First time knife-maker's question

S

Steel Eater

Joined
Dec 2, 2012
Messages
6
Hey guys, I've been prowling these forums in search of my numerous knife questions, and you have done nothing but unknowingly helped me. It's that time again, and I hope you'll be just as helpful as before.

I'm fairly new into the realm of knives, and hardly have any "knife making" experience, but I wanted to try my luck at making my own bushcraft knife. A friend of mine works at a trade school, teaching a class about CNC machining, and an idea popped into my head.

If I can buy an s30v (or similar quality) billet, get it heat treated and everything, would it be possible for him to CNC the blade to my specifications? Should he CNC it before heat treatment? I would do it all by hand, but my machinery is nowhere near up to par, and I'd hate to waste a perfectly good chunk of steel (and cash) if it fails completely.

I appreciate any response, and criticism is always welcome. Thanks for your time. (I also apologize for my obvious lack of knowledge)

Also, if possible, could someone provide a link to a good vendor for knife making supplies? All that I could really find were eBay sellers, and I'm not really willing to trust someone just based on a picture.
 
USA Knifemaker is a good source for all you need http://usaknifemaker.com/ also trugrit, texas knifemaker supply

You would need to mill the blade prior to heat treat, It may be possible to CNC the blade, but probably not practical. Its pretty tough to do, although if you friend is a CNC wiz may be no problem for him/her. Best to ask and work with them prior to buying steel. I am not familiar with the machinability of s30v, may want to get your friends advice, some steels just done mill very well.

good luck
 
Thanks Patrick.

I'll contact him about the s30v, but just for ease of workmanship, I might actually go with something like 1095 or 154cm.
 
First S30V in its annealed state will not be any harder to work than CPM154.Can it be done,yes to an extent,Nathan the machinist roughs out his blades on cnc machines but will tell you it still takes quite a bit of work on the grinder to get it to finished state.
JMO but if you want a machined knife made by someone else just buy one,we have all turned more knife steel into dust than we care to admit and the only way to learn is to do.Also remember the steel is usually the cheapest part of the knife.
Stan
 
Thanks, I really appreciate the "tricks of the trade" from people with far more experience than I.

I think I'll take your advice and just work my way up into the pricier steels, so I'm not kicking myself for turning $50 into a pile of mangled scraps. As far as grinders go, what brand is affordable yet reliable? I don't want to even waste my money on Harbor Freight stuff, but on the same note, I don't have $500 to spend.
 
Sears 2X42,bout 120.00,good starter grinder.Do a search here, there are bunches of threads on it.
Stan
 
SBuzek said:
First S30V in its annealed state will not be any harder to work than CPM154.Can it be done,yes to an extent,Nathan the machinist roughs out his blades on cnc machines but will tell you it still takes quite a bit of work on the grinder to get it to finished state.
JMO but if you want a machined knife made by someone else just buy one,we have all turned more knife steel into dust than we care to admit and the only way to learn is to do.Also remember the steel is usually the cheapest part of the knife.
Stan
Click to expand...

I agree, Stan. The cutters on that CNC machine are worth way more than the steel for the knife. That doesn't sound like a good jump off point to me. I think the later recommendations are the best in this case.
 
As previously stated, the only way to get any experience is just to take it full blast.
Files and sandpaper, in skilled hands, will produce the same outcome as a KMG.
Your first knife most likely won't turn into scrap, but it defiantly won't live up to your expectations.
My first knife had numerous amounts of problems, but I'm still proud of it, because I did it myself.
 
Welcome,
The stickies have a lot of info, as well as supplier lists.

Filling in the info in your profile, with age, location, occupation, and what other experiences you have will help us answer questions more accurately.
As I always say, "The answer to a 16 year old student is far different than the answer to a retired machinist."

Your location might allow a nearby maker to invite you over to make your knife.
 
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