How to make a knife with your own hands. What is the best way to make a knife?

In order to understand how to make a knife with your own hands, you need to understand its design. The knife consists of a short blade and a handle. The shape of the blade is curved and bent upward. This is necessary so that they can cut and stab. To protect the hand, there is a limiter between the blade and the handle. For self-made the correct selection of steel and the availability of tools for the job are required.

For a hunter, a knife has the same meaning as a gun. It is rarely used for finishing off animals or game, but is an indispensable item when cutting it up.

Hunters often go into the taiga for long time. The presence of such a device replaces a whole set of tools - with its help you can not only skin an animal, separate fat or gut game, but also equip your home, repair clothes, and repair equipment. When making a fire, branches are cut with a knife.

An ordinary table knife is not as effective as a hunting knife, since it is not adapted to perform different operations. Working with it, calluses quickly appear on your hands. The hunter serves for different types activities. During operation, it does not need to be intercepted to change the direction of the cut. During monotonous, lengthy operations, the hand does not get tired, since the hand is in a comfortable position.

Distinctive features

There are many types of hunting knives, each of which is capable of performing a set of operations. They are all unique in their own way. A type of knife that would be completely universal has not yet been developed. Often such devices are made individually.

Hunter knives have their own distinctive features:

• For convenience and efficiency of work, the center of gravity moves closer to the handle. As a result, the load on the hand is reduced, and the work progresses much more productively.
• The handle size is made wider than the blade.
• Depending on the hunter’s habit, the length of the blade varies, but the average is 12-15 mm.

The material for the handle is selected depending on where you live. In severe frost conditions, it is made of wood; the iron one will freeze to the hand. There should be no patterns or grooves for fingers on its surface.

The blade must be placed in a sheath. At the same time, the blade is protected from influence external conditions, and the person is eliminated from the risk of unexpected injury. They are made of leather or wood. Supplied with straps for gartering clothes.

Self-production

Making a knife at home is a complex process. The reasons why hunters go for this is that it is difficult to find a species on sale that would meet individual needs.

The manufacturing process consists of the following stages:

1. Selection of tools and material for the blade.
2. Drawing up a drawing and making a knife.
3. Tool sharpening.
4. Making the handle.
5. Making a scabbard.

Tools and materials

The following tools are prepared:

• Crafting table.
• Vise.
• Emery.
• Drill.
• Pobedit drills.
• Sandpaper of varying degrees of grit.
• Abrasive wheels.
• Diamond nutfils.
• Hammer.
• Chisels.
• Rectifier current.

The ideal material for the blade is Damascus steel. However, it is difficult to find because technological process its manufacture is very complicated. Therefore, blanks are prepared from high-speed steel grade R6M5. In addition, you can use the following brands: 40Х13, 65Х13, 50Х14МФ, 95Х18, 65Г, Х12М, Х12МФ.

The types of wood used for the handle are: cherry, birch, beech, maple, pear. A good option is the material of old furniture.

A brass or bronze plate for the bushings is prepared. For rivets, brass rod.

Blade making

Before starting work, a drawing is designed. Whatever type of blade is made, the operating principle is the same. The only differences are in the configuration.

A blank is taken and a stencil drawing, which was made on a scale of 1:1, is superimposed on it. On metal, use a marker, pencil or a special metal scribe to trace the outline of the product. It is important that the lines are clearly visible.

Using sandpaper, remove excess metal to the drawn lines. Radiuses are formed at the transition points between the blade and the shank. An angle is not allowed, since stress concentrators immediately form in these places, which will lead to fracture under heavy loads.

Next, a hole for the rivet is made in the tail section. If it is not possible to make it using a pobedite drill, then production is carried out by electrolysis. To do this, dissolve in water salt and the source is connected direct current with a voltage of 27 V.

The workpiece is varnished and wrapped with insulating tape. The tape is cut out at the location of the future hole. During the electrolysis process, the workpiece is supplied positive charge, and the electrolyte is negative. Upon contact, a hole is formed. It takes 3 hours. A diamond file is used to give it an oval shape.

