Started making a little knife & question about files.

S

Spinerazor

Joined
Mar 30, 2012
Messages
510
Hey Guys, i started making my third little knife out of the prybar i decided to chop up, it's still pretty roughly shaped in but it's a start, I think the steel is 1095 but i'm really not sure what prybars are made out of. The stock is 1/4" thick and the blade cutting surface is 2", overall 4" fits in my hand pretty well, i'm going to make it a key chain i think, the back is a screwdriver, couldnt think of anything else to do with it, maybe drill it and cord wrap it?

I have a question regarding file life, if anyone could help me on this... i bought 2 new files and after making two knives and now the third they are really dull, can they be sharpened? or is it normal to go through files all the time?

Ok, thanks for lookin'

 
Got a bit more done today, i also learned that sanding a sharpened blade can be dangerous when you slip...

 
Nice work. There is a sticky in the Knife Makers' forum about making knives from files, check it out, lots of info. I believe the issue with files if they start off too hard to work so you need to soften them but then harden them again afterwards or you will end up w/ your problem, blades that won't get or keep much of an edge.
 
MassMatt said:
Nice work. There is a sticky in the Knife Makers' forum about making knives from files, check it out, lots of info. I believe the issue with files if they start off too hard to work so you need to soften them but then harden them again afterwards or you will end up w/ your problem, blades that won't get or keep much of an edge.
Click to expand...

Thanks MassMatt, but what i mean is the files i'm using to work the blades are getting dull very fast and i wanted to know if thats normal.
 
Spinerazor said:
Thanks MassMatt, but what i mean is the files i'm using to work the blades are getting dull very fast and i wanted to know if thats normal.
Click to expand...

What brand are they? Cheap imported files are barely worth using. Nicholson and Simmonds brand files last a good deal longer. Craftsman files are pretty decent and SEARS will replace them when they wear out.
 
Files only cut in one direction, forward so don't drag it back. Get a file brush and keep em cleaned out. Defiantly buy Usa made files.
 
People knock the harbor freight files but I find them to last nearly as long as a nicholson is used properly. Cheap to, theres a thread i think on dfogg forums that shows the steel makeup of different files, the HF are nearly identical to nicholsons. Hardness might be different though.
 
I really like it! I don't even own, carry, or use fixed blades and I want one of those lol.
It's so cute. It looks like it'll hold up to some good use too! I really like the etching actually.
I think it would look good on the entire blade.
Also, files do sometimes wear out. Your best best is to get some new ones.
Sharpening them won't do anything.
 
i decided to try etching another one of my little blades, i'm liking it better than just plain old polish!



 
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