Hand files, respirators, and steel bars.

Chang

Chang

Joined
Oct 9, 1998
Messages
1,767
Hey guys, I think I'm going to try learning how to make knives on my own. Only problem is that I'm a 16 year old kid and I don't have any equipment
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. Someone told me long ago that you don't need a belt grinder to make a knife, you just need a lot of spare time and a set of coarse hand files. I also got a couple slabs of carbon fiber.

What kind of stuff do I need to get started? Mainly, what brand of respirator, files, etc. should I get that would be minimal cost and decent value? Any books that would be useful to read?

What's an easy to work affordable steel that comes in 1/8" thickness?

Thanks a lot, guys!

[This message has been edited by Comrade Chang (edited 04-23-2001).]
 
If you haven't read both Robert Loveless' and David Boye's books on knifemaking, be sure and pick up both of them. They are easy to find on amazon or perhaps used on ebay.

As a first steel, I'd suggest one of the simple carbon tool steels such as 1095 or O1. A good source would be any of the knifemakers supply houses such as Koval or Jantz who sell steel.

I would really suggest making models from plexiglass to start with. This way you can refine the design without wasting steel.

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http://www.wilkins-knives.com
http://www.wilkins.de
 
I do all my knifemaking with hand tools, with the exception of a drill press for drilling holes and a 6-inch bench grinder for profiling blades. It really is quite easy, especially if you are not as interested in a nice finish as in making a functional knife. The real bear in kniemaking, in my experience, is getting a perfect finish. It is so much easier with the right power equipment! In any case, I use as long of a bastard file as I can, and I think they are single cut. Instead of a bunch of diamond-shaped teeth, you should see rows of teeth all running parallel to one another. For a long time I was using really old dull files, and I just bought a new file for my last knife project and the difference was AMAZING! 1084, 1095, and O-1 can all be easily heat-treated with minimal equipment, too (assuming the blade is relatively light and small). I use 1084 and it makes great knives.

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Dr. Steve Agocs
http://www.geocities.com/Chiro75/frames.html


agocs_s@hotmail.com
 
When I was 10 I started grinding my mother's old kitchen knives on a bench grinder, and re-handle them. It did teach me a few things. But my parents thought that something was psychologically wrong with me, little did they know! I took them to a knife show and showed them that knives can be pieces of art, and not just weapons. I soon after got a bandsaw and drill press for christmsa, and my shop has been getting smaller ever since. I am 25 now and still learn something with each knife I make.

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A Knife is no more than an Iron Tooth
 
Chang:

go to www.KnifeForums.com

Look in the "Newbies Forum" for a topic entitled "Absolute Cheapskate Way To Make Knives" by a guy named Jonesy.

It's all there - from profiling to hand filing the main bevels to heat treat to putting on handle slabs. Photos show you each step of the way, and you can always ask the other members for help if you get lost!
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Tom Anderson
Hand Crafted Knives


www.andersoncustomknives.com
 
Tom, wow, that is a cool tutorial on knife making. Thanks a lot for telling me about it. What sort of epoxy do you use to glue knife handles on?
 
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