Blade sharpening

Sharpening tools at home is done using abrasive stones. They are up to 25 cm in length and have a fine or medium grain size. The operating procedure is as follows:

• A medium-grain abrasive tool is placed and secured on the workbench.
• During operation, the blade heats up, so the bar is first moistened with vegetable oil.
• The blade is placed on it at a certain angle.
• Holding it with both hands and pressing down, the blade is pulled forward with force. This is done several times on one side, and then on the other.
• Pulling is carried out until identical, shiny stripes appear on both sides, which occupy 2/3 of the blade in width.
• The block changes to fine-grained.
• The same movements are carried out, only without pressure. This stage is called finishing.
• The last stage is editing. It is carried out by sliding the surface of the belt on each side of the blade.
• Quality control of sharpening is carried out by cutting a sheet of newspaper located vertically.

Making the handle

Before work, the wood is dried. The length of the workpiece is taken slightly longer than the blade.

1. To ensure a tight fit of the brass tube, a cut is formed on one side of the handle.
2. A hole is made in the sleeve for the shank. If it turns out to be smaller than the required size, then the tail part is ground off.
3. Using an awl, the desired place for the rivet is marked on the tree.
4. It is poured into the hole epoxy resin.
5. The shank is inserted. The blade rests on wooden surface and there is strong pressure so that it takes its position.
6. A hole is drilled and a rivet is installed into it.
7. The surface of the handle is processed sandpaper.

Making a scabbard

If the scabbard is planned to be wooden, then it is better to use wooden planks from boxes. As a rule, they are pine.

In both components, wood is selected in such an amount that the blade fits. Using a hacksaw, the sheath is given the required shape. Using epoxy glue, both halves adhere. A hole is drilled at the bottom to allow water to flow through it.

If the cover is made of leather, then old boots are suitable for this. The knife blade should fit tightly into the sheath. For wearing, straps are sewn onto it.

Hunting knife necessary tool for the hunter. You can't go hunting without it. Before making it, you need to have a good idea of ​​what functions it should have. The main emphasis is on the selection of steel. The quality of the knife depends on this. A design is drawn up, tools are prepared, and the manufacturing process begins.

Materials and tools used

List of materials:
- carbon steel for the blade;
- wood for linings;
- sheet brass for the handle;
- brass or steel pins;
- epoxy adhesive.

List of tools:
- belt grinder;
- orbital sander;
- grinder with cutting and grinding discs;
- grinder;
- drill or drilling machine;
- drill;
- hammer;
- sandpaper;
- Japanese water stone or other sharpening tool;
- forge furnace and hardening oil.

Knife making process:

Step one. Cut out the main rough profile
To begin, prepare the source material and apply a template to it. You can find a ready-made template on the Internet; for example, there are quite a few of them on Pinterest. We scale the drawing properly and print it on a printer, then cut it out. You can cut a template out of cardboard, it will last for a long time, and you can also hold such a template in your hands and figure out what the future knife will look like.

Step two. Primary grinding
After cutting, we need to finalize the contour of the blade. For these purposes, we go with a knife to sharpening machine, we remove everything unnecessary. We also walk along the contour on the tape grinding machine. Bends can be easily processed using a drill with the appropriate attachment. A sandpaper attachment works best for this task.

Step four. Drilling holes
We drill holes in the handle of the blade for the pins. The wider the handle, the more pins need to be installed. The author decided to install 5 pins. We mark the locations and drill holes. If the hole diameter is large, use a small diameter drill first. If the steel is hardened, you may need a carbide-tipped drill bit to drill into it. It's easier to drill steel if you lubricate the drill bit.

