You can make a knife from damask or Damascus steel, an old file, a shovel, even wood. First, a shape is selected in accordance with the purpose of the weapon and a sketch is made. A metal blank is cut out using a machine or a grinder saw, and it is narrowed from the butt to the blade. And the handle can be made of wood, plastic, micarta, and attached using metal rivets.

The sheath is made of leather or rough fabric. The blade must be hardened in a forge furnace at a temperature of 700 C, cooled, and tempered in an oven heated to 200 C, only then will the weapon be of high quality.

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How to make a knife: preliminary preparation

To make a real knife of any model, you need:

Draw a sketch. It is important to consider the dimensions of the product and the type of handle attachment.
Create a steel blank. Can be remade old file, shovel, other unnecessary tool, or buy a piece of grade steel grades 95Х18, 50Х14МФ, Х12МФ, ХВГ.
Cut out the outline on milling machine or using a hacksaw. To eliminate imperfections, it is better to use a milling cutter, but you can also use an emery sharpener. At the same stage, holes are made in the metal part of the handle (shank) for fastening the linings and slopes on the blade.
Harden the metal in a furnace and temper the steel. This will make the knife more durable. Use a forge furnace.
Make lining for the handle. As a material wood will do, but also plastic, soft metals, brass.
Assemble the product. The shank is attached to the shank using adhesive and selected trim fasteners. At this same stage, the blade is finally sharpened and the weapon is polished.

To complete the task, you need tools and materials, but it is also important to understand the ban on creating bladed weapons.

What to make from

The knife can be made from:

A piece of stainless steel that was previously a pan, pipe, or piece of furniture. This is the simplest option, but the product will have to be sharpened often.
An old saw, file or hacksaw. They are made of a material that does not dull for a long time, but the product will be fragile and susceptible to corrosion.
Planer blades. The metal will first have to be heated to give it the desired shape, and this type of steel will quickly rust if not cared for.

The knife can be made from an old Lithuanian scythe or the cutting element of a lawn mower, drill suitable size. The main thing is that the workpiece material is larger in length and thickness than the product that will be created from it.

What metal?

The knife is made of metal with the following qualities:

resistance to abrasion during operation, deformation;
immunity to high temperatures;
strength, that is, the tool should not break under load;
viscosity, therefore, retention of the original shape after repeated use;
hardness that does not allow other inclusions to disturb the structure of the steel;
resistance to corrosion.

Several types of steel meet these conditions:

damask and damask, but they are difficult to work with at home;
95Х18, which can be hardened to high strength;
50Х14МФ, does not dull for a long time;
X12MF, hard and “long-lasting”, but requiring careful care;
HVG, capable of withstanding high loads without compromising the quality of the knife;
50HGA, not afraid of harsh operating conditions, but susceptible to corrosion;
40X13, spring, like the previous type, stainless, but not very durable.

What other material is needed?

In addition to the steel sheet, you will need a choice of material for making handle linings:

animal bone or horn;
wood (birch, pear, oak, ash, maple, apple tree);
plastic, plexiglass;
expensive metal alloys (gold, silver, bronze);
textolite, ceramics, ebonite;
brass.

Watch the video on how to make a knife from bone:

Instead, a thick cord or electrical tape may be useful if you need a very simple and small knife. They wrap the shank.

With a higher quality and complex handle, parts and means are needed to attach it to the base:

rivets;
hairpins;
bolts and nuts;
glue, epoxy resin.

To process the blade you will need oil to cool the steel, sandpaper, different types grinding pastes.

Making tool

For homemade knife tool required:

metal hacksaw, grinder saw or grinder, sharpening machine;
vice;
blacksmith furnace and tongs;
a drill or drill for making holes for attaching the handle;
file;
safety glasses and earplugs.

How to make a blank

The workpiece must be made so that the blade and shank form a single whole:

How to make a blade

The blade, that is, the cutting part of the tool, should be done like this:

mark the bevels on the workpiece cut out of steel in accordance with the knife model;
holding it in a vice, grind off the excess layer of metal on both sides of the blade, but not completely;
Finish the lines as intended using a belt sander or by hand.

This difficulty in sharpening the blade is due to the fact that it cannot be made too thin, because then there is the stage of hardening the blade. And it may turn out to be of poor quality or fail at all, that is, the knife will turn out fragile.

What are the risks of making bladed weapons at home?

The production of edged weapons by craftsmen at home is punishable by Part 3 of Article 223 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, that is, a prison term of up to 2 years.

You can make knives with the following indicators:

blade length up to 9 cm;
butt width up to 2.6 mm.

Knife structure

Such instruments are not prohibited for manufacture and use. If the product comes out larger, you cannot sharpen it too sharply, make a handle with finger grooves more than 4 mm deep and a guard.

Advantages of a DIY knife

A knife made by yourself has many advantages compared to factory-made products:

meets the requirements of its owner;
with the right choice and good heat treatment, steel is of high quality, but costs less;
has one appearance which the owner likes;
it does not contain any defects found in finished products.

