Knife making

Orion

I want a fixed blade knife for camping and rather than buy one I'd prefer to make one. I've never done it before so a knife kit (assembly type job) is my preferred starting point - for this one anyway. I've looked at http://www.thebushcraftstore.co.uk/knife-making-kits-168-c.asp but tbh I've no idea if any of them are any good. What wood is best for the handle (is there really a difference or is it just for the appearance)? This doesn't need to be the best blade in the world - I plan this to be my first not last but I would like it to be a lasting knife too.

Thanks

ShadowFox

Some really nice blanks here http://www.heinnie.com/Knives/-Knife-Kits/Misc-Blanks/c-1-881-882/ and very cheap

Orion

But then what do I use for handles, etc. I've never put together a knife before so that's why I'm looking at kits. The next one can be everything from scratch.

ShadowFox

Give davymoore a shout here he is a knife maker or check youtube im sure there is plenty of vids there

Deerhound

For your first try use any available hardwood. The first one I tried, I had a cut-off piece off of an oak door. It wasn't the most decorative looking knife but it was functional and hard wearing.

medici

My oul' fella used to make knives as a hobby - made a few myself back in the day too. We had an up-turned drum out of a washing mahine as a furnace loaded with coke (or anthracite) and a hair-dryer acting as a makeshift bellows. Used to cut up car springs with an angle-grinder and gradually beat them into rough (very rough!) Bowie-type shapes.

The beauty of the car springs was that they were very high-carbon steel. Like Opinel-brand blades they would tarnish as quick as you'd look at them but could take an epic edge - especially after hardening in burnt oil and annealing (not sure of spelling there!) too. Not always the prettiest - some did turn out quite nice - but very practical and hard-wearing.

Re. handles - we got our hands on everything from antler to ebony, even using bakelite from an old tv set for decorative "spacers" if using 2 or more types of wood in handle. The world's your oyster as far as I'm concerned!

Deise Musashi

Well dried hardwood, stabilised wood blanks, corian, micarta, G10 and all sorts of bone and antler are used for handles.

I like wooden handles on my hunting knives and micarta/G10 or other manmade material for hard use knives that will be used in all weathers. Not that decent wooden handles can't handle bad conditions, it's just a preference.

Have a look at Brisa (or these) for handle materials


http://www.knifescales.co.uk (Jeannius61 on BritishBlades)

http://www.exoticwoodgroup.com/
http://www.knifescales.com/
http://www.highlandhorn.co.uk/shop.asp?type=19
http://www.wlwest.co.uk/news/smalluser.asp - wood
http://www.rutlands.co.uk/cgi-bin/psDept.cgi?Wood -wood
http://www.directplasticsonline.co.u...1bb58bd053b1c9 - plastics including tuffnol

slammer187

You can buy 01 ground flat stock tool steel from Tooling and Engineering Distributors in Walkinstown

I'd recommend you buy scales and liners for the handle from Jean at knifescales.co.uk because all of the scales there are hand selected and of a high quality.

Here's a good series for knife making with basic tools
http://vimeo.com/album/1577465

There's plenty more videos on Youtube!