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Knife 67 Bone handled Pirates knife I made this just for fun I am calling it the Knife 67 Bone handled Pirates knife. High Carbon steel with a 5 1/2″ blade   […]

Buy on Amazon   A guide for new knife makers who want to experience knife making but do not know where to start. This book is designed to be picked up by any person who wishes to make a knife. It does not matter if the intent is to make one or two, to try the hobby to see if it fits, or go on to making more and better knives. This book walks through the exact process the author used when building his first knives and described the successful processes as well as the mistakes made. It will discuss how to design and make your first knives; with tools you may already. It describes the most preferable type of steel you should use to make your first knife and why it is important. The book steps through: Choosing Knife making Stock Edge Geometry Knife Design Starter Tools Knife Layout Grinding And Shaping Grinding a Knife tips Drilling the Handle Hand Sanding Heat Treating Tempering […]

The Muk knife is named after George Washington Sears (Nessmuk) (December 2, 1821 – May 1, 1890)), who made it popular when he wrote “Woodcraft”, an article published in Forest and Stream Publishing Company, New York, in 1920 and republished by Dover Publication Inc. in 1963. (click were to Continue reading the history here–>) I’m still using this heat treating method –> Grinding the bevel was done by hand on my belt grinder–>  Here is the grinding technique–> It was sharpened on my DIY sharpener–> I haven’t made a knife in a while, but I got a request for a full tang MUK  Knife without any scales. The future recipient wanted to add his own scales. So I made this:   […]

The Leuku Knife, also known as a Sami knife (Sami: stuorraniibi = “big knife”, Finnish: lapinleuku or leuku), is a large knife traditionally used by the Sami people. I decided to try some Laurel Mountain Barrel Brown & Degreaser to brown the blade. This is how it came out! […]

Leuku knife … In keeping with the History quest, According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sami_knife the Leuku also known as a Sami knife (Sami: stuorraniibi = “big knife”, Finnish: lapinleuku or leuku), is a large knife traditionally used by the Sami people. As best as I can tell by my research, these knives are about 1/8″ – 3/16″ steel and when 9″ long about 1 1/2″ wide. Most examples taper slightly back to the handle. Mos have a slight bulge at the butt of the handle. Blade – 9 1/2″ Overall — 14 3/4 Handle – stabilized maple 1/8″ – 1095 steel . To make the brass pieces I clamped a straight edge across the back of the drill press table. I set the bit as short as I could to help avoid wobble. I used a bit 1/16″ smaller than the tang to allow some room to bring it […]

Not all knife makers make their own Leather Knife Sheath. Some farm out the leather work to leather professionals. Since I like to keep as much of the craftsmanship work for myself, I have chosen to make a leather knife sheath for each of my knives that need one. What follows are some ways I have experimented when I Make a leather knife sheath. I will try to explain the task as best as I can, and as I have elsewhere, I will try to mention my mistakes, so you don’t have to make the same mistakes. There are many ways to perform the task needed to make a leather knife sheath, so you’ll eventually find your own style. I’m using 7-9 oz Full Grain Veggie Tanned Double Shoulder leather. (along with occasion recycled leather) Lets Make A Leather Knife Sheath One of the hardest parts of making a Leather Knife Sheath is getting the template made. Once you have a template, the rest is just a […]

I decided to make a Wooden Lined Knife Sheath for my Kephart EDC. This is how I did it: I marked out the blade on a piece of 1/4″ beach I used a utility knife to cut the border. There are definitely other ways to do this, but the knife was handy. Then, using the knife and a hook knife i hollowed out for the blade. Next I used the belt grinder to profile the lining. I fitted the knife. I wanted just enough room I then cut a new piece of 7-9 oz leather I wet it. I just dunked it in the bucket to make it wet. I then formed it around the liner I made these blocks that i keep in my leather kit. They’re just small blocks with the corners eased so they don’t make tracks in the leather when I clamp them down to stretch and form the leather. Then, starting from the bottom o used an awl to push through and sew the liner in. I kept using my thumb to form and stretch the leather […]

Horace Kephart (1862-1931) is a familiar name to bushcrafters along with George Washington Sears (See Knife 59) and was one of the leading outdoor writers of his time. Kephart designed the knife. This is how he described it in the first edition of Camping and Woodcraft: “This knife weighs only 4 ounces. It was made by a country blacksmith, and is one of the homeliest things I ever saw; but it has outlived in my affections the score of other knives that I have use”. […]

This Brut de Forge Bowie was forged from a similar tine as Knife - 42 Hunter Forged from an Implement Tine. To the right it is being normalized. Notice the groove (or fuller) in the tang. I cut that with the belt grinder. It serves a couple of purposes. It lightens the knife. It makes less surface area of the tang that must be flattened and gives the epoxy some space. […]

Because this Antler Handled Carving Knife's antler was put on with the base end first, it required a little different technique. It seems the base is bone and is harder. It did not soften like a cut end that exposes the softer insides. To get around this I drilled a hole then slightly widen it to be about the width of the tang. I drilled with a drill bit the approximate width and used a Dremel with a cutter to widen it. […]

This is a modern version of “The Muk” knife. The blade is the same, but it has a full tang and a stabilized spalted beech scales. […]

How to Care for a High Carbon Knife / Maintenance of a High Carbon Knife […]