DIY knives

The simplest homemade knives

Homemade knives, as simple as possible, are obtained from:

scissors of different sizes;
bayonet shovel;
old knife;
saw, hacksaw;
car springs.

You can even make a product from a fairly thick stick. The simplest option is a homemade knife with a wooden handle. And if you use a file as a base, you can do the work without power tools.

Watch the video on how to make a knife from a bearing:

From scissors

Scissors can even make 2 knives for household needs if they are:

divide into 2 parts by pulling out the fastening from the center;
take one half, process the blade on sharpening machine before required thickness(the blunt side is the butt, the sharper side is the blade);
make slopes, sharpen a sharp edge;
make suitable linings from wood, make recesses in each corresponding to the thickness of the metal part of the handle;
attach the wooden parts using glue and fasteners screwed into the hole left from the scissors;
Give the handle its final shape, remove any burrs, and polish it.

The knife will come with a ring at the head of the handle left over from the scissors.

From a piece of metal

From a piece of metal, if it is large enough, you can make any type of product. First, a sketch is prepared on paper, then a blank is cut out using this pattern. They process it on a machine, bringing the blade into the right type. 2 holes for bolts are drilled on the shank.

If the metal needs to be hardened, this is done using a forge furnace, and the steel is tempered. Cleaned, sanded and polished metal part. After cutting out the pads, they are attached to the handle using industrial glue and metal fasteners. If they stick out, this part should be cut off and sanded so that it does not interfere with holding the knife.

From a shovel

A shovel can be used to make any kind of knife as long as they don't have to cut very hard objects. Because usually this steel is not High Quality, bends easily, even if the tool is bayonet. The manufacturing stages do not differ from what was described above. But due to the fragility of the metal, it must be hardened. And the handle should be made with wooden overlays as long as the shank.

From an old knife

You can make a new tool out of an old knife if you simply replace the handle pads. To do this, the product will have to be disassembled. You can change the type, and hence the purpose, of a weapon if it is large enough. All you have to do is cut a blade of a different shape and combine it with an updated handle. The steel does not need to be hardened since it has already been heat treated at the factory.

From a stick

From a stick, that is, a knot with a diameter of 3-4 cm, you can make a fairly sharp weapon:

cut a piece about 15 cm long;
grind into lathe the blade is about 6 cm, the remaining 9 cm will be the handle;
thin the sharp edge using a machine with an emery attachment;
bring the blade to the maximum possible sharpness using an abrasive stone.

The quality of the product cannot be compared with metal, but it can be used for cutting.

From other available materials without tools

A knife can be made from scrap materials and, in addition to those mentioned above, from:

a mechanical saw, the blade of which has good cutting properties;
hacksaws for wood, they make decent kitchen tools;
automobile springs requiring forging and heat treatment;
a large drill, but it also needs to be heated and given the desired shape.

After converting the scrap material into a flat sheet, the manufacturing technology is still the same:

drawing on paper;
cutting a metal blank;
sharpening, hardening, finishing;
handle manufacturing, assembly.

Sample drawing of a knife on paper

Knife without tools type band saw, a grinder can be made from a file. Just heat it up blowtorch and let it cool so that the metal can be processed with a hacksaw. This is what gives the workpiece the desired shape. Then heat treatment is carried out, grinding with hand tools and emery. And you can assemble the product.

DIY knife at home from start to finish

You can make a knife of any kind with your own hands at home, if you have the tools, material for the blade and handles, fixing pins, and glue. Production available:

small or large implements;
hunting;
marching;
kitchen;
wooden;
homemade folding;
forged;
dagger type.

From start to finish, you create a knife with your own hands in stages:

choose steel for the blade (preferably carbon or tool steel);
draw a sketch, where the dimensions of the product are marked in accordance with the purpose, the shape is determined;
cut out the workpiece, make holes on it for fastening the linings;
subject the metal to forging, hardening and tempering;
overlays are made and attached to the frame.

If desired, the knife can be made in hiking conditions made of wood, quartz, tin can, other available means.

Made of wood

It is better to make a monolithic product from wood for greater strength. You need to take a metal knife as a sample, mark the lines of the handle, the cut of the blade and the blade. The excess is removed with a hacksaw and a pen tool, since the work is quite delicate. When the whole weapon is ready, it is sharpened using a whetstone.

Hunting knife

A hunting knife is made using:

carbon steel;
brass and wood for the handle;
steel pins and epoxy glue during assembly.

The technique is the same as given earlier, but there are some nuances:

you need to make fullers on the blade;
for more accurate formation of bevels, a caliper is used in measurements;
metal requires hardening in a forge and tempering;
brass linings on the handle are hidden under wooden ones.

Kitchen knife

A kitchen knife is made of spring metal (for example, a hacksaw), which, after cutting the workpiece, is heated in an oven and cooled in oil or in air. Hardening is carried out at a temperature of 200 C.

