Knife out of a saw blade?

[WayBeau]

I can't remember where, but I remember seeing a write-up on making a knife out of an old mill saw blade. I was helping a friend clean out an old barn this past weekend and we found an old saw blade which was in good condition, i.e. no rust on it.

How good is the steel in those old blades for making knives out of? I think it might be neat to make my own, but I don't want to waste my time if the steel isn't worth it.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

The Art of Manliness

I remember that write up too.
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/07/18/how-to-make-a-knife-from-an-old-saw-blade/

Don't know much about whether or not its a good idea or not but it is interesting.

 

[mole]

If the blade is still in decent shape I bet you'd be better off selling it to a saw mill operator and using the money to buy steel with known qualities. It's just my opinion, but I'd rather see these old machines up and running rather that being re-purposed for something else and being mediocre at it.

 

[hso]

Circular sawmill blade?

 

[WayBeau]

Circular sawmill blade?

Maybe not a saw mill blade, but definitely not something you'd find in the average man's workshop. It's about 28" in diameter. So, whatever machine a blade like that would be used in.

 

[WayBeau]

I remember that write up too.
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2013/07/18/how-to-make-a-knife-from-an-old-saw-blade/

That one's interesting, but not the one I'm talking about. I'll have to keep looking for it.

In the one I'm talking about, the guy used a very large, old circular saw blade.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Probably what we used to call a buzz saw. Ran off a PTO belt on a tractor and used for cutting branches and small logs for fire wood. You could make a bunch of knives out of it.

 

[Ron James]

Shanghai nailed it, buzz saw blade, I remember cutting many a cord of wood with them. Ours used a PTO from a Case tractor.

 

[WayBeau]

Found it. This guy has a real talent.

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/showthread.php?t=719191

So, what do you all think. Is it worth trying? Again, with time at the premium that is, I don't really waste any more than necessary.

 

[HoosierQ]

A fine custom knife maker, Raymond Richard, has made several stock-removal customs using saw-steel and his stock.

 

[zhyla]

Making things yourself instead of buying off the shelf goods is almost always a waste of time. But it's a fun waste of time!

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Making things yourself instead of buying off the shelf goods is almost always a waste of time. But it's a fun waste of time!

It is a Law of the Universe that a hobby only counts as a "Hobby" if you are wasting time, money or, both...

 

[hso]

You need to find "The $50 Knife Shop" by Wayne Goddard and learn how to anneal the blade and then how to go from there.

 

[Officers'Wife]

If it's a circular brush saw blade you would be far better off to have it appraised by an antique dealer. You wouldn't believe what city people will pay for the most common of tools if they are old enough.

 

[Sam Cade]

You need to find "The $50 Knife Shop" by Wayne Goddard and learn how to anneal the blade and then how to go from there.

...and that is how the disease gets started.

 

[rcmodel]

learn how to anneal the blade and then how to go from there.

If it's old enough high-carbon steel to even be annealed?

Modern large saw blades are made form air-harding steel alloys, and can't be annealed short of a laboratory controlled air-free furnace.

That it was found in a barn with no rust present makes me even more skeptical it is old enough to be high-carbon steel you can anneal & re-harden with common equipment.

Still & all?
It seems a shame to cut up a 28" buzz-say blade without knowing what kind of steel it is made from.

If it's a modern S/S air-hardened blade, especially if it has carbide tips?
It is worth a whole lot more as a saw blade to somebody then anything you can make out of it by cutting it up.

And then find out you can't make anything out of it, because it is stainless air-hardening steel, that doesn't rust when stored in a barn for years.


First thing you should do is get some 400 grit sandpaper, and a bottle of cold gun blue.
Clean off a spot and see if the cold blue will work on it.

If it won't?
Sell it and move on.

rc

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I have seen used sawmill blades for Knifes and machetes over the years .

 

[hso]

no rust present

That's a very good point! How in the world does an old saw blade not rust?

 

[WayBeau]

That's a very good point! How in the world does an old saw blade not rust?

It looks old, has no markings to speak of, and the teeth are all beat up and dull. So, perhaps I made the mistake of assuming it truly is old.

Any suggestions on how to get to the bottom of how old it is?

I'm thinking now that I may just dig around in the trash bin in my workshop and dig out one of my old table saw blades and try that.

 

[AJumbo]

A saw blade knife that a friend gifted me-



The maker's mark (my friend didn't make the knife)-



My friend told me that he knew the man who made it, and the fellow used mill saw blades exclusively. I made new sheath for it and carried it on my next elk hunt. I didn't much care for the finger grooves, and I wish the thumb rest was a bit farther forward, but it's a comfortable knife to use, 9'' in length with a blade thickness of 1/8".

The problem with the knife is that it just doesn't hold an edge all that well, and is quite prone to corrosion. In the off-season I have to keep a coating of Sno-Seal on the blade to keep rust at bay. I'm considering taking the nylon (?) scales off it and attempting to heat-treat it properly, or sending it out to get cryo'd.

I consider annealing and heat treating of blade steel to be almost black magic, so of course I want to learn how, and maybe this is my chance to save this knife from an eternity in the Big Ol' Shoe Box Of Misfit Knives. In the end, however, I know I could better invest my time and money in putting scales on a quality blade from Jantz Supply, so this is a back-burner project for now. Let's not even mention the reaction of She Who Must Have Her Feet Rubbed when I dump money into yet another knife.......

 

[MErl]

Sam, is that a toaster oven you are using to anneal?

 

[Sam Cade]

Sam, is that a toaster oven you are using to anneal?

It's a RIVAL brand toaster oven.
I've been using it to temper some of my smaller tests. It will run up to 500 deg and holds it well according my my thermometer.

Total investment: $2 from the Salvation Army.

Also works for poptarts and kydex....at lower settings of course.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Cool thanks for that tip Sam.

 

[Pete D.]

Saw blade

Nothing fancy here:
This very simple knife was made from a circular saw blade and a bit of Osage orange for the scales. Brass bolster. It has been used a lot.
As for making things on your own being a waste of time......I could not disagree more.


Another, smaller, knife in a similar style...a dropped edge utility knife with Osage scales and silver inlay at the bolster.


More:



Two very small utility knives with one inch blades....a sheepsfoot and a reverse with laurel root scales.

 

[hso]

The cost effectiveness of making your own is inversely proportional to what someone else would pay you for that time and directly proportional to how much you save on enjoying making the item vs. what you'd be paying for other recreation.

IOW, if you have fun doing it (and it isn't taking money or time away from the family), it's priceless.