First Knife Build

MyNameIsBo

MyNameIsBo

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Update on my first knife build. l've thinned the blade down quite a bit, but trying to
grind in bevels free-hand on a harbor freight 1x30 belt sander has been...challenging to say the least, so l've decided to convex the entire blade. For some reason, I find that easier to do with my equipment. l've also added a thumb choil(?) lt's pretty sharp now, though! Any advice?

https://imgur.com/a/AuB2J6J
 
Nice job! The below suggestions are for future projects, not a criticism of your first knife.
Suggestions:
1) The piece sticking out at the heel needs to be ground off to be flush with the edge. Then add a very shallow semi-circular indent. That is no problem to fix.
2) The thumb Rest really isn't a feature of a tanto. If you make one, the spine should rise in a ramp and the thumb rests on that raised curve, not in a depression.
3) I can't quite decide what is off with the handle, but I think it is too "rounded" looking. Most tanto have a pretty much straight and squared end handle. A slight drop at the butt is ok.
4) The Blade width is a bit wider than necessary. It is OK, but a slightly slimmer blade may look better. About 3/4 as wide would be good.

Photos for illustration of shapes.
tanto shape.png1739120760785.png
 
Now that You are a knife designer/Maker, the first thing to becoming a knife is a need, a purpose..... What is the reason for This knife?
Without knowing this, we are just talking about your workmanship......

Design and making are 2 totally different things.
Excellent makers aren't necessarily good at design and vise versa.
Both are developed skills. Sometimes even knowing What we want is difficult? Haha

The More we work, the better we get....
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Nice job! The below suggestions are for future projects, not a criticism of your first knife.
Suggestions:
1) The piece sticking out at the heel needs to be ground off to be flush with the edge. Then add a very shallow semi-circular indent. That is no problem to fix.
2) The thumb Rest really isn't a feature of a tanto. If you make one, the spine should rise in a ramp and the thumb rests on that raised curve, not in a depression.
3) I can't quite decide what is off with the handle, but I think it is too "rounded" looking. Most tanto have a pretty much straight and squared end handle. A slight drop at the butt is ok.
4) The Blade width is a bit wider than necessary. It is OK, but a slightly slimmer blade may look better. About 3/4 as wide would be good.

Photos for illustration of shapes.
View attachment 2785495View attachment 2785496
Click to expand...

Top knife is Sexy.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Nice job! The below suggestions are for future projects, not a criticism of your first knife.
Suggestions:
1) The piece sticking out at the heel needs to be ground off to be flush with the edge. Then add a very shallow semi-circular indent. That is no problem to fix.
2) The thumb Rest really isn't a feature of a tanto. If you make one, the spine should rise in a ramp and the thumb rests on that raised curve, not in a depression.
3) I can't quite decide what is off with the handle, but I think it is too "rounded" looking. Most tanto have a pretty much straight and squared end handle. A slight drop at the butt is ok.
4) The Blade width is a bit wider than necessary. It is OK, but a slightly slimmer blade may look better. About 3/4 as wide would be good.

Photos for illustration of shapes.
View attachment 2785495View attachment 2785496
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input!! That all makes sense. I drew the handle up slightly more angled than the way I ended up grinding it, but I'll modify it a bit more to match what I originally intended for it. I've also ordered an angle guide to help in making bevels.
 
Crag the Brewer said:
Now that You are a knife designer/Maker, the first thing to becoming a knife is a need, a purpose..... What is the reason for This knife?
Without knowing this, we are just talking about your workmanship......

Design and making are 2 totally different things.
Excellent makers aren't necessarily good at design and vise versa.
Both are developed skills. Sometimes even knowing What we want is difficult? Haha

The More we work, the better we get....
Click to expand...
My intention for this was to be an EDC self defense sort of blade. Sorry, I should have mentioned that in the original post!!
 
Looks good to me for a first knife, especially on that 1x30 without variable speed control. I'm not in a position to critique so usually I don't but dang that thing is thick!
 
GRapp said:
Looks good to me for a first knife, especially on that 1x30 without variable speed control. I'm not in a position to critique so usually I don't but dang that thing is thick!
Click to expand...
Thank you! Yeah, it definitely still needs some thinning out lol.
 
Crag the Brewer said:
Idk if I saw above.... Is it Hardened yet?
What steel?
Click to expand...
I actually don't know what it is, but it rusts very fast, throws a lot of sparks, and it takes a long time to grind, similar to the old files I'm working on. So I assume it's already been hardened. It was a piece of metal I found that was used as some sort of arm and I just cut out the flattest part of it. This is basically just practice for me, I don't imagine it'll make the best knife since I don't even know what it is lol.
 
