Design and Build A Full Tang Knife

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Design and Build a Full Tang Knife

by atomicturkey27 on September 28, 2010
Table of Contents
Design and Build a Full Tang Knife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Intro: Design and Build a Full Tang Knife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 1: Designing the Knife: Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 2: Basic Design: Overall and the Handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 3: Basic Design: The Blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 4: Making the Blade: Cutting from the Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 5: Making the Blade: Grinding the Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 6: Making the Blade: Grinding the Bevel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 7: Making the Blade: Rust Removal and Finishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Step 8: Making the Handle: Rough Cutting and Gluing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Step 9: Making the Handle: Achving the Correct Thickness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Step 10: Making the Handle: Rough Shaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Step 11: Making the Handle: Final Sanding and Installing Pins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Step 12: Making the Handle: Finish Him!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Step 13: It's Sharpening Time! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Step 14: Congratulations! :) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Related Instructables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
http://www.instructables.com/id/Design-and-Build-a-Full-Tang-Knife/
Author:atomicturkey27
i live in new york
Quote: Before your criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. then you're a mile away from them and you have their shoes.
Intro: Design and Build a Full Tang Knife

Building your own tools can be a great thing and knives are no exception. From the caveman times to Bear Grylls, knives have been an essential part of outdoor survival
and just basic utility and around the house use. This Instructable is a basic guideline for making your own unique survival tool that will be suited to your use and designed
to your specifications. Also, if you use recycled materials like I did, your knife should be practically free! This is obviously not the only way to make a knife. There are
many other tried and true techniques, but this it what i have found to work best. If you don't find all parts helpful, pick and choose. develop your own basic style and make
it work best for you. This could take one knife or it could take ten, but keep at it. A tool that you have made is truly a joy to behold. And just because I don't want to get in
trouble is people hurt themselves: Knives are tools but also can be weapons. Treat them with extreme care and respect them. Making sharp pointy things has an
inherent danger to it so use common sense. Also, dull knives are more dangerous than sharp ones. Forcing a dull knife will increase the chance of slipping and that's
bad, even with a dull knife. Ok, I'm done ranting. On to the important part!
Step 1: Designing the Knife: Materials

The first step in making most things is a design and the same holds true to knives. To design my knives, I use graph paper, a metal ruler, a French curve, and a normal
pencil. Also, since I use found metal for my knives, I like to have the metal in front of me so I know what I have to work with.
Step 2: Basic Design: Overall and the Handle

The essential parts of a knife are the blade and the handle, so this is where you should focus most of your efforts. If you want to spend time on guards and pommels and
such, that's good too. I don't make them because I don't have access to soft metal (brass, copper, aluminum) and I don't have a band saw. For the design of this knife I
had a freehand rendering that I drew in English class under my desk that I used as a template. I liked the basic proportions, but I needed to increase the scale by 75%.
This made the knife too big for graph paper so i had to tape some together.
I started with the handle. Working off my original sketch and with lots of measuring, i drew a full scale rendering of the handle. To make curves I draw dots at the correct
measurements, then connect the dots with a French curve. This is where a lot of personal preference comes in. Design what you like and what looks good, it's your knife!
Image Notes
1. Ornamentation that didn't make it to the final design
2. Final design of handle
Image Notes
1. Erase lines you don't need. It makes drawing and visualizing a lot easier!
Image Notes
1. Connect the dots!
Image Notes
1. Dot
2. Dot
3. Dot
Step 3: Basic Design: The Blade

When people see a knife, the first thing they see is the blade. Therefore, it should set the theme for the knife, and make the knife look great. For this knife I chose a
simple blade with no complex curves. This basic type of blade is a good one to start with, because it is not nly easy to design, it involves less grinding, and functions well.
This knife has an 8 by 1.75 inch blade so i started with a rectangle of these dimensions. I then drew a curve in that I thought went well with the overall knife design. The
main image is the design cut out and ready to be taped to the stock.
Image Notes
1. Fail curve
2. Success!
Image Notes
1. All of this is decoration that I decided wouldn't be practical on the final design
Step 4: Making the Blade: Cutting from the Stock

