First knife making experiences....Mhhh? It's not so easy after all!!!

[Neomik]

Hello everyone,

let me first say that it is good to be back here as I was off the grid for some time now because my laptop died on me !

Now that I am back online and back in the forum let me show you what I did in this computer free period to fill the hours !

I WATCHED RAMBO!!! And in the last movie as most of you have seen Stallone/Rambo forges himself a knife/machete from some metal rods and scrap as used in construction!

Now guess what idea I had... exactly to make a knife from the same materials but not necessarily a machete like his.

I went into my half finished workshop, took some of my tools out and in the last two weeks I tried to make a couple of knifes that I find useful.

The steel I use is unknown and I can't speak about it much only that it is "soft" and not brittle but strong and after heat treating it in my wooden stove it feels really good. Like a good tool steel with high carbon content!

I did not made a picture series of my first workpieces but on my new project I will show what I do and you guys can tell me what you think about it!

Here you see the basic material (6mm thick) and the knife that came out of the same piece of metal. The one cut out piece on the top will be a large survival type knife for wood splitting. The second one is a full tang and has a convex edge and a stock thickness of 5mm and had not been polished by the time the picture was taken. The knife at the bottom was made as a gardening tool from another piece of metal.



After polishing the blade:







And that is me working on the new project:

[Evil D]

Pretty cool...i've been wanting to make my own for a while now but i lack the tools.

[Sequimite]

Good for you. Keep at it.

I love your shop building.

[Neomik]

Thank you guys!!!

Sequimite: The workshop is actually an old storage room where they used to store and dry tobacco leaves back in the day. It is huge and I really like to spend time in it. For serious work that needs to be done and of course for my hobbies and other activities. On the picture you see only the entry and free space to move stuff in... behing the camera is the actual place where my tools are set up and where "the magic" happens :D !

Here is the finished hunter:







The big survival blank is ready to go into the oven:

[chuck_roxas45]

Pretty good work! I am wanting to hook up with a smith here and try my hand. I have been haunting junk yards looking for bearing steel.

[2cha]

Outstanding, especially given your basic tools. Keep it up!!

[defenestrate]

there are some very famous custom makers who started off with less impressive work. Those look like fine users to me. Keep it up and keep us posted!

[Dench]

turned out very nice.

[Neomik]

Thank you all for your kind words.

The challenge really is to use materials and stuff that I have laying around my tool-shop and my tools that are not specified for knife production!

I really like the way the knifes turn out and let me tell you that it is a lot of work from a piece of metal to a finished knife.

Today I worked on the concept for the large survival knife and I basically worked on it the whole day since it was so satisfying to see the progress. I could not stop until it was finished!!!

https://picasaweb.google.com/MichaelT24 ... directlink

Here is the knife:

9 inches blade length 14 and a half inches overall 6mm thickness and convex edge. The handle is made of a piece of wood that I found between some logs and it is only treated with linseed oil to keep the nice color and pattern exposed.

[defenestrate]

That looks sweet! If you keep up at this pace there are going to be a lot of folks looking to get you to make blades for them.. I could definitely go for that big clean-lined survival blade! :D

[angusW]

Really like the uniqueness of your blades Neomik. Keep up the good work. Good job on the handles as well.

[DMgangl]

Very nice. Very simple and to the point. Keep up the good work.

DM

[Neomik]

So after a quick break and some more computer problems I found the time to work on a new knife. A Bushcraft Concept.

Basic bushcraft design, Convex edge since I can't produce a decent Scandi Grind with my tools and a big finger indentation that works as a choil (sort of!)... :D

Also I made it from the same materials (Steel, wood) that I used for the Large Survival Knife to match them and have them as a set!

https://picasaweb.google.com/MichaelT24 ... directlink

[Jazz]

Keep up the nice work, man! Thanks for sharing. :cool:

- best wishes, Jazz.

[angusW]

Those knives rock. Did you just use your angle grinder or were other tools involved?

[Neomik]

Hey Angus,

Well I takes a variety of tools from start to the end: (Nice that I have them all!!! :) )

Before heat treatment!!!

The Angle Grinder to cut out the basic shape of the blanks and to remove material.

A Belt sander for shaping the blade and the cutting edge with various grit belts.

A Power Drill to make the necessary holes for the handles!

I basically prepare the knife to a level that I only have to give it the final cutting edge and polish it after the heat treatment!

After the heat treatment!

With the Orbital Sander and various grit sandpaper I polish the knife blank.

A Jigsaw to cut out the wood handles!

Than I fix the handels to the knife and grind them on my Bench Grinder till the shape is satisfying!

The knife edge is made with various grits of sandpaper.

I also use a big vice, clamps and some more basic handtools like File tools and a large handsaw to make the basic cut outs of the natural wood and some good old "elbow grease"!!!

[jossta]

This is inspirational. I have been wanting to do this with this:

http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/product_ ... cts_id=377

this:

http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/product_ ... cts_id=353

or this:

http://www.amazon.com/Steel-Rectangular ... 228&sr=1-1

I have less tools than you, but I might have to give it a go.

Anyway, well done!

[Neomik]

This is inspirational. I have been wanting to do this with this: I have less tools than you, but I might have to give it a go.

Anyway, well done!

Thanks for the links I was thinking about getting some proper steel for some future knife projects!!! Now I know a source :) !

You should try it even if you have not all tools that I use!

Many steps that I make with the powered tools are shortcuts (but some are necessary since the steel I use is scrap metal and really needs to be worked with a lot) ... so if you have to use hand-tools instead for a certain step and have a better steel already it will only take a bit longer but the result will be good I am sure! With patience and passion for your knife you'll get it done!

[jossta]

This is what I was thinking:



But I might try for something more like the ranger RD6. We'll see. It's a long way off, so I have plenty of time to think about it. Or the Bushcraft, like you did.

[Neomik]

jossta

I think that the knife in your drawing looks great but needs a lot of precision work and will be difficult to be handmade just with basic tools cause it looks like having a full flat grind. Also the ranger RD6 style blade has it's difficulties from what I can see. You can certainly draw it on the steel cut it out and than work on the grind... but I would start with something more simple like the Buchcraft style blade!!! It is more forgiving while you work on it and you can improvise more as it goes. (I worked again on my Bushcraft knife today again and thinned the handle a bit more and made the finger-choil deeper and the drop point a bit steeper).

Another reason is also to get familiar with your tools, the different types and grits of sandpapers and to get a feeling how the steel reacts to different techniques (pressure, directions when working on it and how it heats up while doing so!) Also to memorize your own muscle movements and the different angles you have to work on both sides!

I suggest that you start with a bushcraft knife and you'll love it!

I might try building a design similar to the one you drew and I keep you up to date how it works out!