Knifemaking

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Valkman

Valkman

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Jul 31, 2003
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Las Vegas, NV
I've been doing almost nothing BUT learning to make knives for about 6 weeks now - I started with a little tutorial hand-made one and then got a grinder. I've been making mostly tanto neck knives and 4" drop point hunters, probably because I watched videos on those and am trying to get better by making a bunch of each. Each is an improvement over the last, but this stuff ain't easy and they're no where near where I want to be. But I'll keep buying steel and grinding belts and hopefully they'll get good enough for me to sell. :)

Here's some pics in the order I made them:



I do my own heat treating and use refractory cement along the spine of the knife to keep it softer than the edge. This is what the blank looks like after heat treat:



I have a little forge made out of 2 firebricks and a MAPP gas torch. It's good enough for now but eventually I'll probably send them out for HT.

Hope you like 'em! :D
 
I appreciate that, but a friend suggested I hang them on a wall and watch the progression as they get better and I like that. They'll get better, and what I want is to make a very strong knife that's simple and affordable. It has to last! :)
 
Your off to a great start :)
I make knives part time. Mostly as a hobby but I am selling them now. I'm far from an expert on either the knifemaking itself or the business end of it, but my advice is to wait a little longer to sell them.
Here's why
1. I don't see a makers mark. You put alot of work into a knife. You should take credit for the work. Custom knives generally last a long time, and have a strong secondary market. The knife should be marked so that whoever ends up with it knows who made it. They might just want another :D

2. Consistency and improvement.
You should always strive for improvement. You making big gains right now. Keeping those knives will help you judge where you were, where you are, and where your going.
Added experience will let you make a more consistent product. Your in the learning stages on everything. After another dozen knives your going to step up to the grinder with more confidence, you'll have a better eye for judging temperature by color on your heat treating, and you'll know more of the tricks to make it all easier. You'll also have these early knives to test performance with and make adjustments with.

Keep makin em and use em every chance you get. You'll find there are things you like and things you don't. You'll probably find that you want to tweak your heat treating, edge geometry,blade shape, or handle shape some too. The more knives you make the more control you have over the details, and no matter how much you like the knife you just made you'll find something you'd change on the next one. Thats just the nature of the beast :D
 
Thanks for the advice, redneck. Any advice from knifemakers helps! I agree they are not ready to sell and I need to test them. When the hunters get better I was thinking of giving a few to guys that really hunt and see how they work and what feedback I get and adjust from there.

I have to get a stamp. Better do that before much longer!

And you're right - consistency is everything and I don't have it yet. I figure in 6 months to a year I should be making pretty good stuff. I want to do exactly what you've done - keep it a hobby and sell some too. All this steel and belts cost money! :)

Thanks all!
 
Good for you.

Be sure to try to use the same steel while you perfect your technique.

Lots of good advice at Bladeforums and Knifeforums in the makers sections.
 
Yep, everything is O1 for now, although I just got some 5160. Can't wait to try stainless, but that'll wait for now. :)
 
More power to your elbow Don - only knife I made was way back, from a car leaf spring! Gave it away.

Trouble is - I have always had way too many interests so not concentrated on knives but, admire the folks who do. Keep at it! :)
 
Thanks guys! Leaf springs are kinda tough because they're so thick and it's a mystery what kind of steel they are. I've heard that they used to be good steel but that some aren't good quality. I have a guy that going to give me a whole set off of a '57 Chevy but now I'm not sure I want them - that's ALOT of grinding! :)
 
Here's a couple I made yesterday and today - a little tanto with a rounded grind and a "rib tickler". On both I wanted to get the metal finish much better than what I'd been getting and it worked. The tanto I sanded by hand from 100 to 600 grit and the other I machine ground to 400 then used the buffer. Both are O1 tool steel and were heat treated in my little 2-brick forge.

 
I like the knife in the 3rd pic- though I'm partial to guards on my knives.

J
 
I ordered some nickel silver sheet to start making bolsters, as I like guards also. That will be fun! These are more of the neck knife variety, and I'm about to start making Kydex sheaths for them.
 
Here you go, built-in guard and everthing! :)

I like this one - it's by far my best and looks pretty good.

O1 tool steel 3/16"
4" blade 8" overall
Black Canvas Micarta handle




Next to start making nickel-silver bolsters! :uhoh:
 
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Really nice work so far :D
I hope I didn't imply that I didn't think they were good enough. I just meant that your going to get better, every knife you post is showing a lot of improvement. You'll get more consistent as you go and it will be a lot easier to market your work. You won't have such a wide range of stuff out there with your name on it.

I gotta ask though, why use 3/8" stock on such a small knife? I use 1/8" on most blades 4" or less, and if I want it beefy I might step up to 3/16". I don't go to 1/4" until I'm up there at 6" or longer.
I'm not trying to put you down, I'm just curious. Thats a whole heck of a lot more steel to grind (and those damn belts are expensive!) and its harder to make an efficient cutter with a blade that thick. Now if your wanting somethine indestructable though, I'd say you've probably done it :D
 
Hi redneck, and no I don't take what you say as bad criticism, but constructive! :)

Edit: I just caught that I said I used 3/8" when I used 3/16"! 3/8" - argh! :p

The steel thickness thing is something I just don't know about and when to use what so I'm trying different things. It's like steels - other than O1 and 5160 I have no clue so I'll have to try some and learn. I started with 1/8" but everyone seems to favor 3/16" so that's what I've been using mostly. I have 4 knives cut out in 1/8" now and 4 more almost cut out in 3/16". I did have to drill a bunch of holes in the 3/16" tang to lighten it up! :)

A knifemaker (Jerry Hossom) stated that people learning to grind should be doing a minimum of three knives at a time, one grit for each knife then move on to the next grit. I cut all these out to try his theory - he says grinding one at a time will never get us out of learning mode. But I am having a blast seeing each knife get much better. So I'll make these now and start adding silver bolsters.

I appreciate your comments!
 
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The 3/16" makes a lot more sense!
Thats a good all around thickness. You can make a very efficient cutter with it if you take your grinds high enough, and you can also make a really tough knife. Leaves a little more room for error on grinding than the thin stuff too.
Keep up the good work :)
 
Looking very nice Valkman. I have a question for you or someone who knows. How do you pin/attach the handles on? I ask because I have always used screws and was currious about trying pins.

Thanks
Nick
 
Thanks Razor 10 - I'm finishing up one today that's been a knife from Hell! :)

Epoxy is what holds the handles together, and the pin holes and extra holes in the tang help the epoxy get max "stickage".

It's easy to use pins - rough shape a handle by drawing an outline and cutting it out, then do the other side. Clamp one side to the blade and drill your holes off of the holes in the tang. Remove and repeat with the other side. Cut your pins (and lanyard tubing if you're using it), then mix epoxy and put it all together - you'll want the tang and handle "roughed up". Clamp tightly and let it sit, then grind the whole handle down to what you want. :)
 
Here's the latest one, which is the 9th one I've finished. I never thought fitting a bolster could be so hard, but it is without a mill. I wound up using the metal bandsaw to cut the groove in the nickel silver piece and then used a file to the final fit. Almost impossible to fit with no gaps that way but it's the best way I have! :)

01 Tool Steel 3/16"
4" Blade 8" Overall
Nickel-Silver Bolster
Spalted Maple Handle

wholeknife25gv.jpg


thumbgrips0mf.jpg


spaltedmaplegrips2rp.jpg
 
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