I would really love to make (as in forge, grind, temper, etc) my own knife and, after reading all the tutorials and articles on this site I reackon I might just have the know-how to do it, materials and time permitting. In the meantime, however, I thought I might have a go at making some from old kitchen knives purchased from charity shops.
I really like the look of the Svord folding peasant knife, so thought I'd have a go at ripping it off a little.
1) Chose my knife - not a great quality one but the right shape, and considering what I was about to do to it with the junior hacksaw, probably just as well.
2) with a little help from my youngest bushcrafter...
3) traced the shape onto the blade then ground, very slowly, dipping in cold water regularly, ensuring I never let the blade get hot.
4)Cut some handle scales out of Hawthorn. Unfortunately (as you will see from the finished pictures) the hawthorn dried and split. I guess I really should have started again, but the Hawthorn had sentimental value and I had since destoryed the tree, so I filled the crack with PVA - not pretty but does the trick.
5)made some liners and spacers from stainless steel, pinned with brass and rubbed down with sandpaper. I really like pocket knives that have an inlaid shield so I inlaid a St Christopher that my Mum had given me several years ago.
I'm quite pleased with it. Although the blade doesn't open out as far as I had intended its actuall a very comfortable cutting position and, with it being an old kitchen knife, it sharpens very well and is good for general purpose cutting. In all, about 3 hours worth of work and a £1.50 knife.
I really like the look of the Svord folding peasant knife, so thought I'd have a go at ripping it off a little.
1) Chose my knife - not a great quality one but the right shape, and considering what I was about to do to it with the junior hacksaw, probably just as well.
2) with a little help from my youngest bushcrafter...
3) traced the shape onto the blade then ground, very slowly, dipping in cold water regularly, ensuring I never let the blade get hot.
4)Cut some handle scales out of Hawthorn. Unfortunately (as you will see from the finished pictures) the hawthorn dried and split. I guess I really should have started again, but the Hawthorn had sentimental value and I had since destoryed the tree, so I filled the crack with PVA - not pretty but does the trick.
5)made some liners and spacers from stainless steel, pinned with brass and rubbed down with sandpaper. I really like pocket knives that have an inlaid shield so I inlaid a St Christopher that my Mum had given me several years ago.
I'm quite pleased with it. Although the blade doesn't open out as far as I had intended its actuall a very comfortable cutting position and, with it being an old kitchen knife, it sharpens very well and is good for general purpose cutting. In all, about 3 hours worth of work and a £1.50 knife.
