How do you make a knife?

DMH1112 said:
I read through the stickies and found that you can send your knives in for Paul Bos heat treatments. I have decided I will do that and not do it myself. Should I still start with a beginner steel like 10xx and make a knife for practice or should I use 1095 steel and make a knife I am intending to use? I made a sketch of what I what the knife to look like. It is a mix between the Ka-Bar Heavy Bowie' handle (owned) and the Rat cutlery laser strike's blade.
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Here is a step by step, the steels you are listing Paul Bos will not heat treat. You need to find an air hardening steel for him to heat treat. Use 440c, Cpm-154, ats-34 or some such and do this tutorial. It will guide you through using hand tools to build a knife. You owe it to yourself and the guys helping you here to read to stickies and pay attention to what everyone keeps mentioning. If you go in this with a bit of understanding these guys will go out of their way to help you, if you ask how to perform every step and half assed read the sticky these guys will lose interest in a hurry.
http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38358&highlight=knifemaking
 
1. Choose your steel and heat treat method. You've chosen Paul Bos, you need an air hardening steel..... get some 440c. Fairly cheap and easy to work.

2. Order your supplies.

3. Wait for your supplies, design your knife while waiting. Should take about 3-7 days.

4. Open the box.

5. Draw the design on the barstock using something that contrasts with the metal.

6. Cut with a hacksaw or file the outline of your design.

7. Put an appropriately sized drill bit in your drill.

8. Press the spinning drill bit to the locations where you'd like the handle pins until the bit goes through the barstock.

9. Mark the desired place of the plunge cut onto the barstock using the same contrasting method.

10. Take a coarse file and file away everything not needed until you get to the almost finished profile.

11. Take a finer file and clean up the bevel.

12. Take progressively finer sand paper starting at 120x through 220x or so and clean up the file marks.

13. Use a sharpie and mark your name and steel choice onto the tang where the scales will cover it.

14. Mail the blade including payment to Paul Bos with a note telling him what RC you'd like it to finish at.

15. Wait.

16. Open the box containing your blade.

17. Clean up the blade using progressively finer sand paper from 220x to 400x.

18. Drill, cut and flat sand the handle scales to fit the tang.

19. Shape and polish the front of the scales.

20. Coat the front of the scales with wax.

21. Mix epoxy.

22. Apply epoxy to joining surfaces including bolts/pin holes.

23. Clean leaking epoxy with a vinegar soaked towel.

24. Wait.

25. Clean up epoxy overflows.

26. Rasp the handle to desired shape.

27. Use progressively finer sandpaper from 80x to 600x on the handle.

28. Coat handle with paste wax (if it's a hardwood) then buff off with a clean, soft rag.

29. Sharpen knife.

30. Show us your knife.

31. Repeat steps 1-31.

There ya go.... got any other questions?
 
Will, you must have had some time to kill while tempering, huh?

You did, however leave out what he should use to open the box of supplies, which brand of hacksaw and file to purchase, which electrical outlet to plug his drill into, where he should buy the proper sandpaper, which drawer in the kitchen his sharpie marker is hiding, if it's okay to use Elmer's glue instead of epoxy, if rice wine vinegar is better than cider vinegar, and lastly, where to find a proper rock to sharpen the blade like they do in the movies. :D

Actually, if history is any indicator, he will ignore your post like he has every other post. I give you an 'A' for effort.

-Mark
 
Very good morning laugh . Glad Will got his computer up and running again . It took me 3 months to make my first knife that way and the wife will never let it go .
 
look i dont want to bust your chops but you have recieved excellent advice, now use it!
Will pretty much gave you all the steps.

oh and for God sakes read the STICKIES!!!!!!

good luck

jake
 
DMH1112 said:
On a different post it talks about making a knife with only a drill, sandpaper, and hand files. How is this possible? The reason is I have all those materials. Also I have made a "knife" before. I took a small shovel and used a hand file to sharpen one side of it. I used it to cut down a small tree and split some wood. Also what type of knife is easiest to make?
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I made my first knife this way, and am working on the second knife. I bought some 5160 steel (From this forum).

Take the steel, trace the pattern you want (keep it simple). and clamp the steel down (I used C clamps, a vice will work better). cut it out with hack saw, and file the bevels and finish the shape with files. It will take forever, but it will work.

Top knife is my first attempt. Heat treated in a tiny BBQ with natural hardwood charcoal, and quenched in old motor oil.

IMG_1735.jpg
 
Joninthetolet told me that para cord works well for handles and I have seen it used before. Would it work well for a handle or not because I think it will be easier to do than steps 8, 13, 18-28. Although kraton is my favorite handle for a knife. Thanks for the advice Will.
 
para cord wraps are not easy... least not to me...

if you go to Jt's web site he has a good video on there for wrapping a handle with cord.

jake
 
What RC is good for a knife that I will use outside? Also would it be good to triple temper or is that not needed?
 
DMH1112 said:
What RC is good for a knife that I will use outside? Also would it be good to triple temper or is that not needed?
Click to expand...

Kid, read the bloody stickies, get the books suggested (your parents can order them on their credit cards) get a piece of steel and a hacksaw and start cutting. Post pictures of your work as you go, then ask questions

-Page
 
true Keith, the stickys do leave alot to be desired. but there is still a ton of information in there, and if he had looked at some of it his line of questioning would be quite a bit different. i dont know if this is the case but he comes off a bit "bad" when you look at the good responses he has gotten from some of the makers on here and his responses too them you have to ask if he is actually reading and listening to the input.

keith no offense brother

jake
 
Every time i log in i hope this post is gone away.I tell myself not to read it,but i do.
PLEASE,kid read,read,read.I dont think anyone else can help you with this question.

Order some material,draw you a design on the steel,start working out the profile,(AS PER STICKIES).And if you run into a problem,i promise these guys will help you.You just have to learn how to LISTEN,LISTEN,LISTEN,and LEARN.I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT!
 
not to hi jack the thread and if it should happen my apologies, but when i first joined there were a number of i thought at the time nasty posts about newbies and atittudes, not listening, or putting any effort into finding information.

it ticked me off then but...... ok i see it now you guys were right

jake
 
Hey Jake, at least he didn't do like us and ask about quench oil, huh?:D:D

I'm glad that I like to read. As much as all the books help there's more dialogue in the threads here to cover questions, if people take the time to read more than one thread:thumbup:
 
Walter i will never ask a HT or quenching question on an open thread again. i think i will just ask some folks individually and take it from there.

thank god i'm smarter than i look..... that fire was hot!

jake
 
I sure am not trying to come across as rude,and i hope i did offend anyone,but come on, enough is enough.I consider myself as a newbie and i might ask a dumb question,but i know when these guys have answered my question.

I promise not to comment on this again.
 
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