Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
Outdoor Activities => Northern Ireland Camping and Bushcraft => Topic started by: Neiltoo on June 07, 2009
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I have been making knives for fun for a year or 2 now. This isn't a tutorial and I'm a novice with no experience of metal work. I just thought I would post a few pictures to try and encourage those who might think it is difficult to make a useable knife for bushcraft/camping etc.
Basic tools are all that are required - hacksaw, files, a drill and sandpaper. A pillar drill helps a lot - a cheap one can be got for approx £40.
You need some steel, in my case O1 tool steel got from http://www.cromwell.co.uk/category_page/160202
You need to cut out the shape of your knife
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c332/neiltoo/Firstknife003-1.jpg)
Done roughly with a hacksaw and then tidied up with a file or a grinder.
You then need to file the profile of the blade. I mark the height of the grind and then use a file - this step can take a long time. One requirement that I forgot to mention above is patience. ;D
At this stage you need to sand the knife to get rid of any file marks - once the blade is heat treated any marks will be much harder to remove. The holes for fastening the scales (handle) need to be drilled now before the steel is hardened.
The blade now needs to be heat treated - this seems to me to be a bit of a black art and I'm not going to go into details here but put simply to harden the steel it must be heated to about 800 degC and then cooled suddenly in an oil bath (I use olive oil) You can heat it in a number of ways. I use what is called a 2 brick forge made out refactory bricks and a mapp torch (butane and propane)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c332/neiltoo/Firstknife013.jpg)
You can also use a bbq type forge with a hairdryer and some tubing to increase the heat.
The blade will now be very hard but very brittle so it needs to be tempered.
I wrap it in foil then put it in the kitchen oven. You need to heat it to about 150 degC and let it cool naturally (slowly)
You finish up with something like this
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c332/neiltoo/DSCF0030002.jpg)
It must now be cleaned up, some of the scale from the heat treatment will wash off then its lots (and lots) more sanding right down to 1200 grit if you want a nice shiny knife.
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c332/neiltoo/DSCF0032004.jpg)
The handle is made from 2 blocks of wood fastened to either side of the blade. These are cut roughly to size and glued using epoxy and steel pins (cut from steel rod bought in B&Q)
Once the epoxy has set the scales are filed and sanded to shape, then oiled. The blade is sharpened and you have a knife
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c332/neiltoo/DSCF0020016.jpg)
As said above this isn't a tutorial just a tempter to get you to have a go. I have only made 6 knives, I'm no expert but if I can do it anyone can.
A couple more
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c332/neiltoo/P1010002.jpg)
(http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c332/neiltoo/P1010074.jpg)
This is a good tutorial : http://www.greenpete.co.uk/?page_id=28
and this is how the pros do it :http://www.britishblades.com/home/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=40
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This is absolutely fascinating - I never realised that knife making was actually accessible to the amateur. I always thought you needed all sorts of specialist equipment.
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Nice lookin knife.
If you ever have too many i'd buy one.
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How long d'you keep it at 800ºC? I reckon the chimnea in the garden would be about that temperature when it's at full heat.
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My self and Paul made one reciently. The shape was cut with a grinder and heat treatment was done in a BBQ with a plastic tube blowing air into it. We heated it until it was "Bright Cherry red" (We did have professionsl knife maker Bernie Garland relaying instructions to us on the phone) then quenched in veg oil. On his advice, we heat treated ours to 230 degrees for an hour beofre water quenching tip first. It turned out really well.
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How long d'you keep it at 800ºC? I reckon the chimnea in the garden would be about that temperature when it's at full heat.
You don't have to keep it at 800 degC, it just needs to be at that temp when you quench it. Steel becomes non magnetic at that temp so you can test if its at the right temp by [carefully :o ] holding a magnet to it.
I think the chimnea might need some air blowing into it to get it up to temp, but maybe not, as I said I'm no expert ;D
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My self and Paul made one reciently. The shape was cut with a grinder and heat treatment was done in a BBQ with a plastic tube blowing air into it. We heated it until it was "Bright Cherry red" (We did have professionsl knife maker Bernie Garland relaying instructions to us on the phone) then quenched in veg oil. On his advice, we heat treated ours to 230 degrees for an hour beofre water quenching tip first. It turned out really well.
I don't know much about metallurgy, I just went with some advice I found on a knife making site. I'm sure there are lots of ways of doing it.
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Fair play to you, It is good to see northen ireland,s new knife maker. Keep up the good work !!
