Knife making...?

[Potatoes16]

Hey all,

So I have decided I am gonna try to make a knife at home.

I've read online a leaf spring is a good place to begin for the metal.

Anyone have any tips on where to find some used ones? I am out in San tan valley, so somewhere close would be nice.

Any tips or suggestions on at home experiences would be helpful as well.

Not sure if this is the best area to post in, but I figured I'd give it a try.

Thanks!

 

[Ballistic Therapy]

I would think any junk yard would have some old leaf springs laying around.

 

[Doc]

Ask your local catalytic converter guy

 

[theflatline]

First off, as mentioned, any junkyard and some auto repair shops for springs, leaf would be preferable.
A couple of questions to ask:
What do you have in hand to process the springs? angle grinder, bench grinder to shape?
To what extent are you going too process it, such as anneal or heat treat? Forge, oxy/acetylene ?
Are you planning on using power or hand tools only?
These are important questions because springs are fairly difficult to process into usable form with out a moderate number of tools on hand.
Not impossible but not sure it would be a good first experience.
If you want to try your hand, I would recommend purchasing a 1/8" x 2" x 24" in 1084 (about $25 from alpha knife supply).
1095 is easier to get but much more unforgiving as far as heat treating.
Alpha knife supply, Pops knife supply are two that are affordable supply houses to obtain this type of quality steel in annealed form.
Hope this helps

 

[needsmostuff]

The quickest way to being able to justify spending over $100 on a knife is to make one,,,, then a sheath.
theflatline has got it right about using proper, known steels. I use a lot of leaf springs and old files but you got to have a lot of heat to get them soft enough to work. Then be ready to maybe have to heat treat a couple of times to get them hard again.

 

[smithers599]

Follow up: did you ever make a knife?

 

[Potatoes16]

Hey there!

Not yet, I ended up getting pneumonia and didn't do much for about 2 months.

My to-do list has grown since I got back to AZ but making a knife is still on the list.
Now that it is cooling off I'll probably be able to scratch things off the list.

I'll for sure post a few when I get it done.

 

[smithers599]

Sorry to hear that.
Pro tip for knife-making: don't get pneumonia. (Or oldmonia for that matter.)

 

[Potatoes16]

Now yah tell me!!

 

[theflatline]

Sorry to hear about the OP's health. Agree about the weather though. Now that its cooler I can finish my current projects: 26C3 should turn out with a decent hamon. Hope to have some nice WA style handles for the hidden tang

 

[smithers599]

^^^ Did you make those blades?

 

[theflatline]

Yeah, these happen to be all stock removal. The bottom ones were just finished with heat treat and the top ones are almost ready for heat treat.

 

[Potatoes16]

Wowww.

You say stock removal? Like, they were already knives but you are remolding them or something?

Just clarifying the terminology cause that kinda confused me.
Those are damn impressive!

 

[theflatline]

Stock removal refers to starting with an annealed steel bar then removing (grinding) away the unwanted material to form the shape you want, no forge involved in the shaping. Forging refers to starting with a steel bar, heating it in a forge then pounding with a hammer too get the desired shape. Forging is a lot less wasteful but you still end up on a grinder at some point.

 

[Potatoes16]

Ohhhh. Thanks for the info!!