I want to make a knife for a coworker

[Indifferent]

She is afraid of knives, guns, basically everything.
She rarely uses a knife that is not made of plastic.
She loves Cheese.
I want to make, a knife, put my soul into it, I'm thinking something just to cut cheese, and I want to give it a pink handle. I think I want a good quality stainless, or a reeeeeeaaaaallly cheap Damascus.

Where to start?
Any help?

 

[ArfinGreebly]

How Much Work?

How much work are you planning to put into this?

Add a handle to an already-made blade?

Fashion a blade from a steel blank (grind, stock removal)?

Hammer a blade from steel stock?

We have some real talent here on the board, and they'll be happy to help you.

It will help if you indicate how much abuse you want to take in this exercise.

 

[Indifferent]

I will grind and cut the shape, I will make the handle.

I don't want to hammer, or forge, or heat treat or cryo.

What I am looking for is:
A good Pink handle material
A good blade blank, (I assume really thin because its for cheese)
A location to sent it for further heat treating and cryo
Any other pointers, like how to fasten the handle to the blade.
Blade shape for a cheese knife.
And the best of all just some quick pointers, I think everything else my semi capable brain will be able to figure out.

Also those mosaic pins, anyone know of any girlie stars or hearts or a Canadian Maple Leaf?

 

[Valkman]

Cheap (carbon steel) Damascus you could heat treat yourself. The same with oil hardening carbon steels like O1, which I used a lot of when I started. Any stainless will have to be professionally heat treated.

So, take a piece of steel. Draw knife onto steel and cut it out with hacksaw, or drill holes around it and hacksaw what's left. Use files to "grind" the blade and shape the handles - finish with sandpaper. Heat treat it or have someone do it - if it's oil hardening I'd be happy to do it.

Finish again to where you want it, epoxy handles on and when it's cured shape them until done. Easy. I used this method exactly once and then bought a grinder.

This is the tutorial I started with: http://hossom.com/tutorial/jonesy/

 

[Valkman]

A good Pink handle material

Hmm, I know there's some out there somewhere but I don't know where to get it.

A good blade blank, (I assume really thin because its for cheese)

I'd look around on kniife sites for cheese knives and what they look like and go from there.

Also those mosaic pins, anyone know of any girlie stars or hearts or a Canadian Maple Leaf?

No, but that doesn't mean someone doesn't have it!

Look at places like these:

http://www.knifeandgun.com/
http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/index.php
http://www.flat-stock.com/~store/Me...reen=PROD&Store_Code=T&Product_Code=PM-O1ONMM

 

[sm]

It is the intent of the user of a tool - not the tool that is evil.
I agree with what you are doing. *smile*

I like your ideas, and Valkman's input.
While one can buy a ready made, a custom made will a personal touch to this passing forward.

Does she like pink, or would she be offended by pink?
I suggest finding out if you don't know, and instead consider her favorite color.

Some really good looking handles in other colors.

Also...

Make the cheese knife for here that uses a wire.
This resembles a coping saw, and if memory serves, piano and guitar string is used and is attached just like a coping saw blade is - tension.
This wire cuts cheese really well.

I would make small one, and present this with the wood cheese cutting board with the glass lid.

Perceptions.
Both tools fit under this glass, both cut cheese, and neither will cut that cheese unless she has the intent to cut cheese.

Ladies often leave these out where they can be seen.
Every time she sees these, the seed planted gets more nourishment to grow.

I used a imitation MOP single blade Imperial knife like this too many years ago for nearly the same reasons.
It worked ...

Principal is the same...

 

[Valkman]

I almost forgot before I went out to the shop - call this place. If anyone has pink in G10 or micarta it'll be them! Ann Sheffield knows her stuff!

http://www.sheffieldsupply.com/

 

[xring44]

Look at umbrella handles, you might find something in a pink/pearl that would/could be used for the handle. Unless your pretty good useing your hands, grinding blades, that look like blades will be quite difficult.

 

[gb6491]

Sheffield Knifemakers Supply Inc. has pink G10, You can see a photo of it here.

A light colored piece of Pink Ivory wood might be nice.

I have some links that might be of help to you (there are some for making your own mosaic pins) here: http://gbrannon.bizhat.com/

Regards,
Greg

 

[rustyrodder_7]

www.northcoastknives.com

They have got everything you need and are very helpful. I am very pleased with their products, speed of shipping, and have several different types of handle material. I guess they don't have everything, because they don't have damascus steel blanks. They do, however, have blades that are already hardened and ready for handles. Good luck!

 

[.cheese.]

She loves Cheese.

no surprise there. Everybody loves me.

 

[sm]

*lol*

Figured you would show up.

 

[.cheese.]

,Cheese. is everywhere he needs to be.

 

[Dksimon]

atleast youre on the ball, off subject or not.....

 

[Piedmont Plinker]

What type of cheese? Remember different cheeses require different tools, although a knife works reasonably well for all of them.

 

[Zeke/PA]

indifferent,
A decent letter opener type knife can be made from an old file provided you have acess to some grinding equiptment.
Safety glasses are a must!
Zeke

 

[sm]

Moore-Maker has a pink knife in their line with 1095 carbon steel blades.

I have no idea about the handle material, still as other have suggested and gave links for, there is pink handle materials.

Where I am going is, using one of these knife making kits to make a knife, with blade steel choices and that handle material.

I dunno, others are more experienced than, just another thought that came to mind.

http://catalog.mooremaker.com/viewProduct.cfm?item_id=722498

http://catalog.mooremaker.com/viewProduct.cfm?item_id=717781

Delrin, aha!

That is what MM site says theirs is.

 

[p35]

Check

http://www.eknifeworks.com/webapp/e...ext=camillus&Search.x=12&Search.y=16&Search=1

They're selling off a lot of odds and ends from the Camillus factory closing including a lot of good blades cheap. I bought some and was happy.

here's a couple of the knives I made- blades do say "Remington" but I can live with that.

 

[highorder]

www.knifekits.com has a good selection of raw materials and kits.

 

[mole]

If it's not going into the dishwasher you could maybe try to make your own handle out of the heartwood of Eastern Red Cedar. It has a light red/dark pink color. It might look good with damascus.

 

[icebones]

naw dude, make it out of A2 tool steel, heat tread and draw it out to about 59Rc it will never go dull (kind brittle though)

stainless would be the best bet, a knife used for cooking or dining will be exposed to moisture a lot, it will sit in the sink overnight, soaking in god knows what, spend hours in the dishwasher. a cheese knife really dosent need to be really sharp either. 440 stainless is easy to get, but you may want something a bit better, im not a knife making pro, but im a metal worker, and i have machined just about any kind of steel you can think of.

 

[sniper5]

For a handle, try using some aniline dye which comes in a rainbow of color and dying some thin maple and then laminate using epoxy to fill voids. Aniline dye can be had at most woodworker supply outlets like Garrett wade or (I believe) Rockler. Using thin wood the aniline should penetrate completely. You could play with grain and figure to get something interesting (tiger stripe, bird's eye, etc.) Aniline dye will not change contrast or grain, just color and you can mix to get the exact shade you want. It's how they make laminated camo gunstocks.

 

[icebones]

a pink laminated handle on a hand crafted knife, hum...
my girlfriends favorite color is pink...