Bunka Chef’s Knife – Making The Makers Mark Made from 3/32” 1095 Handle is wenge and zebra wood Bunka knives are general purpose knives tackling a wide range of common kitchen tasks. Their reverse tanto profile gives the knives a dexterous and delicate tip and a unique and eye-catching aesthetic. It is a general-purpose kitchen knife like a Santoku and it used to be just as popular as the Santoku. With its wider blade, the Bunka knife is suitable for cutting vegetables, while the triangle-shaped tip area is particularly useful when cutting fish and meats. Bunka Chef’s Knife – Making The Makers Mark I had a mishap while making my touch mark in this knife. I made a dent by missing steel stamp. Because of this mishap, I’m changing the way I make the mark. I cut a 3″ hole in a block of oak. I use this to protect the blade should a miss again. I […]

A railroad spike knife is made (....wait for it....) from a railroad spike and it's a project that seems to be a right to passage for a lot of blacksmiths and bladesmiths. It takes a little knowledge and experience to get it right, but honestly, I find them more of a novelty item. […]

I forged Fully Forged Hunting Knife that I broke from another tine as shown in knife 36. I sound up breaking it. I knew I was not finished forging it but I ran out of time, so I just left it sitting on the anvil. The next day I only had a few minutes in the shop. I picked up the knife and noticed a slight warp. Sure, I should have known better but my experience working with mild steel sort of kicked in and I gave it a couple good whacks with the hammer. Boom! A duh moment. […]

The vine pattern is probably the most common type of file work done on a knife spine. I've outlined the steps below so that most everyone can complete this and move on to more exciting filework. […]

This knife was made from a file with Blade Filings added This knife was made from a file with Blade Filings added. This knife’s design is not what was intended. I had a failed attempt to cut Fuller’s in it. I was using a cutoff wheel with a straight edge guide. The guide slipped. So, tyo make something out of nothing, I narrowed it to save the blade. The spline filing was added to dress it up. Blade – 5 ¼” Overall – 10” Steel – an old file Handle – stabilized beech The filings on this blade were made for decoration, no other purpose. In some instances you will see “saw teethe” on the spline. This is meant to be an added tool in a survival situation, but most of them do not work very well. I suspect in most cases they are added for the “cool” factor more than being a real advantage in a real survival situation. There is nothing wrong with recovering from a […]

I had a Knife that came out of the quench with a small warp. Here is how I fixed it. I've used this several times since and it has worked fine every time. […]

On the tang of the this knife, I started adding a dowel to eliminate the need to burn the tang in. Just drill the hole big enough for the dowel and cut a groove for the tang. It then all gets epoxied together. […]

It was time to try my hand at making a Friction Folder. A friction folder is a folding knife that doesn't use a lock or springs. It uses the handle's friction against the tang to stay open. The design has an extended tang. This allows the user's hand to keep the blade from folding shut. When making a Friction Folder it’s best to make a prototype out of heavy paper or thin wood pieces. This allows you to get the pin locations close enough so it can be tuned in final fitting. […]

To me a classic looking knife, a truly exquisite knife, one you just want to carry on your next adventure, will always have a wood handle. Wood is the traditional substance for a beautiful knife handle, and unless you plan to be in the most extreme survival conditions, for lengths of time almost humanly unbearable, a wood handle will always perform wonderfully. And nothing really can compare to wood for adding beauty to your knife, but a basic note about wood scales or handles. […]

Up to this point my knife hardness test has been to chop a hardwood scrap, roughly 2” x 2” by chopping at it as hard as I could. A used knife I had folded on the test and I couldn’t get it heat treated so it would not harden. I was still researching trying to find a better way without buying expensive equipment. […]

Stone Washing for Your Knives' Finish is quite simple. You can actually do it by hand. Just put the knife in a container with media. I used stones I picked up from the side of the road. […]

If you choose, you can make your own mosaic pins. Mosaic pins are simply pins with a decorative look. To make a mosaic pin, simply fill a tube with whatever you think will look cool. Here is a few I did. […]

At this point I decided I wanted to stabilize the wood I used for handles. Stabilizing Scales (and handles) helps eliminate the possibility of the handle going bad because of moisture causing expansion or contraction if it dries out. It minimizes or eliminates warping, cracking and other issues that can occur with wood when used under extreme circumstances. It also would allow me to use some spalted wood that wouldn’t normally be a good handle. […]

The brass finger guard was fitted buy cutting the slot, then slowly filing it until it fit. The blade was also filed slightly to create a very shallow shoulder for the brass to slide up to. It was then drilled for 2 brass 1/8” rods which were peened on (after heat treating). […]

There are endless types and styles of jimping. And there are endless ways to cut it. First you should decide if you want or need jimping, and what you think you need it for. […]

Finding the right belts can be a bit of a learning curve. Here is a little of what I've picked up so far. Here is some information that may be helpful for the steel grinding. […]

I force a patina using Apple Cider Vinegar on "Knife 43 – Hidden Tang Puukko - Apple Cider Vinegar Patina" […]

This knife was forged from an implement tine. This should be close to 5150 if the information on the internet is correct. I found it to be a little harder to forge than the 108x. […]

This Knife "The Knife that has been remade" certainly helped with my knife making education. I made a lot of mistakes and most of this Knife is a transition of those mistakes from trial and error and fix this and try that. […]