The bevel can only be made on one side. After this, the knife is sharpened using a damp whetstone. If it has a wooden handle, oak (or ash, pear) linings are impregnated with linseed oil. Apply it with a brush or swab, wait 20 minutes for absorption, remove excess and dry for several hours. Then you need to spread another layer. After drying, the knife can be assembled.

Dagger

The dagger differs from other types of products in that both edges of the blade are sharp. This means that bevels are made on both sides, just like sharpening. Otherwise, the technology and set of tools do not change.

Forge a knife

To forge a knife, you need to prepare:

An oven with thick walls where they will burn charcoal and provide air access. This way it will be possible to reach temperatures of up to 900-1200 degrees.
Hammers weighing 4 kg and 1 kg, as well as an anvil or its imitation. You will also need tongs to remove the hot product from the oven.

How to forge a knife at home:

heat the metal in the oven to 900 degrees, that is, until it turns orange;
remove it with tongs, place it on the anvil;
tap with hammers to give the desired shape and thickness.

After this, you can cut out a blank corresponding to the drawing.

If the knife is made from a file, an old product, a saw, it only needs hardening:

heating in an oven to 700 C (the metal will become cherry color);
placing in heated oil to cool or leaving in air;
sending to an oven heated to 200 C;
cleaning from scale with sandpaper.

small knife

A small knife requires more accurate measurements when marking slopes, precise movements when cutting a metal workpiece, but in general the process is no different. For product small size Almost any piece of steel will do. That is, you won’t have to forge it; it will be enough to provide hardening and tempering before assembly.

Mini-knives made by yourself do not even need to make linings for the handle, since the shank can be wrapped with a thick cord or electrical tape. If desired, make a wooden cutting using standard technology.

Big knife

It is more practical to make a large knife from a piece of tool steel purchased at a hardware store. There are no differences in the manufacturing process, except that:

You need to make a fuller on the blade near the butt. It is done with a file, making the tool lighter and stronger.
It is necessary to drill holes in the handle for attaching the linings and additional ones. The latter are needed to reduce the weight of this part of the product.
It is imperative to harden and temper the workpiece. It is heated in an oven until cherry-colored, after which it is placed in oil. And then the blade is kept at a temperature of 200 C and cooled.
The overlays should be made of lightweight materials, but wide enough. Textolite and plastic are suitable, which are glued in 3 layers. This will make the knife heavier in the blade area, which will make it possible not only to cut, but also to chop with it.

For the forest

Forestry tools are manufactured following the same steps as others, but:

it should be small with a blade that is not too wide;
have straight or concave slopes;
the edge should be made like a Finnish or Scandinavian knife, that is, less than 70 degrees;
use wood for the handle.

You can make a knife in the forest from oak or pine (this hard rocks), pieces of silicon, quartz, glass or even a tin can. If there is metal part, you can build an improvised furnace and forge a blade. The handle is wrapped in fabric, tufts of grass or made of wood.

Homemade folding

A homemade folding knife is made from the same materials as previous versions, and the technology does not change, but:

You will also need a brass pin to hold the blade in the open position;
the cutting part should be shorter;
blade head - have a hole for screwing fasteners into the handle and a tooth to cling to a brass pin;
the handle is made of two wooden parts (outer layer) and the same number of Kydex material elements (inner);
On all parts, holes are drilled for the blade retainer and handle, and below and to the right - a brass pin.

Camping knife

A camp knife is made according to the same scheme as described earlier, but it is important to observe the parameters of the weapon:

classic blade no more than 100 mm, so as not to take up much space in the backpack;
the most comfortable handle and bright lining for easy searching if you get lost;

You will also need a tool case.

How to assemble a knife

To assemble a homemade knife, you should:

make 2 holes for clamps on the metal part of the handle;
drill the same grooves in the linings;
glue the component parts of the cutting with epoxy or other industrial glue, if it consists of several layers, dry it by squeezing it with clamps;
attach the finished linings to the shank using pins;
If parts of the fasteners stick out after screwing, they need to be cut off and these places sanded.

Making knives at home

Manufacturing homemade sheath at home includes the following steps:

making a pattern from paper (you need to put a blade wrapped in tape on it, add 1.5 cm from each edge and circle);
creating a pattern from leather or thick fabric (the pattern is traced 2 times in a mirror image);
cutting out from the material 2 side inserts 1.5 cm wide and a T-shaped part, which will then become a clasp;
processing the edges of the cross element with wax, grinding on a felt wheel of the machine;
sewing a T-shaped part and one of the main patterns with nylon thread;
gluing the inserts of this part of the sheath;
fixing the second half of the pattern with glue;
turning the edges of the workpiece on a grinding machine;
stitching glued parts;
polishing the surface of the sheath, applying cream if it is leather;
making holes at the ends of the fastener to secure the button parts.