Now the fun part: Rough cutting of the blade. this is where you go from paper to metal in the design process, and is the first step in the manufacturing of the blade. Start
by taping the pattern to the blade; I use loops of masking tape. Then head outside. This makes a huge amount of sparks and sends small metal shavings all over. Clamp
your workpiece to a bench of sorts (or an Adirondack chair). Put a cutting wheel in your angle grinder and have at it. But please use proper saftey gear!! I use a full
face shield, ear protection and tight-fitting gloves, and if you work inside use a dust mask!
Start cutting away at the metal, staying away from the pattern. Make sure to leave yourself room to shape it on the grinder. make sure you don't overheat the metal,
because this causes it to lose its temper. Sorry for so few pictures, its hard to cut and take pics at the same time.
Image Notes
1. Clamped and secure
Image Notes
1. Handle curve cut out
2. There is a cut along the back of the handle, it's kinda hard to see
Image Notes
1. Basic outline cut out, there's some room for grinding
2. Fail
Step 5: Making the Blade: Grinding the Shape

This step is fairly simple, the only tool you need is a bench grinder. You can use an angle grinder, but it can be hard to see what you're doing, and getting straight edges
is hard to accomplish. I just recently got a bench grinder, and the work and pain it saves is amazing. Use the same safety gear for the angle grinder, and wear clothes you
don't care about because they will get covered in metal. Again, sorry for the lack of pictures. It's kinda boring, but it is fun to see the knife take shape.
Image Notes
1. Can for water to quench the blade in
2. Roughed out blade
3. Bench grinder. I mainly use the coarse wheel.
Image Notes
1. Full profile ground out
2. Nasty rust... That will be taken care of later.
Step 6: Making the Blade: Grinding the Bevel

This step may be the one with the most consequence if you screw up. the cutting edge is the most important part, and when forming it, go slow. You only want to grind
half of the edge away on each side. Make sure you clamp the blank securely. I like to use C clamps because they cover less of the knife. You don't want it moving
anywhere while you grind.
To form the bevel I use a 36 grit wheel for my angle grinder, because it makes a wide cutting path. While forming, check the angle by looking down the blank. When you
hit halfway, flip it over and grind the other side. when you see a wire edge forming, stop. you have made a successful edge.
Step 7: Making the Blade: Rust Removal and Finishing

Now for the part where your knife starts to look like a knife: Finishing. This makes it shiny, which as everyone knows is an essential part of a knife! This blade was made
from an old backsaw blade, so it had some surface rust that needed to be cleaned off. To do this I used an angle grinder with a 120 grit flap wheel. Make sure to clamp it
securly (Again, it's the Adirondack chair!)
Focus most of your effort on the blade, although you can clean the handle area too if you want. After you remove the rust and make it look halfway decent, it's time for
hand sanding. Clamp the knife securely to a block of wood, then clamp that in a vise. I start with 180 grit and work my way up to 1000 grit. This gives it a nice smooth
satin finish. On this knife I chose to go for a weathered-ish look. If you want you can use some rough sandpaper on the handle to help the epoxy stick better. Once you
have a nice shiny blade it's on to the next step!
Image Notes
Image Notes
1. Polished to 1000 grit. Shiny!
1. 120 grit flap wheel
Image Notes
1. Clamped securely
Image Notes
1. One side polished
Image Notes
1. Done with the angle grinder
Image Notes
1. Ready for hand sanding
Image Notes
1. Sorry for out of focus pic, I was sanding and taking pics at the same time
Image Notes
1. Polished to 1000 grit. Shiny!
Step 8: Making the Handle: Rough Cutting and Gluing