Knife 40 – Fully Forged Hunting knife This is the first knife I’m going to call forged. I’ll admit it took me longer due to inexperienced, but not as long as I expected. This is an example of one of the benefits of knowing how to forge a knife along with stock removal. This piece of 1080 would not have been big enough to do what I wanted to do using just stock removal. There was plenty of metal, it just needed to be drawn out and shaped. I started with 1/8” 1080 steel when making “Knife 40 – Fully Forged Hunting knife”. You will want to use a cross peen or rounding hammer. The flat side is for smoothing, the round or peening side is for moving and forming the metal. First, I started with the blade. I heated and hammered the blade into the shape I wanted. I started with the bottom curve then alternated between that and the drop point, all the time keeping the […]

I have Used Ferric Chloride full strength. Some knife makers suggest diluting it. It will take some experimenting to determine which works best for you. To make the containers for the ferric acid I took 2 pieces of 3” PVC and plugged one end and added a cap on the top. I found this sand blast medium barrel perfect for a base for a bit more stability. Clamping it to the wall or a post will work as well. You just do not want it to be tipped over. […]

A Kiridashi is a Japanese style knife usually used as a woodworking marking knife or carving knife. The name ‘Kiridashi’ means ‘to carve out’ in Japanese. The only thing different from the previous kiridashis I made is the burnt ash handles and it was made from a worn-out file. […]

A small utility knife made from a file. I made this knife to try filing on the spline. […]

This knife was an experimental knife. I had a piece of low Carbon Tig welded to 1095 high carbon. I like the way this came out and the different look. […]

Knife 35 – Serbian Cleaver Made from 3/16” 1084 Even though I did very little to this before heat treating, I still wound up with a small warp. I clamped two pieces of metal to provide a very slight over bend and tempered. It came back straight. Because of its size, it took some hand sanding. I used the grinder with an attachment for hook and loop pads (like Knife 30 – Cleaver). It helped a little, but it tore up disk pretty quick. Projects like this make you want a surface grinder. Knife 30 – Cleaver also has a good definition of different cleaver geometry. The blade is 7″Overall length is 13″Hand rubbed oil finish […]

The jimping was first laid out and cut with the band saw. A hacksaw would work well here if you didn't have access to a bandsaw. I then started the filing with a triangle edge of a file. I then used a chainsaw file ADD FILE SIZE> to cut the Jimping. I cut 10 Stokes on each hole until the cut marks disappeared. That way I had even depth all the way across. (See Adding Jimping to your knife) […]

The Knife 33 - Hidden Tang Antler Handled Hunter knife was made from a file using the stock removal technique. You can burn the antler in. Like burning in a wood handle. You drill a hole smaller than the tang. Heat the tang and push the handle down on the tang so it burns in. You repeat the process until the handle is in place. You'd want to do this before heat treating or wrap the blade with a wet cloth. I tried this process, but it didn't work very well on this antler so I decided to file it out. […]

This was made from a left-over piece of 1095. The shape of the piece of steel inspired the knife. I also wanted to try grinding after heat treating before I did it on a full-size cleaver. […]

Knife 30 – Cleaver This Knife 30 – Cleaver is the last knife of the Knives 23-30 – Kitchen Knife Set . I had played around trying to build a cleaver type utensil out of some salvaged steel and it kept warping badly when I heat treated it. I tried several things to straighten and normalize the knife several times, but nothing seemed to work, so I was a little nervous when I started this one. This cleaver is made from 3/16″ 1080. This knife was made with the stock removal process. I copied the pattern of a vintage Dunlap cleaver. Because of the issues with warping I decided to cut a rough shape and heat treat before grinding the bevel.  I knew I would need to be a little extra careful grinding the bevel, but with the ceramic belts and the practice Since I wanted a traditional finish on this cleaver, I was a little intimidated on sanding it, so I purchased an […]

Knife 31 – Santoku – With Hand Sanding Details The Santoku is a general-purpose kitchen knife originating in Japan. Its blade is typically between 5 and 8 in long, and has a flat edge and a sheepsfoot blade that curves in an angle approaching 60 degrees at the point.  Knife 31 – Santoku – has purpleheart and maple scales with G10 spacers. 3/32” 1095 steel. 7″ blade. The next pictures show some hand sanding. When hand sanding all you need is a piece of scrap hardwood or metal about 12” long and 1 ½” to 2” wide. Wrap the sandpaper around the wood and hold the sandpaper tight with you thumb and finger. I typically begin sanding with 80 or 100 grit, but this will also depend on the finish as it comes off the grinder. As your grinding technique gets better, and you find the right combination of belts for your metal, style and finish desires, you will find hand […]

Knives 23-30 – Kitchen Knife Set This Knives 23-30 – Kitchen Knife Set was made at the request of my son Francis and Daughter-in-law Marla. The ask was, “We are also looking for a new butcher/kitchen knife set. A combo of the 2 sets to replace the old junk set we’ve had for 15 years. Something like 4 steak knives, a large size kitchen knife or chef’s knife, essentially what comes in a kitchen/butcher knife set combo. So, it’s really up to you. “ This set was also made from the same lumber as their kitchen counter, kitchen island and a few other kitchen cabinets made. Shelving made from the same tree as the scales and knife block kitchen Island top made from the same tree as the knife scales and knife block So, the learning continues and making this many knives at once made me focus on my mistakes. Most of these mistakes simply took the form of extra work. […]