Watch the video about how the knife is made:

DIY myocardium for a knife

Myocardium, or, with your own hands for a knife, is made from several layers of dense fabric of different colors (for example, denim) and epoxy resin(10 parts to 1 part hardener). The material is cut into equal strips. They need to be placed in a container where the mixture with resin has already been poured so that the fabric is saturated. This multi-layer “cake” is then taken out and pressed tightly with your hands to remove air and excess liquid.

Now you need to wrap it in wax paper and place it between two wooden planes, holding it with clamps. After 2 days, micarta is ready.

DIY knife blades

Knife blades are made by hand:

according to a sketch, which is an image of the entire product, and not just the cutting part;
from sheet steel using band press or grinder saws;
with drilling holes for fastening handle linings;
with machine grinding or filing;

DIY knife handle at home

The handle of a knife is often made at home from wood. More precisely, these are the overlays, and metal carcass(tang) is connected to the blade into a single unit.

Two wooden parts are cut to match the dimensions of the steel one. They need to be shaped as in the sketch. On internal sides grooves are cut equal in thickness to the shank. Be sure to make holes in the top and bottom of each element for fasteners (pins or bolts). Wooden parts need to be coated with linseed oil. When the tool is assembled, the handle is polished.

Making even a simple knife without experience is not so easy, but it is possible. To do this you need to own at least hand tools, but it’s better to do everything using machines. But you can get a unique product that fully meets the wishes of the owner.

IN Everyday life a knife is an indispensable tool. No household can manage without it. Models presented for sale do not always meet the requirements for reliable and functional samples. To get a blade that combines best characteristics, you will have to make it yourself. Recently, information on how to make a knife with your own hands has become very popular.

Advantages of homemade models

There is a huge range of knives on sale now. You can get lost in it, but with some effort you can always find a ready-made model suitable for specific purposes. However, there is always a chance of encountering a poorly made blade or a finished model that does not fully meet expectations.

If the desired model is not available for sale, you can seek help from a blacksmith who will make a custom-made blade.

But such work, carried out in accordance with the wishes of the customer, is quite expensive. Usually in such a situation the idea comes to making a knife with your own hands from start to finish.

If you make a blade yourself, you can achieve a number of advantages:

Assortment in stores

Any quality product is always expensive. In addition, the choice of truly reliable and functional models is not as wide as we would like. More often, models are offered for sale that do not require increased requirements for mechanical characteristics and functionality. These fairly common products are often:

do not have sufficient strength, so they break easily;
made of the cheapest steel, therefore they do not have the necessary hardness for cutting hard materials, do not hold an edge well and quickly become dull, which makes it impossible to perform the necessary functions;
do not have high durability due to low-quality assembly, which cannot cost more than the materials used.

Commonly found knives like these are usually inexpensive. When they become unusable, they are simply thrown away and replaced with new ones. But this approach cannot be called rational, because it is not always possible to go to the store for new purchase. The knife is often used by tourists and hunters far from civilization. It must not only cope brilliantly with the responsibilities assigned to it, but also be reliable enough not to let its owner down at a crucial moment.

To buy a high-quality blade at an affordable price, you need to carefully study the market and all the offers presented on it. It is imperative to have minimal technical knowledge about knife steels, their characteristics and the mechanical properties of the finished blade. However, you can go the other way by applying this knowledge in practice yourself. This is what many people do when they decide to make a knife themselves.

Purpose and characteristics

The production of any knife is always preceded by the selection of the required type. Not only the characteristics of the future product, but also the conditions of its manufacture depend on the purpose and operating conditions.

The following types of knives are most often made independently:

There is often a misconception in which the purposes of a camping knife and a hunting knife are confused. Among newcomers to the field of tourism and hunting, there is an opinion that it is possible to make one universal blade that will cope with all the necessary tasks with equal success. However, this is not the case.

Touring models are designed primarily for rough work. High hardness is also important for them, but fragility when working at fracture is strictly unacceptable. For hunting models, hardness always comes first, because their most important characteristic is the sharpness of the blade. Cutting prey with a camping knife is quite problematic due to the relatively soft blade, and a hunting blade can simply be broken if you try to use it instead of a camping one.

It is impossible to create a universal blade for all conditions. You always have to improve some qualities by reducing other characteristics. If you plan to solve a wide range of tasks, it makes sense to make several knives, each of which will perform its own function.

When the first stage is completed and the type of future knife is selected, preparatory work not finished yet. Before you start manufacturing, you still need to select necessary materials. Most main element any knife - blade. The next stage begins with the selection of the steel necessary for its manufacture.

Steel selection

The type of knife dictates the operating conditions. According to these conditions, you need to choose the steel that will best meet the tasks assigned to the blade.

The most important characteristics of the blade that should be taken into account when choosing a steel grade are:

hardness obtained as a result of heat treatment according to the required regime;
impact strength, which is responsible for resistance to chipping and brittle fracture;
corrosion resistance necessary for work in special conditions and in contact with liquids;
wear resistance required under conditions of increased loads on the blade.

