How to make knife w/ least possible?

Chiro75

Chiro75

Joined
Feb 4, 1999
Messages
5,786
Well, after finishing my first kit knife (thanks, Rob!), I have been contemplating making my first blade from scratch. Something simple. I like the smaller fixed blades ala Steve Perkins and Fred Perrin, really, so it wouldn't be anything really complicated. I was wondering, what is the least expensive way to go about doing this, realistically? My fiancee's dad has some shop tools I can use (a rotary bench grinder and drill press, among other stuff, I'm sure), but no belt grinder access. Is it do-able? Also, what steel is the best to start out with? I work fairly carefully, so once the project is finished, I'd like to have a blade I could finish and actually use (I'd obviously send it out for heat treating)...so, I don't want to use the cheapest steel available "in case" I turn out a usable blade on the first try! ;-) Also, who is the better supplier? I have the Texas Knifemaker's Supply catalog already, but what about Koval? Are they online? I think that's it for now...one other thing: what
stock thickness would be the best for what I assume would be a flat-ground, small, self-defense/utility type knife?
 
Hello Chiro75. I was kind of in the same boat you are right now and I would be glad to tell you what I've learned and help you anyway possible. Email me sometime and I will get back with you when I am able. I would have emailed you but for some reason I couldn't get the email button to work.
BTW, are you in Texas? I'm in Abilene TX.

Spencer Stewart
sms97a@timon.acu.edu
 
I did this, but haven't sent it in for heat treating yet. The handles are just practice (pine) so I could get an idea of what I wanted it to look like. The real handles will be manzanita wood.
Steel: L-6 from an old skilsaw circular blade
Tools: hacksaw, Dremel (cutting wheel, grinding stones, sanding drum), bench top wheel grinder, power hand drill, hand files, various grades of sand paper.
Pretty simple

<img src=http://www.tcsn.net/doncicci/knife/skil1s.jpg>
 
Hey hey!! Someone that is where i was two months ago!! I'd be glad to help out as much as I possibly can. Like you I started out with nothin but the bare, dead-bone basic tools, but in the past two months I have made four good, usable knives. The only difference i see is that you want to start with fresh, new steel (an item i didn't have the money to purchace). I had a 5" CNC slotting blade (looks loke a small rotary saw blade) given to a friend of mine. It was made of D-2 tool steel and hardened to 59-60 Rockwell, so it was a buger to get shaped, but using two of them and alot of bench and angle grinding I got my four knives. Each one got better than the other .
Well... give me an e-mail with some of your Q's and I'll get back with you.

Good luck!! Chris S
 
Chiro75, all you *really* need in the way of tools to make a knife is a file.
It takes a lot of patience that way, though:-)
I have a bench grinder, drill, sander, and some hand tools (files, etc.).
That is more than enough to make up kits with.
I would reccomend getting an unfinished blade blank or two to make up - kind of halfway between a kit and a piece of steel bar.
Take it one step at a time, and remember that it takes time to do it right.
 
Don't blow a gasket Stone!! I'm working on geting photos of them on my home page that I'm trying to build. It shouldn't be too awefully long before I unveil them to the world!!
Oh!! Did I forget to mention that I made custom leather sheaths for each of the knives, too??

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Thanks and Good Luck!! Chris S

Nobility is not a virtue given by birth,
It is achieved by ones actions......
 
Chiro,it`s certainly do able. I made my first 2 knives out of a Pontiac leafspring (5160 steel). They were ground on a bench grinder and selectively heat treated using an oxy/acetelene torch and a magnet. This steel (and some others) becone non magnetic at 1450 degrees or so which just happend to be the right temp (1450-1500) to be oil quench hardened. They hold an edge quite well. I`ll post some jpegs if I can figure out how.
wink.gif
Marcus
 
Chiro:
Sure it is do-able, but will take some patience. As other fellows mentioned, take your time, you will be glad that you did in the end. I made my first knife (Flat ground) on one of those small belt grinders (1"x42" belt). They are easy to come by, & dont cost too much as compared to big belt grinders. Maybe you could find one second hand. You will go through a few belts though. Then purhaps you could epoxy the narrow tang into a hard wood or antler handle. Although you can heat treat will torches, if you are really happy with the way your knife turned out, then sent it out to be prof. heat treated. I now have a 2x72" belt grinder with 8" contact wheel that I use to make hollow grounds with. The trick is to really impress your wife with your first one, & then talk her into letting you get a bank loan for equipment. The funny thing is that the loan ballance never seems to go down & you'll think that your stuck with it for life.
frown.gif
 
