- Joined
- Dec 9, 2003
- Messages
- 4,817
I just finished my first knife that I did all by myself, except for the heat treat.
It is 1/8th inch 440C that I sent off to Texas Knife Supply for heat treat. The angle is flat ground.
I made the kydex sheath too, I intended this to be a keychain knife. I also figured that it could be tied onto a stick or something in an emergency to make a spear.
Initially polished the knife but went to random orbit sander with i think 150 or 220 grit which gives a decent sort of stone wash.
I used my delta 1x42 inch sander, a drill press with various sanding and grinding attachments and files.
My inspiration was a present I had given my grandma a long time ago called a worry store. It is a small flat stone that you rub when you worry or something like that. Anywho the one i gave her had a shallow oval shaped area carved/hollowed out into it where your thumb goes.
One of the lessons I learned was that you can't really achieve that sort of thing without probably a mill. I had tried with various sanding and grinding attachments but quickly realized that it was not going to work, and it was not salvageable, so I just drill edit out and have a large hole for a finger or thumb to hold onto. Since the inner hole wasn't very big it was also hard to sand and shape the space I driller out but files made it not too bad.
I had a certain image in my head and on paper but multiple things ended up getting changed or added on in the final version. I suppose this is unavoidable on a new design? I could have spent a little more time working on making sure the scratches all came out though when going to smaller grits.
I also added the jimping to help with grip because the last thing I want is to slide forward and get cut since there is obviously not much handle to grab onto.
If I had to do it again I may have also opted for a flat angled edge instead of a curved edge for the same reason that I don't want to slide forward and get cut by the blade.
I have mixed feelings about the barb looking thing just behind the blade edge. I don't think they look good but it helps to keep from sliding forward on the blade.
The other trouble I had is that due to the thickness of the knife versus the closeness of the edge to the handle was that I kept having to grind farther and farther back to obtain a small enough angle. I used my spyderco sharpener to put the micro bevel at 20 degrees each side. So basically I did not account for the length I would need to go back to taper it to a small enough angle. This caused the grind line to go farther back on the knife than I had intended.
I also bought some metal cutting blades for my jigsaw so that I would have to drill a bunch of holes and cut with a hacksaw again... that was a time consuming task. It sure is a lot cheaper than buying a metal cutting band saw though.
So what do you guys think? Would people buy it? (I am not looking to start manufacturing or anything just hypothetical)
How I hold the knife
It is 1/8th inch 440C that I sent off to Texas Knife Supply for heat treat. The angle is flat ground.
I made the kydex sheath too, I intended this to be a keychain knife. I also figured that it could be tied onto a stick or something in an emergency to make a spear.
Initially polished the knife but went to random orbit sander with i think 150 or 220 grit which gives a decent sort of stone wash.
I used my delta 1x42 inch sander, a drill press with various sanding and grinding attachments and files.
My inspiration was a present I had given my grandma a long time ago called a worry store. It is a small flat stone that you rub when you worry or something like that. Anywho the one i gave her had a shallow oval shaped area carved/hollowed out into it where your thumb goes.
One of the lessons I learned was that you can't really achieve that sort of thing without probably a mill. I had tried with various sanding and grinding attachments but quickly realized that it was not going to work, and it was not salvageable, so I just drill edit out and have a large hole for a finger or thumb to hold onto. Since the inner hole wasn't very big it was also hard to sand and shape the space I driller out but files made it not too bad.
I had a certain image in my head and on paper but multiple things ended up getting changed or added on in the final version. I suppose this is unavoidable on a new design? I could have spent a little more time working on making sure the scratches all came out though when going to smaller grits.
I also added the jimping to help with grip because the last thing I want is to slide forward and get cut since there is obviously not much handle to grab onto.
If I had to do it again I may have also opted for a flat angled edge instead of a curved edge for the same reason that I don't want to slide forward and get cut by the blade.
I have mixed feelings about the barb looking thing just behind the blade edge. I don't think they look good but it helps to keep from sliding forward on the blade.
The other trouble I had is that due to the thickness of the knife versus the closeness of the edge to the handle was that I kept having to grind farther and farther back to obtain a small enough angle. I used my spyderco sharpener to put the micro bevel at 20 degrees each side. So basically I did not account for the length I would need to go back to taper it to a small enough angle. This caused the grind line to go farther back on the knife than I had intended.
I also bought some metal cutting blades for my jigsaw so that I would have to drill a bunch of holes and cut with a hacksaw again... that was a time consuming task. It sure is a lot cheaper than buying a metal cutting band saw though.
So what do you guys think? Would people buy it? (I am not looking to start manufacturing or anything just hypothetical)
How I hold the knife
Last edited:
) You could offer it in a variety of finishes.. along with custom color kydex sheaths. 
