first knives. your thoughts?

C

chop655

Joined
Jun 9, 2012
Messages
3
hey guys. i just picked up the hobby of knife making and i was directed here. i made these two out of a 10-inch saw blade and now i'm hooked. if you guys could offer any advice on the best steel for cleaning game/bushcraft knives and where to get it i would appreciate it. i'm new to this game, so any and all criticism is welcomed.

TH



 
Aldo's seems to be very popular for 1084 or O1. Your work looks good. If you start posting to sell please include lots of spec's on the blade regarding the size. The more info the better.
 
Chop655,

Looks like your off to a good start.

Consider using synthetic scales or stabilized wood if you are going to use your knives in harsh environments.
 
They look like a pair of good, honest first knives to me. Nice, simple and practical. :thumbup:
For what it's worth, here's my advice...
If you've got a ready supply of saw blades, keep using them. I've used them for a few years now and they provide a good cheap source of steel.
The key word is practice and that's the beauty of saw blade steel. You can pick up a few blades for free and play all you like. If you ruin a blade or two whilst grinding or heat treating, etc, you can bin them and start again without worrying about wasting money.
I've used saw blades for several years now and I even had them analysed to find out what type of steel they are. Before this I heat treated them the hard way, by experimenting and using them to determine what worked.
Now I've become a bit more confident I'm starting to buy in other types of steel (RWL-34 stainless, etc) and have it heat treated by someone else. I don't know about you, but I've never had much money to spare and so spending money on steel and then making a mistake and having to bin it just isn't an option!
Keep up the good work, keep practicing and learn all you can from anywhere you can...books, the web, other makers, etc.
Oh, and make sure you keep these two...I bet if you carry on making knives, you'll look at them in time and see just how far you've improved without even realising it. :)

Ian
 
I appreciate the information and advice from each of you guys. Ian I'm definitely on the same page as you. I'm getting married at the end of the month so money has never been tighter and saw blades work good enough for me right now. Later this year when things settle down I'll start looking at ordering some 1084 steel blanks. Could any of you guys point me in the right direction as far as different grinds go? I want to put more convex grind on my blades but I can't seem to keep the right angle with the belt sander. I'm not against using a good file and some elbow grease if need be, just as long as I get a good, consistent grind every time. Again thanks.

TH
 
You're definitely on the right track with your designs and general attitude/approach. Don't forget to stop into ShopTalk, have a look at the stickies and ask questions as they arise. :)
 
There are some commercially available jigs to hold the blade.

I am using a homemade one.made from l bracket with screws threaded to provide the angle and holes in the vertical side to attach the blade.

That will help to make consistent grinds.
 
added a few more to the collection this week. and Mac is there any chance you could send me a picture of the jig you made?

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If you're planning on doing your own heat treat, 1084 might be your best bet. If you do what I do, and send your blades out for professional heat treat, you can pick and choose different steels. I personally recommend that. I get mine done by a knifemaker on here (Darrin Sanders), and he does a fantastic job at a very affordable price. I really like 1095 and 5160. Both are inexpensive, but very good performers.
 
You are off to a great start.
Try to blend in the finish near the handle.
Very nice!
 
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