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Knife makers ?
- Thread starter cuslog
- Start date
No, but I'm curious. If I ever get a belt grinder/sander I think I'd like to dabble. I've watched enough YouTube videos to convince me there is a lot of artistic freedom. Maybe in your case retrofitting to existing knife assembly means holding certain dimensions & shape but nothing outside the realm of basic machinist skills. Most guys don't use jigs, either by choice, or just not practical. Its more of a visual thing & occasional caliper check that I can gather.
This local fellow hardened the cam plates for my radial engine. Put it in an envelope & it arrives in your mailbox, couldn't be happier. All the heat treat equipment is a rather steep investment & process learning curve so (for me at least) might be a good way to make blades & get results without going into the deep end of the pool on the HT. He offers specific materials too so could probably advise you on that front.
https://www.knifemaker.ca/Heat-Treat-Service/
This local fellow hardened the cam plates for my radial engine. Put it in an envelope & it arrives in your mailbox, couldn't be happier. All the heat treat equipment is a rather steep investment & process learning curve so (for me at least) might be a good way to make blades & get results without going into the deep end of the pool on the HT. He offers specific materials too so could probably advise you on that front.
https://www.knifemaker.ca/Heat-Treat-Service/
[mention]Crosche [/mention] is into knife making I believe
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well, although I do like the "shape and feel" of the said knife, its a "consumer grade" (AKA cheap). I don't know what the steel is in the blade but its relatively soft and doesn't hold an edge very well. I've repaired it a couple of times already.
historicalarms
Ultra Member
Wow, is there no end to forum threads on here that don't interest me, they never end!
I have never built a custom knife but owned and have used a few. Two that stand out were built by my old man and a buddy of his in the mid 60's. One was built from an industrial power hacksaw blade, the other from a planer mill blade. The power hacksaw blade being the thinner of the two was the filleting/steak slicer knife, the much heavier plainer blade was the "butchering" knife. My old man, being a sharp edge fanatic whenever a knife was involved, never failed a warning when someone picked up one of his knives at a community butchering day "be god damn careful with that thing , it's not fussy what it cuts". When an animal hit the ground there was no need for a saw when that big knife was there, I have opened beef & moose briskets & H-bones with one easy pull.
I think the point here that might interest everybody is the fact they didn't have a forge as we know them for the "build"...just an ordinary acet. torch and a pail of cement powder to turn the steel from intensely hard to a softer state for the shaping work and back to hard (with five gallon pail cold water instead of the cement) and then to draw it down just a bit. After the softening stage just an ordinary bench grinder then an angle grinder did the shaping with a little elbow grease and a file to finish. first sharpening after drawing down was done with a soft wheel on the same angle grinder followed by numerous stretches' of labor with a emory cloth block to finish.
My old man is long gone but those knives still stick to the magnetic holder beside my mothers counter top...I sharpen them once a year for her....proof that a "Forged In Fire" (love that show) shop set-up would be nice to have but not needed if you have the bare essentials...good steel and a heat source.
I have never built a custom knife but owned and have used a few. Two that stand out were built by my old man and a buddy of his in the mid 60's. One was built from an industrial power hacksaw blade, the other from a planer mill blade. The power hacksaw blade being the thinner of the two was the filleting/steak slicer knife, the much heavier plainer blade was the "butchering" knife. My old man, being a sharp edge fanatic whenever a knife was involved, never failed a warning when someone picked up one of his knives at a community butchering day "be god damn careful with that thing , it's not fussy what it cuts". When an animal hit the ground there was no need for a saw when that big knife was there, I have opened beef & moose briskets & H-bones with one easy pull.
I think the point here that might interest everybody is the fact they didn't have a forge as we know them for the "build"...just an ordinary acet. torch and a pail of cement powder to turn the steel from intensely hard to a softer state for the shaping work and back to hard (with five gallon pail cold water instead of the cement) and then to draw it down just a bit. After the softening stage just an ordinary bench grinder then an angle grinder did the shaping with a little elbow grease and a file to finish. first sharpening after drawing down was done with a soft wheel on the same angle grinder followed by numerous stretches' of labor with a emory cloth block to finish.
My old man is long gone but those knives still stick to the magnetic holder beside my mothers counter top...I sharpen them once a year for her....proof that a "Forged In Fire" (love that show) shop set-up would be nice to have but not needed if you have the bare essentials...good steel and a heat source.