First knife build need help

Hacksaw with about a three inch max cut depth trying to cut a piece of steel about nine inches long... Any tips or do I need to get one that has the blade exposed past the grip?

Edit: never mind just had to change the angle I was looking at it... Or rather sawing at lol. Definitley a square peg circle hole moment.
 
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LucyCustomKnives said:
Now, bear with me on this... It is a bit odd... But I would truly like to see something like this below. I can't quite get the curves on the finger side of the handle right with MS Paint, but just imagine a more classic bowie style handle. Flared at the rear, thin near the ring and pinky fingers, wide on the middle finger and flat sided into the guard with just enough curve for the forefinger to sit in. I don't know that I have seen a larger tanto style blade with this ricasso to blade, guard and handle treatment. It is leaning into more of a classic fighter than a camp knife, but I still think it could be cool. If you don't go that way, I might just steal it if that's ok...

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-Eric
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a bowie handled droppoint tanto pigsticker chopping hybrid. I have no clue what you would call it but I like it.
 
Indians made arrowheads with antler and flint so im sure anything is possible if one is determined enough. I would think that it would take forever though.
 
LeaderofthePack said:
Quick odd question and just asking out of curiosity. Is it possible to do a stock removal knife using only whetstones?
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What Crank said down there. It would be possible... might just feel liks Sisyphus though... A good selection of files will do the job much better. If you are in need without the means of procuring a good file that will take off the steel smartly I will be happy to send you one. Kinda feel like we're in this project together at this point. :)

crank78 said:
a bowie handled droppoint tanto pigsticker chopping hybrid. I have no clue what you would call it but I like it.
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Hey, that's as good a title as any. I think I might take a whack at doing it honestly... It's growing on me... beyond the oddity factor...

crank78 said:
Indians made arrowheads with antler and flint so im sure anything is possible if one is determined enough. I would think that it would take forever though.
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Prisoners digging out with spoons would be free before it would get done I'm afraid. But I'd donate the materials to the man that would try. Because that, I'd like to see.
 
Well looks like you got a new project Eric. I got some files mostly I think single cut bastard if I remember correctly and a few a little finer. Some of the stuff I read on here makes me sit back and think " at least I know other people have a sense of humor like me."
 
Should be done profiling the blade and have some kind of dent done in the edge by later today. I'll post a pic when I get there. Also is it possible to overheat the blade with hand tools? It's gotten a little warm and just want to make sure I'm not messing with the annealed state it's in before ht.
 
although I guess it could be possible I wouldn't worry about it. it still has to be heat treated after all.
I cant wait to see it finished its a really interesting design.
 
Taking a break to run some errands I'll be bringing the handle down a little thinner to allow for a pinned hidden tang and fixing the curve of the blade a bit till I can't feel anymore bumps and it slides smooth.
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Edit: doing it all by hand definitely gives a good feel for the progress and pressure but after this it's all power tools.
 
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You might want to round out the transition between the tang and the ricasso, square corners lead to stress fractures...
 
Ditto.

Those overcuts into the tang and 90 degree angles will be places the blade can easily break. File the tang back to remove the overcuts, and try and made the transition from tang to shoulder rounded.
 
For stock removal withOUT any machinery, I would add a Pferd double cut chip breaker and a flat bastard double cut.

OT
 
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What these guys said...

And to answer the other question. No, you can't overheat it and mess with the annealed state using hand tools. The steel would have to be red hot for you to be near any change in the steel. You ended up with 1095 right? To reach hardening temps (1475°f) it would take a friction saw, torch, plasma cutter or something similar. Even then, those tools will only cause the very edge of the cut to harden. Holes can still be drilled in the tang and so forth...

The thing we are really concerned with heat wise when using power tools is the post HT grinding. After HT it is possible to get into temps that will pooch your HT by getting hot enough to temper it back. After HT we are talking temps of 400-500° f instead of 1400°+. That is doable just by making repeated passes on a fast belt without cooling.

