newbie knife making question

[Sgt_Bobbo]

So I have just started making my very first knife (well second actually but the first one went south wile beveling). I have a question regarding using files. I cannot seem to get a perfectly flat 90 degree edge. This includes the spine, belly, and handle areas. The look good from a foot away but upon further inspection I can see that it cants the tiniest amount. I do not have a belt grinder so I am using double cut and single cut files. I keep going side to side till I think it looks good but then its off somewhere else. I have read about the proper way to hold and use the file so I believe I am doing it right but it seems I will lose to much metal if I keep going at it like I am

Anybody have any suggestions? Ill post a picture of my progress so far.

Thanks in advance,

Bobby

 

[duurza]

Refer to this image:

If you are holding the point and tang and using the face at the center of the file to remove material, then you are causing the file the arc downwards as you push down onto the metal (the metal at the center pushes back up).

You could:

A) Use less force per stroke. You will need a lot more strokes to remove the same amount of material.

B) Use a shorter file. This has to do with the "bending" of the file. When I worked on profiling my sword, I used a single cut 10" Nicholson file to draw file (technically pushing with both hands) to do the primary beveling. Once in a while, I would put a straight edge against the surface to see if it were perfectly flat. If not, I would switch to my single cut 6" file to fix it up.

Hope this helps.

 

[Hengelo_77]

look in to draw filing. Use a small single cut file (three side file is what I prefer)
It is slow and gives a lot of control.
File first with you big double cut bastards and then straighten it by drawfiling

Then start with 120 grit sandpaper around a sanding block

Nice looking knife profile BTW