This is a thread that I thought many of you do it yourself guys might like. First off, I am not an athority on knife making, I just got into it for fun like most other things I do. I have been able to use some of my engineering education however in order to help me make knives that are suited to my tasks. This is a step by step guide, but if anyone has any questions or a better/different way of doing any one of the steps please feel free to add to the info for anyone else who may want to do this themselves.
 
The equipment I use:
Dremel tool for rough cut-out work
Nicholson Mill Bastard files - the more the better
brass rod and plate of whatever thickness you prefer
a nice piece of leftover scrap hardwood
hot plate or electric stove
small bench vise
rasp (for wood shaping)
sand paper (80,100,150,220,1500,2000)
Drill bits
Fiberglass resin
Pencil/paper
3M spray on glue or elmers glue
 
First I work on the steel for the blade. You can make the blade out of whatever steel you prefer but I like an old file to make mine. I have even bought new files to use, at $8.00 it is really not that expensive, but you can't just file it down and sharpen it and put on a handle. If you do not temper the blade (actually annealing the high carbon steel) the blade will snap clean off the first time it is in a bind or hits somehting as hard as the blade itself. Files are made of water quenched tool steel (usually 1095) which is to say it is made of common steel with between 0.90-1.03% carbon content, which is what allows it to be so hard. Files are made to resist wear so at first glance they seem perfect for knives. It is true that they will hold an edge, but as I said before without a different heat treatment, the blade will snap and be of no use, not to mention how hard it is to sharpen a file that has not been annealed or retempered. If you want to test this out look at any new file that does not have a handle but just the tapered end. On a new one and some old ones you can see the discoloration of this tip. The discoloartion is where the file was heated to a certain temp. and cooled at a different rate than the rest of the file. They do this at the factory to allow you to be able to drill through this portion of the file in order to attach a handle that might require a pin to hold it in place. Take a drill and drill though the discolored taper and then try and do the same at the other end of the file. You can also use a vise to hold about .5" of the tapered end in and then bend it over, but if you put the other end of the file in the vise, you will end up breaking the file if you tried to bend it.
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=381&stc=1)
 
So, to anneal the file place it directly on a large electric stove or hotplate set on high. I usually let it sit on the eye for 30 mins. or so but you should be able to see the file turn color, a gray. Make sure the entire file had turned color by moving the file around so that it reaches a uniform temp. then allow it to cool to room temp. without blowing on it or dipping in water, this is important! The dark gray color is actually some of the carbon near the surface leaching out of the steel, which is what allows the blade to remain very hard but bocome more ductile and less brittle. Basically we are making a compromise, the harder the steel the better it holds an edge, but it also makes it harder to sharpen and more britle. So we are increasing the steels ductility and decreasing the hardness.
 
Next, draw the outline of the file on a piece of paper. Then pretend your in kindergarden and stay within the lines and draw out the shape of your knife. Once you have the shape you can copy it on a copy machine and cut both knives out. Next spray some glue on the file and glue your patterns on each side(make sure they line up) Now I use my dremel tool and carfully cut out the pattern with abrasive cutt-off wheels.
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=382&stc=1)
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=383&stc=1)
 
Now is the time to do all the metal work on the knife blank. Use a file set to file down the edges at the angle you like. I have left the cross hatch pattern before in some knives, but I prefer to file them away becasue it looks better and offers less resistance when cutting.
Go slow and don't get in a hurry. Be as consistant on your angles as possible now and it will make sharpening latter on a stone tons easier.
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=384&stc=1)
 
Making the handle.
You can make the knife blade so you can see it, or with a little more time and effort you can make it so the knife is completely covered by the handle and glued on with an epoxy.
Get as fancy as you like. I am not going to get into all the details so you can use your imagination. If someone wants more info on how I make the handle, just let me know and I'll come back and edit this to make it more complete.
 
Here is a pic of some scrap walnut a guy gave me a year ago and I'm just now using some of it. (http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=380&stc=1)
 
Here is the carved handle I made for the knife in this thread looking down so you can see the cavity that the hilt of the knife fits into.
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=385&stc=1)
 
These are my first two attempts at knives. They are both sharp enough to actually shave with and I will post later about how I actually sharpen my knives.
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=386&stc=1)
(http://www.thehunterslife.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=387&stc=1)
 
I hope this is a good start for anyone interested in making a cheap knife that can outperform and outlast some really expensive ones on the market. I will continue to add to this thread, but I am tired and will have to continue another time.
 
Chris

Wow... that is awesome. EXCELLENT post! Looks simple enough... but man does it take skill to make a nice one. Nice job on your knives, I like that stag handled one :)
 
I wonder if I could ever make one as nice as my benchmade? lol i think ill give it a try tomorrow.
 
Randy

Thanks, I like the stag handled one alo. The funny thing is that it was easier than the others I have made. I have the mate to that antler and maybe one day I'll make its mirror. I did a lot a fileing today on the knife I am currently working on. I'm just now getting an edge on it. I will post later exactly how I sharpen them once I have an edge on it.
 
Chris

I managed a few attempts today at cutting down these 1/3" carbon steel plates my dad had for some odd job. Tempered the steel on a hot plate I found in our junk shed. Got a nice outline made to the likeness of my Ka-Bar combat knife. Dad booted me out of the shop cuz he's making a sled for the 4-wheeler Anyways, tomorrow I'll try and the the drop point cut out and sharpen it.
 
