We all know that a knife is made up of a blade and a handle, and that to get a really good knife takes a certain skill in creating and sharpening the blade. If you have ever seen the components of a knife before it was manufactured, you would be surprised that it doesn’t look very much like the end product at all. If you have ever been curious about how a knife is made, this article will be interesting to you, since it will explain the process of heating the metal, finishing the product and creating a knife one can be proud to own, all from a bit of steel and a properly formed handle.

The finish is the most important stage of a good knife. The creation of a jeweled metal knife starts from the inside to create the beauty you will eventually see on the outside. A special kind of finish is a stonewash finish that gives the knife a “used” look from the day you buy it by putting some abrasive marks on it. This creates an older, seasoned look that is the way you want a knife to look, not like it is in the hands of an amateur. Or you can get a knife with a vibed finish, which means that it will have smaller abrasions than the stonewash finish to look slightly worn.

In order to have the strongest, most easy to use knife as possible, the manufacturer should use teh process of annealing. This is a process whereby the metal is brought to the highest possible heat before it is cooled. Annealing is the process used to make the best knives, but it will also make them more expensive since it is a difficult process to achieve. The next heating process for making knives is hardening, which is similar to the annealing process but is a variation that will allow the metal to be heated up and then cooled. Tempering is then used to control the level of cooling of the metals after it has either been annealed or hardened.

The standard definitiion of stainless steel is when the chromium content is greater than 13% of the metal. This is waht makes it stainless. This is a bit of a misnomer, because this does not mean that the steel will never rust or degrade in quality, just that it will take a longer time than with metals where less chromium is used. It seems contrary to want a knife that will rust or degrade, but the problem is that non stainless steel blades are stronger and more durable, so the idea is to have the exact mix of a metal that will be strong but not rust easily. Less chromium will make the blade stronger, but more susceptible to rust, and more chromium will make it less susceptible to rust but not as strong. Damasucus steel is a combination of two or more metals to make the steel extra strong, but it also is made with a special style that creates a beautiful patterned surface that is very popular in custome made knives.

About the Author:

Focusing on latest developments in sharpening, Kurt Schefken is writing primarily for http://www.insidewoodworking.com . His abstracts on knife sharpeners can be found on his website .

Come check out our Knives Huge Selection Low Prices!

No Comments »

While looking for knife-makers around the globe on the Internet, you may come across a lot of companies. However, if you are particularly interested in custom-made knives then visiting NCKnife might prove useful. They have a wide range of custom knives and other leather crafts to offer. In addition to this they also have knife sharpening and scissors sharpening services at their store. You can visit their site to see their collection of knives as well as jewelry and fishing and hunting accessories.All their work is done by hand and the finished products are beautiful and extremely useful. They mostly excel in making knives of real use for their customers. If you are in need of household kitchen knives then NCKnife will surely provide you with something you are going to love. They also have a repair and restoration of old knives section where you can have your simple-looking knives made beautiful and attractive by using some art and craft.They have a showcase on their website in which they keep changing knives one at a time to display. You will be able to learn about the features of showcased knives as well as the sheath and accessories that might come with it. They use stainless steel blades and brass guards to separate blades from handles. Their knives are very strong, totally affordable and easy-to-use.Dempsey Knives is yet another name in the field of knife-making. Again, if you are looking for custom knives then this store is must for you to visit. They specialize in making custom-made tactical, combat and hunting knives. Not many companies offer this flexibility and range of choices in custom knives. You will also find some Japanese influenced knives at their site.Also, you will find more info at their galleries and featured knife of the month. One interesting aspect of Dempsey Knives is the use of interesting names to give to all their knives. Any life lover would be thrilled to see their collection of fighter and combat knives with catchy and sometimes dangerous names.They claim that the coating they use for their knives is one of the best among all knife makers across the globe and that their knives are scratch-proof and extremely durable. You can find more information on their website for pocket knives or any other type of knive.Do not forget pocket knives are legal to be used at your home and carry around in pockets, special restrictions have been imposed in recent times to ban these kinds of knives in schools and other public places. Nevertheless people who are fond of camping and fishing still like to buy pocket knives. Their keep their knives with them at all times to avoid wasting time in looking for a scissors or a bottle opener or a knife to simply cut a rope.

About the Author

HotDealShare.com - is free hot deals site with the best deals, sweepstakes, free coupons, auctions, promotional offers, bargains, discount prices, special offers from hundreds of merchants. Updated daily!
Come check out our Knives Huge Selection Low Prices!

