Going from Flat Stock to Having an Edge...Need Help Understanding...

N

Nalapombu

Joined
Oct 26, 2001
Messages
303
Hey all,

I have been thinking of trying to make my first knife for a while now and I am about ready to start the project. Calling me a Newbie would be a tremendous step UP for me right now, I have never made a knife. I am wanting to learn though and see if it is something I might want to add to a list of partial hobbies just to have a bit of fun in the garage every now and again.

Right now there is something I would like to have explained to me that I am having trouble visualizing. Hopefully you all can clear it up for me a whole lot more that what I have in mind now.

Lets say you have a piece of flat stock in front of you and you have it all shaped out in the knife style you want. It is ready to start putting the edge on it. Now I figure the easiest way to make a first knife is to go with a SCANDI edge so that you don't have any secondary bevels and such and also it is much easier to sharpen. Naturally you aren't going to start removing material from the very top edge of your blade to the edge so you mark each side of the stock where you want your edge to begin and there is where I get stuck. How do you insure that each side will be nice and straight and even when you get finished grinding or filing using whatever method you choose to remove material? What or how do you grind so that the edge will meet right in the center where it is supposed to?

I have read and talked to a couple of "makers" that have told me the method they use is to take the thickness of the stock and divide by 2 and then scribe a line right down the center of the edge. Then you go back to the line you marked on each side where you want your edge to begin and start removing material on each side until you reach that center line and there you have it. Is that how you all do it or is it a method that is popular? If that is a method that is used, it seems like it would be difficult to get a accurate line right in the middle of your edge. If you have 3/16 stock how in the world can you get an accurate line scribed that is 3/32 from the edge?

LOTS of CONFUSION.....

Can you help me or clear it up for me a bit so I can at least have a better handle on it than I do now?

Thanks for your help and time.

Nalajr
 
That's pretty much the method.

Mark the edge with a permanent marker or similar marking fluid. Then, use a scribe to mark the edge. Some will mark a single line to indicate where the actual edge will be. Others will mark 2 lines so that the edge thickness after grinding is about 0.020 inches before heat treat to avoid warpage and leaving some material to grind away any decarburized surface.

If you check the knife supply catalogs like Jantz's, you can purchase adjustable scribes designed for marking the edges. If you look around, there are tutorials on making your own. Or, in a pinch, you can use a drill bit the same thickness as your bar stock. Lay both on a flat surface, and run the tip of the bit along the edge of your blank.

Once you have the edge marked, and have marked the height that you want your grind, then you can make your initial grind by grinding at about a 45 degree angle to establish the plunge. Once the plunge is set and the first grinding pass is complete, you can keep grinding and "walking" the grind up to the height you want, taking care not to grind past the line(s) you scribed on the edge.

It takes practice to get it right. If you work with files then you can see more carefully the progress you're making. If you go straight to the grinder then likely you'll toss a couple of blades in the trash bin before getting one you're happy with.

Nathan
 
Thanks for asking this question...working on my first knife using files and paper. I'm at the step of marking and grinding the edge and plunge.....I'm chicken to start filing on the edge.

Looking to make a jig I think to help. I would love to visit a knife maker to learn more. Anyone near Rochester??

I wonder how long I would be happy with just a profiled blank,lol?
 
You can practice filing bevels on a piece of scrap first if you're not confident enough to start on a real piece yet. I think once you see how gradual a process it is, you will have a little more confidence. A hand file gives you a great deal of control once you find a technique that works for you. One thing that I have found to be very important when filing is to have the blade clamped very securely so that it cannot shift or vibrate.

You might do yourself a favor and start off making a small knife, using relatively thin stock (1/8" stock might be a good place to start).
 
If you want to flat grind Fred Rowe has one for sale that he makes. He's here on bladeforums .Just search for the bubble jig and you'll find it. I've been using it, awesome tool.
 
I started with an old Nicholson file. I have it down to 1/8th. Yesterday, I filed on the scrap piece to practice on. Think I will flip the scrap over and do the other side too.
 
Just a suggestion you might want to consider doing a little bit on both sides as you go so you can keep track of your progress a little easier as you go. A lot of times it's easier to keep track of what's happening without going too far. If you want to do some reading there are 2 threads on this page that are WIP's from myself and Unki Gumbi. Both are our first knife builds, perhaps you can get some insight from them.

There is also an excellent how to here on getting started. I also believe that's in my WIP thread. Which isn't actually listed as a WIP rather "my first knife design C&C welcome". It just turned into a WIP.
 
You have the process down, here is a series of pictures I put together for someone else that I think will make the process more Clear.

1. Scribe the lines showing the edge of the blade when all finished

HPIM3583.jpg


2. Grind a bevel on each side of the blade up to the line leaving the final edge

HPIM3587.jpg



3. Grind at heel of bevel to move the grind up the blade, arrows show where to contact belt or file, you can tell when you are on the right spot when there is a gap between the edge you marked and the belt (i.e. you are not grinding away your edge)

HPIM3590.jpg


4. The lower arrow shows where the belt is making contact, the upper arrow shows that there is still thickness left before I start grinding away the edge. If you are getting too close to the edge rotate the blade edge away from the belt

HPIM3592.jpg



5. In a perfect world I will reach the edge and the top of the blade at the same time, This is a 60 grit so I am not too worried about that at this time but I do want to be close.

HPIM3599.jpg


6. Rough and Ready

HPIM3606.jpg
 
I use a different method. I've found it a little difficult scribing the center then working up for a variety of reasons, and so I decided to try something different.

I almost always do skandi or full flat grinds, so no secondary bevel for me. What I do is figure out where I want the bevel to end at one point, measure the distance from there to the edge (at a perpendicular angle), and scribe a line that's that distance from the edge on both sides. I then set up my filing guide (or if I'm feeling lazy the rest on the grinder) using some basic trig to find out what angle I will need the blade to be at. It also works the other way around (as is the case for most of my skandis) where you just set up the jig for 22 degrees and start filing, keeping both sides even by measuring the distance of the flats to the edge.

It works quite well IMHO.
 
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