Handmade kitchen knives
Discussion
Just thought I'd share something that has been taking up my free time lately
Having recently got a bit more interested in cooking (only for myself and SWMBO) I had a look online for some new kitchen knives and couldn't find anything that i was willing to spend my own money on.
As i was looking online, i noticed a few forums where people were making their own...hmmm i thought... that doesn't look too difficult.
So I researched the types of steel these guys were using, methods, found someone to do the heat treating for me and ordered some steel.
I drew out a knife shape and got going with a hacksaw and a homemade filing jig. (yes i hand filed the primary bevels onto the knife, from spine to cutting edge, no powered grinders or anything...it was a lot more work than i expected)
After heat treating and cleaning the scale off the knife from the heat treating process
Then i got some olive wood and bonded it onto the handle, followed by shaping the handle and the finished product looks like..
|https://thumbsnap.com/Z87xKbrH[/url]
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After that i kind of got hooked on making them so i made a few more, in different steels and different handle materials
Antler handle
Walnut handle
Photos don't do the mirror gloss on the handle justice
Photos don't do the mirror gloss on the handle justice on this one either
Walnut & blue metallic resin handle
Walnut & blue metallic resin handle
Having recently got a bit more interested in cooking (only for myself and SWMBO) I had a look online for some new kitchen knives and couldn't find anything that i was willing to spend my own money on.
As i was looking online, i noticed a few forums where people were making their own...hmmm i thought... that doesn't look too difficult.
So I researched the types of steel these guys were using, methods, found someone to do the heat treating for me and ordered some steel.
I drew out a knife shape and got going with a hacksaw and a homemade filing jig. (yes i hand filed the primary bevels onto the knife, from spine to cutting edge, no powered grinders or anything...it was a lot more work than i expected)
After heat treating and cleaning the scale off the knife from the heat treating process
Then i got some olive wood and bonded it onto the handle, followed by shaping the handle and the finished product looks like..
|https://thumbsnap.com/Z87xKbrH[/url][url]After that i kind of got hooked on making them so i made a few more, in different steels and different handle materials
Antler handle
Walnut handle
Photos don't do the mirror gloss on the handle justice
Photos don't do the mirror gloss on the handle justice on this one either
Walnut & blue metallic resin handle
Walnut & blue metallic resin handle
TIGA84 said:
ETA - surely there's a PH style knife you could make, carbon or wood-from-a-60's-Jag handle?
Thanks for the kind words. HAHA - love the idea, yes i could try some carbon, you can buy it as flat sheets in the kind of thickness you'd want for knife handle scales - one for the future for definite
Well done.rsbmw said:
Very nice, but doesn't making your own knives and posting about it on the internet get you on some sort of list??
Hmmm... probably
I was going to stick with kitchen knives originally as they were more usable day to day but i got sidetracked with the other few and my initial plan went out the window, so yes, i'm probably on that list now - oh well, in for a penny and all that, may as well carry on.
I have made a few more than just the ones in the pics but didn't have photos of all to hand
Nice efforts.
Are they all N690? I really like N690 as a general steel. Are you using a Gough style jig? Amazing how popular they are.
How do you find the Kirinite, maybe a bit slippery on a kitchen knife?
How thin are you taking your bevels? I think it would be well worth you investing in a belt grinder of some description and grinding post heat treat, you would be able to take your bevels much thinner and not worry about warp in HT.
Good for you anyway.
Are they all N690? I really like N690 as a general steel. Are you using a Gough style jig? Amazing how popular they are.
How do you find the Kirinite, maybe a bit slippery on a kitchen knife?
How thin are you taking your bevels? I think it would be well worth you investing in a belt grinder of some description and grinding post heat treat, you would be able to take your bevels much thinner and not worry about warp in HT.
Good for you anyway.
Edited by gregs656 on Monday 5th March 18:56
gregs656 said:
Nice efforts.
Are they all N690? I really like N690 as a general steel. Are you using a Gough style jig? Amazing how popular they are.
How do you find the Kirinite, maybe a bit slippery on a kitchen knife?
How thin are you taking your bevels? I think it would be well worth you investing in a belt grinder of some description and grinding post heat treat, you would be able to take your bevels much thinner and not worry about warp in HT.
Good for you anyway.
Thanks Are they all N690? I really like N690 as a general steel. Are you using a Gough style jig? Amazing how popular they are.
How do you find the Kirinite, maybe a bit slippery on a kitchen knife?
How thin are you taking your bevels? I think it would be well worth you investing in a belt grinder of some description and grinding post heat treat, you would be able to take your bevels much thinner and not worry about warp in HT.
Good for you anyway.