No Comments »

Morrow Custom knife-makers are popular for their handmade folding knives. Their specialty is double-blade knives exquisitely made and finished. They claim that their knives are made with highest quality and by using the best material available. You can review their user satisfaction ratio and be convinced about their popularity and excellent craftsmanship.

You will find out on their website about the materials they use and how do they take orders from customers. You will be able to browse through their current inventory section as well as custom order section where you can identify your demands and have a knife custom-made to suit your needs. Their online store is available at morrowknives.com.

Morrow Custom Knives makes use of materials such as ATS34 stainless steel (the hottest high carbon stainless steel used for making high quality knives) for making blades, pearl and ivory for making special handles and horns for making normal and simple handles. Liners and bolsters are made from stainless steel. You will find that they have a huge collection of knives ranging from simple and inexpensive to somewhat complex, handcrafted and a bit expensive knives. Their collection comprises of multi-blade, single-blade and double-lade slip joints.

Another popular name in the field of knife-making is Rocket Knives. Rocket Knives has been serving its customers for almost 30 years. What stands them apart from other knife-makers is their simplicity and exquisite finished quality of their knives. They have folders as well as fixed-blade knives to offer. You can visit their online store at rocketknives.com.

They claim that their knives are made in such a way that makes them look old and greatly used. This is because if you know that a knife is old and still in great shape then it is probably because of its unmatched quality and extreme durability. On their website you will also find a ?how-to? section, to learn the art of knife-making in order to appreciate what you have and what you are about to buy.

They have in their collection some of unique designs not found in any other store. Their dragon series and Eastern series are the most-liked series of knives. You will find that they have some double-blade knives to offer as well. Their daggers are also in high demand in many countries around the world. The collection of daggers includes folding dirks, folding daggers and bullets. They all are exquisite pieces of art and any knife lover would love to buy some of their products to keep in their possession.

Come check out our Knives Huge Selection Low Prices!

No Comments »

While looking for knife-makers around the globe on the Internet, you may come across a lot of companies. However, if you are particularly interested in custom-made knives then visiting NCKnife might prove useful. They have a wide range of custom knives and other leather crafts to offer. In addition to this they also have knife sharpening and scissors sharpening services at their store. You can visit their online store at ncknife.com to see their collection of knives as well as jewelry and fishing and hunting accessories.

All their work is done by hand and the finished products are beautiful and extremely useful. They mostly excel in making knives of real use for their customers. If you are in need of household kitchen knives then NCKnife will surely provide you with something you are going to love. They also have a repair and restoration of old knives section where you can have your simple-looking knives made beautiful and attractive by using some art and craft.

They have a showcase on their website in which they keep changing knives ? one at a time ? to display. You will be able to learn about the features of showcased knives as well as the sheath and accessories that might come with it. They use stainless steel blades and brass guards to separate blades from handles. Their knives are very strong, totally affordable and easy-to-use.

Dempsey Knives is yet another name in the field of knife-making. Again, if you are looking for custom knives then this store is must for you to visit. They specialize in making custom-made tactical, combat and hunting knives. Not many companies offer this flexibility and range of choices in custom knives. You will also find some Japanese influenced knives at their store.

Their online store can be reached at dempseyknives.com. Here you will find links to their galleries and featured knife of the month. One interesting aspect of Dempsey Knives is the use of interesting names to give to all their knives. Any life lover would be thrilled to see their collection of fighter and combat knives with catchy and sometimes dangerous names.

They claim that the coating they use for their knives is one of the best among all knife-makers across the globe and that their knives are scratch-proof and extremely durable. You can find ordering and contact information on their website to place an order.

Come check out our Knives Huge Selection Low Prices!

