Another pretty obvious source of good steel for knives is the humble file. Most files are made from high-carbon tool steel and can be used [...]
Plastic is the obvious choice of material, and while I do have Kydex and the tools to work with it, that seemed a lot of effort. Fortunately, whilst mulling this over with a cup of tea, I spotted a bit of plastic drainpipe that I had used as an impromptu wood steamer a few years ago.
Heat treating The starting material in its raw form (as in a handsaw) is a medium carbon spring steel, that has been commercially heat treated [...]
'After the failed attempt at cold forging a shallow gouge, I decided that it was time to turn up the heat.' Dave Budd shares how to make great tools from old handsaws.
Cold formed hook tools No bushcrafters’ tool kit would be complete without a spoon carving hook or three. Normally these would be formed hot, when [...]
Dave Budd tells us about managing his woodland and harvesting the wood he needs to make tools and craft items. Most of us think of [...]
More tools from old saws! After writing the article on making knives from an old saw, I started thinking about other tools that could be [...]
Hobby knifemakers often turn large circular saw blades and industrial bandsaw blades into knives, but even cheap handsaws will make decent enough knives.
Way back when I would buy my charcoal in from various woodsmen but after a while, I started to make my own in oil drums, [...]
Pt 3 - Making and fitting the handle. Since I don’t use factory made drifts to shape the eyes of my tools, they don’t take [...]
Ok, now we have a lump of steel with a hole in it. Time then to turn it into an adze. (Link to part one) [...]
Making an Adze by Dave Budd Most folks that have seen me forging only get to see me making twiddly little things or a knife [...]
What saw? by Dave Budd Whether it’s as mundane as cutting firewood or as involved as building an entire camp, there are lots of times [...]