A long time ago I worked with a german carpenter that told me about how he learned the trade. As an apprentice the master gave him a large rectangular block os wood and sent him to the bench with a box of hand tools and told him to make it round. Afrer weeks of work and rejections by the master the apprentice was filled with pride when the master accepted the work. Then the master told him to make it square again. The carpenter told that was what made him the carpenter that he was and he was probably the best carpenter that i've ever seen and i've seen a lot of them. Power tools don't make a knifemaker. What makes a knifemaker a great is the hand work and fine fit and finish. In my opinion anybody wanting to produce fine knives should strive for perfection using simple hand tools before jumping into buying machinery.
 
Chrio
I have forged several blades so far and all have been a learning experience.ive used everthing from unknown junk to such things as worn out tools such as an old 1 1/2 inch wrench handle to beating some high tensil strength bolts intoflat stock these two choices ive had relitive success with; and to harden them built a small heat treating forge out of an old clay an propane camp stove element the process ive used is to heat the whole blade till it looses its magnetism then quench in oil for couple seconds about 8 to 10 when you pull the blade out it should be still smoking but not catch on fire again at this point it shuold be about 400 degrees f all this i got from an artical from Knives illustrated mar 99 issue i hop this helps ,i feel we all learn from our mistakes email me and and ill share what ive learned
Russell scheringer
rotor@sprintmail .com
 
Hey DC,

Your blade came out great! Don't forget to date and sign it. I'll have to post pics of my first effort soon,also done with minimal equipment(files,sandpaper,scrap wood,epoxy etc)and maximum motivation and joy.
Stay safe and all the best, Phil <-----<
 
Hey Chiro75, It sounds like your getting bit by the Knife Building Bug "OUCH". There is hardly anything as satisfying as finishing a knife,(you will notice I said "hardly anything"as satisfying). I bult my first 2 knives out of files, built up some kit knives and I am working on my first lock back where I am building everything from scratch (boyhowdy is it tricky, but oh what fun). I started with an 8in. grinder then went to a 42 in. sander whitch did work fairly well, but I just had to have a Burr King. I can really grinde some steel now. I got a buddy of mine to building knives and he went to Sears and bought a belt sander that will use 1 by 42 and 2 by 42 in. belts and has a 8 in. disk on it, and is 1 hp. It is pretty powerful he has mad some 15 in. bowies on it, and I think you can buy one for about $200. Jantz supply in in Davis OK. is another good source for all kinds goodies. K&G in AZ. has the best epoxy that I have every used. One thing that I would really like to tell all you guys about an item that I picked up recently it is called a Drill Doctor, it is a precision drill bit sharpner, and does it sharpen drills let me tell you,it will sharpen from 1/32 to 3/4 in.and everything in between,it is made by Darex. It will sharpen as good as those $1000 drill sharpeners.If any of you guys want to kick around some knife building ideas give me a holler,your fat little buddy in the Texas Panhandle,Chris.
Top of Texas Knives www.toptexknives.com

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Chris, I had a hard time accessing your web.

BTW, I'm down a little way in Abilene. If your ever down this way, look me up. I'm a student at Abilene Christian, that should make it easier to find me.

Spencer Stewart
 
If I may add my 2 cents worth, it is suggested new makers acquire some simple fixed blade kit knife blades, hidden bolts or pins and handle scales, and start off this way. All you need then is a small bench vise (I bought one at Sears for about $25), a hack saw to cut the handle scales down to match the tang, a few wood files and some sandpaper. Oh, and a brace and drill bits, if you haven't access to a drill press or electric hand drill motor. In this way you simple trace the tang profile on the scales, cut them out, pin or bolt and epoxy them to the tang, then shape the handle with files and sandpaper. Next, you can pick up some used files, anneal them with a propane torch, file them to shape and drill holes for the handle pins, and finish as described above. Car leaf springs work well, too. You anneal them with a propane torch if possible, otherwise you'll have to use a large heating tip on an oxy-acetylene torch (not a regular welding tip). Get the steel good and red, then let it cool. Try a file on the spring. If it cuts, the spring is annealed. Usually the leaves are so thick, you're crazy to attempt to make a stock removal blade from them, however. I know of a number of custom makers who use nothing by a vise, drill press, hack saw and files, and they produce outstanding knives. Takes them 10 times as long, though, and they don't make any more money.
 
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