No Comments »

Making a knife for own use or for collection is a delight for a knife maker. The knife making process connects them to the steel and gives them the joy of creating a useful and beautiful piece of equipment from the flat metal piece. Irrespective of the type of knife making involved it is a very intimate process and a bond invariably builds between the knife and the maker. Further it gives an option to make a knife according to the needs and desires and even personalize it as required.Knife handles are an important part of the knife making and knife using experience. The handle makes or mars the use of the knife. Further the handle also provides a place for the knife maker to experiment, add decorative pieces or even etch or engrave a name or initial. Knife handles are made from many material including hard wood, fine wood, antlers, stags, stones like jade or turquoise and even many exotic material like tusks of elephant or wooly mammoth.One of the delights of knife making is crafting the beautiful handles. Starting from selecting the correct material, cutting, shaping, grinding it to crafting beautiful handles from it, working on the knife handle is a delight. Selecting the handle material is a matter of the function for which the knife is going to be used for. Soft or fine woods like blank walnut are not good choices for hunting knife or for uses that involve a lot of moisture or water. Hardwood like Rosewood, oak and maple make good choices for hunting knives. Stabilized wood like spalted maple are available where the wood is impregnated with plastic making it entirely waterproof and providing it with a durable finish that does not require any maintenance except an occasional buffing. These are highly recommended for tough duty knives and those that would be exposed to a lot of moisture. Select and exotic woods like stag, moose horn, oosic, walrus or sea cow bone etc, are used to make knives that are mostly collected rather than used regularly. These are somewhat fragile and also need to be maintained in a very careful manner. Domestic antler and many artificial materials resembling stag are available for those who require inexpensive and easily maintainable alternatives.In order to craft wood, it is first required to select the correct piece of wood of the correct size. The wood is first cut and then rounded and shaped to fit the user’s hands. The size and shape of the rounded wood would depend on the function and purpose for which the knife is going to be used. This will be followed by grinding the top portion of the handle where the ring cap would be mounted. Then the handle is mounted tightly and the hole for the knife to mount is drilled at the bottom of the handle. This hole is sometimes slightly burnt to give corrosion resistance to the blade.The handle is then smoothened out and finished with fine sandpaper. This should later be polished using a piece of clean, smooth and dry cloth. Oak, Red sandalwood and ebony make fine choices for knives that are used very regularly. The ring cap is mostly made of metal but sometimes plastics or horn is also used.One of the tips used by experienced knife makers is to drill the hole for the tang and form the slot for it before shaping the handle. The drilling and slotting should be done using a good vice so as to keep the hands free. The reason for doing this before shaping the handle is that, even if the hole becomes slightly off-center, the handle can be shaped accordingly to bring it back to the center.Once the handle has been shaped, it is time to decorate it with your own personal designs. You can use your own carpentry tools to carve designs. These can be filled and fitted with thin metal sheets using epoxy. Carving can include intricate designs or simple ones like an initial. Many options are available to decorate a completed knife handle.One of the biggest dangers with wooden handles is shrinkage factor. If you attach a handle to a piece of wood with residual moisture, the wood is apt to crack as the moisture evaporates. This is because of the fact that the wood shrinks as the moisture is removed. The best way to avoid this kind of a situation is to completely dry the wooden handle before attaching the knife blade. It is better to leave the handle in a dry place or even put it in the oven set at the lowest possible temperature for a few hours. This will ensure that the wood is completely dry and does not crack later. Antlers are pretty stable when it comes to handling moisture and they don’t need such a treatment.

About the Author

Aaron Trubic offers knife making advice, tips and information for knifemakers of all skill levels at his websites, Knife Makers and Knife Making Supplies.
Come check out our Knives Huge Selection Low Prices!