Bulat and Damascus have earned great popularity as materials for blades. But to obtain such blanks you need the knowledge and experience of a professional blacksmith. Even if you know how to use blacksmithing equipment, they are quite difficult to produce. Not every experienced blacksmith is capable of this. You can buy a ready-made product, but it will be quite expensive.

More often, more affordable alloy steels are used, which are much easier to work with. In our country, the following grades of steel are most often used for the production of knives:

Other brands are used less frequently because they are less common or do not have the necessary characteristics.

The process of making a knife yourself contains a large number of stages. Each of them deserves detailed description, including all the nuances and advice of experienced craftsmen. Simplified, all actions can be divided into the following operations:

If you have experience working with metal, it is not so difficult to make knives with your own hands at home. Videos on this topic, shot by experienced craftsmen, will always help you understand the intricacies of all stages of production. With each new blade you make yourself, the level of skill will increase, which will allow you to create beautiful samples with high technological properties and decorative characteristics.

How to make a knife

Knives have become such a part of our lives that it is impossible to imagine cooking or outdoor recreation without them. Depending on the functions performed, knives may vary in shape, size and blade characteristics. And while choosing good kitchen knives is usually not difficult, choosing a high-quality hunting knife can be difficult. That is why many outdoor enthusiasts prefer to make such edged weapons themselves.

In this article we will look at how you can make a sharp hunting knife from scrap materials, and we will pay attention to the detailed step by step instructions for making bladed weapons at home.

Homemade knife: features and advantages

On modern market There is a huge range of knives available. It would seem that such a huge variety only makes the task of choosing a weapon easier, but in fact this is not the case. Among the products offered on the market, it is not always possible to choose a hunting knife of optimal hardness and sharpness, and some characteristics of the weapon will not meet the individual requirements of the buyer.

We should not forget that some blades are made from low-quality metal or in violation of technology. As a result, the blade quickly loses its sharpness, and the knife itself becomes just a useless piece of metal.

If you still haven't been able to find suitable model, there is only one way out - to forge a hunting knife with your own hands (Figure 1). Having a custom blade made by a qualified smith can be expensive, so many people prefer to do this kind of production themselves. For example, you can always make a simple knife from rope, but remember that in the process you will have to handle the metal correctly so that it acquires the necessary characteristics.

In general, homemade edged weapons have many advantages:

You can choose the appropriate type of blade not from the offered range, but solely according to your own needs, and combine all the desired characteristics in a finished product.
You will always have the opportunity to choose the right steel for the blade.
During the manufacturing process, you can select your own optimal mode heat treatment (hardening and tempering), during which the blade will acquire the ideal balance of hardness, strength and ductility.
When making it yourself, you avoid unpleasant errors or defects that are often present in finished products and directly affect the operation of the weapon.

Figure 1. Homemade hunting knives

In addition, in a homemade knife you can develop individual design handles or think of a unique decoration for the blade. As a result, your blade will become not only sharp and reliable, but also beautiful and original.

Types of products

The first stage of purchasing or making a knife is choosing its model, depending on the purpose of using the blade (Figure 2).

All bladed weapons are divided into types depending on the scope of application:

Hunting: Such knives are most often made to order, because such a blade must successfully combine very serious characteristics. Since such blades are most often used for cutting game, the blade must be durable, extremely sharp and not dull for a long time. In addition, such products must be wear-resistant, because during the hunt you will not have the opportunity to replace the blade.
Tourist: perhaps the most universal option, since with the help of such a knife you can cut branches, plan wood chips and perform a number of other tasks. If you want to make such a folding camping knife with your own hands, keep in mind that its blade must be strong enough and wide, because such camping knives are often used as a replacement for an ax.
Survival knives: a subspecies of tourist blades, which were separated into a separate group because of their versatility. As a rule, such models are equipped with additional devices that may be needed on a hike. But in practice, it is better to have all these devices separately, since when they are included in the knife itself, the width and performance characteristics of its blade deteriorate.
Kitchen: Such knives are also often made by hand, for example, from metal saws, since finished products industrial production high quality ones are usually very expensive.

Figure 2. Types of bladed weapons: 1 - hunting, 2 - tourist, 3 - survival knife, 4 - kitchen

In fact, you can make a knife with your own hands from almost any material - a bearing or a file, the main thing is to adhere to the correct heat treatment regime so that the finished blade is moderately hard, sharp and wear-resistant. Since many are interested in how to make a high-quality hunting knife with their own hands, we will look at all the nuances of this process in more detail.

What is required for production

When planning to make your own knife, you should keep in mind that it is impossible to make a universal blade. For example, tourist ones are designed for rough work, and you won’t be able to cut up game with their help. Hunting blades must be sharp and hard so that jagged edges do not form on the blade if it accidentally hits a bone.

The performance characteristics and scope of use of the future product directly affect the type of steel that should be selected for manufacturing.

The steel must be hard, although this indicator is achieved during heat treatment in a certain mode. In addition, the material must be moderately tough so that the blade is resistant to chipping and brittle fracture. It should also be taken into account that the steel must be corrosion-resistant and wear-resistant, because in wildlife you will not have the opportunity to sharpen or properly clean the blade.

