Maximum length knife from 1/8" 1095

M

malditor

Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Messages
7
So, as has been par for the course with my decision making at the start of my knife making journey it seems I may have purchased the wrong steel. I just received 2 pieces of 1 1/2" x 18" x 1/8" steel that I ordered last week when I decided to start making knives. Since then I've found out via this forum that 1095 is not the right choice for home heat treating and now that it has arrived I'm thinking that the length of knife I was intending on making may be a bit long for the thickness I ordered. I had drawn out a few 9 inch total with a 5 inch blade. Will this length still work or should I shorten the knife?
 
What kind of life will this knife have? Is this a hard use knife or for general cutting chores? 1/8" should be fine for a 5" blade. If you are making a military or survival oriented knife maybe not.
 
malditor said:
So, as has been par for the course with my decision making at the start of my knife making journey it seems I may have purchased the wrong steel. I just received 2 pieces of 1 1/2" x 18" x 1/8" steel that I ordered last week when I decided to start making knives. Since then I've found out via this forum that 1095 is not the right choice for home heat treating and now that it has arrived I'm thinking that the length of knife I was intending on making may be a bit long for the thickness I ordered. I had drawn out a few 9 inch total with a 5 inch blade. Will this length still work or should I shorten the knife?
Click to expand...

Just a general hunting style knife.
j4ArOUT.jpg

Just the rough shape now, going to clean it up tomorrow.
 
That shouldn't be too long for 1/8" stock.

The first blade you heat treat at home with improvised tools is not likely to be perfect - or even almost perfect - no matter what kind of steel you use. But you can certainly make a usable blade with 1095 since that's what you have. I did the exact same thing that you did - ordered 1095 heat treated it with a home built gas forge and quenched it in peanut oil because I didn't know any better - I carry and use that knife every day. Just learn and have fun with it, and do better next time.
 
So far I love that knife ! If you finish it, as well as you started ,"I hate to admit this I truly do ." It will be better than most knives i ever made ! My knives are just Knives for kitchen ,butcher shed ,or for the garden . Not to look pretty and most r made rather hasty and very quick . 2 hours for most of them . I wont be posting many pics that's for sure. You have talent ,If that's really your first.
My real hard use knives are 10 inch cimaters , 15 - 22 inch corn knives " Machete's . I have tried 1/4 inch thick knives and they just suck every where . Working knives are hardly ever over 1/8 inch thick. That is even thick and heavy for a corn knife, used for more than an hour continuously. I wont hesitate to chop a 5 inch hickory with a 20 inch blade, 3/32" thick blade, with a 10 inch handle. Swinging hard for the fences with both hands. Real working knives are normally 1/8 or thinner," no matter how long "
 
You can heat treat 1095 at home. You may not get it to it's ideal level of performance, but you can get a hard edge and a tough spine easy enough. The real danger is getting a brittle, hard edge. I've made everything from little skinners to big kukris from 1095 and they've nearly all turned out. The worst failure was my first attempt at forging it. I quenched it in water and it fell apart in 3 pieces as I ground it.

Not the best or ideal for a beginner at home but certainly workable. I agree 1/8" for a knife that size is close to ideal.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top