Knife 22 – 7″ Chef’s Knife Forged from a File Knife 22 – 7″ Chef’s Knife Forged from a File is a kitchen knife. It was the first one I’ve made with a forging technique. This started life as a worn-out file. When you plan to forge a knife, there is no reason to anneal it. Bringing the piece to forging temperature makes the steel as soft as it will get. All that was formed from forging on this knife was the bevel. Working from one end of the blade (tip first) to the other while alternating from one side of the blade to the other end (tang end) to keep the bevel as even as my skill level allowed. The rest was done by stock removal . As was mentioned in Forging a Custom Made Knife, No matter how much you forge, or how good you get at it, there will always be stock removal involved. So, you can forge and file, or forge and grind, either way, you’ll need to […]

Knife 21 – Hidden Tang From a File – Stacked Leather Handle Knife 21 – Hidden Tang From a File – Stacked Leather Handle was made from a worn-out file, this would have been a great knife had I stopped and thought about the design before I built it. There are several design mistakes in this knife. The handle is too short. Not that a longer handle is a must, but for this knife style, it just doesn’t fit. I made the finger guard stop in the same place top and bottom (see the image) so it left an unsightly gap in the blade. I then tried to fix that gap by grinding, but that only made it slightly better. Design Note: Round handles do not provide natural indexing for the blade edge. Oval will provide an index of the edge in relationship to the grip and will also deliver the ability to apply twisting force if needed. Short handles are very undesirable for knives that […]

Knife 20 – Santoku Chef’s Knife A Santoku is a multipurpose kitchen knife of Japanese origin that has a lightweight blade with a straight or slightly curved cutting edge and a spine that curves downward to the tip. This knife is made from 3/32” 1095 Steel. Cocobolo scales. Cocobolo is a hard, dense, oily wood, making it a good choice for a kitchen knife.  The wood has natural oils to resist the moist environment. Anything in the Rosewood family is a classic material for wood handles. 1/8” Brass pins A Saya is a wooden sheath or case. This one is made from spalted beech. The wood was cooked for 2 hours at 140 degrees to ensure any residences still in the wood were taken care of. […]

Knife 19 – Small Hunter or Everyday Carry Hophornbeam scales Another hunting type knife made with 1080 Steel and Hophornbeam scales. Again, I’ve chosen a design easy to make. I Begin grinding the blade by running it in long, even, full length passes. By choosing a design with a short blade, these passes are short, so go slow, with even  and light pressure. Be careful not to pause or stop in any one place (if you do you will grind deeper in that spot). Unless your hand is steadier than mine, however, you will, no matter how hard you try, grind both high and low spots into the blade as you go along. Don’t worry about it and just keep practicing. More Grinding a custom knife talk here! […]

Knife 18 - Small Skinner with Cocbolo Scales was made from a left-over piece of 1084 steel. The Cocobolo scales were scraps sent to me from a woodworker who was going to throw them away. […]

Forming the Plunge line on you knife The plunge line is that spot between the blade and the ricasso. The plunge line takes some practice and some experiment. Different belts make different plunge lines. Plunge Line Whether you’re using a belt grinder or some other mechanism to grind or file, you simply need a way to start the cut at the same spot every time. Some makers can do this by eye, some need to make a stop of sorts. This stop can be anything from a jig you have purchased to a c clamp. Two pieces of metal bolted together work wonderfully if you’re grinding by hand. It must be even on both sides of the knife and shouldn’t interfere with the belt. If you’re using a file, just taking care to start on your mark will typically suffice. If you’re using a belt grinder, hanging the belt off the edge of the platen gives a more subtle plunge line. No overhang gives […]

Forging a Custom Made Knife Forging a Custom Made Knife is the process of forming metal after heating it to forging temperatures. This can be accomplished with a fire typically controlled by air. It’s then formed by hitting it with hammers or presses. These can be blacksmith hammers, power hammers, hydraulic presses, or other means. There is not one definitive way to Forging a Custom Made Knife, and different Smith’s will have different methods and opinions, but a few basic rules will help guide you. I’ve tried to give detailed instructions with the knives I forge. Being able to forge is not a requirement for knife making but it can have a place in any knife making hobby if one chooses. There are many knife makers who never forge and make beautiful knives. You can decide at what point, if any, you’d like to add forging to your skill set. No matter how much you forge, or how […]

This was made as a hunting and skinning knife. The style was chosen for a couple of reasons. The bevel of the knife makes it easy to make. The curves could be easy made with my grinder, making the hand sanding to a minimum. […]

To make these knives I used the grinding jig for the bevel. The large choil (I'm not sure this term is being used technically correct, but it's close) was done on the belt grinder. I try to design my knives based on the equipment I have to simplify the builds. […]

Knife 12 - Kitchen Knife Hophornbeam Handle […]

This Knife 11 – Leather handled EDC is a simple design and fairly easy to make. Using leather, rope or paracord for a handle saves a lot of time and can be removed and used for another purpose in a pinch. You will see some survival type knives made like this. Adding additional holes in the tang helps reduce weight, it gives epoxy additional places to grab when holding the scales in place and may help balance the knife. In this case it adds some grip should the knife be used without the wrap. […]

The Rigger’s knife is traditionally a sailor’s knife. The dropped blade allows a rope to be cut on the deck without skinned knuckles and the sheep’s foot stopped a sailor from stabbing another (or himself I suppose) in rough seas. […]