Necessary materials

Making a quality hunting knife requires correct selection materials. For example, such a blade can be made from a spring, because such steel is perfectly suited for this purpose in terms of its characteristics (Figure 3).

If you can't get high-quality steel, you can always melt down a piece of blade from a hacksaw or resharpen another blade.

The most suitable steel for making a knife with a wooden handle is considered to be 1095 or 1070 steel. For other materials, you will need paper and a pen (or a ready-made blade template), material for making the handle, as well as copper or brass pins with which the handle will be connected to blade.

Figure 3. Required drawings and materials

Optionally, you can make the handle of the knife from stone and the blade from a drill, but in this case the finished product may be too heavy.

What tool will you need?

If there are usually no problems with materials for making a miniature hunting knife, then you will have to be more careful in selecting tools for the job. This requirement also applies to the manufacture kitchen knives, and blades that are used by tourists, fishermen or hunters.

Figure 4. All necessary tools need to be prepared in advance

In order for all manufacturing processes to be successful, you will need an assembly table with a vice, emery for grinding, a set of files and a drill with Pobedit drill bits, sandpaper of various grits, several abrasive whetstones and diamond files, a set of chisels and hammers and other small tools.

In addition, you will need a belt sander, oven or other similar device to harden the blade and linseed oil for impregnation of the handle material. Naturally, you need to prepare drawings in advance with the dimensions of the finished product (Figure 4).

Instructions: how to do it step by step

To make it correctly quality knife do it yourself from start to finish, you should strictly follow the instructions and follow all the recommendations of specialists. First of all, you need to prepare diagrams and drawings of homemade knives that will help you make the product you need in the shape and size.

Because for self-made There are many nuances to consider when making a hunting and camping knife; we will look at all stages of this process in more detail.

Preparation of components

At the first stage of making a knife for hunting with your own hands at home, you need to cut out the blank of the future blade from metal. To do this, use a ready-made drawing, which will help you make mistakes in dimensions (Figure 5).

Further production of a blade from a steel sheet is carried out as follows:

We sand the finished workpiece to remove excess metal around the edges. At the same time, try to leave rounded edges where the blade meets the shank: this will help increase the strength of the structure.
Now you need to drill holes in the workpiece for pins to attach the handle. For reliable fixation, two will be enough, but if you want to make the blade more attractive in appearance, you can make more holes. The most convenient way to make holes is on a drilling machine.
After this we begin sanding. First you need to remove excess metal with sandpaper, and too rough edges can be completely removed with a grinder. Further sanding is carried out using a belt sander. It is at this stage that the workpiece can be given the shape that you want to see in the future. During the process, you must use a respirator to protect your respiratory system from metal dust.

Figure 5. Blade manufacturing steps

The final process of this stage will be the formation of bevels, and it is this activity that can safely be called the most responsible. The fact is that the cutting characteristics of the blade will depend on the sharpening angle. Already at this stage, it is important to understand for what purpose you will use the knife. Products for cutting should have a thin blade, and if you are going to chop branches with it, it is advisable to make the blade thicker. Also keep in mind that your product must still go through the hardening stage, so do not try to make the blade as thin as possible: it is better to finish it on a file after hardening.

Hardening the workpiece

After the blade blank according to the drawing is ready, you can begin to harden it. Thanks to this process, the steel will become elastic, and the metal itself will not bend when cutting hard objects. It is important that the hardening temperature depends on the type of metal used. For example, steel with a high carbon content requires a temperature of 800 degrees.

If you don't know what kind of steel you are using and what temperature it should be heated to, you can use permanent magnet during the hardening process. As soon as it stops being attracted to the blade during the heating process, the steel can be cooled.

To effectively cool a knife blank made from a saw or other material, oil is usually used, but some also use water or simply cool the steel in air. However, it is the oil that is considered the best option for improvement performance characteristics blade (Figure 6).

Figure 6. This is what the blade hardening process looks like

After hardening, it is necessary to perform one more step - steel tempering. This is an extremely important stage, since steel without tempering will be too brittle and, if dropped on a hard surface, will simply shatter into pieces. To increase the blade's resistance to mechanical stress, the blade must be placed in an oven heated to 200 degrees and left for one hour. Next, turn off the fire and allow the blade to cool down along with the oven. This is exactly how metal is tempered.

Etching rules

Etching is an optional manufacturing step, as it involves applying a specific pattern to the blade of a forged knife. However, if you want to make your blade truly original, you should not skip this stage (Figure 7).

For etching you will need the blade itself of the desired shape, a pencil or marker, solvent, nail polish (you can use the cheapest one), 200 grams copper sulfate and sandpaper of varying degrees of grit.

