My First Knife

[I am Groot!]

I finished this about a week ago. My instructor was YouTube and I had a great time making it. I am not looking for at a boys or good job, but I am looking for constructive criticism. If you are a knife maker that is close to Franklin, I would love to come buy and see your shop and possibly watch you work. If I need to pay to do this I will. The scales are wenge and the steel is a bar I had sitting in the garage. Thanks for looking.

[Grand Torino]

You did a wonderful job. It looks great.....especially for your first knife. Do you know what kind of steel it is and did you heat treat it and temper it? Congratulations on your first knife. :up:

[UncleJak]

Looks great. I'm In Portland if you ever wanna make the drive.

[I am Groot!]

It was just a bar in my garage. I am sure it was d1. I had no idea what that meant when I started. I did heat treat it, but I don't know how successful I was. I heated it till it was demagnetized and then plunged it in oil. I put it in the oven for 4 hrs at 350. I read so many things on the net I was not sure what was best, so I just went for it. I buffed it then sharpened it. The reason that I think it was not tempered right, is that it sharpened easily.

If you think, or know that it was tempered wrong please let me know.

What would be a good steel to start with in my next knife? I am not going to use the rest of the bar. I was thinking a file and I have a couple of old saw blades.

Thank you for the offer to come to Portland. I my take you up on that around Thanksgiving if you don't have to much going on. Edited November 3, 2014 by Odessa7979

[Grand Torino]

It was just a bar in my garage. I am sure it was d1. I had no idea what that meant when I started. I did heat treat it, but I don't know how successful I was. I heated it till it was demagnetized and then plunged it in oil. I put it in the oven for 4 hrs at 350. I read so many things on the net I was not sure what was best, so I just went for it. I buffed it then sharpened it. The reason that I think it was not tempered right, is that it sharpened easily.

If you think, or know that it was tempered wrong please let me know.

What would be a good steel to start with in my next knife? I am not going to use the rest of the bar. I was thinking a file and I have a couple of old saw blades.

Thank you for the offer to come to Portland. I my take you up on that around Thanksgiving if you don't have to much going on.

I'm not saying it was or wasn't hardened or tempered properly. I was just asking how you knew if it was. If it sharpened easily it's a good bet something wasn't quite right. You can test the hardness with a file. Lightly run a file over it. On the blade section it will have a glassy and smooth feel and sound. Compare this to how it sounds on the tang section that hasn't been hardened. There will be a difference.

If they sound the same you should repeat the hardening process. Bring it back up to temp and quench it again!

 

1084 or 1095 are good carbon steels for knife making. They work quite well when annealed and if heat treated and tempered properly provide a good finished edge that holds it's edge well and is able to be resharpened by the user.

 

If you use files make sure you use old Nickolson files that were made in the USA. Don't buy new ones...they are mostly case hardened and are not suitable for knife making. Some of the older saw blades can make a good blade. You don't really know what kind of steel it is but if you follow your heat treating/tempering processes you can end up with a fine blade. 

 

I actually cut a couple of pieces off some saw blades and sent them  to my heat treater and he identified what steel they were and if they could be heat treated.

[I am Groot!]

Thanks for the heads up on the files. I bought a big one at Home Depot that won't work. When I scrape my blade with a file I assume material is not removed if it is hardened. Thanks

[sybo]

Not only a hell of a nice guy,awesome job!

Edited November 18, 2014 by sybo

[I am Groot!]

Thanks Brother!

[Fourtyfive]

For a first attempt that's great !

[I am Groot!]

Thanks, in the middle of the one right now. I am just doing it for fun and want something that my kids might use someday.

[hipower]

Thanks, in the middle of the one right now. I am just doing it for fun and want something that my kids might use someday.

I believe you have succeeded in that. If they don't like it, I might know someone who would be happy to have it. lol