Knife Edge Geometry Types Hollow Grind or Concave Grind a knife blade ground to create a characteristic concave, beveled cutting edge. This is characteristic of straight razors, used for shaving, and yields a very sharp but weak edge, which requires stropping for maintenance. Basically, a hollow grind is made by a wheel to “hollow” above the edge. This helps by removing the metal about the edge to reduce the drag and helps with sharpening. Strengths: Very good slicing ability, easy to sharpen. Best knife types: Skinners / Hunting Knives, Small to medium sized Everyday Carry blades, and Straight Razors. Weaknesses: The edge can be fragile compared to other grinds. No chopping. Grinding wheel costs might limit blade design. Flat Grind the grind goes all the way down from the spine to the edge bevel in a flat, linear slope. The flat grind is one of the most versatile grinds. It can be […]

Knife 9 – Hunting Knife from a File Knife 9 – Hunting Knife from a File was made from an old file using strictly stock removal. The scales are laminated purple heart and maple. I typically anneal the files buy heating them to nonmagnetic with the propane forge then just shutting down the forge and sitting some firebrick to close of the doors. I leave them over night. Another process I have used to anneal old files with success is heating the files to nonmagnetic then putting them in a container completely covered with wood ashes. Again, just leave them overnight. Design Note: the blade basically goes right into the scales. I probably should have added a ricasso, but it worked out ok. There are knife designs that have the edge sharpened up to the handle, but these are typically carving knives. […]

Grinding and shaping your knife is one of the most important tasks a knife maker will use. Every knife you make you will be ground and shaped. The technique you use will depend a lot on the equipment you have. I’ve also discovered Grinding a Custom Made Knife to be one of the hardest parts of knife making to learn on my own. Getting the bevel and plunge lines right is a struggle. If you’re using files to shape the knife you should find the control easier, and if you’re using a belt grinder or sander with a heavy grit, you may find it best to switch to hand filing to get that control as the shape takes form. Even with hand filing, there are options. Draw filing will give you the best control. In draw filing you hold the file like you would a draw knife and pull it towards you. This allows you to control the angle of the bevel better. Experience will tell you what works best for […]

This Knife 8 – Riggers Knife / Sheep’s Point with a sheep’s foot design is made from 1/8” 1080 high carbon. This knife is similar to Knife 10 – Riggers Knife / Sheep’s Foot I struggled with the plunge line at this point. My grinder was not variable speed yet and I was determined to use it beyond my skill level. This knife came out well, but I would have saved myself a lot of work if I had switched to hand sanding earlier (or made sure my grinder was variable speed). Being able to slow down the belt speed greatly enhances ones ability to “feel” the grind and helps avoid mistakes. It also makes mistakes much smaller and easier to fix. Lastly, when a small mistake happens it forces you to regain focus. I was also using belts I bought of the internet but not from a reputable knife maker supplier. Good belts make a pretty big difference. I strongly recommend you try […]

Knife 7 – Small EDC / Small Game Knife I really like this style knife. It’s easy to make (relatively speaking) and fun to use. I carried a knife like this for a long time. This knife is made from 1/8” 1080 steel with Cocobolo scales. The pins are brass. I choose 1080 because of it’s simplistic qualities. As I said in “My Journey into Bladesmithing” my recommendation for the first few knives is start with a few pieces of known steel. When you’re just beginning to make knifes, this style is great. A simple design, but fully functional. There is some elegance in the simplicity. This style knife can be made in many different sizes as well, making it even more versatile. The edge geometry is also easy to work whether you’re working it by hand or with power tools.  It’s simple enough make even with a handheld grinder. Hand Sanding This is a great knife […]

Some of the most common knife shapes are listed and explained. […]

This is not really a knife, but close. A kindling froe is used to split kindling wood. This was made from a piece of old implant tine. Foolishly I made this by all stock removal without forging it first. […]

Knife 5 – Mini Clever or Whacker was made from a leaf spring. I used the forge to straighten the spring, but the rest was completed with stock removal. In retrospect I probably should have forged the blade, but I didn’t. The wenge scales were attached in the usual way with brass pins. I also decided to add a maker’s mark after heat treating and tempering. The results were the stamp flying across the shop and taking out my window. Lesson Learned. I now make sure the stamps are clamped in vise grips and I try to not stamp hardened steel. Looking out the shattered window! Vise grips holding the clamps. Here i am using a block of oak with a hole to help protect from a miss guided hammer blow […]

As you can see, this knife didn’t work out so well. I certainly should have known better, but you simply cannot bend a knife like this after it’s been heat treated. […]

Custom hand made knife geometry “Sharp” is a term used to tell how well our tools perform. But is a sharp knife the same as a sharp axe? Or how about a sharp razor, or a sharp hand plane blade. When we make a blade, it needs to be understood what the primary use of the blade will be. Why? Because sharp can mean many different things. In general terms of Custom hand made knife geometry, the thinner the blade the better the blade will cut. The thicker the blade the stronger it will be. So we have an immediate trade off scenario. Each type of knife you make will have an of these edge that can be modified to be stronger by making the edge thicker or cut through the material easier by making the edge and the blade thinner. Again, a tradeoff is made. A weaker edge means it gets dull quicker, need to be sharpened more often and will wear out quicker if cutting materials harder than it was […]

