/r/knifemaking
The world of Knifemaking
A helpful community for knife makers of all skill levels to talk about different techniques, steels, and tips for others. Show off your work and where you work here.
Let's make this a very helpful community.
1) Post anything related to knifemaking
2) All official AMAs must be Mod approved with verification.
3) Keep comments respectful and on topic.
4) Blatant advertising and for sale posts are not allowed. You are welcome to make transactions private. LINKS TO BLOGS AND WEBSITES ARE CONSIDERED SELF-PROMOTION.
5) Posts that address questions easily searched or answered in the WIKI will be removed.
Click HERE to get to the WIKI
User Submitted Content:
Kiln Build by meepstah
Large and in Depth List of Wood for Handles
Dirt Cheap Guide to Knife Forging
Useful links and Information:
Heat Treating Tool Box- Kevin Cashen's detailed guide to heat treating
Knife Shop Safety and PPE by Jim Ferguson (Downloadable, Right Click, Save As)
Absolute Cheapskate Way To Start Making Knives (PDF)
Bob Engnath Knife Patterns (PDF)
Nick Wheeler- Hand sanding 101 (YouTube)
Steel: The “welding steel” at Tractor Supply/ Lowes/ Home Depot is mild steel and useless for knives Buy new, known, annealed blade steel. It is well worth it. Files, railroad spikes, lawnmower blades and other unknown steels can definitely be used for practice forging but will not perform for a knife. For the work involved, it is very cheap to buy and use known good steel.
1084FG sold by Aldo Bruno is formulated for Knifemaking, Cheap & made for DIY heat-treat. http://njsteelbaron.com/ Phone # 862-203-8160
His telephone service is better than his website.
Heat Treating:
Heat Treating Basics Video (downloadable) Right click and save this and watch it often
Kevin Cashen Heat Treating Info
Heat Treat services:
Air Hardening Stainless Steel Only A2, ATS34, Elmax, CPM154, 154CM, 440C etc.
Buck Knives- Paul Bos Heat Treating
Oil Hardening Carbon Steels and Air Hardening Stainless Steels Oil quenched O1, 1095, 1084, 52100, 5160 Or air quenched A2, ATS34, Elmax, CPM154, 154CM, 440C etc.
Knifemaker CA (Canadian)
-Be sure to check the Shipping and Price tabs
Quenchants for Oil hardening steel
Forget the Goddard's Goop Quench, Motor Oil, Transmission Fluid
Use commercial quench oil & match oil speed to the steel type Here is a good post by Kevin Cashen with the Explanation and classification of oil speeds
For heat treating yourself with minimal equipment, find a Eutectoid steel 1080, 1084. Grocery store canola oil can work well -if you use clean preheated oil
Brine and water are cheap for "water hardening" steels W1 and 1095, but use fast oils Parks 50 & Houghton Quench K If you use water or brine, expect broken blades!
/r/blacksmith is great for general blacksmithing tips beyond knives
/r/Bladesmith is great for those interested in forging knives
Check out /r/ChefKnives for all things regarding culinary cutlery
Gunsmithing /r/gunsmithing
Want a knife made? /r/MakerMesh
Like general knife discussion? /r/knives is the place for you.
Making knives isn't your thing, but the metal still calls? Here ya go: /r/metalworking
Need help with a different type of craft besides steel? Search here: /r/ArtisanHelp
Want to talk about knives and share yours? /r/knifeclub
Buy/Sell/Trade:
/r/knifemaking
129,508 Subscribers
How to remove file marks?
So I was sanding away at 400 for the final sanding session, and I use a file as a backer. Unfortunately, it was on the last layer and the sandpaper ripped and it left some deep file scratches. Now I’m selling this knife to a family member, and I don’t want to give somebody a knife with a defect like this so I’m wondering how to remove it So do I restart from 60 grit or is there some other trick I can do? Any help will be greatly appreciated
(Btw this blade was edge quenched so that’s why)
00:30 UTC
Scalpels done
00:13 UTC
Heat-treating finished blade
I have a knife blade that's already finished, it is sanded, has a sharpened edge and is fairly thin. Discovered that heat-treatement needs to be redone on it. So that's the question, will quenching such blade crack, bend or destroy it in other ways? If so what should I do, grind off the edge or what? Also i planed to quench it in water and as i know it is less forgiving compared to oil.
15:23 UTC
Our 4 models so far... Which are you choosing?
14:36 UTC
Lineman knife in Z-Wear at 64HRC and carbon scales. Stealthy and utilitarian!
12:04 UTC
Knifetalk buildalong
Anyone else here participate in the Knifetalk buildalong?
09:27 UTC
Should i start with making a sword or a knife
If you have any advice for making a sword or knife please let me know. If you choose other coment and I choose from the top coment.
21:17 UTC
One I finished off today
Nitro V blade 91mm Titanium frame 115mm Brass spacer and titanium hardware.
All handmade, no water jet, no CNC, no manual milling.
04:58 UTC
So I was commissioned to make this finka with aquamarine colored maple burl. I really love this turned out! What do you think of it?
23:40 UTC
Custom knife from friend
23:09 UTC
Three years of progress
Top blade I made 3 years ago, my 10th blade and first I tried some handle shaping with. Middle is a takedown I made 2 years ago and my first knuckle bow guard. Bottom is one I started last year but came back to a few weeks ago after a long break. Still in progress but I think it’ll turn out to be one of my better ones.
All are about 18in blades and made from (Top to bottom) 1085 and 15N20.
19:41 UTC
Nice looking pair
19:08 UTC
Might give in and make something from my biggest file.
15:10 UTC
Etching with full finish convex and scandi grind
Good afternoon,
I am faced with a problem. I have etched hollow ground knives with vg10 core before and then put a micro bevel on it. But realised if I want to do this with a full convex, when I go to sharpen it the etching of the core steel will disappear. Has anyone figured out how to etch a full convex from top to edge without sharpening it prior to etching (I was told not to due to it eroding the edge).
Many thanks
14:47 UTC
Feather damascus
If I built some feather damascus billets, would anyone be interested in buying some. I’m in west Texas.
14:04 UTC
What tools do I need?
I want to buy a new tool to speed up process of making knifes for me. I have 1x30 belt grinder ( I don't want a new one). And I am looking for tool that isn't very big.
11:46 UTC
The upgraded cheese knife
I field tested my first design and concluded i needed a much beefier handle. So here it is.
I must say i is actually quite good. I think it will be my new field knife.
11:24 UTC
New EDC concept.
09:31 UTC