For a handle I was thinking about cutting a chunk off one of my beat-up old 10/22 stocks. Im thinking the laminated rosewood would be nice. Or maybe just fabricating a finger guard and wrapping it with para-cord.
 
Man you got me going. Hope I get it done before I leave for basic monday morning :O
 
Randy

My advice is to take the plates and see how they hold an edge before you put too much time and energy into it. I found out the hard way that you have to do some testing to make sure you get the desired results. Yout probaly will not have the brittle problem I had with the untempered files, but depending on the carbon content of the steel, you might not have a knife that will hold a good edge. Just try it and see is my advice though. Have fun, and I hope you come up with something that you like.
 
How long will you be gone to basic training?
 
Chris

Good point CGP... best not put the cart before the horse. My dad is STILL out there bangin away on taht sled... so tomorrow is test day for that steel. I have a good feeling that its some good stuff though. It tempered nicely and shares the same cleavage and tint as my hunting knife.
 
23 weeks of basic for me... 9 weeks for the typical basic, then 11 more weeks for AIT- where you train for your job, artillery for me, as well as another 3 weeks for airborne training at Ft. Benning, Ga.
 
Randy

Well, good luck with the knife and at basic. I wonder if you might be able to get on the net at some point during your 23 week stint? I'm just wondering if you will be able to check in with us every once in a while maybe after your first 9 weeks or so.
 
Stay safe,
Chris

cgphunter...Hopefully I will have time this winter to try my hand at knife making...thanks for the instructions and the incentive!
 
Vacant...Good luck on your adventure & knife making!

Well, I got it together. I used part of a spare 10/22's stock fore-end. It was a nice rosewood that I whittled down so it looked like a Buck knife handle- two parts so the blade metal would show between them. I glued the two parts on the knife and clamped it down to set. About an hour later I drilled 2 holes through the handle and the blade and drifted 2 cut-down stainless 10/22 buffers through, so that it was held by two pillars and the glue.
 
After that I put the finishing touches on the wood- a few clear coats buffed with fine steel wool. I am so proud of this knife. Im already planning to make a leather sheath for it tomorrow morning as well as a finger guard to make it more "bowie" fighting style as opposed to a skinner.
 
Im gonna try and get pics tomorrow, but no promises because our camera is "kaput".
 
Thanks a million for the inspiration cgp, man now I'm not so anxious about leavin monday... I wanna stay and make knives lol!
 
Randy

Well, I'm so glad I was able to give some inspiration. I am glad to hear that you are as excited about working and learning about knives as I am. I sure would like to see your handy work Vacant, I'm sure it will serve you well. Good luck in the comeing months and God bless.
 
Chris

Hi all,
 
I have a knife which my dad made 50 years ago on this same basis.  I took pictures of it this weekend but it is the first picture on a new 36 exposure film so it will be some time until I get it developed.  I will post the pics in time.
 
The item I want to mention is the way in which the handle was made.  This is an older style of handle making. The handle consists of series of "washers" threaded onto the handle.  The first one, nearest the blade and the last one are metal.  In between are "leather" washers, each cut to a different size to "shape" the handle. It looks really neat.  I have seen simlilar handles where instead of leather material such as perspex, aluminium or copper was used (or these materials are alternated, one copper one perspex etc or different coloured pieces of perspex).  The last metal piece that holds the whole lot together can either be screwed onto the end of the file (by cutting matching thread on the file & in the hole) or (the way my dad's was made) the end of the file sticking through the hole is simply "riveted" to hold it down.
 
You really need to see the pictures to appreciate it though. I'll find something to photograph to get that film full. (I really must invest in a digital camera)
 
C

I have an old hammer that is made the way you describe, with the leather washers. I am doing something similar except I am using wood and brass. I will post the pics when I get done.
 
i need a digital camera also. so much to get, so little money.
 
Chris

OK,

 
Here are the pics.  That is a 30-06 cartridge next to the knife for scale.
 
 
Regards.
 
C

CGP, I have been following this thread since you started it.  I had been thinking about trying my hand at knife making.  Not as a business but just as a fun hobby.  I don't really have a shop perse for said projects but might put one up in the spring.  I certainly appreciate your info.  Very helpful.  
 
Have you tried making a knife out of old saw blades?  I was thinking maybe some circular saw blade metal.  Not sure what kind of metal it is but seems it might be strong enough for a knife.  Just wondering about carbon content, temper, etc.
 
Mike

Sorry for not replying to your question sooner Mike, I have been hunting and studying for exams the past week or so. I have heard that you can make knives out of old saw blades, and I have seen some done that way. I saw some made from old cross cut hand saws and two man timber saws. They are thin and very flexible and they make excellent fillet knives b/c they can bend to the curvature of the backbone. I don't know much about the steel used in moden circular saw blades. Here is my best guess though. The blade itself is probably not of the same quality as the carbide tips and/or the tips are heat treated in a different manner as opposed to the overall blade. There are several ways to test for hardness and various other properties of the steel in order to find out its carbon content and if it is a simple carbon steel or a complicated alloy. Hope that helps.
 
Chris