At first I though "This knife could probably use a little more bevel. Maybe it needs a ricasso and probably a choil" but after doing this for a while i realized some knife designs have these attributes intentionally. […]

Batoning is the technique of cutting or splitting wood by using a baton-sized stick or mallet to repeatedly strike the spine of a sturdy knife, chisel or blade in order to drive it through wood, similar to how a froe is used. Blade the flat part of the knife with a cutting edge. Bolster   a band of metal between the blade and handle used to support (or “bolster”) the transition between blade and handle Butt  the bottom or rear end of the knife Choil the indented front of the edge at the start of the blade. EDC  or “Every Day Carry Full tang a full tang can be seen around all three sides of a knife, top. Bottom and end. Usually with a scale on both sides. Fuller  the rounded or beveled groove or slot milled into the flat side of a blade. Maybe referred to as a “blood grooves”. Typically fullers are for decorative purposes, or they can be used to lighten or […]

There are many different ways to layout the knife. You may chose one, or use different ways for different processes or different knife styles. For instance, a simpler design that you have made before you may decisde to just draw an outline on the steel. […]

. Knife 2 is another attempt at turning a leaf spring into a knife. This was strictly stock removal with an angle grinder. Then some filing and hand sanding. It is quite thick and very heavy. It came out quite decent for a heavy knife. It would work as a knife for splitting kindling and other camp chores. Constant smacking with a mallet or chunk of firewood will not harm it. It still takes and hold an edge, so it will be a good edge tool. It was good practice. I used the same heat treatment as here. I’d love to say I made this knife as a heavy camp or Bush Craft type knife. But the truth is, I really didn’t plan it that way, it just came out that way. It will work as a skinning knife as well, although it will be a little heavy. Chopping through bone with some mallet persuasion does not scare it at all. It’s just some added proof you do not need a lot of tools or equipment to make […]

Soon after I decided to take knife making a little more seriously, I decided to track my progress and document what I learned along with my my mistakes. I thought if there were mistakes to make and I made then others would likely make the same mistakes. So, here is a progression in some reasonable order of my beginnings as a knife maker and bladesmith. […]

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I made this first hunting knife as a gift. This really isn’t the first knife I ever made, but it’s the first one after thinking I might want to actually make knives as a hobby. This knife was made out of a truck leaf spring. It was a heavy spring, so it was too thick. I cut the spring to length on the band saw and then heated it and flattened it. I had already started dabbling in blacksmithing, so I had the forge, I just wasn’t ready to start flattening and thinning a piece of metal, so, I cut the piece in half on the bandsaw and cut the rough shape. It was shaped with the belt sander and I did some filing and hand sanding. Heat treating was done the way I described, and it seems to work. The scales were made from hophornbeam. It’s one of the hardest wood’s native to New England. It doesn’t grow very big, but it makes great tool and knife handles. I’ve grown up knowing […]

I wanted to build a 2 x 72″ belt grinder. I did a bunch of research and formulated a plan as follows. The best resource I used a lot was http://dcknives.blogspot.com/p/2-x-72-belt-grinder.html  Others that helped https://www.instructables.com/id/2X72-Belt-Grinder/  https://www.makingstuff.info/projects/belt_grinder?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n03JraRgD2khttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_RlL1O-bK4      (folding unit)    http://jerswoodshop.com/2×72-tilting-belt-grinder/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9iUww8yGxI   This is the order I placed at onlinemetals.com for  2 pieces @ $14.01/piece Mild Steel A36 Hot Rolled Rectangle 0.25″ x 8″ x 12″ 2 piece @ $22.07/piece Mild Steel A500 Hot Rolled Square Tube 1.5″ x 0.25″ x 36″ 1 piece @ $42.93/piece Mild Steel A500 Hot Rolled Square Tube 2″ x 0.25″ […]

Bladesmithing – My Starter Tools, Jigs and Supplies   One of the questions I’m sure you’ll ask is what kind of tools do you need. I’ll tell what I use, and possible substitutes as well. A lot of the equipment is the same as you will will find in other types of metal and wood work, so a lot of it I had at hand. You may to. If not, I will tell you my opinion on what is a must have to start and a nice to have as you go. A few basic metal working tools and supplies would be hack saw, an assortment of files, wood rasp are handy for handle forming, a scribe at (which can be made). Don’t forget clamps. I use quick grips, Pony spring clamps and C clamps for most of my knife making. You’ll want to pick up some sand paper and sanding belts. The kind will depend obviously. Flat sheets from 60 to 2000 will be used. Belts for whatever belt sander or grinder […]

If you’re going to start into the journey of Blacksmithing and/or bladesmithing, think about the learning process. Start Simple and make a progression to harder challenges. One of the first challenges I encountered making my first knives was getting a consistent bevel. To counter this, I made the bevel guide shown here. But with the bevel guide I found I could get a decent bevel and bevel line, but it was still a challenge to get the starting point consistent side to side, even and looking good. A little trial and error brought me to the conclusion I needed a starting point. So I made a few knife designs that didn’t have this challenge. This gave me a bit of confidence, This design is a good design and simplified the process. I then moved on to making my knives with a sharpening choir. This helps make an obvious point of reference. I use the top dead center of the circle. […]

Lets make a knife - Stock Removal Style […]

