Looking for "How to" info on how to make a knife blade from a saw blade!

L

littlerascals

Joined
Jan 27, 2011
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Hi Guys

I'm new here and thought that this would be a good place to scout out "how to" info.

I am wanting to make a knife. A the moment setting a up a forge is out of the question, so I'd like to start by making a knife using an old saw blade.

There are 2 things that I am looking for
1. How to tutorials - if there are any out there
2. Knife patterns - Am new to the knife realm and want to know of some good functional bushcraft knives

I have picked up a couple of old 7" saw blades and was hoping to revamp them into a couple of knives. I realize that these are a little small, but I was able to snag them for 50 cents each, so I have nothing to complain about.

Look forward to tapping into some of the expertise out there. Thanks in advance!
 
Also check out David Boye's book. The entire thing revolves around making good, solid knives from saw blades.
 
David Boye's Step by Step Knifemaking, all the way. All about saw blades. If you don't have a torch, cut out with an angle grinder.

I'd scrap those 7" saw blades. They probably are not good knife steel. Even old handsaw blades will do you better. Better yet, go get a piece of O1 or maybe 1095 from your local machine shop or steel supplier. Not perfect beginner steel but much better than an unknown.
 
I've yet to find a 7" saw blade that would make a decent knife with my tools, agree with SS even a handsaw blade will be better... but fool around and have fun!
 
Salem Straub said:
David Boye's Step by Step Knifemaking, all the way. All about saw blades. If you don't have a torch, cut out with an angle grinder.

I'd scrap those 7" saw blades. They probably are not good knife steel. Even old handsaw blades will do you better. Better yet, go get a piece of O1 or maybe 1095 from your local machine shop or steel supplier. Not perfect beginner steel but much better than an unknown.
Click to expand...

Very good book! I read that book in the early 80s', then made a couple thousand good knives from old sawmill blades. Sawmill being the key word ;)
 
Hey Don, I started off with gang saw blades from a saw mill and made many in the style of the two Green River hunters. Frank
 
For knife patterns, do an image search and type in the type of knife you're interested in. This is a source of inspiration for me, take some aspect of the handle from one, something from the blade of another, tweak it a bit to suit your tastes and presto, knife design.

You should be pouring over all the threads and using the search function. The information is here but you gotta dig for it.

- LonePine
AKA Paul Meske, Wisconsin
 
To understand the confusion between

"saw blades make good knives"
.................and..................
"saw blades won't make good knives"

, you have to know what saw blades they are talking about.
The circular saw blades from lumber yards and saw mills were huge blades ranging from 30" to 72", and 1/4" or more thick. They were often made from 1075/L6 type steel, which can be heat treated well at home or professionally.
The circular saw blades you put on shop power saws, like the 71/4" skill saw blades and similar types are 6-12" in diameter, about 1/8" max. and made from some sort of high chrome steel. The teeth are what cuts, and are either pulse hardened, or have carbide inserts. The steel will not harden properly, and can not be heat treated at home. A professional HT source would not be able to HT the steel either.

Purchasing a $5-10 piece of steel is a good way to get started....using a 7" circular saw blade is a bad way to get started.
 
bladsmth said:
To understand the confusion between

"saw blades make good knives"
.................and..................
"saw blades won't make good knives"

, you have to know what saw blades they are talking about.
The circular saw blades from lumber yards and saw mills were huge blades ranging from 30" to 72", and 1/4" or more thick. They were often made from 1075/L6 type steel, which can be heat treated well at home or professionally.
The circular saw blades you put on shop power saws, like the 71/4" skill saw blades and similar types are 6-12" in diameter, about 1/8" max. and made from some sort of high chrome steel. The teeth are what cuts, and are either pulse hardened, or have carbide inserts. The steel will not harden properly, and can not be heat treated at home. A professional HT source would not be able to HT the steel either.

Purchasing a $5-10 piece of steel is a good way to get started....using a 7" circular saw blade is a bad way to get started.
Click to expand...


Very good advice. You will be much better off by spending a few bucks on a known steel that is annealed and ready to heat treat. Old sawblades are already hardened and will have to be annealed or you will spend so much time grinding/filing the hardened steel it wont be worth it. So do yourself a big favor and buy a 1&1/2 x 18" x 5/32" piece of O1, A2, or D2. It comes annealed ground and ready to grind/file and will be big enough for 2 good size knives and all for less than 20 bucks. Hope this helps.
 
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