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My first knife. Any advice and tips welcome.

C

ColbyH

Joined
Jul 22, 2015
Messages
1
So this is my first attempt at making a knife. I feel like it went pretty good for the first. I used 1095 steel, 3/16" thick. For the handle I used some stabilized zebra wood, with the handle I sanded it to 1200 grit what could i do to get a nice sheen on it? I have some Danish oil would that work and then buff it with a towel?? I hand sanded the blade to 600 grit, I didn't want to get it to shiny. Again any advice or tips from someone with more experience would be awesome. Thanks!!
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The first thing to master is to make a knife that cuts. It's hard to tell because your grinds aren't distinct but I would guess you have a pretty severe convex on your blade bevels. Try slicing an apple with it, does it shove right through with little force or is it like using a splitting maul? Thin your spine until it cuts like crazy, I would recommend a true flat grind that runs almost up to the spine. Heat treating is a whole other subject but it's extremely important in making a useful tool. Next perfect your handle until it's comfy. Knock off some of those square edges. In choosing a profile for your blade look around at some knives you have or pictures on line. I find that a continuous belly in a blade can be a little frustrating in everyday use, think cutting tape, rope or slitting an animal gut. You have a real tip on your blade which is refreshing to see, that's something new makers can struggle with. With any kind of oil (I use tung oil) you can rub in a coat and then let dry and steel wool, repeat until you get the finish you want. Knifemaking is fun, keep it up!
 
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