Knife Making

[newrider3]

I went to bump the old thread and found it locked... thought I'd post some pics of a project I started today while waiting for the insurance adjuster to show up.
Started with an old mower blade, and whittled a blade out with a hacksaw, angle grinder, and file.
Just need to figure out how I should put a good edge on it; go through the normalizing, hardening, and tempering process; and come up with a nice hardwood handle. I might get my buddy to whittle out an aluminum crossguard on his new mill too...









.45ACP for scale reference...




Anyone else made anything interesting? Any guys from the old thread finish their projects?

 

[xXPhasemanXx]

Looks nice, but the real question is, how does it cut?

 

[newrider3]

It's not sharpened or hardened yet...

 

[mckutzy]

Im not too sure But I think mower blades arent a good steel to use. just a quick check (google) and most seem to say that aswell.

Id say get a file or leaf spring. Those are probably the best in the well known selection cheap category.

Take a look on the various blade forums, they will say on the heat treating and all other aspects of the blade.

 

[newrider3]

It will work just fine...it's basic carbon steel, no different than you would find in a cheap file or a piece of fresh flatstock. It's much easier to start out with flat stock like this than a spring that has a shape and memory worked into it over many years, or a file that would have to have it's hardening undone to even be able to work it.

 

[mckutzy]

Some are, alot are just a cheap steel, so it will take hitting rocks and other hard objects and not break.

Build a fire..... throw spring, file in. put more wood let it burn. When cold.. take out and work it. easier than you think.
No fireplace/pit or charcoal BBQ... take a torch heat it, all that is needed to relieve the temper, test with a hard file.

 

[B.M.800]

If anything a learning experience.

I still havnt gotten around to finishing the 2 I had started month and months ago. I need to finish getting some material for a simple brake drum forge...