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nice looking knife dude!
thats something ive always wanted to have a dig at but never got round to.
i dont see any difficulty in doing it , just a lot of time needed and a belt grinder would be handy too.
of course it would probably be along the lines of the generic bushcraft pattern as i think that looks cool and usefull.
i used to own one by alan blade which was a cracker knife,but i sold it for 50 quid (same as what i paid).
actually i like to bring a nice sharp kukuri with me on occasion as i think its a good all rounder.and you can get genuine ones for about 45 quid last time i looked.
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Very nice looking knives mate, I have made a couple of knives and to be honest it is made more difficult by advice given by people who make knives for a living and dont want you to find out how. I got some advice from bernie Garland of Berax knives and myself and celt ginger set about the task. i used nothing more than an angle grinder and a file to get the shape and make the bevels and then we heat treated the metal in Garys barbeque followed by the tempering in garys oven. It worked find i slapped on a nice handle and bingo one knife. It isnt up to the standard of some of the knives i have seen but i think its pretty good considering we had no special tools.
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nice! where did you get the steel?
i think a price tag of 200 quid is fu*king rediculous for a bit of metal and wood. yeah yeah im sure they have a little piece of the makers soul in em but id rather they kept that themselves and just dropped the prices lol.
i mean,if you have a belt grinder or sander then its a piece of piss to knock em out wholesale isnt it?
if the o1 steel blank costs a fiver then id say youd probably be able to knock one out for about 40 squids.
so whos offering? hmmm? :D
seriously,someone tell me what i need and i,ll have a go. i,ll even post the pics step by step and sell it for 200 quid ;D
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nice! where did you get the steel?
i think a price tag of 200 quid is fu*king rediculous for a bit of metal and wood. yeah yeah im sure they have a little piece of the makers soul in em but id rather they kept that themselves and just dropped the prices lol.
i mean,if you have a belt grinder or sander then its a piece of piss to knock em out wholesale isnt it?
if the o1 steel blank costs a fiver then id say youd probably be able to knock one out for about 40 squids.
I got the steel from here http://www.cromwell.co.uk/category_page/160202. I havnt bought any for a while but they didnt used to deliver to N.I. There is a company based at Queens Island, off the Sydenham Bypass who act as an agent for Cromwell. I dont remember their name but if you phone or email Cromwell I'm sure they can sort you out.
As for the cost of a knife. I never had any intention of making knives for sale. (a) I'm not good enough and (b) I do it for fun. But if I was to add up all the hours that I put into one knife (it takes a lot of filing and sanding if you are doing it by hand) then at your estimate of £40 I'd be working for about £2 an hour and thats before you take the materials into account.
Not much point in that! As for £200 for a well made knife, well, it's just supply and demand. There is probably a hell of a bigger mark up (percentage wise) on stuff you buy every day.
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hmm regarding the price, ive seen the setups some of these guys have and when your sticking a bit of steel into a jig and belt sanding em id say youd have one done in about ten minutes.
obviously they are making a few at a time and would heat treat them in a batch.
i realise the work involved on a single `do it yourself` setup.and cost isnt an issue if your doing it for yourself.
if i get a proper bit os steel im definitly going to give it a go, cant be much harder than grinding and sharpening my chisels i recon.
watch this space...................
ps, i wouldnt say your not good enough either sunshine! i think that wee blade you created looks the business!
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right,so ive the o1 flat stock steel on its way to me and i have an electric grinder and files.
i also have a little mickey mouse bbq from tescos and a hair dryer.
all im missing is a vice to hold it in while i work but im sure they are cheap enough from nutts corner stolen tools stall ::)
should be here on monday so i,ll be giving it a go as soon as ive the time (snowed under with work at the minute fs......but i like it ;))
the only uncertainty i have is the heat treating but it cant be rocket science im sure.
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just back from some shopping and priced a wheel and belt sander at B&Qs for 70 squids which should do the business. be handy for my tools for work and my katanas too.
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It's not too difficult Pabs. Remember to drill the pin holes in the handle before you heat treat the knife. Put the knife in the BBQ and blow air onto it to get it really hot. When it is glowing "Bright Cherry Red" take it out of the fire and quench it in vegetable oil, putting it into the oil tip first. When cook enough, brush off any carbon still sticking to the blade and then put it into a hot oven (about 230 degrees) for an hour. When finished, it should have a goldy/straw colour. Quench this in water, again tip first. That's all there is to it.
