working with steel, staying sharp, and other pointy things...part 1

a couple of months ago i decided i was going to make knives.  i just really like knives.  after buying and carrying all different kinds and selling quite a few of them (because in retrospect, buying $200 knives isn't the best fiscal idea...), making knives feels like the thing to do.  

i found i was reading a lot of knife magazines and online blade forums, going to every knife retailer in central virginia, sharpening all my friends' knives, and asking strangers with visible pocket clips what kind of knife they were carrying (even in crowded bars, and a police officer once...he had a benchmade presidio).  i just really like knives.  not in a nutty self defense way or 'it's my right' way.  some people are just really into breakfast cereals.  or electric football.  these sorts of things make the world go round.

working with metal has been extremely liberating.  the finished blade came from a process of learning, studying, observing, asking a lot of questions, making mistakes and just going for it.  the process is important.  there are parts that are tedious and difficult and frustrating but every part of it is beautiful and significant- even when i screwed up, which happened repeatedly.  it's important to be present and mindful in all those steps- something might be missed or neglected or an important lesson might not be learned.  this process reminds me to do those things in life as well.

i used the bare minimum of tools.  there is a lot of expensive equipment out there that i would love to have and i did use an angle grinder and a gigantic drill for some things.  for now i use these simple few.  it feels good to work with these simple things:

two files, calipers for measuring and proper eye and lung protection.  

i spent a good amount of time looking for steel and i found this sheet and saw a knife in it.

 nope, nobody's going to miss that...

i want all my knives to have names.  this one is called the Archer.  something that an Archer might carry- a light, last ditch tool for someone who keeps it light and deadly efficient.  i shaped it to something i thought would pair aesthetically with a bow.

the handle curve imitates a bow...

hit this thing with the angle grinder...

after a lot of filing....smooth out the edges...

and even more filing.  it feels good to file and find the beauty hidden beneath.  nothing to think about but filing...

 jimping to give your thumb some grip

i found with metal you have to be slow and steady.  when you drill rivet holes you have to go slow because if not the metal will heat up and possibly be damaged.  so go slowly, cool the drill bit and add some oil or wd-40 to ease the bit as it cuts the steel....

so heat treat.  this hardens the blade.  the idea from what i've learned is that when heated up to a critical state the molecules in the steel shift in a way that makes the steel very hard- after a good heat treat a file won't be able to do anything to the blade.  i needed a forge, so i used a special fire pit and a shop vac put on reverse to get the fire hot enough..

...during which time i lost a lot of arm hair and melted a bit of the shop vac...

 the molecules need to be frozen this way which is why it needs to cool quickly...but not too quickly.  water could crack this particular steel so i used oil.  when you put a 1500 degree piece of metal into oil too quickly it will ignite...

much love to the beautiful person who trusted me not to set her backyard on fire.  trust is important...

 reminds me of salisbury steak... 

the blade is very hard at this point but extremely brittle.  so they get tempered to be flexible.  we could all use a bit of tempering now and again i think...

 this toaster over won't be seeing actual toast anymore....

making the handle- my favorite part.  i found some hollow stock at a hobby store and cut them to size to rivet...

...then i consulted with my stock of smelly things.  epoxy, you'll do quite nicely...

 then i attached my handle pieces.  tolerances were on point- well done me!  i like oak a lot.  it is strong and wise.  don't fall asleep under an oak tree..

it was like a stinky metal sandwich...

into the vise we go...why haven't i mounted that thing to the table yet?

time to rough it into shape....

...with this thing....

 so after a tickle on the belt sander it looks like this...

 sanding.  man i love sanding.  starts with 80 grit and ends with 1500 grit.  so subtle you don't even know it's done till you're already finished...

well hello, sunshine!

 also awesome- staining.  seeing the beauty that's already there and just bringing it out...

after a lot of work, patience and love here is the Archer.  there will be many more knives to come...