minimalist knife making

D

dshairs

Joined
Aug 21, 2011
Messages
33
I've been interesting in making knives, looking at fixed blade blanks (as i am 15 and dont have the means for a forge of any kind). I was wondering if it was possible to fully assemble a fixed blade knife off of a full and or hidden tang blank, i.e put handles on, with basic tools, and how would i go about doing so? i.e getting the size of the scales correct, and then attaching them, as i prefer things like stag and horn to wraps. Any other pointers on making the knife look unique without the use of specialized equipment? How do i attach the scales to the tang?
thanks!:D
 
dshairs said:
I've been interesting in making knives, looking at fixed blade blanks (as i am 15 and dont have the means for a forge of any kind).

I was wondering if it was possible to fully assemble a fixed blade knife off of a full and or hidden tang blank, i.e put handles on, with basic tools, and how would i go about doing so? i.e getting the size of the scales correct, and then attaching them, as i prefer things like stag and horn to wraps. Any other pointers on making the knife look unique without the use of specialized equipment? How do i attach the scales to the tang?
thanks!:D
Click to expand...

There are 100 ways to make a knife.

I like this book for showing you different ways to put one together- then alter his style to suit your tools, materials and preferences.

http://www.amazon.com/Custom-Knifemaking-Tim-McCreight/dp/0811721752
51BCSWQJ9FL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg





I've put this together to answer most of a new maker’s questions. I'm sure it will help you too.

The Standard Reply to New Knifemakers V18

The answer to a 13 year old student is different than to a 40 year old engineer.
We may recommend a local supplier, you may have a helpful neighbour, or local Hammerin; but that depends on where you are. We have members worldwide.
Please fill out your profile with your location (Country, State, City), age, education, employment, hobbies.

Look at the threads stickied at the top; many are expired, but not all.

The basic process in the simplest terms
Absolute Cheapskate Way to Start Making Knives-Printable PDF-Right Click and Save
Absolute Cheapskate Way to Start Making Knives-Website


Web Tutorials
Detailed instructions by Stacy E. Apelt

The Things I Advise New Knife Makers Against-Printable PDF

Handle Tutorial - Nick Wheeler-PDF

http://www.engnath.com/manframe.htm

Books
A list of books and videos

BladeForums - E-books or Google books


I like:
David Boye-Step by Step Knifemaking
Tim McCreight-Custom Knifemaking: 10 Projects from a Master Craftsman
These are clear, well organized, widely available and inexpensive too.

Knife Design:

Think thin. A paring knife slices, an axe splits.
Forget swords, Saw-tooth spines, guthooks, crazy grinds and folders for your first knife.

Start with a drawing.
Show it to us, we love to see and comment on photos.
Then make a cardboard cutout template & draw in handles, pins and such
Then make it in wood, paint sticks are free & close to the right size.
Play with that and see if it “feels right”. If it feels right it usually “looks right“

See the Google books thread for Lloyd Harding drawings, the Loveless book & Bob Engnath Patterns. Google books thread

Bob Engnath Patterns compiled into a PDF


Forging Books:
Lorelei Sims-The Backyard Blacksmith
An excellent modern book with colour photos for forging in general - no knifemaking.

Jim Hrisoulas- has 3 books on forging knives. Check for the cheaper paperback editions.
The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way to Perfection
The Pattern-Welded Blade: Artistry in Iron
The Master Bladesmith: Advanced Studies in Steel

Machine Shop Basics -Books:
Elementary Machine Shop Practice-Printable PDF

The Complete Practical Machinist-Printable -1885-PDF
Right Click and save link as.
It’s being reprinted now; you can get it for $20 ish

The $50 knife Shop
It confused me for a long time.
Forging is NOT necessary; you can just file and grind to create a knife (stock removal)

Forget the Goop Quench.
Use commercial quench oil & match oil speed to the steel type; even grocery store canola oil works much better.

Junkyard steels require skill and experience to identify the steel and heat treat it properly.
You can buy proper steel like 1084FG from Aldo very cheaply.

I like cable damascus, but that advanced project has no place in a beginner’s book.

The grinders are the best thing about this book, but there is a huge amount of info for 2x72” belt grinders on the web, including free plans.

Forget about Lawnmower blades and start with a new known steel type.
Good heat treating needs accurate temperature control and full quench.