Step six. Let's move on to making the handle
The author has a combined handle; it consists of brass and wooden linings. First, let's start with the brass plates, for this we will need sheet brass, from which we cut out four parts for the front and back of the handle. Brass is cut perfectly with a grinder. Next, drill holes for the pins in the pads, and now you can install them on the handle. This will allow the products to be adjusted to the shape of the handle. You will need brass pins; eventually they will become one with the linings. The pins should be of such a diameter that they enter the material with little effort. After installing the pins, they need to be riveted.

Step eight. Finishing
Finally, we put a polishing attachment on the drill and polish the brass to a golden shine. Similarly, we pass this nozzle along the contour. If some areas cannot be polished, they still need to be finished by hand with very fine sandpaper. Well, then polish it using a polishing machine. wooden part or the whole knife if desired. When the pen is ready, apply oil to it. This will protect the wood from moisture and the brass will not oxidize.

Knives are an important accessory that is, without exaggeration, in every home. Buying a beautiful and high-quality knife today is not particularly difficult. However, if you wish, you can easily make a knife at home with your own hands. Moreover, you can make any of them: table, hunting, for throwing, with a handle made of wood, stone, and so on.

What are the requirements for knives?

Knives must meet a number of requirements that must be taken into account when planning to make a knife with your own hands. For example, it must be sharp and retain this property for a long time, even with active use.

Particular attention should be paid to such a process as making the handle. It can be anything - stone, wood, plastic - it doesn’t matter. The main thing is that it fits comfortably in your hand. After all, if the knife is not comfortable for the hand, it will be impossible to work with it - the hand will begin to get tired, and calluses will begin to appear on the palms.

If you want to make a knife with your own hands, you need to take care of its rigidity. For example, only such a blade can guarantee precise cuts, while the length completely covers the cutting area.

Knife classification

When planning to make a knife yourself, you should understand for what purposes you will use it. The production of each of them has its own characteristics and nuances. So, knives are divided into:

• Those used for cooking: their shape is an elongated triangle. These differ from each other in blade length and size. The handles are made in the same style
• Lunch options: these are used for making sandwiches, cutting vegetables, cutting out seeds from various fruits

• Hunting and tourist: represent universal option, with which you can easily cut meat or fish. In addition, hunting knives make it easy to chop branches and even defend yourself when attacked by wild animals.
• Machete: a bladed weapon that is used to cut a passage in the forest - it is more powerful than hunting and tourist ones

• Martial: weapons designed for combat sports
• A separate category for stabbing: dirk, dagger, stiletto, etc.

Before you start making knives, you need to find out what options are allowed to create with your own hands. Indeed, there is even criminal liability for the production, storage and distribution of such special class items.

How to make a knife?

To make a knife with your own hands, you will need the following materials:

• steel sheet
• drill
• file
• sandpaper
• magnet
• vice
• drill

First decide on the design. If you are just trying your hand at making bladed weapons, you should stop at simple version with a straight blade - these are much easier to process.

• Draw a template on the plate
• Next, drill several holes in a row along the contour
• Fix the sheet of steel and press your blade out of it. So, you were able to make a blade with your own hands. Of course, it's still raw, but still
• Next, take a file and start processing the surface of the blade.
• To make it easier to get rid of irregularities, outline the blade with a marker - it will highlight the defects for you. Afterwards, you need to treat the surface of the blade with sandpaper dipped in soapy water - this way the work will go smoother and there will be almost no dirt left.
• When finished, be sure to wipe your blade thoroughly, otherwise it may rust.

How to harden a knife?

To do this you need to do the following:

• Kindle the fire
• Wait until the wood burns out and place your blade on the hot coals
• Keep it there for at least 15 minutes
• You can check the readiness of the blade like this: take it out after 3 minutes and bring it to a regular magnet; if the blade is attracted, it means it is not ready yet

How to make a handle?

An important process in making a knife is creating a suitable handle. If you prefer natural products, you can choose a handle made of wood or stone.