I don't have a lot of trouble Sharpening knives, bit I wanted something with a consistent and repeatable edge from knife to knife without spending a bunch of money. This seems to be doing the trick. […]

When I built my belt grinder i used a 2 hp single phase motor I had on hand. I wasn’t exactly sure how much I’d use the grinder, and I wasn’t sure how necessary variable speed would be. I since discovered it is one of the most used pieces of equipment in my shop, and almost invaluable for making knives. I also found myself wishing I could slow the belt down quit often. So I decided to upgrade. I purchased these two items. —IronHorse premium efficiency AC induction motor, general purpose and inverter duty, 2hp, 3-phase, 208-230/460 VAC, 3600rpm, TEFC, 56C/HC frame, rolled steel, rigid base/C-face mount —KB Electronics, 9520, KBAC-27D (Gray), 1.5;2HP, 1-Phase, 110-120V;200-240V (Input), Nema 4X Enclosure, Variable Frequency Drives Unfortunately for me, I did’t order the VFD from Amazon. It came and I hooked it up and it didn’t work. The status […]

Adding the Knife handle — Option 2 This option takes a little longer but is a little more forgiving. If you have some time, I suggest you try it. You’ll find the first part of the process the same, in both options I epoxy any laminated woods first. So a wood scale with two types of wood laminated is done ahead of time. This just simplifies the gluing. I also like to use slower setting epoxy. It give a little bit more time to get things right. I also tape off the blade. I do this for two reasons. First, it helps with cleanup (use the blue painters masking tape) and second it protects your fingers from the sharp edges. If you’d like you can use a knife to cut the tape to the profile of the scales under the front. This will protect the blade from any squeeze out. I have found wiping with a cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol does the trick for cleaning off any squeeze out […]

Heat treatment for beginners. One thing I discovered is heat treatment for beginners doesn’t have to be as complicated as it seems. Follow a few easy steps and you’ll be ok, but keep researching and learning. There is a lot to it when you get into different kinds of steel. A lot of beginners, including me, wants to start out making stuff out of old metal we find. We have the mentality of the woodworking prototypes we make out of cheap softer wood. However steel is a different animal.  I recommend you start with a known piece of steel. My research led me to 1080 steel. 1080 is well respected traditionally used steel for high carbon knives. It makes exceptional knives, and it’s a bit forgiving when it comes to heat treating. It fairly inexpensive as well. You can then move on to old files and spring steel if you want. I’ve used this heat treatment for old files and […]

Nessmuk knife … Sometimes making a knife is more than just making a knife. Some knife styles have a history more interesting than others to the maker. Here I took a look at the Nessmuk knife or the Muk Knife. The Muk knife is named after George Washington Sears (Nessmuk) (December 2, 1821 – May 1, 1890)), who made it popular when he wrote “Woodcraft”, an article published in Forest and Stream Publishing Company, New York, in 1920 and republished by Dover Publication Inc. in 1963. This “Nessmuk Trio” as it came to be known consists of a small double-bit axe, a moose pattern folding knife, and his now infamous fixed blade knife.The description in the text is as follows:“A word as to knife, or knives. These are of prime necessity, and should be of the best, both as to shape and temper. The “bowies” and “hunting knives” usually kept on sale, are thick, clumsy […]

.. In my opinion, A truly exquisite knife, one you just want to carry on your next adventure, will always have a wood handle. Wood is the traditional substance for a beautiful knife handle, and unless it is planed to be used in the most extreme survival conditions, for lengths of time almost humanly unbearable, a wood handle will always perform wonderfully. And nothing really can compare to wood for adding beauty to your knife. So with that after some time making knives, I decided to add stabilizing to my list of “do-it-yourself” knife chores. I sat down and decided on this vacuum pump, and the 6×14″ JuiceProof Chamber from turntex.com. My first order at turntex looked like this 6×14″ JuiceProof Chamber 1 Gallon (3.79 L) Cactus Juice 2 oz Brilliant Blue Dye 2 oz Midnight Black Dye 2 oz Fireball Red Dye Oven Thermometer And with shipping the turntex order came […]

My Journey into Blacksmithing & Bladesmithing Part 2 BLADESMITHING – MY STARTER TOOLS, JIGS AND SUPPLIES     I made my first knife when I was a young teenager. So that would put it about 50 years ago now. Back then we didn’t have internet, or Google, or YouTube, so information was much harder to come by. The knife was stock removal (although i didn’t know what that was back then) from a piece of leaf spring. I used an old angle grinder. I somehow knew I had to heat treat it, but I had no idea what that meant. I remember I made two knives. They looked a little like  Bowie knives and I went around the farm bouncing them off trees and stumps and whatever else I could find to throw them at. I’m not sure they ever stuck in anything. They were not at all balanced. Today, with all the abilities to gather information, it’s easier to take up and learn different […]

The Oldest American Black smith.  Reprint from “The American Blacksmith” 1901   In response to the request made by The American Blacksmith for the name of the oldest blacksmith in America, a large number of names of aged and very interesting smiths was received. The result was surely most astonishing, for in the brief space during which the offer remained open we have been sent the names of three smiths over ninety years of age, twenty two over eighty, and a baker’s fifty more than seventy years of age, all still working at the anvil. This showing is a most gratifying one, as it seems to say most unmistakably that the grand old craft in its individual members is hale, hearty and healthful as of old. Answers came from every part of the country, so that we believe we have obtained the name of the oldest smith in America. The honor of being America’s […]

