Making a patch knife?

[DuncNZ]

My neighbor is busy right now cutting down a pepper tree ( That is the pepper found in pepper grinders ), it has the most amazing grain and I am going to pop over the road and grab a branch or three for horn caps and knife handles .

 

[1950DAVE]

Nothing wrong with a hacksaw blade but a bi-metal blade would call for a sheepsfoot or wharncliffe blade using the tooth side of the saw as the cutting edge. Go for it.
Dave

 

[Redlemur60]

You cant, my greatest inspiration!
Someone once said "you cant make art from a traditions" REALLY?

 

[1BadDart]

You cant, my greatest inspiration!
Someone once said "you cant make art from a traditions" REALLY?

One of my elementary school teachers always said “I can’t, never did anything”. No truer words have ever been spoken.

BTW, I ordered some high speed steel hacksaw blades for the knife.

Thanks guys, Justin

 

[Redlemur60]

Razor!sharp.

 

[Redlemur60]

Old blade full tang wood pins and wooden scabard(cuts through weltz)

 

[1BadDart]

The blade material arrived today, solid high speed steel.

 

[1BadDart]

It's roughed in.

 

[Brokennock]

If anyone wants to just put a handle on an existing blade blank, without making a blade.
Midway USA has Mora knife blades on sale. I picked up a high carbon 3" blade for about $11 shipped scalpel sharp. I think they had a 4" as well.

 

[flconch53]

That's a pretty big patch knife. Looks like a nice shape

 

[1BadDart]

Yes, it's pretty big, but it feels good in my hand, I have four more blades to get something I like. LOL

 

[LRB]

It's roughed in.

View attachment 133208View attachment 133209

Take care to not over heat while grinding or you will be wasting your time. Grind bare handed to feel the heat, dip in water even when you think it doesn't need it yet.

 

[1BadDart]

Take care to not over heat while grinding or you will be wasting your time. Grind bare handed to feel the heat, dip in water even when you think it doesn't need it yet.

Yes sir. I had a bucket of water sitting beside the grinder. I would grind, dip, rinse and repeat. There is no blue or signs or overheat on it. The next problem is going to be drilling the holes for the brads in the handles, but I'm working on that.
I tried a test hole in the off fall and I don't have anything that will touch it, time for some research.

 

[Redlemur60]

Knowing how to anael and heat treat is a great and useful skill!

 

[Redlemur60]

Spelling ALSO USEFUL

 

[French Colonial]

Yes sir. I had a bucket of water sitting beside the grinder. I would grind, dip, rinse and repeat. There is no blue or signs or overheat on it. The next problem is going to be drilling the holes for the brads in the handles, but I'm working on that.
I tried a test hole in the off fall and I don't have anything that will touch it, time for some research.

You can anneal the handle without softening the blade, use a heat sink.
Then you should be able to drill the holes in the handle.

 

[1BadDart]

Thanks guys, I plan on experimenting on the off fall. I've read differing opinions about the method of annealing HSS.

French Colonial, Would you heat it laying on the sink?

 

[1BadDart]

So.................. I've been in the shop, clamped the off fall to a piece of 5/8" plate, heated to a dull orange and let cool, no go. Heated it to a bright orange and kept it there for about 30 seconds and let cool, still nothing. Heated it until it was really bright and kind of sparkled, still can't touch it. This thing is as hard as a goats head!

It's looking like the handles may get epoxy only.

 

[French Colonial]

It is probably cooling to fast, try heating and then plunging in to some sand so it holds the heat for awhile

 

[appalichian hunter]

Perhaps you could hot punch the holes, get a punch the size of the pins you want to use, heat the handle part of the blade laying on a sturdy piece of metal well supported, set the punch where you want the hole and give it a good wack with a 2 lb. hammer.