Jimping 1095 Steel

Dr Rez

Dr Rez

Pisser of the Couch
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Jun 7, 2012
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I have 2 kabar knives I would like to add jimping to. One is a small bk11 that wont need much and the other is a Bk2 that I would like about an inch or inch and a half of jimping on. I tried to find a previous thread explaining different/best ways of doing so with not much luck. I saw some people saying they used a rotory tool and others just files.

What do those of you who have done so recommend for as clean a job as possible? And how do I go about doing it? ( I dont want to just take a hacksaw blade to it without knowing what im doing)

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This is what I did to my BK14:
Measure desired spacing with a scale. 1/16" to 1/8".
Mark with fine sharpie.
Cut in desired depth with a half-round file using the edge where the convex and flat portions come together.
Finish with a very small rat-tail (full-round) file.

HPIM4095.jpg


HPIM4093.jpg


HPIM4092.jpg
 
The type of work you are showing is easily done with a Dremel on LOW speed, using separating discs. These are the thin, brown discs. It does require a steady hand.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
The type of work you are showing is easily done with a Dremel on LOW speed, using separating discs. These are the thin, brown discs. It does require a steady hand.
Click to expand...

Do you think using like a 20 TPI checkering might be a good way to go before trying it with the dremel? My only problem is my hands not so steady.
 
20 TPI is quite a bit finer than what is pictured. Checkering files are expensive, and will wear quickly when used on hardened knife steel.
 
I'd use a file. A good sharp needle file of whatever configuration you want your jimping to be. Power tools are dangerous things in the context of making knife mods...vis-a-vis either damaging your knife by excessive grinding or with heat ruining temper. Obviously knife makers and professional knife sharpeners use power tools but they are expert at controlling, using, limiting, and othewise dealing with heat. If you are not, please be super careful. With a file, any damage (which of course is still possible) will happen slowly and nobody can file furiously enough for heat to be a problem.
 
Checkering files will not last long if used on hardened steel. Some of the blades floating around today will definitely ruin a file pretty quick. I have found quite a few blades that a file will just skate over and leave broken file teeth on it. Once a blade has been hardened any further cutting is going to be a chore. I agree with the Dremel wheel method if you're careful and have a steady hand (and something to rest it on) but it's not for the faint of heart. I keep a bucket of ice water handy if I'm going to do any kind of grinding or cutting on a hardened blade. Go slow and don't let any heat build up.
 
He's doing 1095. A file will do just fine...decent files. We're not talking S90V here. Files work great on 1095 hardened to what Ka-Bar/Becker or ESEE or any of the makers of 1095 products. I wouldn't recommend a file on some sort of high-end Japanese Sashimo knife or a S90V super-steel blade.
 
1095 can get pretty hard. They make files out of it!
Checkering files definitely can be dulled on "regular" hardened steel. Mine were.
 
I don't think they're hardening Ka-Bars as hard as files. I did a major reprofiling job on my ESEE-5 and the right file cut it like nobody's business. Now my biggest file, and that which I though was my nicest file, was hard pressed. A smaller Nicholson cut like crazy. Now this is 1095 hardened to a posted 57.
 
Carbon steel files are usually hardened to around RC 62.
A file might cut it, but it will wear the file quickly. Checkering files run $40-$45 each.
 
Hi All,
yesterday I finished the job on my BK-14; first I used a triangular file then I used the rounded file of a dremel, this is the result:
IMG_20121011_194415.jpg

IMG_20121011_194406.jpg

IMG_20121011_194358.jpg

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HoosierQ said:
Power tools are dangerous things in the context of making knife mods...vis-a-vis either damaging your knife by excessive grinding or with heat ruining temper.
Click to expand...

If a person can ruin the temper of a blade by cutting shallow grooves in the spine, that's news to me. AKA: malarkey.

Working on the edge with heat-generating friction is a different story.
 
james terrio said:
If a person can ruin the temper of a blade by cutting shallow grooves in the spine, that's news to me. AKA: malarkey.

Working on the edge with heat-generating friction is a different story.
Click to expand...

Well that's fair. My comments were more general in nature and not confined to "spine related". What I hate to hear of is somebody going at a nice knife with a power tool without knowledge of how to do it. I, for one, don't have that knowledge...beyond the fact that I know grinding heat can adversely effect any steel tool.
 
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