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Dude
This guy does it with very basic tools
http://www.greenpete.co.uk/?page_id=503
Andy
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Guys this is really doable for a novice i'd love to give it ago myself. Keep us updated on how you get on with the knife.
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the steel arrived today at my g/fs house so im busting to get cracking at it.
i dont see there being any problem with shaping and grinding the blade ,im a joiner by trade and did a lot of metalwprk in tech as well.
as i said ,all i need is a vice but im sure i can get one pretty cheaply.
i,ll try to remember to take plenty of pics as i go along.
Andy, ive seen yer mans vids b4 and i like the look of his forge. i just couldnt be arsed with all that farting about with an old file :D
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so ive just opened the cardboard tube and theres three half meter lengths of shiny o1 tool steel flat ground stock nicely wrapped in brown paper.
id been drawing out a rough blade shape and was concerned that 30 mm wide stock wouldnt be wide enough,but it,ll be plenty wide enough for my hands when the handle slabs go on.
must check the flooring stocks for some nice hardwood materiel.
in ten years of laying floors ive come across quite a few bits of weird and wonderfull grained boards but im thinking walnut might be nice,either that or some maple or birch.
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nice one pablo
what type of handle are u putting on katana? and what are using as a forge?
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um, i was kinda joking about the katana matey, but if i get the hang of this caper then id seriously consider making one.
as for the forge? im thinking of my bar-b-que with a hose and hair dryer setup.kinda like the `green pete` setup.
im strongly considering buying one of the belt and wheel grinders out of B&Q,theyre about 70 quid but i think id probably get good value out of it.
Andy and i are gonna have a crack at it on saturday as the weathers a bit shit to go camping/kayaking.
watch this space .....
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I thought u might have been joking but same thinking would like to see what the result was.
You could try buy and sell or Ads for free mate to get a belt sander, get 1 for dirt cheap.
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never thought of that mate,must get a copy and have a look.
ive been browsing the internet and getting all the advise i think i,ll need.
some guys recon a good set of files and an angle grinder are all the tools i need. a belt sander would be good for a final polishing of the cutting edge and handle shaping.
i also have a set of diamond stones for my chisels and i can tell you the coarse one moves some metal!!
i think the whole project is going to be worthwhile,gaining the experience and perhaps saving a few quid on something that will last a lifetime.
ive got some nice birch flooring and some `black locust` wood for handles. not exactly the curly birch you see on the knife making forums but it will do for starters :)
right,im off to B&Q for a browse.some grinding to do tomorrow so i,ll keep you posted ;)
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Would a Angle grinder not heat the blade up too much?
ps I,ve done a little metal working since i served my time as a Fitter/welder ;D
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A few pictures from yesterday
Pictures are'nt the best .. Dunno why but I can never take good pictures in the workshop
(http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/8372/picture008jv.jpg)
(http://img515.imageshack.us/img515/473/picture009f.jpg)
(http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/9085/picture012lx.jpg)
Andy
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cheers for posting em mate,i cant transfer my phone pics till i get a new pc cable fs.
ive done a little tidying up on a couple of the blades with emery cloth 400 grade and i,ll work down a few grades b4 heat treating them.
wasnt hard at all was it mate :P
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Looking good Pablo. Can't wait for more pictures.
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i emailed this one to my hotmail account,some dodgy grinds there lol but good first attempt i recon.(http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/1142/getattachmentaspxvrz.jpg)
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They don't look too bad.
(http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/garyminiss/DSC00146.jpg)
This was our first attempt after heat treating and water quenching.
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interesting. how does it feel then now youve made it? does it keep its edge ? does it perform all you need it to do?
water quench? dont you use oil then?
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just spotted your earlier post Celt G. page changed b4 i saw it.i,ll give the bar b que thing a go i think after some cleaning up. cheers.
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We used oil to quench it after the initial heat treatment, then water to quench it after tempering in the oven. It holds an edge very well.
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nice one.
i ordered a few more lengths but this time in 3mm,and some stuff for Andys broadsword ;D.
actually i had a real good conversation with the guy who supplies the steel.he has a lot of experience with steels and their edge keeping ability. he assured me that ANY woodsman type blade should be made from o1 referring to the workability,heat treatment and edge keeping qualities.
he gave me a tip though when it comes to oil quenching. make sure the whole blade is submersed fully so there is no oxygen round the blade ,hence no ignition after the dunk.
im hopeing to give it a go tomorrow.....lets see if i make it without loosing my eyebrows.
