Make Your Own Knife - Simple Method.
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Time to read 7 min
Make your own knife with a simple method.
It can seem overwhelming to start making your own knife.
You can watch various YouTube videos where knife makers forge and handle their own designed knives. Some of them are very beautiful and artistic.
It can be a bit intimidating and discourage you if you consider trying it yourself.
This text is written to show you that with a simple method, you can make a quite decent knife yourself.
The method is also advantageous because you don’t need a large workshop or special tools. You don’t even need glue to secure the blade.
The method basically works by drilling a hole in a wooden block, putting the knife blade in the hole, and driving a wedge on each side.
What do I need to make my own knife - Step 1.
Here’s what you need to get started:
-A factory-made knife blade
with "Rattail", or "narrow tang". (the part of the knife blade that is inside the handle).
-A dry piece of wood
Wood species you decide yourself
-A whittling knife,
(if you don’t have another knife, it is actually possible to use the knife blade). More about that at the end of the text.
-Drill and drill machine, or hand crank
How if you don’t have access to power.
You might need 2 drill bits of different sizes
-a ruler or caliper
A folding ruler can also be used, but is less precise
How if I don’t have any of the parts? More about that at the end of the text.
-Optionally a small piece of fatwood
It is an option but can also be done without.
Let's get started - Step 2.
Mark your block where the hole should be. If you have a square block, you can optionally draw lines from the corners to find a center point.
Drilling a hole - Step 3.
Now you need to drill the hole.
Here it is important that you drill the hole straight down into the block, if the hole is drilled too crooked, your knife blade will also "come out crooked from the handle."
The safest method is to use a drill press, but if you don’t have one, you can manage by eye. If you happen to drill a little crooked, there are solutions for that too. We’ll look at that later.
It’s definitely an advantage to secure the block, possibly have someone else hold it steady. It’s possible to fasten something without modern tools, for example to a tree, a homemade workbench, or similar. More on that in a later blog post.
Length of the tang - Step 3.
The tang of your knife blade should be about ⅔ down into the handle.
If your knife blade has a very long "Tang"/"Rattail"/"stick tang", it can easily break off or be cut off.
On most knife blades, the edge is hardened so that you can easily break off the tip of the blade if it receives a shock impact.
This can, for example, be done by placing the blade on an edge, and hit the outermost part.
Watch your hand! use a glove or a block to hold the blade.
If you have a clamp or vise available, use it, it’s safer.
If you don’t dare to break it off, use a scraper or an angle grinder as a last resort; the important thing here is that the knife tang remains cold when undercutting with the angle grinder.
Measure the knife blade - Step 4.
To make the best fit for the knife blade, measure the part of the knife blade tang closest to the blade itself. Near the blade's “shoulders”. It is not the actual “shoulders” that should be measured!
Now you have the measurement for your hole, which you need to drill in the block.
Drill the hole - Step 5.
Find a drill bit of this size, possibly one that is 0.5 mm smaller, so the fit will be more precise and tight.
Most knife blades taper towards the end of the blade (the part inside the handle).
Therefore, the hole does not need to be the same width all the way down in the block, drill the last part of the hole with a narrower drill bit!
The blade will sit better in the block without being able to wiggle back and forth.
Don’t skip the easy part!
You can actually avoid using glue completely if you spend time on this part of the process.
Does it fit? - Step 6.
Now you can test the blade in the block.
You may need to give a small tap on the end of the block when the blade is put in place. Make sure the blade is straight before you tap it into place.
The knife tip is stuck into a wooden block, so you don’t damage either the knife or the table.
Do not hit too hard, as the handle could split!
Handle design - Step 7.
Handle design:
There are two options.
You can start shaping the handle now, before you attach the blade. Recommended!
Remember continuously during shaping to test the blade in the block. This is exactly when you need to consider if you have drilled the hole in the block crooked.
Carve the block so the blade sticks straight out of the block!
If the blade is crooked, you will need to carve off the block in two places. Material must be removed on the sides of the knife.
On one of the sides towards the blade, and on the end on the opposite side. So diagonally opposite each other! This way you should be able to correct any unevenness.
When you carve the block before the blade is fixed, there is a disadvantage.
The disadvantage of this method can be that there is not much to hold onto during the work.
Therefore, you can possibly make the handle too long on purpose, and shorten it at the end of the process.
Method no. 2. is that you attach the blade immediately. Then place a layer of tape on the blade so you can hold it securely.
The disadvantage of this method is that you end up carving into the blade through the tape. This causes you to make nicks in the edge of your carving knife.
In any case, here are a few advice regarding design:
It is never easy to carve something round, always start by carving corners. First square, when the corners are carved off something square, it becomes seven-sided, and so on.
You better keep track of dimensions and overview this way. If it is your first knife, then choose a simple design.
The knife will be useful for many purposes.
Now you can start removing all facets and carving lines in the wood. The grip will gradually appear smoother and more uniform.
Attach the knife blade - Step 8.
How is the blade fixed in place?
You now need to make the two wedges there should be one on each side of the knife blade.
The wedges should be made as precisely as possible.
They should be just large enough to hold the blade firmly but not so large that they split your handle.
The wedges can be made from hardwood; they are flat against the knife blade but angled on the outside to fit your hole in the block.
If you can get Fatwood to make the wedge from, it is optimal (pine resin-saturated wood). Fatwood is resistant to moisture/rot.
Fatwood has an oily surface, which will help everything stay in place.
If you use ordinary wood for your wedges, you can use a little wood glue in your hole to be on the safe side. However, this is not necessary if you have done your preparation properly.
Now gently tap the wedges into place.
Optionally use a wooden stick or wooden block for this purpose. This way you avoid making scratch marks on the side of your knife blade!
If you use a hammer, make sure to mask your knife blade with tape.
It is very important that you do not hit your wedges too hard! they should very easily sink into the block without much effort.
Too much force will result in a split block.
Now your knife is basically finished.
The final adjustment with your carving knife may be necessary. Maybe you need to trim some of your wedges. maybe also along the edge towards the blade?
Take care of your carving knife so you don’t nick it!
If the wedges do not stick too far out of the handle, you can also leave them as they are.
It is a matter of taste and decided by your own preferences.
If you let the wedges stick out a bit, you can later tap them down further if looseness occurs. Or if you want to switch to a uniform knife blade.
Your knife is finished - Step 9.
Your own knife is finished!
picture no. 3...........
It is simple, very useful, but above all, you made it yourself.
Optionally, apply oil to the handle to protect it against moisture.
Congratulations!
Oh yes…! By the way, we promised to tell you what to do if you only have the knife blade and not knife no. 2.
You can create a temporary grip if you have string or tape available. Possibly both.
Wrap string tightly around the narrow tang, giving you a temporary grip. Insulating tape can optionally be wrapped around the string; the tape can stretch and hold the string wrapping in place. The string could, for example, be your shoelace.
Here are some examples of how the knife could also look
Have a great time :-)
