GT Knives

Knife Making

This information is for anyone interested in custom knife making. First off, it’s important to insure that you’re using the highest quality parts and supplies when starting out. This is so you can create a blade that you’ll have for a long time. If you don’t possess the right knowledge, then making a custom knife could become complicated. Knowing your instincts is fine, but, knowledge is power.

You also want to be aware of certain techniques that will make your knife making experience much easier and a lot more rewarding. Not to mention honing your skills and mastering the ability to build a durable, high-quality knife that will last forever.

What you may want to consider for a first project is the round-tanged Bowie knife, which is ideal for a starter knife. The blade has a round-shaped tang that inserts into the handle, and comes with a guard, a pommel, the handle and a strong, durable adhesive to hold everything together. This is a very useful combination of tools and items that is a great place to start.

Safety precautions are absolutely essential when starting a knive making project. Using sharp objects and tools can be dangerous if you’re not familiar with what you’re doing. Sharp blades must be securely wrapped and taped up. And, beginners need to make sure to always wear safety glasses or goggles.

Also, certain carbon steel alloys can produce a fine dust, that if inhaled can be a serious health risk. So, because of this potential danger, pros and beginners alike need to always use a reliable breathing filter when working on your knife making projects. It is also highly advisable that beginners start with a ready-made starter kit instead of buying all the various different parts and building a knife from there. There are many great custom knife starter kits, such as Bowie knife kits or folding knife kits that work very well.

It is also very important for Knife Makers to have the right tools on hand. This would include things like vises (an absolute “must” as it acts like an extra hand), soldering irons, a good whetstone, different grain sandpaper and several different types of files. These tools should also be high-quality tools and not cheap junk. Using the most efficient tools in the long run will make your beginning knife making experience much easier and a lot more enjoyable.

Knife Making

Filed under: Knife Chatter