In this part of the tutorial we begin the making of the knife by defining the shape and cutting out the profile.

By profile I mean the outer shape all the way around.

Part 1 of this tutorial with video is here

Now trace your pattern all the way around the perimeter of it. This is so you have something called the profile of the knife. You can also think of it as the outline.

Cut that pattern out. It is now a template for your knife.

Apply an adhesive to the template. Coat the whole thing. If you have a spray adhesive you should use it. We want a good and even adhesion.

Now affix that template to your piece of steel. You should carefully look over the piece of steel. How do you want the pattern to show off the best? Flip the bar over, turn it left/right. Decide what section would be best where the blade is and then adhere your template to the steel.

Now let's flex our muscles and start doing the actual work. Start our with a hacksaw and cut all the way around the template. Remove as much steel as you can.

A hacksaw isn't great for curves but you can get somewhat of a curve out of it. Just do the best you can. Take your time and remove as much of the stock as you can. This is why it is called the stock removal method of knife making. You are simply removing all the stock around the pattern of the blade.

You can make multiple cuts. Take out pieces as you can. Try different angles of cuts. Continue removing steel any way you can with the hacksaw.

There you go. We have hacksawed most of the excess steel away.

Now use any other tools you have available to you in order to get it down to the actual template shape. The next step I did was use a 4 inch belt sander with an 80 grit belt.

I used a variety of metal working tools to achieve my profile. They include mill files, a one inch belt sander and a dremel for the hard to reach curves.

And there you go. Keep at it until your knife is profiled. It looks good. Touch it up with some emory paper.

Continue

Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop, Revised

You don't need to spend a fortune to start making fantastic knives. Noted knifemaker Wayne Goddard provides outstanding step-by-step instructions for making your own tools, finding the right steel and forging, grinding and heat-treating knives on a budget.

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