Advice on nail nick

Chris Railey

Chris Railey

Well-Known Member
Does anyone have a tried and true method for adding the nail nick to a folder blade? I like the traditional wider middle tapering to each corner but not sure how to perfectly (symmetrically) do it.
 
I use a dovetail cutter chucked up in my mill. I use this one. http://www.grizzly.com/products/Dovetail-Cutter-2-1-4-x-60/H2961 Run it slow 60-70 rpm, feed it slow, & use lots of oil. It takes me longer to set up the jig I made and get the blade all clamped up than it takes to cut the nick. I can set up the jig and cut a nick in about 5-10 minutes. That's why I try to do several while I have it set up. BTW, the blade has to be upside down. If you wanna cut it with the blade right side up, you'll have to get a bevel cutter.
 
Thanks Darrin but I do not have a mill...yet. I am still recovering from the kidney stone I passed when I bought my Fly press a couple of months ago. It's on my short list though.
 
Ken, I will admit I had to look up a “fly cutter” had no idea what it was. Do you use those on a mill?
I was thinking though that I could easily make a “nail nick punch” and hammer it in hot. It will upset a little steel near the spine but I could hammer or grind it down easily. Has anyone tried that?
 
You can get the little chop saw from Harbor Freight it cost about 29.00. It takes a three inch blade.
Take the blade off and get the three inch wide cut off wheel and use a cheap diamond sharpener to shape it at and angle and then you can put your knife blades in the vise on the saw and grind them in really quick and even
 
Chris Railey said:
Ken, I will admit I had to look up a “fly cutter” had no idea what it was. Do you use those on a mill?
I was thinking though that I could easily make a “nail nick punch” and hammer it in hot. It will upset a little steel near the spine but I could hammer or grind it down easily. Has anyone tried that?
Click to expand...

I don't see why a "nail nick punch" wouldn't work, especially with carbon steel blades - have to be careful not to upset the steel too much
 
I think I will try the punch thing this weekend. So far I have only used various HC steels for blades I have not ventured into stainless yet, from what I have read the heat treat there can be an issue W/O proper equipment.
 
I use the fly cutter method, or a small end mill for long pull nicks. You could maybe pull it off in a drill press if you're careful.
 
Ok so I tried to cut the nick in with a Dremmel tool...epic failure. Ruined a blade. I will be forging a nick punch this week will let you guys know how that works
 
Punching a nick is sort of difficult if you just have a heat treat oven. I know for a fact you cannot heat to 1600, pull it out and lay it on a metal surface, get the punch and hammer all ready, and then punch it. I have tried, it just cools off too quick. My oven struggles to get over 1600, though, so i havent tried hotter temps.

I use an arbor that chucks in to my drill press and dress an angle on a 4.5" cut off wheel. The problem with cut off wheels is they can be difficult to dress. If you want the corners of the nick to be sharp, you have to make sure the dressed angle is the entire thickness of the wheel, and no major chips. I can spend 15 or 20 minutes dressing a new wheel. Chatter can be a problem, i welded a piece of angle iron to a heavy 1/2" plate and that is what i clamp the blade too. If you have a drill press vice that is even better. It works well and i have been complimented on my nicks, and is a low cost option. Like all other things in folder knife making, you have to find what works for you.
 
Randy, I actually have the opposite problem. I have a forge and no heat treat oven. Most of what I do is blacksmith work so punching is second nature. That is why I tried the Dremel tool first because it was something new. Taking my lesson from that I will punch the nick from now on. I have a Fly Press and I thought about using a veining chisel to do the nick cold. I think because the steel I buy for knives is annealed it will take the abuse. A milling machine is on my short (2 year) list of things to get in the shop. I know I can punch the nick without trouble hot but I do not like committing to a nick location that early in my process that is why I was looking to do it cold. In any case thanks for the advice.
 
Chris. I made a stamp like the attachment. if you want a longer nail nick just walk the punch until you get the length you want. I use the punch before heat treat.
you want
 

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