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My daughter really wants to try to make her own knife before school starts up again. This will be with hand tools and a grinder, so super steels are out.
Anyone know a local sources for a chunk of 1080 - 1095 or something relatively easy to work with? It's going to be a general purpose camp knife between 4 - 7".
If you have another idea for steel, please let me know.
Thinking of some 1095 from Admiral Steel if I can't find anything local. http://www.admiralsteel.com/shop/
Looking to do a similar project with my girl this summer. We wouldn't mind starting with a kit. Looking for a hatchet and/or a knife. I'll let you know what we find.
Go to a u pull it scrap yard and buy truck leaf springs
What about https://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php ?
Old circular saw blade, not thin kerf
I'll go one better- I have some old leaf springs here - you come by and they are yours.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wulf202
A 6 pack of Red Stripe is all it will cost you.
Used leaf springs may have fractures in them, causing problems. Are you looking for barstock where you can file or grind a blade, or are you going to be forging? The 10xxs are fairly easy to work with, and so is the 5160 spring steel. How mucheck and what thickness/width are you looking for?
BP, I've got some red stripe for you if you can wait a week. :)
We're planning on grinding and hardening, not forging. This will be our first try so probably going to make a 4 - 8" camp knife of some sort. Either way, it will be a good learning experience for both of us.
Anyone know of a reasonably priced belt grinder that can be used for hobby knife making?
Something from Harbor Freight maybe?
Used lawnmower blade.
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Old flat file.
Another DIY option: http://www.thompsonsknives.com/#Items
When I was a kid, we made knives from old files as suggested above. I'd suggest rummaging through some garage sales, or thrift store tool bins. Some times at flea markets, someone will have a big bin of old tools.