So My 10yo Daughter Wants to make a Knife

W

Will Leavitt

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Jul 28, 2006
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My youngest, Sarah, wants to make a knife. She knows a lot She's been around the forges and stuff since she was small.

She knows never to walk around the smithy barefoot when someone is forging.

She knows that just cause it ain't red doesn't mean it ain't hot (no, not been burned but shown).

She knows a bladesmith will put the fire out on his shirt AFTER he finishes hammering, then put on his leather apron.

So basically she knows more than me.... and she STILL wants me to teach her to make a knife. Problem is although she's 10, she's small for her size and can't really swing even a 1# hammer. Around the grinder she lacks the arm strength to hold blades up grinding for long periods. I was thinking of making her some "kit" knives from her designs, rough ground, heat treated and tempered and let her finish them out.

Y'all got any other ideas besides having a good knifemaker teach her? ;D
 
Will, I'd let her make it. she swings her hammer then you swing yours back and forth like that till it's shaped. then show her how to finish it up by hand... but let her put in her own elbow grease. Thats how my son Jake and I are working his. (He's 11)

just my suggestion

Jason
 
You're a lucky guy Will. Be as patient as possible, and consider making a matched set.

Take care, Craig
 
Will thats awesome, I could only hope my kids will be interested in the outdoors and knives like me. Right now sponge bob is king. Please post pics on the progress.
-frank
 
Start with making a hot dog cooker. Use a piece of 1/8" square stock ,about 36" long. Give her a 12 oz. Ball Peen. Help her taper the ends into points. Heat the center and fold it for her. Let her heat the ends, about 6" back, and bend them at 90 degrees each way (using a pair of pliers or scrolling tongs). Re-heat, then bend again to make two parallel tines.Straighten them for her and clean them up as needed. Once the forks are more or less straight, heat the twin shafts. Clamp the tines in a vise, and the two of you can twist the handle with a pair of pliers or tongs ( if it is good and hot ,it twists like butter, but you guide the tongs and apply as much extra force as needed). You will ,of course, straighten things as you/she work on it. Once it is done. Get a pack of hot dogs and grill a couple. The two of you can eat them and have lunch together.

Do something like this and I promise you and she will never forget it.

Next:

At another session, make a super simple small knife. She can pound on the blade while you hold the tongs. You straighten (and shape) the blade between her heats. A little kitchen paring knife in 1084 with a 2" blade and a 3.5" tang will be a good starter blade. The flat grinding is simple - you show her how it is done while she watches (She is not ready for such dangerous tools,yet). She can sand on it with sand paper and a block of wood to get it smooth (after you get it pretty smooth first). The HT is fun for her to watch. Let her count out loud as you heat the blade for a count of 20 after non-magnetic.I will be willing to bet that she gives out a big shriek when you quench it. Clean it up and let her set it in the kitchen oven to temper (start with a cold oven).
The simple scales and brass rivets on the handle can be glued up by her with your help . Let her pick the wood she likes from the wood box. After you shape it on the grinder, she can again do some finish sanding on the wood. You clean it up a bit, buff the handle, and show her how you sharpen a knife.
Then the two of you go in and make a salad with the knife....which the whole family eats at dinner.

If possible, have Mom or a friend take photos (you will need to have full undivided attention ). These Kodak moments will be her pride and joy.

Trust me on this.....you won't be sorry.
Stacy

Note;
The above requires some pre-planning and the proper safety equipment.
 
My daughter is 11 and I'm tentative about letting her also. She's usually the one that says "Shouldn't you be wearing safety glasses too?" so I hear what you're saying. I think for mine I'm going to grind one out for her and HT it, then let her hand sand, polish, handle, etc. I love the fact mine is interested also and the last thing I want to do is give her too much in one project and turn her off on it. Kids are great but they have the attention span of a gnat! :D
 
i would like to teach my younger brother to make knives ( he is 7) no way he can forge one (i don't know how either) any advice?
 
My son was forging blades at 12 but gave up on smithing when he turned 14. My oldest daughter is into art but not into knives. Sarah loves to go to forge council meetings, I've got to pay her dues but she'll be the youngest registered smith by at least 3 years.

I've got some simple wall sconces (candle holders) designed that she should be able to smith out if she wants. At the last forge meeting the forge master had a book of iron art and Sarah sat there for 3 hours going over the metal work.

I've got her a small 65# anvil but need to make a stand for it.

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm going to see what she wants to do.

I love Sponge Bob too!!! When I was in Kosovo, one of my guy's wife would tape the shows all week and send it too us, Sundays were Sponge Bob day if we didn't have missions out. :D

Edited to add:

Stacy, she has her own gloves, face shield, respirator and hearing muffs. :D
 
Stacy, I'm going to bookmark this post for the future. I just think that is a terrific plan. My daughter's a little young still (three on the 15th) but I'm always trying to think of good, thoughtful parenting techniques and yours sounds like a dilly. Thanks.

Gavin

P.S. Will, I think it's great that you don't blow your kids off when they show interest.
 
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I think it is great , soon the shop will be hers after school until dinner and you will have to go cut the lawn or something . Stacy's ideas will definitly give her pride and encouragement
 
Will,
There have been a few good ideas thrown around. Don't be too fearful of letting her try things. You may be surprised.

My son is 11 and always wants to help around the shop. Sometimes he makes me nuts but I always try to tell myself that there will come a day when it's not cool to hang around with Dad anymore. I hope that never happens and try to do things with him all the time. He loves going fishing too.

What I'll do in the shop is I'll mount some steel on a milling vise and let him drill a bunch of holes to get to know the sensation of drilling and smoking bits. He's still a bit leary about the KMG running at full tilt but if I slow it down, he'll make some steel dust. He's not really ready to grind a blade but he's starting to get the hang of it. I make folders so just about every operation requires a quick rub on the sanding plate to keep things flat. He likes doing that for me. (at least someone likes doing it). His favorite by far is when I get the torch out for soldering. He will hold the torch for me while I solder the bolsters. When it comes to the mundane tasks like hand sanding, it's PS2 time and he disappears.

I made a nice slipjoint last week and helped on quite a bit of it. I told him I sold it but he's getting it for Christmas.
 
Sarah tried grinding some 1095 on the BK running pretty slow. She got mad that it wasn't throwing sparks. She does some drilling and hand sands until she gets tired. I think we'll try some forging tomorrow if she's feeling better.

Well she's under the weather today so maybe tomorrow otherwise it'll have to wait until I have her for the week around Christmas.
 
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