The first step of making a handle is making the handle scales (Scales are the pieces that are on either side of the blade). For this knife I chose to use some nice red oak
that I got at Lowes. Note: This was the only material that I actually had to buy. Yay for recycled materials! To make the scales, figure out the size by placing the knife over
the wood and marking the largest dimensions you will need. Use a square to mark out a rough rectangle, then go ahead and cut it out. I use a table saw because it is fast
and easy, but if you have a lot of patience, you could do it with a hand saw.
Once you cut out the scales it's time to glue them. This part is pretty easy, but you want to make sure and get it right. Mix up a good bit of glue (I use two-part epoxy), and
spread it on a scale. place the knife on the scale, then repeat with the other scale. Get them lined up the way you like, then clamp them. I usually wait two hours before
working with the knife, to allow plenty of time to set. Make sure to wear proper saftey gear like a dust mask! These fumes are nasty!
Image Notes
1. Max height mark would go here
2. This was about the right width
Image Notes
1. Ripping the scales. Go fast or the wood will burn!
Image Notes
1. My dad
2. Crosscuting
Image Notes
1. Broken bamboo skewers work great for mixing epoxy
Image Notes
1. Materials for gluing
Image Notes
1. Use plenty of glue. This might be a bit much though.
Image Notes
1. Handle has been placed on the scale
Image Notes
1. Both scales placed
Image Notes
1. Nice and secure
Image Notes
1. Almost square!
Step 9: Making the Handle: Achving the Correct Thickness

I have discovered that most knife handles shouldn't be much more than 3/4 inch thick, but since this is a big knife, I went a bit larger. Set your calipers to half the
thickness you want, and start rasping. You could use a plane if you wanted to. Continue the filing until you get the correct thickness on both sides. This is faily quick if you
have a sharp rasp, just make sure to file evenly on both sides.
Image Notes
1. Rasp. Get acquainted with it. It will be your friend
Image Notes
1. File a small edge to the correct thickness, then bring the rest of the handle down
to that size.
Image Notes
1. Success! Just needs some sanding.
Step 10: Making the Handle: Rough Shaping

Now for the most long and tedious part: rough shaping. Similar to grinding, this is where the handle looks more like a handle and less like a block of wood. This stage
reqires a bit perception, since you want to know where the metal starts. Hitting metal with a wood rasp makes it duller. The basic idea behind this is use the rasp until you
think you are close to metal, then switch to a file that can deal with both metal and wood. This part is fairly tedious, but you want to take your time. The pictures show the
basic outline taking shape, which is what you want at this stage. Also, you may want to cover the blade with duct tape so you can clamp it in the vise and work on the
whole handle.
Step 11: Making the Handle: Final Sanding and Installing Pins
Getting close to the end, it's just basic sanding and pins now. The sanding is pretty self-explanatory, just work through the grits until you get to about 320 or 400. If you
want to be silly you can use up to 1000, but I don't think it would make a huge difference to the overall feel of the knife. This knife handle was sanded up to 320 grit before
finishing.
Since installing the pins goes with final finishing, I'm going to include everything in one step. Since I don't have any fancy rivets and such I use a method that may seem
like cheating to some hardcore knife makers: I drill through the handle and blade, epoxy the pins in, then file them flat. The first step in this process is marking the holes. I
usually eyeball the marks, then check their orientation with a straightedge to make sure they all line up. Next, you want to measure and cut your pins. For this knife I just
used a brass rod (it may be a welding rod). To measure, just lay them across the handle and mark with a Sharpie. Make them a bit oversized though. It's a lot easier to
remove material than it is to add it. Clamp the rod in a vise and use an ordinary hacksaw to cut the pins off. Then it's off to the drill press! Clamp your piece securely
somehow, then drill through everything in one go. I put the drill on its slowest speed and use a really sharp bit. Repeat with however many pins you want to. When you
finish, make sure to double check the fit of the pins in the holes. If they just barely fit, then you're in luck! Just tap them in with a mallet and file off the ends. If they slide in
easily, then its epoxy time! Mix up some more epoxy, then put a bit on the middle of the pin. slide it in, and wipe any excess epoxy with a clean rag. leave it to dry before
filing. When It's dry, just file the pins flush using a mill file.
Almost there, don't give up now!
Image Notes
1. Mark about here
Image Notes
1. all three marks made
Image Notes
1. Hacksaw with metal cutting blade.
Image Notes
1. This drill bit was the right size. Shown next to each other for size
comparisons.
Image Notes
1. Mark
2. Mark
3. Mark
Image Notes
1. IMA FIRIN MAH LAZAR!!!!!!!!!
2. Use a vice for smaller parts like this.
Image Notes
1. Success!
Image Notes
1. Delicious...
Image Notes
1. 3 holes, 3 pins
Image Notes
1. Dried and ready for filing
Image Notes
1. Plenty of epoxy
Image Notes
1. Flush with surface of wood. Don't worry about epoxy stains. They get covered
up in the finishing process
Image Notes
1. Nice and flush
Step 12: Making the Handle: Finish Him!!!

