Knife Making
I would like to make it clear that I in no way intend this tutorial to be seen as anything to do with weaponry. These are tutorials about making a carving tool. What people do with this information is beyond my control.
I have made a video to go with this tutorial! To see it courtesy of YouTube, click here.
Ok, why is this tutorial here?
This article is here because I’d like to show how you can make a knife like the one that Ray Mears sells, but at a much lower cost!
I personally think that although his knives, are excellent in design and quality, they are far too expensive.
The knife is one of, if not, the most basic and important tools you will need in the natural world.
Yes it’s worth spending that bit extra to get a good one and in fact I would say that’s exactly what you should do, but I don’t think you should pay through the nose for one and if you can make your own to the same standard then all the better!
You could just opt for a different style of knife but this kind of knife is excellent for the woodsman.
The place I recommend for buying the steel from was if not still is the same place that the Alan Woods knife steel comes from I believe.
In addition to that making your own is as Ray has said very satisfying.
It’s not that difficult and anyone who thinks they could make one probably could!
Please let me know what you think of this tutorial, as it will help me improve the content, thanks. Click here to mail me.
Lets get on with it!
Steel type
The types of metals used in knife making are many.
They are all a ‘mixture’ of metals, steel being the basis (larger portion), for them all.
For instance, add chromium, amongst other things, to steel and you get stainless steel.
The type of metal used in the knives we’re making here has carbon added to it, in greater quantity than in most steels.
Carbon ‘tool steel’ is used for….TOOLS!
The properties it has, lend it self to cutting edges, it can be sharpened to a fine edge thus making it sharp and can keep that sharpness for a long time, it’s tough.
The down side of this mixture of metal, or ‘alloy’, is that it’s prone to oxidization (rust!). It’s like the opposite of stainless steel.
Which of course begs the question why then not use stainless?
Well of course you can! Many knives are made from stainless steel and good knives they can be too!
However, in my opinion, at least, you cannot get as sharp an edge or one that lasts as long with stainless steel, and a ‘good’ edge is extremely important for safe use and a fine cut that leads to a quality product. I also think that making a knife out of stainless steel would require specialist equipment and knowledge.
The specific type we’re using is ‘01 Ground Flat stock’.
This is an oil quenchable tool steel, as opposed to types of steel that need one of the more complicated processes in order to harden them. A good place to get 01 ground flat stock is Phoenix Steels in Sheffield. Contact them on 0114 2767553 fax 0114 2750087.
You can however use an old metal-work file as I did when I made my first knife.
If you ‘anneal’ the file first, that is ’soften’ the metal, you can remove the teeth with an angle grinder first.
To anneal the file you need to get it red hot and keep it hot for several minutes at least, and then cool the file very slowly. I do this by putting the file into my log burner in the evening when I make my dinner and leaving it there until the next morning when I take it out before cooking breakfast!
Grinding the blank
Click here or on the image above for a template for marking out knife.
The template image above should print out exactly to size providing your computer software and printer do not mess with the dimensions.
After cutting the steel to the length required we need to mark out the shape or profile of the finished knife. This can be done with a felt tip or pencil.
I use a small angle grinder to get the shape initially and then tidy the job up with hand files and or a bench grinder and then a belt sander.
The whole grinding/shaping process can be done perfectly well with just hand tools, it just takes longer. a lot longer!
After you have the profile the trickier task of shaping the bevel is next.
To start with I use the angle grinder to get the bulk of the metal off then I use a file.
For this I have invented a small and simple jig that helps you get the angle right and flat.
The bevel needs to be more or less finished here so I then use an oil stone to get the blade nearly as sharp as the finished item.
When the knife is finished I use a set of three Japanese wet stones available from Axminster Tools telephone number (UK) 0800 371822.
The three stones are, course, medium and fine.