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Use am oil with a low flash point we used veg oil it did the trick well. Also make sure when you dunk it you do it point first and keep the blade straight otherwise it may bend the blade.
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Mate ...quench it in petrol... you'll be grand ;D
Andy
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petrol? how come everyone keeps telling me that ? either petrol ,ether,alcohol or aircraft fuel......
did a bit more shaping and buffing tonight ,too busy to heat treat em unfortunatly.and i have to say they look the business!
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so i did a bit of the ol HT on these blades and wasnt too hard at all i gotta say.perhaps i,ll post the pics of my little hairdryer powered forge in a bucket lol but for now have a peek at what ive done so far.(http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/9383/knife1.jpg)
(http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/4849/knife2.jpg)
(http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/8471/knife3.jpg)
the handle scales arnt glued on yet and i havent done the secondry heat thingy to soften it slightly.i was just dicking about with some bits of flooring timber and got carried away lol.might order some liner material,the vulcanised stuff and sort it all out tomorrow. then again i might grind some of this 3mm stock i have now ive learnt all the things i shouldnt be doing lol.
theres an interesting effect on this particular blade , i think i might have over heated it then quenched it while it was almost starting to melt lol.actually i did melt one of the sharpened edges of one of them. oh well,you live and leard i guess.
i DID learn that its an easily achieved product that most people should be able to realise.
what do you think for a first time effort anyway?
ps,anyone got any leather? ;D
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Looking good Pablo.
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That's looks class mate, you are right it isn't as hard as some makers would have you think. Great first attempt so when will you be selling blanks??
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lol you want one? just let me know dude. i,ll probably be doing a lot more of this as a hobby and id say there will be a few `seconds` i could let go at the cost of the steel plus postage.
its very enjoyable to do and i,ll get it right eventually :D
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Ha Ha, that's a dangerous offer Pablo. I'll happily take one off your hands.
I see there's plenty of leather offcuts on ebay.
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A very dangerous offer indeed..... Im sure a few people like me would be more than happy to take them off your hands.
They look like a GREAT job esp. when they are your 1st efforts.
keep up the good work
B
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lol well i DID say seconds didnt i?
even if i considered passing a few on ? they would just be the blades and maybe hardwood scales.plus i wouldnt guarantee the grinds would be perfect.also the blades are definitly hardened as a file just wont mark them,but i have no idea about how hard.
to be honest youd be taking a chance and i couldnt very well do that from an ethical standpoint.
still,if anyones interested id need 35 quid each for the first two ,to cover the price of steel and sanding belts.the next ones will be more.
anyway lol i didnt do this as a money making exercise,i just wanted one for me and my kids.so if thats put you off then thats ok :P theres better to be gotten off the internet i guess.
ive made a couple in 3mm which is easier to work with and im getting the hang of this grinding lark.when i use up the rest of the steel i MIGHT buy some more...if i could be arsed ;D
might even get round to a complete picture by picture walkthrough....watch this space.
still,it would give you something to whittle for yourself wouldnt it? ;D
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Heres a link you might find use full :)
Bernie
http://www.ukbladesforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=156 (http://www.ukbladesforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=156)
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lol well fuck me! i knew someone must have done it before.
nice set-up Bernie,though my workshop is about 5ft square ffs so i aint got room for one od those grinders. how much would i pay for one anyway?
glad to see someone lifting the lid on this knife making mystery too,aint rocket science when you have the kit is it?
how come your banned from british blades dude? lol just like me.were you giving secrets away or did you not bow down to the admins?
anyway,cool vids and got a few tips there too.cheers.
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oh yeah,i forgot to say...dont waste your money on my efforts lads,id buy one of Bernies after looking at his website.
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lol well fuck me! i knew someone must have done it before.
nice set-up Bernie,though my workshop is about 5ft square ffs so i aint got room for one od those grinders. how much would i pay for one anyway?
glad to see someone lifting the lid on this knife making mystery too,aint rocket science when you have the kit is it?
how come your banned from british blades dude? lol just like me.were you giving secrets away or did you not bow down to the admins?
anyway,cool vids and got a few tips there too.cheers.
