On small and thin kitchen knives you can just bring the sides down to an edge. You do the basic bevel before HT and then finish up the sanding and put on the sharpened edge after HT. Having a flat taper to the main bevel, and just rolling that into an edge works pretty well. On such a knife, you can do without a plunge line,too.
Those of us with grinders often just shape the profile prior to HT, and do all the bevel/edge in one operation after HT. That probably isn't an option for you right now.
Call Aldo, and order a piece of S35VN. It is perfect for kitchen knives.
http://stores.njsteelbaron.com/StoreFront.bok
Ask him if he has any S35VN in thinner stock than the .103" listed on the website. He often has stuff between .065" and .090". The .103" will work fine, but will require more filing and sanding.
On a practical note,give Mom a card with a paper knife in it....the will be what you have in two weeks.
Making a hand made knife, especially in the beginning, isn't a fast project. With some hard work and a fast turn around by Aldo and Stan, you could have the knife done by the end of May.
For a handle, use something simple. Either black linen Micarta or a kitchen type wood, like rosewood, will be good choices for your knife project. I have plenty of both, and will send you a set of scales in each if you want. email me at
sapelt@cox.net.
Tools and methods:
The sticky on "How to instructions for making a knife" has a lot of info on the whole process.
For a simple kitchen knife, you will need a second cut and a finishing file, a 2X1X4" block of hardwood to wrap sanding paper around, and a few sheets each of Wet-or-Dry sandpaper in 120/220/400/800/1000 grits.
File the basic bevels in and sand to 400 grit before HT. Drill all tang holes,too. After you get the blade back from Stan, sand from 220 to 1000, dipping the sanding block in water with a little dish soap in it. As you go up the grits, make the edge come down to almost sharp ( watch out ,you can accidentally cut yourself). Once the blade is sanded to 1000, tape it up and fit the handle. When the handle is done, un-tape the blade and put on the final edge with a sharpening stone.
