After seeing threads here and over the years I've always been curious about it myself, so I decided to make my first knife. I'm making it the way I want it for me, and I think it'll be fun. I've got a pattern drawn up that I like. I've bought a sheath and somewhat designed the knife around what would work well in that sheath. I've got the steel (1095 high carbon) heading my way already.
Right now the plan is to trace out my pattern on the steel and start cutting using a dremel to remove the bulk of the excess material, then switch to small grinding and files as needed. I've spent plenty of time doing and being around metal work so most of that's not anything new to me. I feel pretty comfortable with the project right up to the point where I have to heat treat the blade. I'm on the fence about how best to do it. I'm thinking about the cookie sheet in the oven and not really sure how high for how long I'm going to do it. I could also bring it into work and use a torch and get it red hot if I really need to. I know a lot of the heating depends on how tough I want the steel, but I'm thinking that something in the middle of the road would be just fine. Nothing too brittle, but nothing too malleable either. My goal is to have something that can be resharpened relatively easily.
As far as the handle goes, I'm going to make it easy on the first time and probably look for Esee replacement handles and handware and trace that out on the handle and make that work. So far, that's the plan. If there's any suggestions, I'm all ears.
Right now the plan is to trace out my pattern on the steel and start cutting using a dremel to remove the bulk of the excess material, then switch to small grinding and files as needed. I've spent plenty of time doing and being around metal work so most of that's not anything new to me. I feel pretty comfortable with the project right up to the point where I have to heat treat the blade. I'm on the fence about how best to do it. I'm thinking about the cookie sheet in the oven and not really sure how high for how long I'm going to do it. I could also bring it into work and use a torch and get it red hot if I really need to. I know a lot of the heating depends on how tough I want the steel, but I'm thinking that something in the middle of the road would be just fine. Nothing too brittle, but nothing too malleable either. My goal is to have something that can be resharpened relatively easily.
As far as the handle goes, I'm going to make it easy on the first time and probably look for Esee replacement handles and handware and trace that out on the handle and make that work. So far, that's the plan. If there's any suggestions, I'm all ears.
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