• In order to do, for example, wooden handle, take a piece of wood and divide it into 2 pieces
• Clamp the blade on both sides
• Drill holes in the future handle, then outline the outline
• The finished wooden handle must be attached to the blade, secured with epoxy resin and copper wire
• The pads should fit as tightly as possible to the metal
• If this does not happen, additionally sand the wooden handle with sandpaper.

Almost all knives are made using the same principle. Moreover, they can be canteens, hunting, machetes, and so on. The main thing is to strictly follow the instructions, and then you will get an excellent copy that will be useful both at home and on the go.

Instructions

Instructions:
In order to make a knife, you will need a steel plate. Perfect for this role car spring steel grade 5160. The main thing is not to use used material. Decide to take a spring - take it. The length of the plate depends on the length of the desired blade length for the future knife. A convenient length is 10 centimeters, but everyone will decide for themselves. It is important to remember that the length of the handle must be at least ¾ of the length of the blade.
Based on this, make calculations. The blade, plus ¾ for the handle - you get the length of the plate for the knife and don’t forget the “seam allowance”.

In addition, you will need a block of wood. The best candidate for this role is oak. It would be safer to buy this part at a carpentry store. This way you will be sure that the shaft will not fall apart in your hand and will not give unexpected cracks.

You will also need a copper rod with a diameter of up to 0.5 centimeters. He will attach the shaft to the blade. That is why the task of selecting him is so important.
As for tools, in order to make a knife, you will need an electric drill, hacksaws, a primitive rack, a saw and epoxy resin.

The manufacturing process is not complicated, but it is painstaking. But you decided to make a knife, so go ahead. Draw the outline of the knife on the plate with a marker. Draw wider than desired, as the turning will take its toll. Then use an electric drill to make as many holes as possible along this contour. Don't forget to drill a few holes in the future handle. The width of these holes should not significantly exceed the width of the copper rod; keep this in mind when choosing a drill. Use a saw to “release” the knife from the plate. This workpiece must be processed with a hacksaw and a file, all irregularities must be removed and the shape smoothed.

Next, screw the knife to the rack by the handle and start cutting the blade slowly. It is best to grind the blade with a file. This is the main, longest and most important part. Working on the blade can take a long time, but there is no need to rush. When the blade is ready, the knife hardening stage begins. The knife must be brought to the fire until lilac color. Sufficiently hot metal should not be attracted by a magnet and this is an indicator for you. After the knife has “reached” it needs to be dipped in oil and kept in it until the fire goes out and the smoke disappears. Then you can cool it with water.

After the blade is ready, you need to start working on the handle. Need to be made from wooden block two overlays from

Hunting knives are an indispensable attribute a real hunter. Although some believe that this weapon serves only to finish off an animal, good hunting knives are capable of solving many problems that arise before a hunter.

The best hunting knives can be used for the following operations:

• Finishing off the beast;
• Skinning;
• Butchering of an animal obtained by hunting;
• Will help set up a camp;
• Can be used for cooking and cutting food.

Some hunters have several good knives excellent quality, each of which is used for its own purposes:

• Carving knives are used only for cutting prey and skinning (although some hunters also use a special skinning knife);
• The “camp” knife is used only for setting up a camp. As a rule, this is a massive “leukku” type knife or cleaver;
• Knives for food. It can be as ordinary kitchen knives, and universal knives of the Finnish type.

Many hunters use a folding hunting knife for cutting food, which does not take up much space in a backpack, and in a pinch, can be used as a backup knife.

The history of the first hunting knives

The first knives appeared at the dawn of human development and were stones with a sharp edge that helped cut prey. Soon knives made of flint appeared, which were attached to the handle, which ensured comfortable holding of the knife in the hand. Even then, the knife was a personal weapon, and every person tried to have his own knife. Primitive hunters had different stone knives large size and mass. In addition, they were much more reliable than ordinary knives that were used for cutting prey, since the knife was often required to perform protective functions during hunting.

It was at that time that knives were conventionally divided into 3 groups:

• Household knives that were most often used by women;
• Combat knives, the main purpose of which was to serve as an additional weapon for a warrior;
• Hunter knives.

