low cost knife making

what is the simplest way to make a knife,using common tools from start to finish?

simple low cost knife making

what is the simplest low cost way to make a knife using common tools from start to finish?

Do all the work with hand tools which are going to be files and sandpaper. Frank

purchase Waybe Goddard's book "The $50.00 Knife Shop" !!

The best resource for you would be Wayne Goddards "The $50 Knife Shop". (make sure you get the revised edition) It will give you loads of info about getting started making knives without spending a bunch of money.

For the sake of argument, all you really need is a hacksaw, some sandpaper in different grits - say 80, 120, 220 and 400, a flat file - I'd go with a Nicholson 12" single cut file, but a 10 or 14 will work as well, you'll also need some steel. I'd suggest breaking down and buying some 1084 from http://www.njsteelbaron.com. But you could use an old file or lawnmower blade. The only problem is that you don't know what type of steel was used to make it. For handle material, if you really wanted cheap just find an old dead limb and cut it up. I'd recommend going to Lowes or Home Depot and getting some premium wood and make your scales out of that. You can get it for a few dollars for a foot or 2 foot section.

And that's about the basics. Power tools make the job easier. But not necessary.

If you have a local flooring company or cabinet shop, they may have some hard wood scrap flooring that you could use for handles. I found some hardwood scrap at a building materials recycling center.

As DonL mentioned, spend a little extra and get some known steel. My first knife was 01 tool steel, quenched in used motor oil. I made a 1 brick forge mentioned in the $50 dollar knife shop book. Check a local ceramics/pottery supply store that sells kilns. They usually have the soft fire bricks.

Ric

Sometimes you can get some Teak for free at home depot... they call them flooring samples, I call them free handle material.

i second that its pretty good,it shows ways to use the files and to hold the knife sacure while doing so, the rest you can find right here on the dogs

My first knife was made of a old butcher knife steel ,it was shaped into a bush knife and a tanto type, the handle was some scrap Teak from a building site skip, with the HT the total cost 5$

Old mill saw blade steel - already heat treated. I used to find it on FleaBay. Makes great fillet knives.

Both of your threads merged...

...and welcome to Knife Dogs!

Check out Tim Lively's website http:www.timlivelyknives.com/ He has a DVD which shows you how to set up a charcoal forge and how to forge a knife with minimal tools. The guys here are also a fountain of knowledge and are willing to help.

Take a look at the following url - http://www.knife-making-supplies.net/cheap-knife-tutorial.html. The "Absolute Cheapskate Way to make a Knife by Scott Jones" it is a neat tutorial which is the one I used when making my first knife in terms of method, procedures etc. I changed the material slightly to suit what I could find. There are at least three or four other people I know of who have done exactly the same when making their first knives.

Absolute Cheapskate Way to Start Making Knives

The above website is pretty good.