It's the last step of construction! Technically this step is optional; if you want to leave your handle as bare wood you can. I chose to treat it with some Danish oil and two
coats of polyurethane. The technique for applying oil is fairly simple. Just wipe off the handle with a clean cloth, then use a rag to apply the oil. make sure to get even
coverage of the handle. I applied two coats, then let them sit overnight.
Before applying polyurethane, lightly sand the surface with the finest grit that you used. In my case, that was 320 grit. Then make sure you wipe off all of the sawdust,
again with a clean cloth. Use a foam brush to apply a very thin coat of polyurethane to the wood. I used two coats, and sanded in between coats. After the last coat, let it
sit for 24 hours. This gives it a chance to set completely. Congratulations, you're done with the manufacturing process!
Image Notes
1. Sanded and ready for oiling
Image Notes
1. Sorry for blurry picture. Apply the oil this way.
Image Notes
1. After oiling
Image Notes
1. Too much! Wipe some off on the edge of the can
Image Notes
1. After oil and polyurethane
Image Notes
1. Just needs sharpening!
2. Mmmmmm.... Bakery
Step 13: It's Sharpening Time!

This is where your knife finally becomes a tool! Getting a very sharp edge on a knife is essential, but can be a bit more difficult with a homemade knife. Grinding the edge
by hand inevitably produces irregularities, but that is part of handcrafting your own tool. Small things like this can be worked around though, so don't worry. To sharpen
my knives I work through a progression of stones; a coarse synthetic, medium Arkansas, and fine Arkansas. I'm assuming that anyone who gets to this last stage has a
fairly good idea of knives and how to sharpen them, so I'm not going to include a whole slew of facts, techniques, and angles. If you want a basic primer, do a search for
"knife sharpening" on Instructables. There are many good Instructables that cover this subject. Ok enough ranting about that, now back to the main subject. Work through
your stones until you reach a nice sharp edge. At this point, you can leave it like that, or strop the edge. This produces a razor edge on your knives, and I like to finish my
knives with it. I use a homemade strop to do this, and if there is interest in how to make and use it, please leave a comment saying so. To test the edge, try slicing up
some paper. It should cut cleanly and easily, if not, keep at it. When you can consistently cut paper into ribbons with your knife, you're done!
Image Notes
1. Homemade strop and polishing compound
2. Really nice sharpening system. It has three stones of varying grits and a handy
angle guide!
Image Notes
1. This is the rough synthetic stone.
Image Notes
1. angle guide
2. stone with honing oil
Image Notes
1. strop
Image Notes
1. Move the knife this way <--
Image Notes
1. Nice, clean edge.
Step 14: Congratulations! :)

At this point you should have a finished knife. There is great satisfaction in using a tool that you made yourself, and to see it perform as good or better than most storebought knives. Also, being able to make a tool from scratch is a nice skill to have (for when the zombies come!). If there are any improvements or corrections that I need
to make, please leave them in the comments and I will try to get to them ASAP. Also, if anyone makes a knife using this or any other Instructable for that matter, please
post it. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that I love to see what other people can do, and what twists of their own they add. Be safe and have fun with your new
knife!
Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it!!
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Comments
50 comments Add Comment
atomicturkey27 says:
view all 118 comments
Mar 11, 2011. 5:33 PM REPLY
thats what im doing on my most recent knife, it works better!
pedrobedro says:
Mar 8, 2011. 2:04 AM REPLY

Lay the scales on the tang and draw round them then cut them out with a fret saw roughly to size before you glue and pin them. Also wrap your blade with a
couple of turns of gaffer tape and hold it in the vice while you work on the handle.
Abhorsen says:
Feb 1, 2011. 11:59 AM REPLY

