Knife tutorial questions.

C

CEHknives

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Aug 12, 2012
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This thread will be a place for me to ask most likely repetitive and redundant questions on how to make a knife for the first time. Thanks ahead of time for anyone who answers it is much appreciated and I hope it allows me to benefit the community at large.

1. Steel dimensions for knife tutorial.

What dimensions should I order for my slabs of steel needed to make a knife in the knife tutorial?

Steel source:
http://newjerseysteelbaron.com/shop/1095/

A local master blade smith told me to start with 1095 for a cost effective learning curve however I do not know the dimensions I need and do not wish to bother him until I can at least form things and have a decent level of understanding of the trait. I will try to order this today.
 
You might reduce the sharpness of the curve if you opted to use 1084 rather than 1095 for a starter project.
 
Yea, I was honestly thinking of ordering both. He said he would would help me with it, but I really do not want to bother him until I have an idea of whether or not this is worth me pursuing as a professional career as he has children and a business of his own to run. Not into wasting people's time so maybe I will just stick to the 1084 I can do solo according to the tutorial.
 
Go with 1095 if you plan to send it out for heat treat and 1084 if you plan to do it yourself.

As far as dimentions go, draw out the knife first on paper, then you'll know what size of steel to get. Aldo's bars are 48" long.
 
2. I really want to make bush knives and professional butcher knives as a main focus. Is it naive to start making a big bush knife with complexities I do not yet comprehend or have knowledge of or should I start with a smaller 6-8 inch blade?
 
You should start with a 3" blade and move up from there. You'll find that it's not as easy as you thought. Longer blades give you more chances to ruin the steel and throw it against the wall in frustration.
 
I agree with Jason, start small and work up from there. You can learn alot about the process and about fit and finish on a 3" blade knife that will serve you well by the time you want to make a 8" blade knife.
 
Yes that is exactly what I am reading and the title of my thread for which the question was directed. I have read it twice and found no answer for metal thickness (if I missed it sorry), but by properly using the search function unlike my previous attempts I have found my answers and will post for others as soon as I find it again because my damn browser crashed ;\ Thank you very much for writing that and I am attempting to follow it to the best of my ability.

The thread I read stated an 1/8th inch is good thickness of steel for 3"~ knives as well as 3/32. Give me a few to find it in search and I will add it so others can hopefully benefit from my question down the road.

EDIT: here is the link for others.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/194116-Steel-thickness-for-learning-to-grind?highlight=steel+thickness
 
Went with 1095 and 1084.

Thickness .125"
Width 2"
Length 48"

I am going to make a buck skinning knife for my first go I have a few sketches of it after I sign up for full membership I will post pictures of my progress and success or failure. I have purchased several pieces of wood for the handles as well and will post for others to see all the materials used. Hopefully me learning the guide and showing progress will be of some benefit to others. I am worried I may have needed 2.5" wide but we will see if this is my first mistake :P
 
Ahh, I see now.
The size of the knife is up to you. The tutorial is how to make it. A drop point hunter is a good first knife. Unless you want a big one, 1.5" wide steel should be plenty, but 2" certainly will have plenty of room for a dropped butt and such. - .100" to .125" is good for a hunting and skinning blade.
 
Awesome thank you very much again hopefully I will get this all sorted and not need to ask too many head popping noob questions :P I purchased some college level text books on metallurgy particularly steel and have been reading this forum pretty intensely for the past week trying get the acronyms, shorthand, and general vocabulary down, but that is my experience so far which is pretty negligible and very shallow at that :P I am a pre-law major/philosophy and business minor grad so this is pretty different from normal realm of study and experience, but this is something I very much like and appreciate. Hopefully it will be an actual trade I can do with my hands to employ my self in the future.

I have been inspired by Tai Goo, Josh Smith, Gallagher, Kramer Knives, and Jason Knight. If anyone has favorite knife makers of their own feel free to post up. I am inspired to one day make blades of the quality and artistry of those fellows.
 
That book sits on my desk every day. Good book. Lots to learn in it. Very confusing without some base information.

There are other good books that will help you learn what that book is about. One I like is "Metallurgy" by Johnson and Weeks ISBN 0-8269-3482-X. I would get this book and read it first.

When you are ready for Heat Treaters Guide, start with those 138 dull and boring front pages. Much won't apply, and much will make you say WTF?....but some will make a light go on. In the steel sections, read all the basic info, then learn to read the charts and specific info.


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Very well then I will double up and buy both the one you recommend and the one I am purchasing. I purchased Steel Metallurgy for the non-metallurgist by
John D. Verhoeven and so far the verbiage is a bit above my science level, but I figure later down the road when I have some sense these books will serve me well.
 
Last edited:
bladsmth said:
There are other good books that will help you learn what that book is about. One I like is "Metallurgy" by Johnson and Weeks ISBN 0-8269-3482-X. I would get this book and read it first.


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Click to expand...
Absolutely +1. That is a great book. I got it from the library and it really gives a person a good intro into what is actually going on with the steel.
 
jawilder said:
You should start with a 3" blade and move up from there. You'll find that it's not as easy as you thought. Longer blades give you more chances to ruin the steel and throw it against the wall in frustration.
Click to expand...

Jason, do you find the wall works well to grow them against, because I like just chucking them across the shop.


Seriously though, I'm about to attempt my first huge blade and I'm nervous as all get out. I can't imagine trying to start with a big blade. All my stuff so far has been sub-4".
 
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