Tempering is described as improving the hardness and elasticity of (steel or other metal) by reheating and then cooling it. For the 108X and 1095 metals, I do 2 cycles at 425 degrees for 2 hours each. When I started, I did 3 cycles, but after some testing, I think the twice is fine. At the end of two hours (I set the timer on my phone, so I don’t forget) I just turn the oven off and let everything cool back to room temperature after each cycle. What is most important is that the blade get below 100F after any temper cycle. The Time and number of cycles does not affect the hardness as much as temperature. The important factor is temperature. The number of cycles does not affect it nearly as much as temperature as well. If you temper two times at 400 and put it in a 3rd time, the third temper will drop it again, but the amount will be small enough that for most practical purposes it can […]

Adding the Knife handle — Option 1 Now let’s add a handle to our full tang knife. I have two basic techniques that I’ve tried. I still use both from time to time. I’ll describe both and let you decide if you’d like to try both as well. In both options I epoxy any laminated woods first. So a wood scale with two types of wood laminated is done ahead of time. This just simplifies the glueing. I also like to use slower setting epoxy. It give a little bit more time to get things right. I also tape off the blade. I do this for two reasons. First, it helps with cleanup (use the blue painters masking tape) and second it protects your fingers from the sharp edges. Use a knife to cut the tape to the profile of the scales under the front. Option 1 Mark out the scales by tracing the knife handle. Be sure you make a right and left side. There’s not much […]

Blade was a recycled file 4 1/2” I used conditioning belts on this knife. They work great. Because this antler was put on with the base end first, it required a little different technique. It seems the base is bone and is harder. It did not soften like a cut end that exposes the softer insides. To get around this I drilled a hole then slightly widen it to be about the width of the tang. I drilled with a drill bit the approximate width and used a Dremel with a cutter to widen it. I then boiled it again. This time for about 15 minutes. I also had this antler soaking in water for several days before I was going to install it. .. […]

Two things prompted me to get a different quench tank. First, I discovered that it was better to heat the oil by heating the tank instead of dropping a piece of hot steal in it. The oil doesn’t break down as fast. To be honest, I didn’t even think about the oil breaking down. I plan to add a block heater to the quench tank but for now I’m just sitting a torch beside it until it hits a little over 120 degrees. And the second reason was I was starting to think about making longer knives. It only takes a couple minutes with the torch to heat the oil to approximately 130 degrees. […]

Here is my journey building my propane forge. I’m not looking at this as a coal forge replacement,  but an addition to my blacksmithing tool set. This forge is a compilation of watching a whole bunch of YouTube videos, reading blogs and websites. You don’t typically find two the same, so it seems it’s best to pick a design and go with it. http://www.zoellerforge.com/ https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Propane-Forge/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqFDRBZZPWQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thNOSEhcQog https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bnMj4TjKjk zoellerforge.com was especially helpful and I wound up ordering everything I couldn’t find local from there. Here is a list of what I used: A 7 gallon  air tank (an old tank that’s been around forever) For the burners (2) 3/4″ black iron pipe tee (2) 3/4″ x 8″ black iron pipe […]

This is my make shift back yard red neck coal burning forge. What a learning experience this has been. This is an old wood stove that was in my shop. I used it to heat the shop for a couple years but it was was bit worn out. The fire box leaks and it’s warped bad. The doors no longer shut right and I replaced it with a better stove several years ago. It actually sat in my shop, thinking someday I’d make a forge out of it. I gave it away 3 or 4 times but nobody ever came to pick it up. Finally i stripped the outer sheet metal shell and started to convert. While in Tractor Supply I grabbed a bag of Nut coal. The smart thing to do would have been to do a little research first, but I was there and they had two choices, rice coal or nut coal. It seems i picked wrong. My first attempt was to just light a fire on top. I’ve never burnt coal before so I just assumed it was […]

After my initial design and a few days of forging I decided it was time to make some major changes to the forge. I’ve left images of several iterations I went through before landing on this final configuration. It was truly a learning experience. I put the forge on wheels so I can wheel it outdoors. My anvil is close to an overhead door, so the coal forge can be outside. When I’m done forging, I just shut the air down, separate the coal, let it cool for just a few minutes and wheel it inside. I like it better than the propane forge that cost almost 10 times as much and took a bunch more work to build. The propane is noisier, and try making a dinner bell in it! All in all however, I’m glad I now have both. If I get the urge to forge in bad weather I can use propane. My only supply of coal I can find local is Tractor Supply. They have Nut coal and Rice coal. I started […]

I had several of these heavy power hacksaw blades hanging in the shop. I decided to cut one up and make some hook knives. The blades were wide enough to cut two widths, then halved to make 4 knives. I used my cheap crappy Beaver Craft knife as a sort of template. I used a piece of aluminum flashing to make a template of sorts. I tend to make things larger than I need, and in this project that is not a good thing. Bending the aluminum to shape, marking it and then straighten it back out I got the right dimensions. I used the grinder to form a rough bevel. I’ve now done this both before and after heat treating and I’m not sure there is a big difference. Obviously after heat treating you need to make sure you don’t let it get to hot, but its still very doable. The “forming a rough bevel” step could be completed with a hand held grinder if that’s all you […]