Knifemaking is a hobby that can be enjoyed by young and old.
Building a homemade knife is a creative and fun project. A homemade knife can be easily made from an old hand saw, or an old circular saw blade. The tempered steel will create a fine old fashioned knife.
Knife Making Ideas . . . A Collection from Hobbiest to Expert!
Do you have a great knife making idea or supplier?
Possibly a procedure for tempering your steel, grinding, sharpening, or honing your blade?
Maybe you have a design you are willing to share, or a unique way or material for your handles.
Maybe you've come up with a creative lock mechanism for folding knives.
Help those who are looking for this information by sharing your know-how. Maybe in doing so, you will pick up on someone else's great idea or supplier. Please play it forward by sharing it!
Imagine creating with your own hands Custom Hunting Knives for family and friends, or , kitchen knives that are so sharp that you can cut the tomato slices "too" thin. All you need is your own labor, sweat, tears, and perhaps a little blood.
Regular sharpening and cleaning of a knife will keep it looking good, working well and increase its life.
Making a fine homemade knife is a work of patience. It is both an art and a science. A good knife is a lot of hard work, dedication to precision craftsmanship, and requires a person to understand the science of metallurgy, and the art of blacksmithing and design.
Knives, for an accomplished knifemaker, take anywhere from a few hours for a small utility knife to several months for other, fancier knives. They are an investment and can last a lifetime. Custom knives are often set apart by the exotic materials used.
Knives have always been around in one form or another. When you grip the handle of a great knife, the goal is to have that knife perform as an extension of your arm.
There has probably been at least as many knives made by individual knifemakers, working alone, down through history, as have been made by all the factories now working.
How To Make Knives . . . What Type Should I Make?
How to make knives? . . . What Type Should I Make?
There are generally two types of knives.
Fixed blade and folding. Many knives have taken on the name of the person or company that created them. For example, a famous fixed blade knife is the "Bowie Knife" which has been around for many, many years and is well known by its name and general characteristics. Jim Bowie of Alamo fame is credited with the creation of this knife, although some historians believe it may have actually been designed by his brother, Rezin. Knifemakers give these knives various names, but they amount to little more than semantics.
Imagine making your own Folding knives, your own Personalized Pocket Knife. That's where they are kept, and are often referred to as such.
They are available in many different styles, and often include multiple blades for various uses. They make great tactical knives. A blade for everything. They are usually legal to carry as long as the blade is fairly small. Around 2 inches in most places. They are safer and more convenient than the fixed blade. Folding knives have a pivot point and lock mechanism, which allows the blade to close into the handle.
Folding knives are naturally, by design, not as strong as fixed blade knives. They are a common general purpose tool for camping and hunting. They tend to be more compact and lighter, allowing them to be easily carried and concealed.
How To Make Knives . . . What Steel Should I Use?
How to make knives? . . . What steel should I use?
Rudyard Kipling knew . . .
Gold is for the mistress - Silver for the maid
Copper for the craftsman cunning in his trade.
"Good!" said the Baron, sitting in his hall
But Iron - cold iron is the master of them all.
- Rudyard Kipling
Well, I'd better get a little more specific than that!
When you talk of how to make knives, there are typically two camps. Those that will only use a high carbonKnife Steel, and those who will also consider the properties of Non Ferrous Metals such as the Stainless Steel Properties of various alloys.
Both have distinct advantages and disadvantages. Carbon and stainless steels are both acceptable if properly alloyed. The high carbon steels are typically the steels that are forged. They can be differentially tempered.
This property gives the knifemaker more options. He can better control the hardness of the cutting edge, and still have a tough knife with springy back.
If you reference the AISI steel designation system, 10xx denotes carbon steel. All others are an alloy. The 50xx denotes chromium alloyed steels.
In the SAE designation system, letters designate tool steels. Very often, the last numbers in the name of a steel will indicate the carbon content. For example, 52100 has 1% carbon, while 1095 has .95% carbon, and 5160 has .60% carbon.
How will you profile your blades? Will you forge, grind, or waterjet your Knifemaking Supplies?
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Fixed blade and folding. Many knives have taken on the name of the person or company that created them. For example, a famous fixed blade knife is the "Bowie Knife" which has been around for many, many years and is well known by its name and general characteristics. Jim Bowie of Alamo fame is credited with the creation of this knife, although some historians believe it may have actually been designed by his brother, Rezin. Knifemakers give these knives various names, but they amount to little more than semantics.
Folding knives are naturally, by design, not as strong as fixed blade knives. They are a common general purpose tool for camping and hunting. They tend to be more compact and lighter, allowing them to be easily carried and concealed.
Well, I'd better get a little more specific than that!