Just a side note... I grind with gloves on always. I got a bad bite once and don't care to repeat it. But a lot of guys go bare handed especially after HT so they can monitor temps. I do have a cut out in my glove that lets me feel the steel for the same reason. Post HT I dunk the steel almost every pass...

-Eric
 
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Thanks for the advice. Just rounded out that area now just working the handle flush then a few slight tweaks to the blades shape and it's edge time. And thanks for the heads up on the pferd file will definitely be picking one up, didn't know files went that coarse.
 
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On a side note Eric has your department gotten the new Taurus interceptors? Just saw a few in my area and after talking with a few local LEO's want one for my next car. I'm curious if you've had a chance to play with one yet?
 
I got to run all the candidates through their paces. This included the Dodge Charger, Caprice thing from Chevy, the Taurus (SHO model) and the Explorer. The hands down fastest and most nimble was the Taurus. The Caprice and Charger were neck and neck and my EVOC/NEVO course times were just seconds apart. The Exploder was a tad bit faster than those two through the tight parts of the course but got trounced on the big end. The Taurus was fastest through the tight parts and fastest on the big end. AWD and 2 turbos were just a bit too much. Overall most comfortable though was the Exploder...

We ended up with the Explorers mostly due to the nimble handling and the huge amount of interior space. We only get in a few pursuits a year, and in a municipality the code response speeds hardly ever top 60-70. We do carry a lot of crap so the Exploders will be fine I guess. I'm one of the last in my dept with a Crown Vic. And I'm fighting to stay in it as long as possible. After a certain number of years of doing something you don't want it to change, you know? But it has been nice in the snow when i've had to drive one.

I'm pushing for an unmarked Taurus to do highway interdiction with. On the highway you DO need the speed and acceleration of the other three.

If you get one I don't think you'll be disappointed. Interior was roomy and the layout was nice. Of course cop cars are stripped down with rubber floors and no options... Of course the suspension won't be as bone jarringly stiff as it is in a cruiser.

Dodge offers a 'Supervisor Package' Charger that has the SRT-8 motor in it.... Now that would be my ride if we had the option to choose our own. :) I have had a string of muscle cars and fast imports, and missing the speed and acceleration ever since I resigned myself to just driving my F-250, 'Murphy.' I call it Murphy as in Murphy's Law. Its a 6.0 Powerstroke Diesel... :(

-Eric
 
.... Ah crap just realized I could have made my life a lot easier if I brought the steel by the ricasso down like you did on the tac knife Eric. Then I could have just done scales for the handle. Lesson learned for future blades.
 
Finally started putting the blade on it before work today will post a picture when I get home and get the first side almost completely done. Since I'm a little short on funds I just used a sharpie on the soon to be cutting edge then ran it across the point of a 1/8" drill bit on one side, flipped and again on the second side. Hopefully I've been filing right I'm keeping the file almost flat to the blade as I work to give it a thin edge. I may have made the curve at the point the tang meets the blade a little too rounded but I'll let you guys bd the judge if that once I get a picture. Thanks as always

- Mike
 
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Looking good. Don't move your bevel back to the sharpie line, you want a little wiggle room ricasso wise.

The biggest thing is to make sure the shoulders are square with each other, and that they are perpendicular to the plane of the blade. In other words, the blade comes off the guard at this point, so you don't want it pointing in some weird angle that makes everything look like it's leaning.

The curves into the shoulder could be closed up some. They aren't bad right there, and can be worked into. You are going to be slowly fitting your guard anyway, and finally forcing it up onto the tang and square against those shoulders. The curve honestly doesn't need to be very large. You just don't want a 90 degree break there. I have a small needle file that I use to put the tiniest radius on 90 degree unions. It is simply a method to reduce stress risers.

Tapering your tang in both directions can make hogging out a hole to fit just a tad easier.

Looking good. Looks like you have made some progress with grinding the bevels also.

Cheers!

-Eric
 
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