A throwing knife is a pretty cool thing. And there are different types and styles. In this tutorial we make a no rotation knife. This way you don't have to spin it when throwing it. It just goes straight. We achieve this a couple of ways. First it is front heavy and secondly it has straight and smooth sides allowing you to use your index finger to guide it straight.

I use a piece of O1 steel for this. And just a few basic tools. You don't need to forge this project. You just need to heat it up with a plumbers torch.

If you want to make this same knife I have the template right here.

I also have a video tutorial showing you how to make this project. It is at the bottom of this page.

The completed throwing knife

Let's Get Started!

Cut out my template or draw up your own template and cut it out. Then glue it down to your piece of steel. Glue it down any way you can, but spray adhesive is the best for this. Stick it all down very firmly. You don't want it to shift while you are working on it. And it is easily removed later. (I have the template right here.)

O1 Tool Steel Sheet, Precision Ground, Annealed, 3/16" Thickness, 2" Width, 18" Length

This is the exact piece of steel that I use for this knife. It is right here on amazon.com

Ok, clamp that thing down and get to cutting it with a hacksaw. Be careful all the way around it, get it pretty close to the paper template. The closer you get it the better. It makes it much easier later on.

Even the curved part around the handle end, get that close too.

Here is another picture further along in the cutting. The far side has been cut away and now I am cutting the near side.

Once you have it all cut out go ahead and use a belt sander to get the final shape of it. Make it nice and smooth with good curved and good straight parts. This is the final shaping.

If you don't have a belt sander you can do this with a file. but it is going to take a few hours depending on how closely you cut with the hacksaw.

The hacksaw and belt sander work leaves a lot of sharp edges on this knife so go over the whole thing with a file to round off those sharp edges.

Remember this is something you hold in your hand and it slides out of your hand so all those sharp edges have to go!

Now we need to drill the holes in the handle (it is optional). And after all the metal work your knife has changed a bit so use a magic marker or sharpie on the handle and then scratch a straight line right down the center of it. This way you know your holes are nice and centered.

And go ahead and drill those holes out.

The big hole on the end is 3/8 inch wide and the four smaller holes are 1/4 inch. You can adjust these sizes to your liking.

Use some emory paper to sand the edges of those holes nice and smooth. You don't want a small burr to catch your finger or hand. If you have a countersink tool that would work perfectly.

Now its time to file the bevels in the front. You do this with a file and only making filing strokes forward. Do not run the file back and forth.

See this side of the knife? See how there are two edges that are being beveled? Same thing goes for the other side. There are a total of four bevels to file.

Do it just like you are putting an edge on a knife. Bring those bevels to meet at the center of the steel.

And you are bringing the whole thing to a point. This is called distal taper where as it gets thinner as it gets to the point.

Ok, let's finish off this knife by heat treating it and polishing it. (continue)

Here is the video tutorial

Knifemaking for beginners - Teaches you how to make knives from beginning to end. This book is for beginners who want to know how to make knives but don't have any blacksmithing experience; And you don't need a forge or an anvil for this.

Check it out on Amazon (paperback) here: Knifemaking for beginners

This is a fun blacksmithing project to make a curved fighting knife called a karambit. I take you through all the steps and have the template for you. Even if you don't plan on making it you might be interested in the process of how a knife is made. Make a Karambit