reworking old kitchen knives

[TinStar]

Has anyone here used old kitchen knives to rework and make a knife? Did you have to anneal it first or just grind the new shape? I have three old butcher knives and was thinking about using them.
One is a Kabar with about a ten inch blade and the other has a 6" slightly up-swept blade.
There is enough steel in the Kabar blade to make two knives from.


TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

 

[asbrown]

A lot of trade knives were made from cut stock and not forged. I would guess you could use about any steel as long as its not stainless and get away with it. I've made a few simple camp/trade knives from an old bucksaw blade and walnut/maple/cherry slabs.

 

[Black Hand]

Grind slow and cool often. I work the steel with bare hands so I can feel when it is getting hot.

 

[Bruce Bogart]

Here's one I just finished up. Old pallet plank scales, reshaped butcher type blade, steel pins and viola an new old knife.

 

[TinStar]

bogie,

Real nice job!! How thick is the blade?

One of the three knives that I plan to use has almost an identical shape as yours. The blade is quit flexible.

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

 

[Jaeger]

Nice work! Authentic and HC-looking, and I like the source of your materials.

 

[LRB]

Grind slow and cool often. I work the steel with bare hands so I can feel when it is getting hot.

Plus one. A kitchen knife will make you a fine PC knife if you put a little effort and research into it. The probable thin blade would best be suited more as an English type. Use small diameter iron pins as Bogie did, and three is enough. Peen them into rivets. For PC, don't use curly maple wood. Use beech or a similar plain light colored wood, or one of the reddish exotics. You could even make it a half tang scalper with a slotted one piece grip. Go to my site and look at the HC English scalper and copy it if you wish.

 

[Bruce Bogart]

The blade is not flexible but is not nearly as thick as most modern knifes. I know the curly maple scales are not HC, but the wood was free and looks good to me. I have a few more blades to do, and probably will not be HC as I do not have any beech etc. It was a fill in project between gun projects. It fits my hand well and balances just behind the curve in the handle. Feels good. I got lucky!

Oh and Tin, the blade was not shaped like this, but was modified to a shape that appealed to my eye.

 

[Bretwalda]

Bogie,

I really like your knife :thumbsup: As far as HC correct goes, I always figured that my knife had to have the wood replaced because it got damaged from use and so I chose to use wooden scales that we readily available to me...walnut, maple, cherry, and ash...and if they are highly figured that is what I like and I am sure that some of old would have liked the same...so to me they are just as HC as the original knife was new... :hatsoff:

 

[TinStar]

When it warms up outside I will take a pic of the knives that I am thinking of using and post them.

TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

 

[LRB]

Nothing wrong with that. I'm sure grips were replaced, and with what ever the owner had or preferred. It's just at rondys and other events, plain seems too often under represented. I should have made my advice in a more diplomatic manner. I like curly maple too, and use it when requested. :v

 

[Stophel]

I did this one a while ago. Still never really even used it any. It's not old... but a brand new Ontario "Hop knife", reshaped and with an octagonal handle made of what appears to be mahogany. I just call it the "Red Handled Scalper".

 

[TinStar]

Here's the pics of the knives that I want to remake.
The top one is 10", the middle is 6" and the lower that is up-swept is 5 1/2".



TinStar
Soli Deo Gloria!

 

[LRB]

Very nice Chris. Another good example of what can be done with common kitchen knives.

 

[Birdman]

Ti star that top French chefs knife could really become a nice spanish beldique(sp) they were any where from an everyday user to a fighting knive(think Gauchos). some easy grinding n fileing n your off n running, in your research look at the style n shpe of blade you have n then see whats simaler so your not killing the original to much, makes it easyier on you to LOL

 

[Bruce Bogart]

HA Wick! I thought you were diplomatic plenty.I knew when I used that pallet wood that HC was out the window! I'm not even sure the shape is even close to HC. It's just what I saw in the blade. I'm never gonna be a top notch knife man like you, which is OK too. And the rest of you guys, all he is doing is offering sage advice. I may even take it on the next effort. I've got a piece of apple, which couldn't be more plain, that I just might use for a better HC representation. Oh wait I think I have a piece of mahogany too!HMMMMM

 

[matt denison]

Stophil,

First copy of a real trade knife or facsimily I've seen on this sight in a long while. Others should take note.