Making a Knife

S

SeaStrike

Joined
Feb 27, 2003
Messages
13
I want to get into knife making. What do I need besides a blade, a grip blank, and tools?

I'm shopping at dixiegunworks.com, and so far I have a blade (http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=1459) and a wood blank (http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=1621).

How come some knife blades have a wide end on them (where they go into the grip), and some have skinny ones?

If it's not too much trouble, maybe you guys could look at these parts for me and tell me if they will work with the blade i have above:
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=1526
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=1592
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=3829
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=3881
http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?products_id=3880
 
What you describe, is not knifemaking, more like knife assembling, or kit knives. That's fine for experience, but knifemaking consists of either forging a bar of steel to basic shape and grinding to finish, or starting with a bar and grinding the knife from that. Then doing all the rest, handle, sheath etc.
There is a kit knife forum here.
http://www.ckdforums.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=19

Welcome to BFC.
If you wish to learn knifemaking, this is the forum though.:D
 
Get a "Knives 2003" book availible from Kause Publications. It will list makers by state. The one I have lists 39 makers in Penn.
 
I agree with what Mike and George stated. A kit blade is good starting point. It will give you a good introduction to how to "fit and finish" a blade. A number of folks started off this way. Nothing wrong with it. It is good learning experience. As far as being bona fide knifemaking, well no, its not really. However, you do end up with a finished blade with the guard or bolster and the handle material that you wanted on it and that you were able to put together.

Darrel Ralph has some excellent fixed blades available at his website called KitBlades.com that are pretty good looking.

Other websites are:
Texas Knifemaker's Supply
K&G
Koval Knives

Good luck in your endeavor and do not hessitate to ask questions. You'll end up being a knife grindin' or anvil poundin' deviant like the rest of us.

C Wilkins
 
Like these guys said theres nothing wrong with making kit knives, in fact it usually leads to actual knifemaking :) But there is a difference.
Seems like your off to a good start in finding what you need. I didn't look through everything at dixie gun works, but I'd recommend buying your first set of parts from one of the knife supply companies.
www.knifekits.com
www.texasknife.com
www.jantzsupply.com
www.kovalknives.com

They carry everything you need from kitbuilding supplies to forging and stock removal supplies. The nice thing is that their kits are a little more organized as to what works with what.
When you get into buying generic guards, pommels, and other fittings to go with a blade blank things can get tricky. They won't necessarily fit together quite as well as things that were designed together as a kit, and could make your first experience at pinning handles/gaurds or soldering stuff kind of difficult.
Take a look through what they all have and pick something you think you'll get some use out of. If you put a little time and effort into it you'll wind up with a real nice knife to brag about ;)
Kit building a is a great way to start out. It lets you get a feel for what goes into making a knife without struggling through the design process. It really helps to see how one goes together before you try to make your own design, and peice everything together.

Oh yeah, as far as making it. Your going to want a good bit of sandpaper, in varous grits. (probably do fine with 120,150,220,320, and 400, you can go finer depending on how polished you want stuff) A good file will help too, nothing fancy just a 2 sided (single cut, double cut) nichols will do you fine, their available at just about any hardware store. A round or half round rasp would be a big help on shaping the handles, if they have many curves to them. You'll also need some epoxy glue (no faster than 30 minute cure time, you don't want to rush yourself your first try at fitting a handle together)You'll need a drill for the handle/scales and the right size drill bits. A drill press is best but if your really careful you can do with a hand drill on fixed blades.
Masking tape is a help, you can polish the blade and then tape it off so it doesn't get scratched, and you don't get cut as you work on the handle, or vice versa.
Clamps are a big help when your glueing the handle together. But if you don't have any, rather than spending a bunch of money on them, try using cable ties. As long as you have the pins through the handle things will stay lined up, so you can draw stuff down with cable ties, and then clip them off with endcutters once its set.
Have fun.
 
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