I reprofiled my first home made knife

[monkey boy]

about 2 year ago I had a go at making a knife out of a file, it turned out ok for my first knife but I wasnt completly happy with it as the edge was done by eye and not sharp enough plus the handle was like a brick and to chunky.
I put a pic on here a few months to show everyone,
now iv started making my 2nd file knife but havent got much done due to the rain we have been having and i can only use my angle grinder outside.
so instead to pass the time i started reprofiling my first one to see if i can make it fuctional to use, I have to say i am very happy with the out come as it look and feel like a real knife now.

so here are the befor and after pics

befor

after

so what did I do?
using a file I took the bevel back a lot more, then I sharpened her up to shaving sharp on the stone,
I also rounded and thinned off the handle and gave it some shape, it feel really nice in the hand now and will be more than happy to take it out with me to use where as befor it just lived in the draw.
I left the heat treating marks on the side of the blade to give it a rugged look.

let me know what you think 

 

[bushwacker bob]

You have certainly improved it. You dont need to make a second one now.

 

[monkey boy]

You have certainly improved it. You dont need to make a second one now.

thank you mate, im gonna have a go at making another one and im going to really take my time one it and see if i can produce something professional looking.
I would like to get good at the skill,
thanx for the comment

 

[Bundleman]

Well worth doing buddy, gone from old kitchen knife to bushcraft!

 

[monkey boy]

tried it out today, its a nice little user and it fit in my A wright sheeth, will probs make one for it at some point tho

 

[spandit]

Smashing knife - I'm hoping to make a bushcraft knife next - will be using O1 tool steel, it's the heat treatment that worries me, though. How did you do yours?

 

[monkey boy]

@spandit
i made a little disposable forge out of a dog food can and hair dryer, gonna make a bigger one.
i heated the file in a fire and let it cool down slowly, so i can work with it, once i was happy with the shape I then heated the blade half in my dog food forge until it was no longer magnetic and quenched in in motor oil.
once I cleaned it up a bit I used a blow tourch on the back of the blade until i got a bluey coulor but tied to avoid it reaching the bevel, i queched it again but this time in water.
I made it a while ago now and was using green petes video as a reference at the time but cant seem to see it on youtube any more.

 

[spandit]

Cool... I've got an old brake disc lying about with quite a deep dish to it - thought it might make an excellent forge with a bit of mesh in the bottom and put into a metal can etc.

Must get some more engine oil - Mondeo could do with an oil change!

 

[monkey boy]

Cool... I've got an old brake disc lying about with quite a deep dish to it - thought it might make an excellent forge with a bit of mesh in the bottom and put into a metal can etc.

Must get some more engine oil - Mondeo could do with an oil change!

try googling green pete knife making videos, its on his site, I would ad a link but my phone is having touble with copy and past at the mo