First try at making a knife.

[warhead052]

Yesterday I spent about 2 hours in front of my bench grinder with a couple of steel bars, and decided I wanted to make a knife. About 30 minutes later, I already had the start of the edge. Here's what I have so far.







Note, those are both sides, and it is unfinished. I still need to fabricate a handle of some sort, and sharpen the blade a bit more.

[Labtecpower]

What steel do you use?

[warhead052]

What steel do you use?

I have no idea what type of steel. All I know is it rusts in like an hour after contact with water.

[jrrdw]

Low carbon mild welding flat stock...

[cammyd32]

Its truly awful metal, I have used some stuff like that before to make a pair of shortswords, it bends easy as but is preetty good if all you want is a showpiece best of luck and post some pics when its completed

[warhead052]

Cammy, this stuff does not bend.

I got around to sharpening it some more today, I need to find my old knife sharpening kit, maybe that will help.

[cammyd32]

Cammy, this stuff does not bend.

It does when you use a meter of it ;D
it looks like its gonna turn out pretty good should it be formed properly, just make sure you get all that black coating it comes with off before you make a handle because nothing sticks to it for some reason! ... or that could just be me but oh well

[warhead052]

I don't think this is what you used. What you used sounds like a much thinner type. This is 1/8" thick, so this won't bend. And I don't plan on gluing to it, I plan on drilling through it and using wooden dowels and making a wooden handle for it. I want it to be nice for my first.

[jakethebeast]

Warhead: you are not able to get it sharp whit bench grinder and that seel is awfull. Try getting some high quality steel

[jrrdw]

Work with what you got and see what you can make of it. Sounds like a plan.

[clemsonguy1125]

How do you plan to heat treat it, what kind of forge, I guess your doing a concave grind for the blade. Full tang I assume? Do you plan to use it or just use it as a show piece.

[jakethebeast]

well i think its mild steel, so it cant be heat treated. but its good to try with something which doesnt cost much

[warhead052]

Well, I got this stuff free, some contractors left it at the hotel my dad manages, and he brought it home for me. So honestly I have no idea what type of steel it is, all I know is that it came from people who put up cable lines.

As to heat treating this, I can't even build a combustion without getting yelled at, how the hell am I supposed to make a forge?

And as to what this is going to be, its more of a show piece, I don't plan on using it since its nearly a foot long.

[evanmcorleytv]

Well, I got this stuff free, some contractors left it at the hotel my dad manages, and he brought it home for me. So honestly I have no idea what type of steel it is, all I know is that it came from people who put up cable lines.

As to heat treating this, I can't even build a combustion without getting yelled at, how the hell am I supposed to make a forge?

And as to what this is going to be, its more of a show piece, I don't plan on using it since its nearly a foot long.

Are you serious? It's THAT hard for your parents to let you build cannons? I mean my parents are fine with me building this stuff! we REALLY need to get together sometime. Like.. Now. Also, I've made a number of knives out of steel, and it is a huge boner killer. If I were you, I would start out doing something like I first did, which was using the steel backing pieces of a binder, instead of thick steel, they can be easily cut with tin snips, are QUITE strong, and while being pretty, they will last a LONG time. If you would like to know more about binder knives, here's a link: http://www.instructables.com/id/Binder-Knife/


ALSO, about heat treating: If you still decide to continue with this without making a binder knife, do what I do, get and old grill, fill it up with some hardwood, and charcoal, and simply put your blade in. If you use this method, I would drill some 1/2 inch holes in the bottom of the grill, so oxygen can reach the flames. When you're done heating the blade, fill up a large container with some cheap oil, and quickly dunk it in there! (that's what she said.) And that's home forging for CHEAP!! (20 dollars)

[Crna Legija]

make it out of s old file just make sure you keep it cool while you grind if it gets too hot it'll be the same as this one. after you done a quick hit in the oven when you parents aren't home and you will have a all right knife
im not sure how long or how hot the oven will need to be maybe jakethebeast can shed some light on it