Making a knife

[Beo]

Does anyone have any tips for making a knife? I'm not talking bout chipping one from flint or stone, tried that it was fun. I'm talking about using a leaf spring or file, and building a fire and pounding out the blade. I wanna try this but have limited knowledge.
Yeah I know that it can googled, what can't, but googling does not beat getting advice from those who've done it.
Beo.

[HOP]

Start with the best carbon steel you can find, older leaf springs are good you need a really hot fire to get your steel cherry red beat out basic size and shape and then grind to exact shape and heat treat and temper , it is really worth looking at a tutorial on this many of the knife makers are realy good about giving advice there are several methods for heat treating and tempering do all your finishing except handle before heat treatment.

[Beo]

Cool, thanks bro.

[trax]

Can't say it any better than he did. I'm going to try to get all the components together this fall and hopefully knock a few out over the winter, myself.

[Tony uk]

Get an Old metal file, one that has a good thickness and not rustes or damaged, if it has a handal attached take it off, But keep it Now from the top of the small pointed bit start measureing how long you want the blade to be and then cur at that line, at the top round off the corner so that it goes like a 1/4 circle to the top part, Now useng a grinder form the blade BUT dont make it sharp yet only form how it should look, Now to make the handel, Okay cut out a piece of rectangular metal, This will be the guard, Made a hole in the center as big as where the blade part starts then put it on, You can weld or leave it like that or the moment, For the rest of the handel you can attach the older one you took off with some kind of adesive or cut out small circules of wood Each the same size But since the bottome of the point is smaller than the top the holes the the middle will have to be a different size depending of the order you want to put them in, Once you have done that glue them together the the correct order and then shape it the way you want in a lathe, Pour glue down the hollow center of them all untill it runs out the other end (This has to be Really strong adesive) then shove the blade bit on untill its noce and tight, With a damp cloth wipe off the exess and leave to dry for say 1 or two day depending on what you use, there should be instructions on the container telling you how long to wait, Okay now you have the knife, Sharpen the blade and thats it it should last you some time depending on how you treat it.

[Beo]

Wait here's what I'm working with.
1. An old file fairly thick 1/8th in. & is 13 in. long but seems like it would make a good
knife.
2. 11 inches of leaf spring, bout quarter inch thick maybe just a little thinner.
3. Handle will be wrapped (braided) in paracord (love that looks nice and is functional)
5. Fire Pit with bellows (belongs to a friend until I don't return it
Now how can ya help me?
Might have to do what HOP said, I wanna use the leafspring cause I think it'll last longer.
What do ya'll think?

[trax]

You got something to use for an anvil? For shaping the steel on. If you can lay your hands on a short piece of railroad track...perfect. Other than that, the earlier advice was good. I'm stocking up on a few pieces of steel to work with, I don't really expect to get it perfect on my first try (Well if I do, bonus) I'm also hanging on to the next set of antlers I get for knife handles.( I usually have someone asking and I just give them away, not into trophies)

[warman87]

this link could help u with your homeade knife good luck
http://www.knifeseek.com/workshop/tu..._burnett.shtml

[Beo]

I got a box of antlers, sounds good for a handle I'll try it too, if anyone needs antler for handle let me know. Yeah I got a 30 pound anvil on my work bench.
Thanks for all the help.

[Beo]

Wow!!!! Warman87 went to that site and started reading... there is sooooo much info its mind boggling, never thought that much about making a knife. I was gonna just heat the metal and pound out my shape, quench it, reheat and pound out my edge, quench, and reheat to temper and then polish up. Boy was I ever wrong.
Thanx Bro
Beo,

[warman87]

np ive made a few knives but i use the stock removal method its easyer for me as a noob i also make my own throwing knives i allso know a fare bit about forge making knives

[HOP]

There has always been a division of which is better over the years forged or stock removal I have discussed this with knife makers and come to no conclusions even forged blades have to be ground to final refined shape I had read about forgeing forming a beter molecular structure but when you grind only you still can get a strong knife. Anyway I like to look for interesting pieces of wod while I am in the bush and put them up to dry and then stabilize them and use them for handles some section of deer bone make god looking handles but stink when ground.

[warman87]

here is a "all in 1" link fr yall http://www.knivesby.com/knifemaking.html at the bottom it shows u how to make sheaths this is the link i use a bunch enjoy
ooo and it even has antler handle help

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

old skil saw blade make real good knife also cut out pattern grind down heat treat it attach handle mine is paracord handled love the stuff and is dual purpose