Getting into knife making.

G

Gimli01

Joined
Jul 21, 2013
Messages
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I have several questions to ask.

1. Should I make knives out of old files, saw blade...etc.?
2. What type of quality metal should be used and how do I gauge it?
3. What equipment will I have to use? I do not want to spend a lot of money, but I am willing to have a start up cost too.

Thank you for your replies.

Gimli
 
1. you can make knives out of these things but without knowing the steel the heat treat can be hit or miss
2. i would recommend 1/8 inch thick 1084 as its easy to work and heat treat
3. i use nothing but a 1x30 belt sander, a 4x36 belt sander a 6 inch disc sander and a dremel with cutoff wheels.

i have just started making and its fun the hardest part is having the time and money to do it

welcome to the forums
 
files are a great source of blade steel if you're just starting off and want to do your own heat treat, especially if you have several worn ones lying around already. I agree with Buck about 1084 being best if you are going to buy steel. As far as equipment goes i use nothing but an angle grinder and files. There is allot of knowledge out there on Youtube, here and other places.
 
Forget about the files for the steel...use them to file a knife. A file is not "a great source of blade steel".

Get a 36" bar of 1084 in 1/8" X 1.5" that will make five drop point hunters with a 3" blade and a 4" handle.
 
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The tools you will need are:
three files - 12" flat bastard; 10" second cut; 10" finishing. An 8-10" half round medium cut and a 1/4" rat tail file are nice to have, but not necessary in the beginning.
stack of sandpaper - 100, 220, 400, 800 grit - and a block of hardwood to back them when sanding. Get four sheets of each to start with.
access to a drill press to drill two holes in the tang and holes in the handle material. A hand drill will work in a pinch.
Place to work - a garage workbench or a picnic table.

Read all that stuff The Count linked to. It will make your first knife a lot better.
 
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