Thanks alot for your Instructable! Within my limited possibilities as student, i was able to follow your instructions and made something I'm extremely proud of
:) Thanks again
Feb 2, 2011. 8:11 AM REPLY

That looks great! what did you make the blade and handle out of? Since I am also a student, I feel your pain... It's hard to find time and money for these
things... Looks like you did a great job!!
Abhorsen says:
Feb 6, 2011. 2:48 AM REPLY

I used the steel of some tool I bought, I dont know the name - since my english isn't the best - but it was more or less something like a small axeskythe-mix :) The handle is made out of some ash tree wood, we had lying around... I think my dad wanted to make a bow, like, 5 years ago, out of it
:)
Yeah, I'm pretty proud of it. Now, the handle got stained to a dark brown, and I gave it to my girlfriend :-P
Abhorsen says:
Feb 7, 2011. 6:34 AM REPLY
Here they are!
Feb 6, 2011. 4:37 PM REPLY
nice present! did u get any pictures of it?
fidgety2 says:
Jan 30, 2011. 4:15 PM REPLY

i made this blade today and am unsure wether to add a wood handle or leave it as is or add a different type of handle (rope etc.) i kind of want to leave it as
is but any and all ideas are apperciated
thankyou,
fidgety2
Feb 2, 2011. 8:16 AM REPLY

Personally, I'm a fan of the wooden handle on knives, especially if you chose to use an exotic or a wood with a particularly interesting grain. However,
this type of handle requires some woodworking skill, and can take a bit of time to get right. Leaving it "as is" is also a possibility, although I generally don't
do this because it give the appearance of an unfinished knife. If you're going for speed and usefulness, wrapping the handle in paracord or similar can
give a very nice look. Personally on a knife like this I would make a wood handle for it, but the decision is up to you. Just my 2 cents. Hope this helped!!
rashidmaroof says:
Jan 26, 2011. 9:02 AM REPLY
very good instructible, lots of detail, every step is covered
ilpug says:
Jan 12, 2011. 10:26 AM REPLY

i have made knives like this before. i suggest that you heat it up and quench it three times and then let it slowly cool. the only difference is that you should
quench it in motor oil. i used cut aluminum nails as pins. i peened them flat. worked great. knife is still in perfect functional condition today.
FyreAntz says:
Dec 23, 2010. 8:56 PM REPLY
Elegant and simple, as it should be. Great Instructible!
Thank you! Im glad you enjoyed it!
Dec 25, 2010. 4:33 PM REPLY
repear9 says:
Dec 16, 2010. 7:47 AM REPLY
That is a amazing knife, I wish i could have your skills on my zombie slaying group, then we would be near invincible.
Anyway good job, currently i am trying to make a boot knife from a old file.
Dec 17, 2010. 4:15 AM REPLY
Thanks for reading! What zombie slaying skills do you have/ can contribute to a group. now I'm interested to know!
repear9 says:
Dec 17, 2010. 8:50 AM REPLY

well i am a good shooter, writer, survivalist.
i am also in good shape, i take karate and i almost have my black-belt after 8 years of training, i have been on long hiking excursions.
I am learning gunsmithing and bladesmithing.
I hope that is enough to make your decision.
Dec 17, 2010. 5:48 PM REPLY
that sounds like a great skill set to have for when the zombies come!
repear9 says:
Dec 17, 2010. 7:08 PM REPLY
I am also reading up on bomb-craft, anarchist cookbook FTW!
kenny0666 says:
Oct 7, 2010. 7:37 PM REPLY
I was wondering how to make and use a strop.
Oct 8, 2010. 4:23 AM REPLY

I actually don't have much experience with one but I can tell you how to make one. First find a piece of leather with a fuzzy back. My guess is anything
that isn't polished will work fine. Then cut it to size. I think mine is about 2.5" by 18" but i'm not sure; anything long and skinny will work. Then you can rub
it with a polishing compound or leave it as is, but either way will work, I've tried both. As for use, I'd take a look at Instructables about wet shaving,
because that is where these strops are most commonly used. Hope that this helps!
Dark Solar says:
Dec 6, 2010. 11:29 AM REPLY