After the discovery of metal processing technologies, the differences between these types of knives became more and more obvious; combat and hunting knives began to be decorated with carvings and precious stones. The knife served as an indicator of the status of the owner. The dimensions of a hunting knife often exceeded even the dimensions of combat knives, since in order to kill a large animal, the length of the blade must be appropriate.

Richly decorated hunting knives, along with military weapons, served a wonderful gift chiefs and various rulers. The handles of such hunting knives were often inlaid with mother-of-pearl. Even in our time, damask steel knives or hunting knives made of Damascus steel will be an excellent gift for any man. Handmade knives are considered the most valuable.

Fixed Blade Hunting Knives

The most popular knives among hunters are fixed blade knives. This design is traditional for a hunting knife, and this knife is ready for use immediately after being removed from the sheath. In order to understand why it is better for a hunter to have a knife with a fixed blade, you need to consider the advantages of knives of this design:

• The knife does not need to be opened before use, which means it is immediately ready for use;
• When working, you should not be afraid that the blade will fold onto your fingers;
• The blade of a hunting knife with a fixed blade can be significantly longer than that of a folding one, so it is more suitable for protection against a sudden attack by an animal;
• It is rare to find high-quality steel on the blades on folding knives, as this significantly increases the cost of the knife.

A knife with a fixed blade has only one disadvantage: it takes up too much space and is practically unsuitable for concealed carry.

Knives with a fixed blade come in 3 main types, which differ from each other in the options for attaching the blades of hunting knives to the handles:

• The most popular is mounted mounting, when the shank of the blade enters the handle 2/3 of its length. When purchasing such a knife, it makes sense to ask for a drawing that will schematically show the depth of the shank in the handle. You can, of course, try to check this with a magnet, but this is an unreliable method. Such a shank may not withstand the load, and the knife will break at the most inopportune moment;
• Through mounting of the blade is when the shank passes through the entire handle. In this case, the knife is quite difficult to break, although it is possible;
• The most reliable option is an all-metal hunting knife, which has linings on both sides of the handle. Such knives are rarely found among hunters, since they appearance quite unprepossessing.

Most historical hunting knives were mounted mounted. This is not due to the fact that they liked it better, but because the metal was quite expensive, and they tried not to waste it in vain.

Folding hunting knives

Folding hunting knives are not formally classified as “hunting” knives. However, some well-known knife companies produce folding knives for hunters. Many hunters of the older generation remember the USSR folding knife “Belka”, which was intended for hunters, and knives with an extractor produced by the PC “Moscow Society of Hunters”. Since these knives were not particularly suitable for hunting, in those days they preferred to use license plate hunting knives, which were sold in special stores, or various homemade knives.

Among modern folding knives that claim to be “hunting”, we can note quite high-quality multifunctional products from the companies “Wenger” and “Victorinox”. These knives will be an excellent addition to your main hunting knife, the main thing is to choose the “right” model.

"National" hunting knives

National hunting knives are very popular among modern hunters. Naturally, these are not all models, but only a few that have proven their effectiveness in different climatic conditions. The most popular knives among Russian hunters are Finnish, Yakut and Scandinavian types:

• Finnish puukko knives have gained enormous popularity not only in the CIS, but throughout the world. These knives do not look like formidable hunting knives, however, their effectiveness has been proven for centuries. This knife is suitable for both cutting game and various household works. It is distinguished by a barrel-shaped handle and the presence of a collar in front of the blade. The effectiveness of the "puukko" as a weapon was repeatedly proven by the Finns during Soviet-Finnish war. If you use the “puukko” to protect yourself from an animal, you must be sure to rest the end of the handle on your palm, otherwise you can seriously cut your hand. Knife of this type not recommended for novice hunters who do not know how to handle knives;
• Finnish knives "leuku" can be used for setting up a camp. Knives of this type are more like cutlasses. They represent a practically unchanged form of an ancient combat knife. Perfect for cutting poles and brushwood, it will help clear the way in the taiga. In case of danger, it will become a formidable weapon;
• Yakut knives represent the most ancient look knives. Their shape is reminiscent of Stone Age knives, which were made from half a large bone. The special shape of the blade is perfect for planing frozen meat and woodworking; it does not allow it to get stuck in the material. Available in versions for right-handed and left-handed people;
• Scandinavian-type hunting knives have also gained immense popularity around the world. Their main feature- these are special “Scandinavian” slopes, where the cutting edge of the knife is formed directly by the slopes, without leads. Allows you to work more efficiently on wood and frozen meat than traditional knives.