Videos

Heat Treating Basics Video-downloadable
Right click and save this. Watch it once a day for 10 days.

Safety-video
Right click and save this. Watch it once a day for 10 days.

Many specific how to knifemaking videos are available, some are better than others.

The best overall Knifemaking video I have seen is
“Steve Johnson-Making a Sub-Hilt Fighter”

Basic Bladesmithing
"Ed Caffrey - Basic Bladesmithing-Full DVD-ISO"

The best video on leather sheath making for beginners that I have seen is
“Custom Knife Sheaths -Chuck Burrows - Wild Rose”
-(Paul Long has 2 videos, his sheath work & videos are fantastic, but more advanced-with machine stitchers..)

Green Pete's Free Video
Making a Mora bushcraft knife, stock removal, hand tools, neo tribal / unplugged heat treat.
"Green Pete" posted it free using torrent files.
Be sure to look at the other titles too-The account index has disappeared, but search for LOTS of info. Use the keywords “LurkerLurker torrent” “knifemakerC torrent” and others
Greenpete Knifemaking Basics-on TPB

How to download that video
http://www.utorrent.com/help/guides/beginners-guide

You can see a list of videos and reviews at this rental company; some are worth buying, some renting…
http://smartflix.com/store/category/9/Knifemaking

Draw Filing Demonstration
YouTube video -Draw Filing-for a flat finish

Steel
The “welding steel” at Home Depot / Lowes… is useless for knives.

If you send out for heat treating, you can use
Oil quenched O1, A2,
Or air quenched CM154, ATS34, CPM154, 440C, plus many others.

If you want to heat treat yourself with minimal equipment, find some Eutectoid steel.
1084FG sold by Aldo Bruno is formulated for Knifemaking, Cheapest & made for DIY heat-treat.
http://njsteelbaron.com/
Phone # 862-203-8160

1095 is a good carbon steel, but a bad choice for a beginner with limited equipment.
1095 needs very precise temperature control and proper fast quench oil Like Parks 50 or Houghton K Kevin Cashen - 1095 - hypereutectoid steel


You can find a list of suppliers here

Heat Treating
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9143684&postcount=7

You can send blades out for heat treating at $10 or $15 per blade for perfect results, and avoid buying the equipment.

Air Hardening Stainless Steel Only
Buck Pau Bos -Be sure to check the Shipping and Price tabs.
http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=bio.paulBos#
http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/privacy.php#services

Oil Hardening Carbon Steels and Air Hardening Stainless Steel
http://www.petersheattreat.com/cutlery.html
http://www.knifemaker.ca/ (Canadian)


Grinder / Tools

In my opinion, variable speed and a small wheel attachment are essential .
You can almost always improve tracking with more belt tension. It needs to be way tighter than youfirst think.

Hand Tools
You can do it all by hand with files and abrasive cloth like the Green Pete video.
Photo of a nice bevel filing jig

Entry Level Grinders
Many makers start with the Sears Craftsman 2x42 belt grinder

Low Speed Modification Craftsman 2x42 belt grinder


Commercial Production 2 x 72” Belt Grinder Reviews
http://www.prometheanknives.com/shop-techniques-3/grinders
http://www.cnccookbook.com/CCKnifeMakingGrinders.htm

Mapp arm – Grinder Toolrest


DIY 2 x 72” Belt Grinders

KMG Clone Free Plans
http://www.dfoggknives.com/PDF/GrinderPlans.pdf

NWG No Weld Grinder
http://www.usaknifemaker.com/plans-for-the-no-weld-grinder-sander-nearly-50-pages-p-723.html

EERF Grinder (EERF =“Free” backwards)
http://wilmontgrinders.com/EERFGrinder.aspx
http://blindhogg.com/blueprints.html

Buy the kit
http://polarbearforge.com/grinder_kit.html

What Belts to buy?
http://www.usaknifemaker.com/abrasive-belt-basics-what-kind-should-i-buy-p-1393.html


Safety Equipment
Protect your -Eyes, Ears, Fingers, and Lungs – remove jewellery and put on safety gear.