I'd like to add that if you need to make a strop in a hurry, jeweler's rouge + old leather belt is about the fastest way to do it. You can use the back of
the belt or break the glaze on the front with sandpaper--either way will get the job done.
kenny0666 says:
Oct 9, 2010. 3:46 AM REPLY
Thank you much.
prankstah says:
Oct 9, 2010. 4:15 PM REPLY

Honestly it's a lot of work for a strop. I'd suggest Ebay. I picked mine up for 10 bucks you'll get a decent strop (I use mine for a razor I shave
with).
jack8559 says:
Nov 22, 2010. 8:50 PM REPLY
Try an old leather belt....
Dark Solar says:
Dec 6, 2010. 11:31 AM REPLY
Doh...beat me to it.
battlematt22 says:
Dec 3, 2010. 11:28 AM REPLY

Just a suggestion but you should never grind with gloves on, because if they get caught in the wheel it has the potential to remove your fingers, very quickly.
Other than that great Instructable.
thedude000121 says:
Nov 20, 2010. 11:06 AM REPLY
i would so do this, if i was alowed
Nov 24, 2010. 2:43 PM REPLY

both of my parents dislike knives, but once i started making them they couldn't really complain. I suggest you ask them about it. It's a very rewarding
hobby!!!
th3_v1k1ng says:
Nov 2, 2010. 5:54 PM REPLY

hi, looks good.... but what you could have done was drill 2 holes thru both handles and metal.. then 2 small metal bars thru.. and round off the ends..
similar to two rivets....
flat_cat63 says:
Oct 8, 2010. 5:27 PM REPLY

Understandably you didn't receive any injuries while making this. I'm a little worried about your cutting methods, only clamping down a sharp-ish piece of
metal at one point while cutting/grinding - at least, that's how it appeared. I'd personally want to be fully certain that putting a good deal of force against metal
wasn't going to cause it to move. For now I won't question, but acquiring some bench clamps could be a step to take in the future. Up to you I suppose.
On your pins phase.
It was mentioned previously that you could pein the pins to really solidly lock them into place. As an extension of this comment, a countersink drilled into the
wood surface is great for when the metal is being flattened out. Not too big, or the pin won't actually fill the hole when hammered flat. Also, the advantage of
this is that you can lightly file the pins and they will be flush with the wood surface.
I'm aware that basically this is the same comment, but to reiterate the point it's worth the reminder. Keep up the good work.
Ever tried using CAD software to make designs?
Oct 28, 2010. 6:32 PM REPLY

I only had one clamp in the picture, but that was mainly to make it easier to see the blade in the pictures. I don have clamps, but the angle grinder
doesn't put much pressure on the work-piece if you use it correctly. Just a light touch- let the tool do the work! I have tried CAD at my school, but you
need a dimension for everything! I have found that using a ruler, pencil, french curve and graph paper allow for much better expression of design. Thanks
for the comment and hoped you enjoyed reading the 'ible!
lophare says:
Oct 27, 2010. 7:20 PM REPLY
Cool
dezertdude says:
Oct 7, 2010. 10:09 PM REPLY

that's a nice looking knife...but what about heat treating and tempering so it will hold an edge? you will need to be careful with it if it is mild steel as it will
bend easily and it will be easy to damage the edge
xarlock667 says:
Oct 9, 2010. 9:04 AM REPLY

Heat treating is given far too much weight. Honestly, back in the day they got it red hot, and quenched it 3-4 times, heated it up a bit again and called it
good, letting it air cool, or leaving it in with some coals to cool slowly. No sense overcomplicating things. Just heat it and quench it, then heat it a bit lower
and let it cool slowly. Nothing else to it.
punkhead58 says:
Oct 23, 2010. 9:37 PM REPLY

Well, you don't want to fully anneal it, so if you temper it with hot coals, don't over-do it. But, honestly, it's much easier to temper with a torch, gas
stove, or better yet, an oven. I use to use a propane torch, but the oven is so much easier because you can control the heat.
xarlock667 says:
Oct 24, 2010. 12:38 AM REPLY

