Introduction

U

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Hello everyone, I just wanted to poke my head up and introduce myself. I'm going to be starting work on my first knife this weekend, and I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions soon enough. I'm hoping to lean on the experience of this board to get me through.

I'm planning to make a simple bushcraft-style scandi grind knife out of 1095, using mostly hand files and maybe an angle grinder here and there. The heat treat is my biggest concern. Right now I'm planning to build a small oven out of fire brick and use a MAPP torch, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Let me know if I'm headed towards disaster!

Nice to meet you, and thanks in advance for the advice.
 
Hello. Lots of very capable makers here. If you read the "stickies" above , you will have a good guild.
Frank
 
Welcome, i am probably the most knowledgeable knife maker on this forum. So you can ask me anything. Just kidding , i barely know how to spell nife. Welcome though anyways.
 
Welcome! Glad to see more new guys on here. BF is very very helpful. Starting out with files, an angle grinder and some sand paper is really a good way to start. Just do your best to keep this flat and square.

A couple of suggestions. Do you have any other steels? 1095 isn't the easiest steel to heat treat. If you can get it, 1084 is incredibly easy. Also us a thin steel, like around 1/8, as it will be easier to get to heat and less filing time. Also, you may not think this will happen with a torch but watch out for overheating. Keep checking with magnet until it is non-magnetic and just a little hotter.

just 2 cents from a newer maker.

Have fun. :thumbsup:
 
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Thanks for the advice, barefoot boy. What is it about 1095 that makes it difficult to heat treat compared to 1084? I only have 1095 right now. I suppose I could order some 1084 if it's going to make a huge difference, but I'm not exactly looking to make a knife that I can sell for a few hundred dollars, or that can even stand up to heavy use necessarily. Since it's my first, I'm mostly hoping to make a souvenir good enough to take an edge and perform basic tasks on a very occasional basis. Do you think that's doable with my setup?

In other news, I went ahead and started work. I forget to mention the bench grinder, which I used to expertly place a nice gouge in one of the worst spots.
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Anyone think that can be fixed, or am I better off pitching it and trying again?
 
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If you go full flat grind with a lot of distal taper, it might be ok.
Also welcome:)
 
1095 is a bit more complicated to HT and get the most out of it. You can HT it in a very basic way (heat to just past non-magnetic and quench), but you'll be leaving a bit of performance on the table.
 
A.McPherson said:
1095 is a bit more complicated to HT and get the most out of it. You can HT it in a very basic way (heat to just past non-magnetic and quench), but you'll be leaving a bit of performance on the table.
Click to expand...
This is what I was going to say. If that is all you have its fine, 1084 is just a bit easier to get consistent and great results.
 
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