12-11-2017, 09:46 AM
Gentlemen,
In response to a popular question of trying to make knives out of old files, I feel we should have easy access to this specific topic. Wal-la, here we go!
Many people use old files for their first attempts of shaping a blade. Some guys use nothing but old files, or rasps and make lots of knives. They look kinda neat when you don't grind all the checkering off. Actually, just buying a new file or rasp is still a pretty cheap-n-easy way to obtain a pre-hardened blank, but there are MUCH better options.
Grinding hardened steel is a chore, and it gets a lot trickier as the bevels get thinner. It's super easy to overheat the edge, or at least the tip. You may not even be grinding close to the edge, but the heat generated will flow to it's easiest escape route- the thin part. You will toast your first few blades, especially when you progress to finer abrasives. Files are brittle, with huge grain size too. They aren't heat treated to be knives, and it darn sure will show. At best, you'll drop it and it will break. At worst, you may be needing it to survive.
I would highly recommend buying simple steel bar stock instead. "10 series" tool steel is inexpensive and easy to heat treat. Something in the range of 1045 to 1075 would work well. You can buy annealed (soft) bar stock in any practical size, so getting a stick of 1/8" to 3/16" thick by 1" to 1 1/4" wide would save you a ton of work and worry. It doesn't matter how hot it gets while grinding. It's easy to harden when you're done grinding, and it's easy to temper in your kitchen oven after it's hardened.
Honestly, I would never consider or recommend using files without annealing them, then harden and temper after grinding. You're still guessing at what steel your file is made of, so heat treating would be much more hit and miss.
Since heat treating is the soul of a blade, there should be no guesswork involved. Properly heat treated low carbon steel will perform much better than Japanese Aogami Super Blue, or any other fancy steel, or any Unknown steel, without the proper heat treat, or at least something close.
Starting out right is way more than half the battle, and I'd be horribly remiss for not saying so. Making knives ain't easy. Spending time making something that looks like a knife but acts like an icicle is pretty easy, but not particularly satisfying.
If you choose a steel that carries the properties you're looking for, sending it out for The Perfect HT, tailored to your specific application, is a snap. It's also much less aggravating than spending considerable time and energy grinding yourself a noodle out of steel.
KNOWN steel is easy to find, even in the right size. If you choose a regular carbon steel, you can probably heat treat it yourself, and come out with a very usable tool.
In response to a popular question of trying to make knives out of old files, I feel we should have easy access to this specific topic. Wal-la, here we go!
Many people use old files for their first attempts of shaping a blade. Some guys use nothing but old files, or rasps and make lots of knives. They look kinda neat when you don't grind all the checkering off. Actually, just buying a new file or rasp is still a pretty cheap-n-easy way to obtain a pre-hardened blank, but there are MUCH better options.
Grinding hardened steel is a chore, and it gets a lot trickier as the bevels get thinner. It's super easy to overheat the edge, or at least the tip. You may not even be grinding close to the edge, but the heat generated will flow to it's easiest escape route- the thin part. You will toast your first few blades, especially when you progress to finer abrasives. Files are brittle, with huge grain size too. They aren't heat treated to be knives, and it darn sure will show. At best, you'll drop it and it will break. At worst, you may be needing it to survive.
I would highly recommend buying simple steel bar stock instead. "10 series" tool steel is inexpensive and easy to heat treat. Something in the range of 1045 to 1075 would work well. You can buy annealed (soft) bar stock in any practical size, so getting a stick of 1/8" to 3/16" thick by 1" to 1 1/4" wide would save you a ton of work and worry. It doesn't matter how hot it gets while grinding. It's easy to harden when you're done grinding, and it's easy to temper in your kitchen oven after it's hardened.
Honestly, I would never consider or recommend using files without annealing them, then harden and temper after grinding. You're still guessing at what steel your file is made of, so heat treating would be much more hit and miss.
Since heat treating is the soul of a blade, there should be no guesswork involved. Properly heat treated low carbon steel will perform much better than Japanese Aogami Super Blue, or any other fancy steel, or any Unknown steel, without the proper heat treat, or at least something close.
Starting out right is way more than half the battle, and I'd be horribly remiss for not saying so. Making knives ain't easy. Spending time making something that looks like a knife but acts like an icicle is pretty easy, but not particularly satisfying.
If you choose a steel that carries the properties you're looking for, sending it out for The Perfect HT, tailored to your specific application, is a snap. It's also much less aggravating than spending considerable time and energy grinding yourself a noodle out of steel.
KNOWN steel is easy to find, even in the right size. If you choose a regular carbon steel, you can probably heat treat it yourself, and come out with a very usable tool.