The thing about hot coals, is that they have already gone out. They are no longer super heated and will not be so long as you do not blow on
them. If you add oxygen to the mix, they they will get hot again. and yes they can screw up the temper.
But that is not what I said to do. Just put the blade in with some hot coals, and walk away. They will slowly cool over about 4 hours, and that will
anneal the blade enough that you have a supple but still hard blade. Nothing is easier than starting a fire, burning it out then dropping your steel
in and walking away. When you come back the blade will be done. All you need to do is polish the hell out of it.
punkhead58 says:
Oct 23, 2010. 9:39 PM REPLY

Toaster ovens are best, because they are smaller and don't fluctuate as much. I've completely dedicated a toaster oven to tempering my knives.
badideasrus says:
Oct 19, 2010. 5:52 PM REPLY

.... um... do you have experience with that? because everything i've read says thats a bad idea. (note, i DONT have experience.....) heating it up and
letting cool slowly will anneal it, meaning make it softer..... which is counter productive, yes?
Dark Solar says:
Dec 6, 2010. 11:36 AM REPLY

I've got to agree with punkhead (with a caveat); if you're working small blades, a toaster oven is a great unit so long as you test it with an IR
thermometer to make sure the graduations on the temp dial are accurate.
xarlock667 says:
Oct 20, 2010. 12:24 AM REPLY

You heat and quench 3 times to create a hell of a lot of hard steel molecules, BUT you are also left with a blade SO hard it is brittle. You need
some softer metal in there to absorb shock, flex, and generally not snap under pressure. That is what the final heat treatment does, it gently
anneals the steel a bit to allow a bit of play. It is an absolutely necessary step if you wish to make a blade of any kind. You generally do not do
this for tools as maximum hardness is desired, but if you look at a broken tool, they snap cleanly along a fault, whereas if you try to break a blade,
they bend and flex first. This final stage is the reason. It takes little time and effort, but the payoff is a blade that will not break, or snap off and
slice you.
badideasrus says:
Dec 5, 2010. 10:35 AM REPLY

oh, i agree. but its not as simple as just heating it up to a lower temp and letting cool. to hot and the blade becomes way to soft. (i think. it may
be oposite) to cold, and it won't be soft enough. (again, may be oposite.....)
then there's the whole romantic view of the sword. people are always going to give the creation of a beutiful item of death like the sword an
overly complicated and romanticized view. it could be worse. back in the day, smiths would actually quench their blades by haveing a redhaired person pee on them. or worse, the red-head would BE the quenching element. (what's with them and red heads?)
smiths thought a super blade was made not by the hammering, but by the heattreating (which it kind of is. heat treating determines the
characteristics of the blade, such as sharpness, ability to keep an edge, resistence to bending, or breaking, chiping edges, ect)
dezertdude says:
Oct 20, 2010. 10:20 AM REPLY

what I do after hardening to temper is to reheat the blade with a rosebud torch starting at the spine of the blade and heat uniformly. I watch
the colors run toward the edge and stop when I see straw color at the edge. let it air cool and clean it up / strop it. that tends to leave the
hardness at the edge where you need it and slightly anneals the spine for more flexibility
xarlock667 says:
Oct 20, 2010. 11:19 AM REPLY

That is similar to what the Japanese did with clay tempering. They coated the spines of their swords with clay to prevent it becoming so
hard, but allowed the edges to super harden.
badideasrus says:
Dec 5, 2010. 10:38 AM REPLY

yet another complicated quenching method that makes modern smith-wannabes (like myself...:(...) lead of track. i wonder what genius
in japan made that method. it combines the best of both worlds. super hard edge for really sharp blade, and for retention of that edge,
and a soft spine so it can take huge beatings.
Dark Solar says:
Dec 6, 2010. 11:48 AM REPLY

Don't count yourself out just yet--differential tempering using clay-coat is (and here's the butt-biter part) absurdly simple. Research
coating mixes and use your imagination. Oh, and if you've got a few bucks to throw around --assuming you've not already found
and bought it -- The Craft of the Japanese Sword is pretty much the best book out there for its price.
Cheers...and don't get discouraged!!
Oct 8, 2010. 4:14 AM REPLY
It's not mild steel. Its an old saw blade. This steel has been tempered to give it high strength, and therefore it flexes well
CoffeeFreak says:
Oct 14, 2010. 8:47 AM REPLY
How is the blade holding up? What were you intending to use it for?
Oct 15, 2010. 6:36 PM REPLY

