Old file steel knives

M

mikehw

Joined
May 12, 1999
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I am looking for information on how to properly make knives out of old files. Im kinda winging it on the one im making know, I annealed it to soften it up a bit shaped it with a hacksaw and files the only thing i did on a bench grinder was remove the file portion. I dont want to finish it and screw up heat treating it. Thank you all
 
Most old files are made out of W1 (water quenching) steel. A lot of times you can quench these in oil and still get a good hardness. If the oil quench doesn't work, try using brine (dense salt H2O).

I always check files before I use them to make sure they are not just case hardened. I do this by taking the end of the file (an inch or so)to critical temp, and them quenching it in water. I then hit the quenched part with a hammer. If it is good carbon steel it will shatter like glass (he he, I like that part). I then use the remaining part to make a knife. Tempering them at 500 deg. should give you a hardness of 59-60, 550= 57-58.

Old files are a good way to start learning knifemaking. You can usually get a bunch of them at flea markets for cheap. If you do it right, they make good knives.
 
Here's a starting web page for knife making with a file how-to:

http://pioneerpc.com/primitivearcher/articles/drawknif.html

I plan on gearing up to do it this way, as soon as I get the space to do so (about 6 weeksa away - yippee!)

Let me know how it works out!

Mike
 
I just finished one today made from a file
they do make great knives if done correctly. I use nicholson flat bastard files
Steve45
 
Thanks all I guees im moving in the right direction I thought i was finished with the blade, heatreated it(oil quench) than I discovered that the bevel on the blade was too road razor sharp but only good as an axe so i annealed it a bit oven on 500 degrees for about an hour to bring down the hardness a bit so my files would cut rebevelled the blade and im in the process of polishing the scratches out again i only have a wet stone some sanding block a diamond hone and some cheap files. This is really been a budget knive Im thinking of bone handles and the pins to put them on will be the most expensive of this whole project, Thank you all for the inspiration to keep goin on this project.
Mike
 
Have you found any case-hardened files, Fenixforge? That's the traditional way to make files, but I have the impression there haven't been any case-hardened files on the market for many years.

-Cougar Allen :{)
 
Cougar, I think I have found 1 that was case hardened. Most of them are good. But, I'm confused. I always heard that the older ones were high carbon, and many of the cheaper, new ones were case hardened. I didn't think case hardening (in large batches) was economical until a few decades ago. You can still get new, high carbon files, but they are usually much more expensive than the new case hardened ones. Fill me in on what you know about this.
 
I haven't done that much with files, especially in recent years ... I hope someone who has comes in....

When I say "traditional" I mean starting centuries ago, maybe millenia -- that's the way files were made in the old days. I've made a couple that way myself because I wanted an odd shape -- it's easier to glue some emery cloth to a piece of wood or metal, though.

The few files I've made into knives or other tools were high-carbon steel and worked fine. I think all the cheap files -- normal priced files, I should say -- made in recent decades are high-carbon steel, W-1 or similar. There are some high-buck files made of more exotic stuff but they all seem to be labeled as such. I don't think I've tried anything really cheap so those could be case-hardened for all I know.

-Cougar Allen :{)
 
OK Ive been making my knives out of files for a while now so here's some info. the older files are high carbon hardened steel, some , not all of the newer files are case hardened which will not work unless you re-heattreat them. Good files to use are the large rasps that farriers(horshoers)sp? use.
files can produce awesome blades that work great.
 
There seems to be some confusion here.... Case-hardening is heating a piece of mild steel in the presence of carbon, so it absorbs the carbon and the surface of the piece becomes heat-treatable high-carbon steel (which is then hardened). If you find a case-hardened file you'll know it because once you grind off the surface you'll have mild steel, not heat-treatable.

-Cougar Allen :{)
 
Jumping in here... So I can get this right in my simple mind.
smile.gif
1-Anneal the file(soften), 2-Shape\grind\file\sand, 3-Heat treat(harden), 4-Finish\handle\sharpen. I know its not this simple, I just want to get the basic steps clear... Did I get it right?

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Don Juvet, Somerset CA, U.S.A.

 
Yes Don, thats it. Just be sure to test the blade first for hardening potential (as discussed above) before you put all that work into it. You have to sacrifice part of the file (the part that shatters like glass). But it keeps you fom working hard on a knife that is made from low-carbon steel.
 
Thanks for the info. Having horses and with our farrier being a close friend I have access to rasps at a very good price ($0) on his dull ones. Currently I have 3 will be able to get more soon I'm sure. I'm going to give it a shot after my current projects.

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Don Juvet, Somerset CA, U.S.A.

 
I usually find old files at flea markets. I can typically get them for $.50-$1 range, with size and condition varying.

By the way, I'd love to see a photo of the finished blade/knife when it is done.

Mike
 
Might work T4. But be sure and test it first. I have heard that hoof/farrier rasps are more likely to be case hardened than other files.
 
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