knife making

[leon-b]

hi guys
i am thinking of producing my first knife and am looking for tips and links so if anyone has any please post them
could i take an big old kitchen knife and lay a template on there and cut out my knife blank from that
has anyone got a to scale knife blank template that they are willing to send me through email
thanks leon

 

[Shinken]

I could send a cardboard 1-1 cutout of a woodlore through the post if you like.

Cutting a knife out of a kitchen knife would be pointless. You can buy 01 carbon steel from cromwells for the same price or less than a good carbon steel kitchen knife and not have to worry about destroying the hardness!

 

[penvisser]

I could send a cardboard 1-1 cutout of a woodlore through the post if you like.

Cutting a knife out of a kitchen knife would be pointless. You can buy 01 carbon steel from cromwells for the same price or less than a good carbon steel kitchen knife and not have to worry about destroying the hardness!

How do you harden the knife?

Best regards,

Penvisser

 

[Shinken]

Basically heat the knife up untill it loses it's magnetism and then quench. Then you will have a hard but brittle blade which you will need to temper to make it less brittle.

There is lots of info on this over on Britishblades.com and it's certainly more in depth also.

 

[Longstrider]

Shinken knows his stuff Penvisser. Info from him on knife making will be best listened to Others here will also give good advice as they know more than most on the matter (A darned sight more than I do anyway!)

The one thing that I can tell you about this lark is that you want to take your time with every step of the process from deciding what style of knife to make, drawing a pattern, cutting it from a piece of 01 etc etc right through to what finish to put on the handle once it's all done. The further you get into the project the more time you will have spent on it in total, so you'll get even more scared about ****ing it all up because you rushed.
I've just finished making my first ever knife from scratch (I'd put handles on shop-bought blades before but never actually made the whole thing myself) and it's a really rewarding, annoyingly frustrating, but addictive game.
No sooner had I got #1 done than I started on blade #2, hoping to be able to avoid some of the mistakes I made with the first one.

 

[Shinken]

Shinken knows his stuff Penvisser

Thank you longstrider but this really isnt the case!

For me gringing/filing the bevel is the hardest bit. Especially for flat/hollow ground knives. Scandi a bit easier....

 

[Ogri the trog]

www.greenpete.co.uk has a great introduction to knife making - well worth the read! direct link - http://www.greenpete.co.uk/?page_id=28

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[leon-b]

thanks guys
shinken i was looking for a template that could be set to me through email rather than through the post, do you have any on the computer ?
leon

 

[leon-b]

dont worry guys i have a template of a wilkie woodlore coming through pm soon, this is going to take me quite a long time to make as i am only going to wirk on it now and then (i say that but i will probably end up doing it non stop lol)
leon

 

[JohnC]

YOu may want to consider making a trial knife out of softer materials eg aluminium, plastic etc to get the hang of shaping etc and techniques, If it goes well you have a template for the steel knife, handles etc.

I'd also reccomend greenpetes site...

 

[leon-b]

yes actually i think i will make a trial knife out of softer metals, what metal shall i use and where can i get it
i will lay the template on the metal, scribe the shape of the knife on the metal and then drill holes around the edge then i will cut from hole to hole with a hacksaw
leon

 

[Too Much Kit To Carry]

yes actually i think i will make a trial knife out of softer metals, what metal shall i use and where can i get it
i will lay the template on the metal, scribe the shape of the knife on the metal and then drill holes around the edge then i will cut from hole to hole with a hacksaw
leon

Hi Leon,

I met a man many years ago who made knifes for the Gauchos he used to use leaf springs - so I'd suggest going to a scrap yard/car breakers - prolly get more metal than you could shake a stick at for a few quid.

Phil.

 

[leon-b]

yes we have a dump up the road from us, he has a whole big skip for metal i will see what i can find there
what metals should i look for ?
leon

 

[leon-b]

i always hear talk about photoshop and it sounds really good, can i download it from anywhere for free or does it have to be bought ?
leon

 

[ScottC]

Photoshop is for editing/making images etc :bluThinki Costs about 200 quid I think but you may be able to get a trial

 

[leon-b]

i think i will give that a miss then
i cant wait untill i get my template i am getting a scan of a wilkie woodlore and some full size outlines i am also getting a scan and outline of a vikstrom scandi blade
leon

 

[Bisamratte]

You can download a fully functioning trial version, I think it lasts for thirty days.

I bought Photoshop Elements because I couldn't afford the real thing. A bit of a shame really being as Im supposed to be a photographer but It works ok and is allot cheaper.

As soon as I find a job though I think I will buy the full version.

Leon, you can always download the trial version for free and use it for thirty days...the elements version is easier to use for a beginner and it will let you know if you really need it or not. There is loads of different imaging software out there, some people swear by photoshop, some swear at photoshop..........you pays ya money n makes ya choice

Hope this helps

Andy

 

[leon-b]

na i think i will give it a miss
leon

 

[Biddlesby]

You can try Gimp, a free alternative. I have never used it but from what I heard it seems good given that it is free!

 

[leon-b]

i will get it after my dinner
thanks mate
leon