2 Comments »

The most important part of your knife is the blade; therefore, you want to be very careful about what sort of knife blank you purchase. Materials for blanks vary from the basic stainless steel to venerable Damascus steel to the newest alloys, and all of them have advantages and disadvantages. You also have to consider your knife’s eventual size so you’ll know how big a knife blank to purchase. Before purchasing, know what you’re getting.Stainless steel is the most basic blank you can get, and it’s good for general purpose knives. The stainless steel variety won’t hold as good a blade as many of the other alloys, but they look nice and are good for general purpose use. Stainless steel knife blanks are the least expensive available that actually make decent blades.Talonite is made of a cobalt-chromium alloy that forms carbides, so it tests soft by most hardness tests even though it’s very hard and wears extremely well. If you try to cut a Talonite knife blank with a band saw, you will wreck the saw, so you’ll need an abrasive cut off wheel instead. Ceramic belts do an excellent job of grinding Talonite, but other types of belts don’t do so well. Carbide drill bits will be necessary for drilling holes into Talonite.Closely related to Talonite is Stellite. Knife blanks made of stellite resist corrosion and wear. Stellite doesn’t oxidize easily in any condition, and resist heat well. Both Talonite and stellite are more difficult to work with than stainless steel, so are better for an experienced knife maker. Before buying either material, consider the equipment you have to work with. Though stellite and Talonite blanks are of temptingly good quality, if you break your drill and band saw while working with them, it’s not really worth it.Titanium knife blanks are very good for knifemaking; in fact, the highest grade of titanium is called knife-grade titanium. Titanium is an alloy of iron, oxygen, carbon, and various other materials; titanium benefits from the strength of the material, but it is a little brittle compared to other materials. Titanium takes a good blade as well as a good surface finish.Damascus steel isn’t the Damascus steel of the Crusades, but rather a modern reproduction. When you look at a knife blank of Damascus steel, you’ll see patterning on the metal; this is the carbides in the metal, which precipitate out during forging and strengthen the edge far beyond the capability of iron alone. Damascus steel blanks today are generally pattern welded steel, which is made of layers of steel and iron which are welded together; Japanese katana are made this way. If you get a blank made of Damascus steel, don’t expect it to be just like the old blades.A nifty new twist on Damascus steel is Timascus, which is a titanium Damascus; Timascus is limited in availability, and should be treated the same way as titanium. These will closely resemble steel Damascus, and vary widely in color due to the particular alloy used. Knife blanks of this material will hold a highly polished finish, which will be brightly colored; or you can give these blades a pearly finish, which will show off the ripples in the metal nicely.You may find other materials, but these are the basics. Before purchasing, do some research on the materials; there are different grades of each, especially stainless steel, and while some grades make excellent knives, others make excellent butterknives.Before buying a knife blank, make sure you have your new blade planned, and have considered the size of the resultant knife while you’re looking for suitable material. You can’t glue extra metal onto a knife blade, nor can you be certain of cutting of metal if it’s too large. It is probably best, in fact, to know the size of your handle before shelling out the cash.Good planning, careful consideration, and a mind for the artistry of your eventual blade will all help you choose the proper metal for your purposes. The knife blank is the most important component of your knife; if the raw goods are bad it doesn’t matter how good the rest looks. Consider your options carefully before purchasing. Seriously.

About the Author

Aaron Trubic offers knife making advice, tips and information for knifemakers of all skill levels at his website, Knife Making Supplies.
Come check out our Knives Huge Selection Low Prices!

5 Comments »

Beginners need to know the basics of knife making. Most beginners, in fact, start with knife making kits, and only from there move on to assembling their own knives from materials purchased or crafted themselves. This will include information on how knives go together, where to find the parts and other supplies, and how to keep yourself safe.

Safety first: knives are weapons as well as tools. Always wear safety goggles or glasses, and protect your hands by wrapping the blade in masking tape while you’re working with the handle. When doing heavy-duty sanding, safety requires that you have a breathing filter available; some knives are made of types of carbonized steel that produces harmful dust.

To know your blade, you need to understand your materials. Knives are composed of a blade and a handle. Most kits come with a blade, handle, guard, and sometimes a pommel. Beyond these four items include an epoxy or other good glue to fix the blade in the handle, sandpaper of various grains, and files both to sharpen your blade and to get rid of burs left behind in the manufacture of your metals. Knife making kits will include the three or four main components of your knife, but you’ll have to go out and buy the glue and sandpaper.

The foundations of this art also require that you know what you’re getting when you buy your blade or kit. There are several methods used to make knife blanks - those are the blade/tang pieces. One is moulding, which is a form of casting; it may be blacksmithed (all Damascus steel is at least partly blacksmithed); or it could be made with a stock removal method, which is a cutting process. You should know the difference between the methods, and understand the advantages and disadvantages of all of them.

Knowing the tools are your next step. When you build your knife, tools will include a vise, a good table on which to work (preferably with a metal surface and a place to clamp your vise), an electric drill with sanding attachment for tedious grinding, and all your safety equipment.

Also in learning, you should read about the properties of metal, particularly carbonized steel used in knife making. Metal properties first require that you not overheat your metal; this can damage the crystalline structure that gives it strength and flexibility. If you overheat metal and then don’t quench it properly, you wind up with brittle, easily blunted blades. This should include simple information on how to handle heat.

You’ll need to learn about the different types of knives and metals available to you. Most knives are made with stainless steel or carbonized steel of some sort, with a few made of alloys like titanium. This will teach you that stainless steel is the softest and easiest to work with, but the higher grades make better all around knives. When learning the basics, start with stainless steel blades, not hard blades.