Respirators
Chronic lung disease and cancer really suck the joy out of life.
The minimum I would consider are the 3M 7500 and North 7700 silicone half masks with a P100 Filter.
Use a VOC & P100 combo cartridge for protection against acetone and solvents.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=788837
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=726309



Searching
Search works for ALL users, even unpaid users.
Try it, I’ll bet you’re not the first to ask the question here

This is a special Google page that searches BF only.
http://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=011197018607028182644:qfobr3dlcra

V18 Edited links August 25, 2011.
 
Last edited:
thanks! seeing as all i was really wondering was how i could go about attaching the scales with basic tools, my question has been answered! its alot less complicated than i thought, seeing as i plan to use blanks...any other tips are more than welcome!:D
 
and another question, i was looking at a folding knife kit, a linerlock...generally, do knife kits come with any instruction on assembly, and/or is the assembly simple to figure out for someone who has never built one before..? id post the exact link, but last time i did that it got removed....>.> its on knifekits.com under folding knife kits, model gx6...ill put the link up for now but itll prolly end up removed:P http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/product_info.php?cPath=1_25&products_id=5
I want to give it ebony wood scales, im just worried about the assembly
 
dshairs said:
thanks! seeing as all i was really wondering was how i could go about attaching the scales with basic tools, my question has been answered! its alot less complicated than i thought, seeing as i plan to use blanks...any other tips are more than welcome!:D
Click to expand...


You're welcome.
& once you start, it's never just that simple

dshairs said:
and another question, i was looking at a folding knife kit, a linerlock...generally, do knife kits come with any instruction on assembly, and/or is the assembly simple to figure out for someone who has never built one before..? id post the exact link, but last time i did that it got removed....>.> its on knifekits.com under folding knife kits, model gx6...ill put the link up for now but itll prolly end up removed:P http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/product_info.php?cPath=1_25&products_id=5
I want to give it ebony wood scales, im just worried about the assembly
Click to expand...

You see, you're looking at the next one too.

I have kit from KK, it came with an instruction sheet, but it is easy to figure out what goes where and how by just fiddling.
The screws are metric, so if you need longer ones, or extras - I'm not sure where you would get them.
 
thanks:D and yes it wont be simple..but at least it no longer is a mystery...what kind of wrench do i need for the screws? and in your oponion, if assembled correctly, would this be a reliable knife?
 
I believe that the screws are Torx

Likely in the T5, T6, T7, T8, T10 or T15 range


I have a couple of full sets so I didn't pay attention to exactly which ones, but probably not a T5

and
cheap Torx wrenches are worthless
I like these inexpensive but good quality - I've never twisted or stripped them, but I've thrown away many hardware store brand torx drivers.

http://www.wihatools.com/300seri/370serie.htm
 
For the record I made my first knife with nothing but basic tools, a drill, hacksaw, files, and sandpaper. It took a while to complete it and I did make up a file jig to keep my bevels straight, but it is more than possible to make a knife from scratch with the basics. In fact I was using the basic tools for some time and just got a 2X72 grinder in January.
 
You can make stock-reduction knives with very few tools, as others have said. But if you have a place to put a forge (and interest in a forge) then you can build one pretty much for free. The forge I use now cost me less than $50 to build and I used all new pieces. When I was your age I made one for free out of a wheel from an SUV. You can build an anvil for next to nothing, as well, using scrap steel.
Just something to think about.

- Chris
 
Many people here had made their first or first few from blade blanks. I think it is a great way to start. Get a good blank in a known steel, find some good dry wood (oak is decent and cheap), a bit of 60min epoxy from the hardware store and a small length of welding rod for pins. Drill your holes in the wood, grind it down to shape and epoxy the hole mess together. Let it dry and shape the handle. It is as simple as that. There are many more tips and tricks, but this will get you one you can use.

DSCN1991.jpg


This is my first knife I ever made from a 440c blank I got on ebay. All with simple hand tools.


-Xander
 
My first blade was made from old lawn mower blade. It heated it up in a cheap homemade brick forge flattened it out shaped it then I hardened it using the magnet and oil method. I shaped some wood handles and that was it. I still have it, and for those who say lawnmower blades suck, I totally disagree. I shaped my the best I could like a kukri, and that thing will do some serious chopping. Good luck!

-dan
 
I started with a some knife kits from knifekits. The folders I got were easy to put together and worked just fine.

I started much like you. A few hand tools, kit knives and lurking here on the forums for along time figuring out the logistics and details about making a knife. Made my first knives with hand tools. Go for it!

Ric
 
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