After beating it against a variety of wood types, and throwing it a few time, it hasn't showed any signs of wear. I mostly made it as a general purpose
knife, but it could be used for clearing bush, due to its long thin blade.
woodNfish says:
Oct 7, 2010. 4:02 PM REPLY

Very nice knife. My grandfather made knives out of old saw blades too. Tool steel takes a nice edge. I see one problem though and that is using danish oil
with polyurethane. The oil never truly dries and I am fairly certain that will prevent the poly from fully curing. Poly alone should be enough.
Oct 7, 2010. 4:43 PM REPLY

I gave the oil 24 hours to set, which was the time recommended on the can. It said that you could follow up with wax or poly to achieve a nicer finish.
Also, the main purpose of the oil was to darken the wood. I found that it gives the wood a nice rich color and brings out the long grain that is present in
oak.
view all 118 comments

Design and Build A Full Tang Knife

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Design and Build A Full Tang Knife

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Design and Build a Full Tang Knife

Intro: Design and Build a Full Tang Knife . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 1: Designing the Knife: Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 2: Basic Design: Overall and the Handle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 3: Basic Design: The Blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 4: Making the Blade: Cutting from the Stock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 5: Making the Blade: Grinding the Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 6: Making the Blade: Grinding the Bevel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 7: Making the Blade: Rust Removal and Finishing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Step 8: Making the Handle: Rough Cutting and Gluing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Intro: Design and Build a Full Tang Knife

Step 1: Designing the Knife: Materials

Step 2: Basic Design: Overall and the Handle

2. Final design of handle

Step 3: Basic Design: The Blade

Step 4: Making the Blade: Cutting from the Stock

Step 5: Making the Blade: Grinding the Shape

Step 6: Making the Blade: Grinding the Bevel

Step 7: Making the Blade: Rust Removal and Finishing

1. Polished to 1000 grit. Shiny!

1. 120 grit flap wheel

Step 8: Making the Handle: Rough Cutting and Gluing

Step 9: Making the Handle: Achving the Correct Thickness

Step 10: Making the Handle: Rough Shaping

Step 12: Making the Handle: Finish Him!!!

Step 13: It's Sharpening Time!

Step 14: Congratulations! :)

view all 118 comments

Mar 11, 2011. 5:33 PM REPLY

thats what im doing on my most recent knife, it works better!

Mar 8, 2011. 2:04 AM REPLY

Feb 1, 2011. 11:59 AM REPLY

Feb 2, 2011. 8:11 AM REPLY

Feb 6, 2011. 2:48 AM REPLY

Feb 7, 2011. 6:34 AM REPLY

Here they are!

Feb 6, 2011. 4:37 PM REPLY

nice present! did u get any pictures of it?

Jan 30, 2011. 4:15 PM REPLY

Feb 2, 2011. 8:16 AM REPLY

Jan 26, 2011. 9:02 AM REPLY

very good instructible, lots of detail, every step is covered

Jan 12, 2011. 10:26 AM REPLY

Dec 23, 2010. 8:56 PM REPLY

Elegant and simple, as it should be. Great Instructible!

Dec 25, 2010. 4:33 PM REPLY

Dec 16, 2010. 7:47 AM REPLY

Dec 17, 2010. 4:15 AM REPLY

Dec 17, 2010. 8:50 AM REPLY

Dec 17, 2010. 5:48 PM REPLY

Dec 17, 2010. 7:08 PM REPLY

I am also reading up on bomb-craft, anarchist cookbook FTW!

Oct 7, 2010. 7:37 PM REPLY

I was wondering how to make and use a strop.

Oct 8, 2010. 4:23 AM REPLY

Dark Solar says:

Dec 6, 2010. 11:29 AM REPLY

Oct 9, 2010. 3:46 AM REPLY

Thank you much.

Oct 9, 2010. 4:15 PM REPLY

Nov 22, 2010. 8:50 PM REPLY