Adding Jimping to your knife

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Adding Jimping to your custom made knife

The Jimping is the small notches or file work typically cut into the back of a blade. jimping is used to prevent your fingers from sliding when using the knife.

I first laid out and cut with the band saw. A hacksaw would work well here if you didn’t have access to a bandsaw. Then start the filing with a triangle edge of a file. I used a 7/32” chainsaw file to cut this Jimping. I cut 10 Stokes on each hole until the cut marks disappeared. By counting strokes I had even depth all the way across.

There are endless types and styles of jimping. And there are endless ways to cut it.

Some knife makers who do jimping as lot will use a checkering file. These come in different sizes for a fine or course cut. They definitely add to the cost of equipment money spent if you decided to go this route. If you want the very fine and machinery cut look, it’s the best and quickest way to go however.

First you should decide if you want or need jimping, and what you think you need it for.

But here is how I did one knife. You can also see others:

• Knife – 42 Hunter Forged from an Implement Tine – Cold Blued
• Knife 34 – Hidden Tang Aluminum Framed Knife
• Knife 33 – Hidden Tang Antler Handled Hunter
• Knife 55 Seax – Vine Filing-laminated scales

There are mixed opinions in the knife world as to whether jimping is a good thing or not. Some knife makers put it on for aesthetical reasons, others do not like it at all.

A practical reason is to form a reference “feel” point for the blade. Obviously it does do this, the question is, “Is it needed”?

It’s also put there as a “stop” for your hand or thumb from sliding forward. The added grip add when the jimping is made can help ass friction. But once again the question comes up, “Is it needed”?

Some knife users will go as far as removing the jimping from their favorite knife.

So bottom line is it depends on the user and how they are using the knife.

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