The rules for etching a self-made blade are as follows:

First, we grind the blade with sandpaper and treat it with a solvent.
Next, use a marker to draw a sketch of the intended design and carefully paint it over with nail polish. Don't worry if the varnish protrudes slightly beyond the design: this error can be easily removed with further etching.
The metal under the varnish will not be etched, so it is advisable to varnish the ends of the blade as well.
When the varnish dries a little, the design can be corrected with an awl or a regular needle.
Now you can begin the actual etching process. To do this you will need a solution of salt and copper sulfate. The optimal ratio is 100 grams of salt and a similar amount of vitriol dissolved in water. To reduce time chemical reaction It is advisable to take very hot water.

Figure 7. Etching will help make your knife more original.

The blade must be immersed in the resulting solution for 25-40 minutes, depending on the desired etching depth. To speed up the reaction, you can increase the amount of copper sulfate in the solution.

It should be remembered that during the etching process a characteristic red coating will form on the blade, which will slow down the processing, so such a coating will have to be washed off periodically with a jet warm water. When you notice that the metal has already been sufficiently etched, remove the workpiece from the solution and rinse it warm water, wipe with solvent and sand (in increasing order).

Making a handle

The handle for the knife is usually made of wood, but you can use any other material to your liking. However, experienced craftsmen recommend making a knife handle with your own hands from wood, since this material is easy to process and has the necessary performance characteristics.

Figure 8. Handle manufacturing steps

First, make two handle blanks, tighten them with clamps and drill two holes (at the end and at the beginning). These holes must line up exactly with the holes in the metal.

It is advisable to further process the holes in the blade with a drill to remove nicks and clean them.

Next, everything happens quickly and simply: completely cover the surface of each workpiece with epoxy glue, connect them with clamps and clamp them with a vice (Figure 8). At the same stage, the pins are inserted. When the glue has dried, remove the vice and bring the handle to perfect shape on grinding machine. To provide the wood with additional protection from moisture, it is advisable to impregnate it with linseed oil.

Sharpening the finished product

Sharpening the finished product is the main stage that plays a key role in successful operation knife in the future. Since the roughing stage has already been carried out, after attaching the handle, you can bring the blade to perfection on a special sharpener or using regular sandpaper (Figure 9).

Figure 9. Sharpening is done on a special machine

At the end of the sharpening process, you can coat the blade with a compound for additional protection against corrosion, and walk over it with felt to add shine.

We are not always satisfied with the quality of the purchased instrument. Sometimes the most best option- make what you need yourself.

The knife is an object that has become firmly established in our lives. There are many photo instructions on how to make it. Definitely, this is a labor-intensive process and not everyone can make a good blade at home. But made with your own hands, it will delight you with its quality for many years.

Tools

Selecting from the available equipment what is needed to make a knife is not so easy. Some tools will have to be purchased or rented additionally. However, a lot depends on the technology.

To make a knife by hand forged we will need the following:

Large and small hammer;
Bake;
Coal;
Blacksmith's tongs;
File;
Pliers;
Sandpaper;
Adjustable wrench;
Grinding and grinding machine;
Anvil;
Bulgarian.

Metal selection

Before moving on to detailed instructions on how to properly make a knife, it is important to carefully select the material from which it will be made, taking into account all the necessary technical characteristics:

Wear resistance (resistance to abrasion and deformation; depends directly on hardness);
Ability to withstand high temperatures;
Strength (maintaining integrity when a certain external load is applied);
Viscosity (the ability to hold its shape without deformation or destruction during use);
Hardness (the ability to resist the penetration of foreign materials into its own structure).

Sketch

Before you make a knife at home, you need to have an idea of what it will look like, what to make a handle and sheath for it from, and what size it will be.

A preliminary sketch is drawn on paper, and then a labor-intensive work process begins, which takes place in several stages: making a knife blade with your own hands, a handle and a sheath with grinding and turning to the required parameters.

Blade making

The work technology will depend on what kind of workpiece is used for the knife. You can buy a sheet of metal (plate) of a certain thickness at a hardware store and cut a blank according to the sketch. Temper the metal in a furnace. Then process it with a file or on a grinding machine.

It will be much easier when the blank for the future knife is made from:

Old braid;
Lawn mower blade;
Double-sided file;
Drills of suitable diameter.

It is important that the workpiece is thicker than the final blade obtained after processing.

Knife handle

What you can make a knife handle from is limited only by your own imagination.

Ancient craftsmen sought to make their blades a model of perfection, using all the available material at hand. Original ideas knife handles using whatever is at hand change over time.

IN this moment The knife handle can be made from the following materials:

Plastic;
Plexiglas;
Tree;
Ceramics;
Ebonite;
Quartz glass;
Bronze;
Silver;
Ivory;
Gold;
Textolite;
Antler.

Methods used in the manufacture of knife handles

After making the blade, it is important to carefully connect it to the handle so that it subsequently sits firmly and does not dangle or fall out.

There are the following methods widely used in the process of making knife handles:

On rivets;
Fixation with a hairpin;
Hot attachment of the blade to the body of the handle;
Use of bolts, pins and nuts;
End riveting.