Edited by gregs656 on Monday 5th March 18:56
No I only used N690 for about 4 or 5 of them, I used 01 for my first 2 which both warped in HT but the guy who does the HT also straightens them before tempering. Also used 12c27m and niolox (niolox is currently waiting for me to finish tarting them up before sending them for HT)
I use a small bench grinder now but want a 2 x 72, just can’t justify the cost. It was a Gough style jig for the first knife though
The kirinite is amazing stuff. Still grippy when wet even. I cast the resin ones myself though and they are also very grippy when wet.
The bevel thickness depends on the knife because all but the 01 are plate quench they don’t suffer too much with warping in fairness. I do all my grinds pre heat treat at the moment
stabbed rat said:
Yes they have all turned out great to use.
Yes, if I get a 2 x 72 wth variable speed then I will look into grinding post HT but at the moment The grinder barely has the power to do get the bevels when the steel is soft!
Shing does my HT, he’s a top bloke too
Try it, you might be surprised. The steel is much less 'gummy' for want of a better word when it is HTd and although it is harder the steels you are using are not particularly wear resistant so you should find it better I think. The thinner you can go the more you will get performance-wise out of the finer grained steels. Yes, if I get a 2 x 72 wth variable speed then I will look into grinding post HT but at the moment The grinder barely has the power to do get the bevels when the steel is soft!
Shing does my HT, he’s a top bloke too
Shing makes some nice stuff.
Will you stick with kitchen knives now or branch out a bit?
gregs656 said:
Try it, you might be surprised. The steel is much less 'gummy' for want of a better word when it is HTd and although it is harder the steels you are using are not particularly wear resistant so you should find it better I think. The thinner you can go the more you will get performance-wise out of the finer grained steels.
Shing makes some nice stuff.
Will you stick with kitchen knives now or branch out a bit?
I’ll give it a go and see. Thanks. Shing makes some nice stuff.
Will you stick with kitchen knives now or branch out a bit?
Yes his stuff is amazing
I tend to see a knife I like and then do my own take on it. I have done a few non kitchens already but I think I’ll always float back to kitchen knives as I can use them daily.
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Thanks. Weight balance varies on the design and handle material, the big chefs knife with the blue kirinite handle is perfectly balanced with your finger just in front of the handle, great for a choked up grip.
The long blue kirinite slicer/chopper is very blade heavy. It has a smaller brother that is perfectly balanced though too
stabbed rat said:
I’ll give it a go and see. Thanks.
Yes his stuff is amazing
I tend to see a knife I like and then do my own take on it. I have done a few non kitchens already but I think I’ll always float back to kitchen knives as I can use them daily.
Not to my taste particularly but well screwed together and certainly a recognisable style/philosophy behind them. Yes his stuff is amazing
I tend to see a knife I like and then do my own take on it. I have done a few non kitchens already but I think I’ll always float back to kitchen knives as I can use them daily.
The walnut handled one reminds me a little bit of Some of Mark Hill's designs (the Eagle?) with that swept down spine.
I've been out of the knife world for a little while now but there are some good resources out there.
gregs656 said:
Not to my taste particularly but well screwed together and certainly a recognisable style/philosophy behind them.
The walnut handled one reminds me a little bit of Some of Mark Hill's designs (the Eagle?) with that swept down spine.
I've been out of the knife world for a little while now but there are some good resources out there.
Never heard of mark hill but that’s not to say that I haven’t happened across a picture of one of his knives unknowingly. I’ll have a google of him and his work. The walnut handled one reminds me a little bit of Some of Mark Hill's designs (the Eagle?) with that swept down spine.
I've been out of the knife world for a little while now but there are some good resources out there.
Finally my thread has arrived! I’ve been doing this on and off for about 12 months having been inspired by Forged in Fire, then by a fantastic YouTuber called Alec Steele (look him up).
I say ‘on and off’ and I really mean it! I’m on my second knife in that timeframe as I hardly get the time I’d like to spend on it. Much of the progress I do in single day bursts when the family is away then months go by of not touching it. Anyway.
This was my first attempt. Very rough and ready but functional and my first attempt. You gotta start somewhere.
I mainly use it for opening letters / packages. It’s sharp, but the odd shape and size means it doesn’t get much use.
Next up I wanted to try something a little bigger, with a bit more flare. So I’m trying a kitchen / chopper / santoku style (I don’t really stick to strict designs!)
Currently I’m in the process of building the handle having shaped, patina’d and heat treated the blade. I’ve taken it up to a 400 grit finish right now but will go further once the handle is on before putting the final edge on it.
Started off as a bar of 15n20.
