Knives

[DoGgONit]

JUST TO GET BACK ON SUBJECT:   BIG CHEAP PERFERABLY SHARP AND METAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LIKE THE ONES I CAN AFFORD TO LOOSE, ONLY SEEM TO LOOSE THE EXPENSIVE ONES lololol!!!!

[hogtied]

all that cuttung torch and grinding is gonna ruin the temper of your steel and make it brittle...especially if its hardened steel like a leaf spring...Not a knife maker tho..

[Bigl]

I like my knives I build.  Nothing like sticking a hog with a knife you build your self

What is the best way to start off to build a knife and what supplies will I need?

1. Something to cut out the general shape of blade you want, cutting torch, plasma cutter, my dad uses a concrete saw.
2. angle grinder to finish getting the shape.
3. 4x21 belt sander, grind the edge on it.
4. Drill press to put holes in for rivets, or you can skip that part and use epoxy to attach the handle.
5. Buffing wheel to shine the blade.
6. coarse, medium, and fine sharpening stone.

That should be all that you need to get started for practicing, if you really get into it and start getting good then there will be more to it like heat treating, and better sanders for hollow grinidng the blade.
All the supplies like steell, handle material and riverts go to texasknife.com

If anyone has any questions feel free to ask

Is there a different proccess for making a double-edged knife?

[sfboarbuster]

No you would just do the same thing but two edges

[sfboarbuster]

all that cuttung torch and grinding is gonna ruin the temper of your steel and make it brittle...especially if its hardened steel like a leaf spring...Not a knife maker tho..

Thats why its best to not start with hardened steel. My dad buys a 12x36 piece of stock, cuts out the shape, and after it is almost done sends it off to be heat treated.

[hogtied]

ya i been a rig welder for 14 years,(yes im only 30 but i had a rig truck when i was 16 and welded in the evenings after school) im no knife builder but i no about tempered steel a leaf spring is supposed to be good tho i have heard... just have to be slow ground or something??? I made a few knives out of industrial hack saw blades... they get dam sharp and hold an edge like no other...

[nosightsneeded]

I have made a few knives myself I have found old saw blades work great. YOU CAN START WILL HARDEN STEEL. You have to temper it first. grind it and do any work you want to it and then harden it and then retemper. Hardening and tempering are 2 completly different things. Hardening is when you heat to a high tempeture (glowing orange) very fast and quinch which makes it hard and brittle.  Tempering is then done to soften the blade enough to make it not brittle. It is done by heating at a moderate temp (blue) slowly and letting it air cool.

[hogtied]

I was not going into such detail... but very well said nosights!!!  Whether your a blacksmith or knife maker or whatever, you no your $@#% Those saw blade knives i have are the only ones i have made but i am very impressed with the way they turned out

[nosightsneeded]

Thanks Hogtied but Iam no where near either of those things. but if you do it right it pays off in the end. I know a guy that made a knife the right way and did it well , and I saw him stab through a car door.

[hogtied]

  hope it was his 

[Eric]

I use the Buck 119 also. Holds enough edge to skin a few out, cut a head off, and stick'em. They can be had for around $25 on ebay. I have been using the same knife for the past 7 or 8 years.

[nosightsneeded]

Cant get into details bout that. 

but here is the last one I made about a year ago.

[hogtied]

I got one i heated and hammered flat and formed out of a rail road spike, with a pipe handle, and also one made from an industrial airsaw blade ill post pics of them i get home... they work pretty good, the saw blade is razor sharp and holds an edge great

[Purebreedcolt]

I dont temper that way insted of air i dip mine in warm used motor oil usually twice but harden with water then retemper with a oven

[Purebreedcolt]

here is a general view on my progress over the last few years.  defently not all of them but think this gives a good idea.  The top two are the first two stickers I made.  These are all knives i have made for myself except for the last one and am in the process of finishing it.  I usually dont do all of the fine work for one for myself because I do not care as much about the looks at the fuctionality.

Here is a little closer view of bottom three

then pictures of where I started

this knife i just like it was a pain to do handle is made out of audad horn

The one I made for the tdha benifit

One I made boardog (THAT HE LOST) lol
Then one I made another guy

[Dexter]

heres  my knives i hunt with  they are cheap cheap ,,,, I use the cheap machettes you find at flea markets and pawn shops,,
 with the wooden handles that have the stamp "TRAMONTINA BRASIL"
 I first rip it down to the thickness i want ripping  off the back ,, then i have templates I made of blades i like and make them
out and cut them out with a grinder or a saw with a composite metal cutting blade  you can get a lowes  or even wall world
(make sure you wear  your eye wear) , then i go to the grinder and  work the cutting edge (SLOWLY) DONT OVER HEAT  THE BLADE OR IT WILL LOSE  ITS TEMPER,,,,   after that i take a file and smooth it out  and perfect the edge with a make shift lansky  clamp and then
i sharpen on a stone that i cut on my brick saw out of luders stone... i can do a couple in about  2 hours goofing off and haveing a cold refreshment  they are strong stay sharp andare real thin for the size. the blade on the large is 10 3/8,, the small is 5 1/4 . aww heck heres a couple pictures
 Dexter

[W-tate]

What about makein one out of an old file? I heard tha works

[stoked]

just wondering if anybody knows where i can order a decent knife sheith that will hold my knife and attach to my belt.

i always buy some cheap knifes and the sheith's fall apart. the knifes hold up pretty good though..

the one ive got now is the "pig sticker" less than $20's and has stuck a lot of pigs...been a good knife.

[got2catchem]

just wondering if anybody knows where i can order a decent knife sheith that will hold my knife and attach to my belt.

i always buy some cheap knifes and the sheith's fall apart. the knifes hold up pretty good though..

the one ive got now is the "pig sticker" less than $20's and has stuck a lot of pigs...been a good knife.

Not sure if your knife would fit, but this is the one I have. It made it through two vacations at the big sandbox strapped to a flak jacket, also carried it on numerous hunts, never a problem..

http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=KA1216

[stoked]

thanks bro...