Recently i see this question pop up . i want to make knives but i dont have the money for all the machienes .No problem you can start the same way as i and others dith. Whit same basic metal working tools.
When i made my first knife i only had a bar clamp hacksaw and a file. Even whit these tools i made somthing that cuts. But it was not easy the bar clamp came lose all the thime. Becouse i did not had a dril so i had to use a rope for a handle.
So what tools i recomend to start making knives ?
- a metal cutting file
- a hack saw
- benchvice
- drill
- sandpaper
Use the benchvice to clamp your steel. Whit the hacksaw you can cut out the blade.
The benchvice works alot bether than an barclamp trust me.
Once you cut out the blade use the file to refine the shape,and file the bevels.
Its still hard work but its faster than whit a barclamp.
Now that we have the bade filed. Its thime to dril the wholes for the handle.
If you have a drillpress use it. If you dont have one a hand held drill wil work too.
Tip Keep the dril as strait as you can.
Now you can clean up the the blade whit sandpaper . After sanding you can send the knife out for heat treath. If you want to do your own heat treath you can make some simple forge's. I use a verry simple gas forgeand made a cole forge forge from some old cooking pots
Once the knife heat treatged you need sand of the scale .
Next up making the scales for your knife
cut out the shape then file and sanding them to your disire .
and now you made a knife whit basic tools
If you want to want to make a kydex sheath click here