MyNameIsBo said:
I actually don't know what it is, but it rusts very fast, throws a lot of sparks, and it takes a long time to grind, similar to the old files I'm working on. So I assume it's already been hardened. It was a piece of metal I found that was used as some sort of arm and I just cut out the flattest part of it. This is basically just practice for me, I don't imagine it'll make the best knife since I don't even know what it is lol.
Click to expand...

Even though I'm fortunate enough to make knives out of nearly any of the latest trendy steels I still occasionally make knives out of saw blades.

Look up Power Hacksaw Blades.
Starret is a company who makes some of the best.
You need fully hardened HSS (high speed steel) Red Stripe.

NOT bi-metal ones!


The blades are exceptionally Hard. Very Hard. 64-65 HRC. It might take you weeks to grind.

Grinding them is how I would teach people how to make knives. They make excellent knives. Others may try to talk you away from using them, but I personally feel they would be wrong.

I'm not saying it would be easy, but the ends justifies the means.... ;)

There should be links here on BF how to grind them, and on Bushcraftusa forum
 
Crag the Brewer said:
Even though I'm fortunate enough to make knives out of nearly any of the latest trendy steels I still occasionally make knives out of saw blades.

Look up Power Hacksaw Blades.
Starret is a company who makes some of the best.
You need fully hardened HSS (high speed steel) Red Stripe.

NOT bi-metal ones!


The blades are exceptionally Hard. Very Hard. 64-65 HRC. It might take you weeks to grind.

Grinding them is how I would teach people how to make knives. They make excellent knives. Others may try to talk you away from using them, but I personally feel they would be wrong.

I'm not saying it would be easy, but the ends justifies the means.... ;)
Click to expand...
I'll definitely look into that! I recently got a norske saw blade that is made of sk5 with carbide teeth so I was thinking of making a knife with that.
 
MyNameIsBo said:
I'll definitely look into that! I recently got a norske saw blade that is made of sk5 with carbide teeth so I was thinking of making a knife with that.
Click to expand...

No, don't waste your time.
Like I said above, no bi-metal, nothing with brazed carbides

Are you Certain it's sk5?
 
Crag the Brewer said:
No, don't waste your time.
Like I said above, no bi-metal, nothing with brazed carbides

Are you Certain it's sk5?
Click to expand...
Got it, thanks for the heads up! I'm guessing it's just too soft to be useful? I looked up the blade and it said it was sk5
 
MyNameIsBo said:
Got it, thanks for the heads up! I'm guessing it's just too soft to be useful? I looked up the blade and it said it was sk5
Click to expand...
Might not be hardened?
The Starret Red Stripes are heat treated to best in their industry.
I think it's probably M2 steel. It's a great steel. Not low budget!

Here is the one I'm currently working on today, probably about half finished.
 
Last edited:
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Nice job! The below suggestions are for future projects, not a criticism of your first knife.
Suggestions:
1) The piece sticking out at the heel needs to be ground off to be flush with the edge. Then add a very shallow semi-circular indent. That is no problem to fix.
2) The thumb Rest really isn't a feature of a tanto. If you make one, the spine should rise in a ramp and the thumb rests on that raised curve, not in a depression.
3) I can't quite decide what is off with the handle, but I think it is too "rounded" looking. Most tanto have a pretty much straight and squared end handle. A slight drop at the butt is ok.
4) The Blade width is a bit wider than necessary. It is OK, but a slightly slimmer blade may look better. About 3/4 as wide would be good.

Photos for illustration of shapes.
View attachment 2785495View attachment 2785496
Click to expand...
Maybe a bit more like this?
 

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I'm going to be your Uncle Stacy here.
Any steel that you don't know what type it is or how to HT it is not knife steel.

Disclaimer - my first knife was made from a piece of metal I found in Grandpa's garage. It was not knife steel, but I was proud as heck over that KSO.


If you want to make knives, not knife shaped objects (KSO's) ... use a known knife steel.
For new makers simple steels are easiest. 1084, 5160, and similar steels are readily available, cheap, and easy to HT.

I applaud you for joining Bladeforums Shop talk and filling out your profile with the info that helps us help you. Send me an email and I'll send you a box of good steel, some helpful info and books, some nice handle material, and other starter odds and ends. sapelt@cox.net

In the meantime, read through the info in the Stickys on making a knife. "How to Instructions for Making a Knife" is a good general guide for the work part.
There are also tutorials for making a knife from a file.

Washington has a lot of great knifemakers, and IIRC a good knife assn. Getting to know some of them would also be a good idea.

Terrible photos of my first knife in 1961. I'll find a better image later.


1739150088733.png
 
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