The machines are about a grand http://www.radiusmaster.com.au/ (http://www.radiusmaster.com.au/) :)
Your right its not rocket science,but alas some on BB think you have to be in the magic circle ::)
Like you,wouldent bow down to the prize prick who owns it ;D
Your more than welcome on my forum,bit more laid back,with genuine folk not arse lickers ;D
Bernie
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The machines are about a grand http://www.radiusmaster.com.au/ Smiley
Your right its not rocket science,but alas some on BB think you have to be in the magic circle Roll Eyes
Like you,wouldent bow down to the prize prick who owns it Grin
Your more than welcome on my forum,bit more laid back,with genuine folk not arse lickers Grin
Bernie
Bernie i like your style!!!
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aye well ,couldnt put it better myself. id love to bump into him one day.........
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I smell a pint comin on :P
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aye well ,couldnt put it better myself. id love to bump into him one day.........
I'd like to stick one on him ;D
Bernie
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Ermm i take it you know about the whois (http://samspade.org/whois/www.britishblades.com) search ?
Andy
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ooohh thats a can of worms opened right there mate!
your the devil! ;D
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ooohh thats a can of worms opened right there mate!
your the devil! ;D
Well its nearly time to post the Christmas cards .. just thought you'd need an address or you can phone him instead and wish him happy Christmas
Andy
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lol maybe i,ll send him something in the post ..... ;)
anyway,heres the next thrilling installment...and knife n0 2. its a wee knife for making toothpicks and cleaning your nails.bit more precise than the big heavy bugger. the top ones a 3mm effort,and pretty f*cking good i think.
(http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/3830/knivesc.jpg)
if i dont melt it during heat treatment i might let someone have it as a kit including brass pins and oak scales. think the first one should go to Jonno if hes interested.seein as its his site an all,and its near christmas lol.......but you can make your own bleedin sheath mate, ive no leather yet!
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they look great, very pro looking
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cheers man,heres what it looks like after heat treatment and i re-ground the back of it cause it looked like f**k-all lol.
(http://img341.imageshack.us/img341/5884/whittlingknife.jpg)
now its a kinky little neck knife for whittlin sticks and stabbing sausages. ;D
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Pablo can u put me down for a knife please mate oak handled with black liners. Will get u the cash whenever u want mate.
Neil
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what kind you want Neil? wee one or a big one?
i just made one today with brick colored liners and birch handle.quite proud of it actually.gonna get some oil to finish the wood and waterproof it.
im only doing a few of these as i cant guarantee the knives.
its handy for a bit of field testing though lol.
might i just add that forming the handles is a real ordeal !
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Bigger 1 mate it's mainly for bushcraft purposes so need something that can stick some punishment. The 1 with brick liners and birch sounds the part can u send a pic of it?
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Forming the handles is the fun part of making a knife.
here's one of my handles in Desert Iron Wood.
(http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/garyminiss/knivesand91stbirthday026.jpg)
what kind you want Neil? wee one or a big one?
i just made one today with brick colored liners and birch handle.quite proud of it actually.gonna get some oil to finish the wood and waterproof it.
im only doing a few of these as i cant guarantee the knives.
its handy for a bit of field testing though lol.
might i just add that forming the handles is a real ordeal !
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(http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/50/birchknife.jpg) there ya go.
blade hasnt been polished as i think the markings on it are quite good looking,like a damascus type look.
could probably be sanded out if youd prefer.
course you could always get a blank and have Ginger handle it for ya seein as he likes it so much ;D :D
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looks the part dude
but i will wait on 1 that is polished up if ur keeping the markings on that 1, not really a big fan of damascuss markings.
do you think you will keep at it mate?
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nope,i,ll polish it up if you like ,but theres no pressure to buy it Neil.
right , its polished up now.if you want it you can have it , but dont forget its not perfection.
lets put it like this.....if it was me buying it from you id break your arm to get it for 45 quid!!! :D
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I'm still happy to take it mate, but will have to wait till just after chrimbo till I get paid again if ur happy enough to wait
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no problem dude, id say i,ll have another one or two done by then anyway so gimme a shout if your still interested.
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heres a few blades i knocked out.all for bushcraft work ,even the tanto style one.
any midgets fancy the wee one :D.(http://img121.imageshack.us/img121/4738/newblades.jpg)
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Pablo! they are lookin good! how are you cutting out the blank and then getting the bevel
for it look,s really even and as i said before i will have one off you soon!
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just saw your post billy, i use a 4 inch grinder to cut out the blade shape then a 1inch rexxon beltsander to smooth things out.
then i grind the bevels by hand,aint easy but a steady hand and bit of skill does it well enough.
they arnt as perfect as a professional job ,but still bloody good!
ive a couple of blades here at the mo,a convex grind one and a scandi(bushcraft-ray mears clone) no handles on em yet but a mate sent me some nice wood to finish em.
i also have leather on its way 3.5 mm for making sheaths too.