File knife

Let's take a step-by-step look at the process of making a blade and handle from simple material, which can be found at hand. From a two-edged file.

We preheat the metal in the furnace;
We give the workpiece the desired shape according to the drawing. We use a blacksmith's hammer, then a sharpener. Ultimately, two clearly distinguishable zones should form - for the handle and the blade itself;
We perform rough (rough) sharpening of the knife for a razor or blade type knife;
We make handles from any material. Cut it to the size of your own hand.
We bring it to the desired shape on a sharpening machine;
We dock the handle with a metal blank (with rivets);
We grind and polish the knife (with sandpaper or grinder with the necessary attachments);
We perform final sharpening of the blade;
We use velvet cloth or polish to give the knife its final finished look.

Making a scabbard

After the knife is made, a sheath is made according to its dimensions or a cover is sewn together. For this you can use various material– plastic, leather, wood.

In the design of the sheath, it is necessary to provide for the outflow of moisture and guides for the blade, and the sheath itself must be made so that the blade can move in and out freely without jamming or any inconvenience.

Thus, making a knife is an entire art, to which in ancient times they devoted their entire lives, achieving the best quality blades and chopping properties. Such knives were successfully used both at the feast and on the battlefield, and each specimen was a model of perfection.

Photos of homemade knives

In modern households, a knife is used to perform various tasks - from cooking to cutting out various figures. What to do if all purchased knives do not meet the requirements and do not meet the declared characteristics? In this case, you will have to make a knife with your own hands.

On sale you can find a variety of models of knives that differ in price, quality and shape. Seeing such a choice, you can simply get confused. It is possible to find a suitable model, but, as a rule, it will not satisfy all the requirements and expectations of the buyer. If the desired model has not been found, and there is no desire to make a knife with your own hands, then you can always turn to a blacksmith. It's worth remembering that handmade such a specialist is very expensive. Making a knife with your own hands from start to finish is not only profitable, but also an exciting activity.

What can be achieved making the blade yourself:

As you can see, making a knife yourself is the most suitable solution. In your work, you can implement any ideas, from the selection of material for the handle to the type of steel, shape and stain with which the handle will be coated.

Assortment in stores

What can you find in stores? Among all finished products, indeed, you can find standing model. But quality is always worth it big money. The inexpensive assortment presented will include knives that do not have high technical requirements.

Most often you can find a blade:

Such knives can be found in almost any store, and they are inexpensive. But they break down very quickly, then they are simply thrown away and replaced with a new one. This is not very rational, since most often this tool is used while hiking or fishing, and a low-quality knife can easily let the owner down at the most inopportune moment.

In order to choose and buy a knife correctly, you need to have minimal knowledge in the field of materials, namely, to navigate the characteristics of steel and the mechanical properties of the finished blade. It is also very important to study the market.

Purpose and types of knives

Before making it, you need to understand what the knife is for. Based on this, you should make a list of the desired characteristics and parameters that are presented to the finished product.

There are these types of knives:

Beginners are often mistaken and think that camping and hunting knives are identical. It is impossible to make a universal blade that will cope with all purposes with equal success. Touring knives are necessary for rough work: cutting branches and brushwood. It will be very difficult to cut up a carcass with them. The hunting knife is very sharp and hard, but it can be broken if used as a camp knife.

Manufacturing Features

First of all, you need to decide on the type of blade. Its specifics, characteristics and purpose will depend on this. Once the type of blade required has been determined, the choice of steel to use can begin.

Steel selection

The steel for manufacturing must be chosen wisely, because the type of blade will show maximum performance in only one direction. In choosing steel The following requirements must be taken into account:

Hardness, which will determine the frequency of sharpening.
Fragility. This indicator decides whether the blade will crumble from hitting a bone or due to a fall.
Corrosion. It is also important to take into account that the marching blades will not be in very good favorable conditions. Due to moisture, the product can quickly become rusty.
Wear resistance on the blade.

To make a homemade knife, craftsmen use damask steel or damask. But these materials are very difficult to work with. For them, it is not enough to have blacksmithing equipment in the form of an anvil and a hammer. It is necessary to know the specifics and characteristics of materials. Even an experienced blacksmith will not always be able to do a quality job using Damascus. You can resort to a ready-made product, but it will be very expensive.

Therefore, for the first and subsequent work it is better to use alloy steel. It's much easier to work with. Types of alloy steel, which are most often used for blades:

There are many more grades of steel from which a blade can be made. But they are poorly distributed due to their inappropriate indicators.

Stages of work

There are many features in making a knife. It is worth paying close attention to the work, as sometimes it is not possible to correct errors. Each stage is important and must be observed by professionals:

If you already have experience working with metal, then making a normal knife will not be difficult. Each subsequent product will get better. Don't be upset if the first knife is unsuccessful. It is better to take into account all the mistakes and try to do it again. But it is worth remembering that a knife with a large blade is considered a real edged weapon. Therefore, it is first important to figure out which product will be legal.