How do I make a file knife durable?

C

Corbell-CCK

Joined
Mar 19, 2015
Messages
4
Hello, I'm new to the forums lol first post. Anyway, I'm making a knife from a nicholson usa made file. I have not annealed it, I annealed the last file I was working on and had it warp and snap when trying to work out the warp. I had already put a scandi grind on it and heat and tempered it. Everything wad good until I attempted to work out that warp and it snapped. the knife that snapped was my 3rd knife iv made. I'm currently active duty stationed on camp lejeune, so I'm working with whatever tools I have in my shop. But I was gonna try the new file without annealing it and have already shaped it but I can't drill the holes in the handle because of obvious reasons. Not even the drill press will work. I'm asking for any helpful input. Any reply is welcome and thank you for your time in advance. -CCK-
 
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First I want to thank you for your service. It is greatly appreciated. Also, welcome to BladeForums!
Next, spend some time reading through the "stickies" at the top of the page. If you've already read through them, do so again because you will undoubtedly miss something on your first time(or 5th time) through.
How are you heat treating and tempering and what are you using to do so? What drill bits are you using? The files are already hardened and normal drill bits won't work. You can make it easier by softening just the tang with a torch, making sure not to heat the blade of course.
Any particular reason for using the file to make a knife? Is there sentimental value do to the previous owner of the file or just because you wanted to make a file knife? If so, good luck with the project. If you are using a files because you might think it is cheaper, PLEASE look in to getting some 1080 or 1084. The extra time spent and expendables used make the files(and many other salvages steels) much more costly than that of some blade steel. Depending on how serious about it you are, I might even be willing to donate a blade or 2 worth of 1080 to a serviceman such as yourself.

Good luck
Chris
 
Thank you Chris for your reply, I will take the time to read through the stickys. But I wouldnt want you to donate any steel to me. I do appreciate the gesture but I would feel as if I was taking advantage of someone's patriotism lol but thank you. As far as what I'm using to heat treat, I made a small forge out of a ammo can and my air supply to heat my coals up is a hair dryer connected to an old metal broom handle... lol its all pretty primitive but it gets the job done. And the reason Iv chosen to make knives out of old files is I love the textured patterns of the teeth of the file once the bevel is put on it.. yesterday I isolated just the blade of the knife and heated the handle up so that it will soften up. but before that the drill bits were for metal drilling but still could not drill into the file lol. I temper the file blade in a pot full of sand in my kitchen oven so that the sand will keep the regulated temperature for when the oven cuts off once it's reached its tempature. The last file I was working on came out great. Not even my neodymium magnet would stick to the blade when I was heat treating it but I made the mistake in trying to work out the warp once it had already cooled. But it wasn't a good quality file. I was just eager to start on it so I used the first one I could find... again thank you for your time with your reply.

Nick
 
Corbell-CCK said:
UPDATE* Wel after trial and error iv finnally completed the knife along with a sheath. The sheath is made of oak same as the scales and the rest is a web belt and hemp twine

Please let me know what you think about it! Any reply is welcome thank you in advance

Nick.

http://s1383.photobucket.com/user/C...3708081690025453_zpsxucsdsh0.jpg.html?filters[user]=143002772&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=0
Click to expand...

Nick, thank you for your service. I tried the link you posted and it was invalid. You may want to double check it to see how to fix it. I look forward to seeing your efforts.
 
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