with a 4 inch grinder - i could almost grind a circle round a gnats ass - even on a windy day with poor lighting

Great ideas and great implementation of them BFH!:thumbup: With the tools you have you have a helluva lot more than what some folks that make really beautiful and very serviceable knives have although it's by their own choice. Check out Tim Lively's knives that are made entirely by hand, no electric tools!!!
May I ask what the partial circle is you have drawn on the tang end of the knife blank?

Axe heads make pretty neat 'Hawks, albeit rather larger than most of the, "Trade 'Hawks" were. IMO their biggest drawback is the size and shape of the eye hole for their handle.
When modifying axe heads into 'Hawk heads it's best to leave that area alone as much as possible. My cousin made me a hooked 'Hawk out of a full sized double bit axe and for appearance sake he had to cut the area of the eye hole nearly in half or more so which doesn't leave enough room for the handle to be as stable as it should be.
Yours look very good though and shouldn't have that problem.:thumbup:

BFH I'm one that can testify that, "If you don't use it you lose it." so by all means stay as active as possible, actually make it your number one priority!!! I know I sure wish I would'a had someone to encourage me to do so!!!

 

[hunglvq]

Really nice project, Eric! I'm eager to see your knife coming into shape.

The 4" grinder is my all time favorite. It's really versatile and can take most of the jobs.

Take care!

 

[BFH44]

Thanks guys - i will go back and read whats been posted and catch up with you guys -

hunglvq - i put that hammer in the mail a day or two ago should be at your brothers monday - i hope it is the right size - next time i am out and about i will see if i can find one smaller - i saw on ebay some people selling pin vises and other stuff for pin installation i will email you about it