Using an angle grinder and band saw to cut to shape:
Next the shaping and hammer patina:
Mid bevel shaping and finger choil:
And current state: heat treated, finished to 400 grit and now starting the handle fitting:
This handle wood (Oak) I feel isn’t going to do the knife justice. So I’ve ordered some burl blank scales from a maker on instagram. This was to trial the shaping process. I’m fast learning about ‘measure twice - cut once’ as there are many times you can grind or cut that little bit to far, and before you know it, you’ve ruined the piece and you need to start again.
As for equipment, I have a very humble setup of a 55lb anvil ($70), 1x30 belt grinder ($80), a variety of hammers and normal garage tools (angle grinder, band saw, vise, files, glues, clamps etc. I am a bit health a safety mad so also use good respirator, eye protection and gloves.
For heat treating I use hand held propane torches, far from ideal but they work on smaller pieces. I am struggling with it, so I think I’m going to invest in a proper forge next as I am falling in love with the hobby. But a $20 burner / plumbers torch is suitable for small knives and seems to do the trick. I quench in purpose bought quench oil ($15) a gallon online. But I’ve seen people use old motor oil, veggie oil and such things.
As for learning the process, YouTube is brilliant. This is the process I am currently following:
https://youtu.be/ygCxoUqdrbM
And the absolutely fantastic Alex steele is here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/alectheblacksmith
Worth going back 6-9 months of content to really see where he’s come from.
Next up I want to buy a Damascus billet / blank and make a proper chefs knife. Damascus is expensive unless you make it yourself, so my many mistakes and learning moments are all building up to the next one.
I’ll keep this updated as I finish the current project and start the new one.
It really is a fantastic hobby with low entry point in terms of cost. You can easily buy second hand gear and do the most basic of things with just hand tools as per the OP. Then cheap grinders and files will get you a long way before you have to spend big bucks on forges, belt grinders and materials.
Enjoy, I love it!
I say ‘on and off’ and I really mean it! I’m on my second knife in that timeframe as I hardly get the time I’d like to spend on it. Much of the progress I do in single day bursts when the family is away then months go by of not touching it. Anyway.
This was my first attempt. Very rough and ready but functional and my first attempt. You gotta start somewhere.
I mainly use it for opening letters / packages. It’s sharp, but the odd shape and size means it doesn’t get much use.
Next up I wanted to try something a little bigger, with a bit more flare. So I’m trying a kitchen / chopper / santoku style (I don’t really stick to strict designs!)
Currently I’m in the process of building the handle having shaped, patina’d and heat treated the blade. I’ve taken it up to a 400 grit finish right now but will go further once the handle is on before putting the final edge on it.
Started off as a bar of 15n20.
Using an angle grinder and band saw to cut to shape:
Next the shaping and hammer patina:
Mid bevel shaping and finger choil:
And current state: heat treated, finished to 400 grit and now starting the handle fitting:
This handle wood (Oak) I feel isn’t going to do the knife justice. So I’ve ordered some burl blank scales from a maker on instagram. This was to trial the shaping process. I’m fast learning about ‘measure twice - cut once’ as there are many times you can grind or cut that little bit to far, and before you know it, you’ve ruined the piece and you need to start again.
As for equipment, I have a very humble setup of a 55lb anvil ($70), 1x30 belt grinder ($80), a variety of hammers and normal garage tools (angle grinder, band saw, vise, files, glues, clamps etc. I am a bit health a safety mad so also use good respirator, eye protection and gloves.
For heat treating I use hand held propane torches, far from ideal but they work on smaller pieces. I am struggling with it, so I think I’m going to invest in a proper forge next as I am falling in love with the hobby. But a $20 burner / plumbers torch is suitable for small knives and seems to do the trick. I quench in purpose bought quench oil ($15) a gallon online. But I’ve seen people use old motor oil, veggie oil and such things.
As for learning the process, YouTube is brilliant. This is the process I am currently following:
https://youtu.be/ygCxoUqdrbM
And the absolutely fantastic Alex steele is here:
https://www.youtube.com/user/alectheblacksmith
Worth going back 6-9 months of content to really see where he’s come from.
Next up I want to buy a Damascus billet / blank and make a proper chefs knife. Damascus is expensive unless you make it yourself, so my many mistakes and learning moments are all building up to the next one.
I’ll keep this updated as I finish the current project and start the new one.
It really is a fantastic hobby with low entry point in terms of cost. You can easily buy second hand gear and do the most basic of things with just hand tools as per the OP. Then cheap grinders and files will get you a long way before you have to spend big bucks on forges, belt grinders and materials.
Enjoy, I love it!
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