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just got my knife in the post that pablo made for me, have to say im well impressed with it, will give it a good work out over next few weeks
thanks pablo
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ah,i wondered if youd got it mate,just remember it isnt a crow-bar lol but i,ll be interested to see how you get on with it.
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Are you sell home made knifes pablo ?
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yes mate, you got a design you want done?
just gimme a shout.all handmade from start to finish including sheaths now too.
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Great to know !! Cheers
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been at this caper for a while now and im getting better i think.
i had a few blades laying around so got another couple handled today.
cocobola and masur birch,two woods i hadnt used before.
birch was hard as nails and the cocobola was like carving chocolate!
still,they ended up nice :big grin:
maybe i should start selling a few,theres 7 knives and sheaths sitting here that could be turned into 01,sanding belts and leather.
what you think of em?(http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx47/pablorooney/DSC06523.jpg)
(http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx47/pablorooney/DSC06529.jpg)
(http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx47/pablorooney/DSC06537.jpg)
(http://i740.photobucket.com/albums/xx47/pablorooney/DSC06546.jpg)
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They look good, something nice about a home made knife. You seem to have got the hang of it anyway, seems the next logical step is too make them bigger ;D
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Hello! New to this forum but I've been reading through this and other threads with great interest. I'm of two minds whether to have a crack at it myself, or to ask if Pablo can do me one - I'm sure that I could probably make one eventually, but it's a matter of time and ability and practice, so I reckon it'll be a while yet! Thanks anyway for the tips and inspiration, you've lifted the veil of mystery to it and tempted me towards having a go (if I can find blanks nearby or online at a reasonable cost). Just out of curiosity, Pablo, how much would you charge for a Ray Mears/Woodlore style knife with a nice leather sheath? I think that's what we're all more or less after, and if £45 still stands, I'd be sorely tempted - might even justify it as a model for my own future efforts! ;)
One more question, actually, which is about the pins and grommets used for fixing the handle into place and for the lanyard hole. Where do you find these, and what's the proper name for them (so that I can search for them myself)? Not the sort of things you normally go buying, and I guess this is one of the reasons why amateurs are so put off from trying this...
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The NIBA guys might be able to help you mate.
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Making your own knife isn't difficult. You can choose to go with simply putting a handle on a blade that someone else has made you or you can get a piece of steel stock and grind your own bevels. I've seen and had a bit of a play one of Pablo's knives and it's not too bad, though i think the heat treatment may have been a bit off, but I'm sure that he'll improve this with practice. personally, I'd recommend FGYT ( http://www.bushcraftliving.com/) go to "forums" and look in artisan square, Bernie Garland (http://www.berniegarlandknives.com/ ) or try Brisa ( https://www.brisa.fi/portal/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 ) FGYT and Bernie will do you a blade blank for you to handle, brisa have a huge range of blades and knife making bits and pieces. As far as knife handles are concerned, there's a place just outside Mallusk called the "Wood shed" where you can get lots of great woods at good prices.
All you have to decide is if you want a "Full Tang (where the knife handle steel is visible between the handle wood) or "Stick Tang (where the handle steel is hidden inside the handle wood.
Here's some knives I've made myself.
(http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/garyminiss/Cutting%20tools/015-2.jpg)
(http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/garyminiss/DSC_0039-1.jpg)
(http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee291/garyminiss/knivesand91stbirthday026.jpg)
£45 will definitely get you a blade blank from someone like FGYT and i guarantee you won't be disappointed with it.
You can get any of the makers or suppliers to provide you with pins and lanyard tube, but it's available in long lengths from B&Q, aka Brass rod and tube, lol. 6mm is a pretty standard size.
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Those are some beautiful examples. I've been toying with the idea of a 'stick tang' because I like the way you can build it up with layers of different woods and thin layers of bark for some absolutely amazing handles. I was reading this which reminded me of the technique, it's very common in Finnish 'puukko' knives (which are excellent) and I would like to give it a go: http://imageevent.com/paleoaleo/makingabirchbarkknifehandle - anybody here tried this technique before?
Thanks for the tips and links though, I'll definitely check those out. So much to learn, so much to try...
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I haven't done a birch bark handle......yet, though I have done a few stick tangs. The leuku in the top picture is a stick tang. I have a few Pukko knives and I agree, they are excellent Bushcraft knives.