Steel for hunting knives and materials for handles

Even if you don't want to make your own hunting knife, knowing the knife steels and materials used for knife handles will help you when purchasing a hunting knife. The list of the most popular knife steels is as follows:

• The cheapest stainless steel used for hunting knives is 45x13. Kitchen knives are often made from it, as it is easy to sharpen and does not rust. Factory hunting knives are made from this steel extremely rarely, but homemade hunting knives are often found. This steel is easy to process, but also dulls easily. It is not recommended to buy hunting knives made of this steel;
• The next stainless steel that is often used in the manufacture of inexpensive hunting knives is 65x13. Suitable for a tourist, but for a real hunter who often cuts up large prey, it is poorly suited. Since it quickly loses sharpening;
• Steel 95x18 is the best option according to the price/quality criterion. It cuts quite well during 2-3 hunting trips;
• Various tool steels, such as ShKh-15 or “diamond”, are also excellent for knives, but require constant care, as they are susceptible to corrosion;
• Damascus steel on knives, in addition to having a good cut, also looks very original. Damascus steel hunting knives are true works of art;
• Bulat steels have a very “floating” quality. Throughout Russia, only a few blacksmiths know how to make high-quality damask steel;
• Modern powder steels have outstanding characteristics that surpass even the legendary damask steel. Knives made from such steels are usually very expensive.

A variety of materials are used to make knife handles. various materials, ranging from plastic to mammoth tusk. As a rule, natural materials are chosen for the handles of hunting knives. This is a tree various breeds, horn, bone, leather. For spacers and bolsters, brass, copper or titanium are used. Handle made of natural materials It fits perfectly in the hand, although it requires systematic care.

How to make a hunting knife with your own hands

If you don’t know how to make a hunting knife with your own hands, then a knife drawing that can be found on the Internet will help you. Having chosen the drawing that you like best, you can begin making a knife. The most difficult thing is making the blade. It can be forged or machined from a suitable strip of metal.

If you can’t cut the blade yourself, you can buy it ready-made and make a handle for it yourself. For the handle, you need to select a block of dry wood, which can also be purchased at specialized knife stores. You will also definitely need a bolster, which will have to be cut from a plate of brass or copper.

A through hole is drilled in the future handle into which the blade shank will need to be inserted. On the reverse side, the shank is unfastened or clamped with a nut. After this, the handle is given a shape that suits you. Next, the handle is polished and impregnated with special oil. After the impregnation process is completed, the handle can be polished with wax.

Sharpening hunting knives

A hunting knife should always be sharp. To do this, you need to learn how to sharpen it correctly. The sharpening process involves bringing the cutting edge to a razor sharpness through the interaction of a whetstone and a knife blade. The higher quality and harder the steel on a hunting knife, the longer it will take to sharpen it.

First, a cutting edge needs to be formed on the rough water stone. Then, gradually moving to stones of a smaller grain size, this edge is ground. After grinding, the edge must be polished using leather with GOI paste applied to it. When sharpening a hunting knife, the main thing is to maintain the sharpening angle.

The choice of hunting knives is extremely large, so you should approach the purchase of a knife for hunting very responsibly. You shouldn’t buy the biggest and most threatening knife; it won’t even be able to do the job of cutting up a carcass. It is better to opt for a universal hunting knife that will “fit” into your hand.