There are several types of knives you can make, but when learning you should stick with the simplest: a straight blade, something like a Bowie knife. Bowie knives are straightforward and simple: you prepare the blade, slide the guard onto the tang, fix the tang into the handle after ensuring they mate properly, and then finish the blade. You’ll learn many skills while doing this, though: how to sand properly, the different issues that can come up when matching blade and handle, and safety.

More complicated knives will teach you more skills. For instance, folding knives require one of several types of springs; these springs are designed to keep the blade extended while in use, but easy to fold when you’re done. Once you’ve learned this, you might want to tackle one of these.

Though it’s not quite required to make a knife, you should also understand the law where it applies to the sorts of blades you might want. For instance, switchblades are illegal in many locations. Learn how the law applies to the blades you’re making as well. It’s no fun to make a great knife and then not be able to carry it around legally.

About the Author

Aaron Trubic offers knife making advice, tips and information for knifemakers of all skill levels at his website, Knife Making Supplies.
Come check out our Knives Huge Selection Low Prices!

3 Comments »

If you’re a knife making beginner, you should probably start with a simple round-tanged Bowie knife. This consists of a blade with a round tang to insert into the handle; a pommel and a guard; a handle; and whatever fixative you use to hold it together. You really can’t go wrong with this combination.

The first thing a novice needs to learn is safety. Wrap your sharp blade in masking tape. Beginners are more likely to cut themselves than old pros, so you should take every precaution not to do this. Remember that a knife is a dangerous weapon, and you want to live into old pro status.

Be certain to always wear safety glasses or goggles when working with a knife, whether you’re sharpening it, drilling it, or sliding it into the handle. Knives do shatter. You should be aware that some carbon steel alloys have dust that is hazardous to your health when you sharpen the blade. You should have a breathing filter available for the times you must work with these.

Never force the tang into the handle; if it won’t go, you’re not removing the burs properly. Beginning knifemakers often make the mistake of not filing off the little spiky protrusions left on the tang end of a knife blade before sliding it into the handle. If your handle is pre-made (which is appropriate) and the tang is not going in, it’s almost certainly the burs.

Purchase starter kits rather than trying to match the different components of a knife themselves. There are plenty of starter kits, from the simplest Bowie knife kits to more complex folding knives. By using a starter kit, you’ll learn how knives are supposed to go together, and later your own custom knives will be more solidly designed.

There are several tools you should have. A soldering iron will make a much more solid join between your blade and the guard than epoxy, but it does require some finesse. You should have some sort of vise; you only have two hands, and some of the procedures you will be performing require an extra hand. Your vise is your extra hand. Always have files on hand, a whetstone, and sandpaper of differing grains.

Prepare a workspace just for knife making. People often try to work on the kitchen table or another inappropriate place; but since you’re going to be clamping things down, generating dust, and otherwise polluting and damaging your workspace, in the interests of continuing on good terms with your wife or parents you should work somewhere it’s safe to damage and/or pollute. Start with a sturdy table, preferably with a strip of steel bolted down or clamped to it; if the steel strip is thick and extends over the edge of the table, use this to clamp knives to while they use both hands to work with the blade, handle, or tang.

You have access to a vast variety of resources online. From online stores selling prefabricated knife making kits to books, videos, and internet how-to instructions on making knives, novices should be able to easily locate information they need. Read widely. Don’t just read the how-to websites, either. Go to the different supply websites, and look at the different materials available, and the different knives people have designed. You will learn as much from reading about knife making equipment and materials as you will from a book, and maybe more.

Don’t limit yourself to just reading about modern knives, either. You are participating in a long and venerable tradition, dating back to pre-human times, of tool making. As a beginning knifemaker, you should read about the history of knives, learn about important knives like the Damascus steel blades of the Crusades-era Saracens, and the Jim Bowie knife that helped tame the American West. These ancient and historical knives can teach you a lot about design. Keep an open mind about what kinds of knives you’re going to make.

Knife making is a great hobby, and eventually, if you master the skills, you could even make money doing it. But as a knife making beginner, start small and slow. Learn your basics. Later, when you are a respected pro, you can try the really fancy stuff.

About the Author

Aaron Trubic offers knife making advice, tips and information for knifemakers of all skill levels at his website, Knife Making Supplies.
Come check out our Knives Huge Selection Low Prices!

2 Comments »