Let's Make a Knife, pt 1

**Disclaimer: I'm not presenting this as the "only," "best," or any other way of making a knife. This is just the method I'm using...on to business..

**EDIT: As I've typed the subsequent parts, I've realized that my usual long winded approach is sounding longer and windier. I'm not try to over complicate the process, I just stop at points where I think a picture is helpful.

I think it'll be fun to do a step by step on how I make a knife. This particular knife is being made for my friend, Max. He wanted a good paring knife to add to his kitchen.

Step 1: Pick your knife. In this case, we're going to make a "modern" paring knife. The OA size of the knife is a bit under 8" with a 4" blade. This is an easier overall pattern. Side note, I have templates for all of my knives, so I can come back to them later if I want. This is a good time to determine what type of steel and its thickness. (A2...1/8" thick...as you'll see soon)

Step 2: Layout dye and tool steel!

I see a piece of steel and I want it painted blue.

Step 3: Scribe the pattern onto the tool steel.

Step 4: For this knife...popping a hole in the handle/blade transition helps with the saw cut.

Step 5: Band saw the blade. A thing to watch for on the band saw is work hardening of the tool steel. You have to keep constant forward pressure into the cut. If you relax the pressure and the blade rubs the steel..there's a chance you can harden the spot directly in front of the blade. Good luck cutting after that... you have to cut around that spot and move one. This is common in tool steels and many SS's.

I elected not to cut the drop point on the blade just yet...we'll come back to that later.

Step 6: Grind. I can't freehand a damned thing. I use a work rest. I'm using a gauge that I made to get the work rest angle set.

After grinding on an 8" wheel with 50 grit. I'll refine that a little more tomorrow...but that's all for tonight!