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Suggested readin' - CARVING PEACH PITS by R.V. Dietrich.
We've also agreed to host the "Whittling and Woodcarving" group here also. Discussions from June 20th-June 29th are from that group.
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Make your own carving knife (fixed blade) less than one hour! Cheap and quick way!
Posted by Ivars Duntavs on September 10, 2011 at 15:44 in Whittling / Carving knives
Hallo carvers and whittlers! We all use different knives: regular pocket knives, whittler pattern knives, special folding carving knives (example: Carvin Jack) and many different fixed blade knives. Sometimes we use only one sometime a bunch of different shaped blade knives.
I think that carving is a hobby for everyone! Special wood carving knives are pretty expensive especially if it is shipped from other side of the planet and you must wait for it more than 3 weeks, but I want to show a way to make your own carving knife! (Carving knife for soft wood mostly!)
This is very quick way to make a carving knife: BE CARFULL OR YOU CAN BE HERT!
What do you need?
I use TRAMONTINA knife (Made in Brasil)
You can find grinding machines in:
1) Shoe repair service
2) Key making service
3) Sharpening service
I use one old seniors grinding machine (he is working in shoe repair service and he loves when young boy’s like me do something with own hands J ).
The second way, you can go to the sharpening service and ask there to use the grinding machine or to shape the blade which you want to! BE CAREFULL - GRINDING MACHINE IS VERY DANGEROUS FOR YOUR FINGERS!!!
All 7 things you can find in your home or in local store’s!
Okay! Let’s start!
1. You need to take your knife which you want to remake and take a duck tape. You need to know what kind of blade you want to get! Then take a duck tape and mark the knife blade like you want to see the carving blade.
2. When it’s done, you need to take a needle or something what you can use for putting some scratches on the blade or a black permanent marker. You need to mark the unneeded part of the blade, because you will need to take of the duck tape before grinding! (IF YOU DON”T TAKE TAPE OF TAPE WILL BOIL ON THE BLADE WHEN YOU WILL GRIND IT!!!)
3. When blade is marked you need to make knife blade shorter!
You need to cut of unneeded piece of the blade.
REMEMBER! DON’T CUT VERY SHORT BLADE TILL DUCK TAPE! LET SOME MM AFTER DUCK TAPE, BECAUSE YOU CAN MAKE MISTAKE WHEN YOU WILL GRIND THE BLADE!
Don’t throw away the second piece of the blade; you can make the second knife from it!
4. Take the duck tape of!
5. Grind the blade till marked places!
In photo you can see that I let a small peace of blade before handle. It is a finger stopper it I make it because I was using this knife long time till I change the handle! If you want to, you can let the small finger stopper! In photo knife isn’t sharpened, only shaped!
When you have shaped blade you need to sharpen it, because the last will be the blade polishing! I was using grinding machine for sharpening! REMEMBER! CARVING BLADE MUST BE FLAT!
If you want to or if you need to you can make a new longer handle!
That’s all! You have a great knife les than in 1 hour and you have spend max 5$!
Hello Ivars! I like the way you made your carving knife. I have also been working on one, using basically the same methods you have written about in your article. Here you can see the basic steps I took. I found an old kitchen knife I had in my work desk for a few years. I placed the knife in a vise and broke off the unwanted part. Then I drew the actual shape that I wanted for my carving knife onto the blade and using my grinder took off all unecessary metal. BEWARE- Do not over heat the blade during this procedure! Once you have the shape you want, all that must be done is to sharpen and polish the blade. I will keep the handle and see if it is usable. I tried up loading a few photos, but its not working as I wish it would, so you can have a look at my page where I will place the pictures.
Looking good Jakub.
Be sure to add a pic of the finished knife. The outline in this photo looks real good.
Can't wait to see the finished piece.
Here is my newest: Wharncliff quick jack :D
Churchill up sweep (6" handle)
Unneeded piece of blade: two holes, two pins, one piece of wood and a little super glue!
Any way if we have any kind of broken knife blade, we can give a second life like a carving knife! :D
Here is my "micro bushman" maked out of broken blade too! More info on my groupKNIFE MAKING BEGINNERS!
Jakub Capek said:
Hello Ivars! I like the way you made your carving knife. I have also been working on one, using basically the same methods you have written about in your article. Here you can see the basic steps I took. I found an old kitchen knife I had in my work desk for a few years. I placed the knife in a vise and broke off the unwanted part. Then I drew the actual shape that I wanted for my carving knife onto the blade and using my grinder took off all unecessary metal. BEWARE- Do not over heat the blade during this procedure! Once you have the shape you want, all that must be done is to sharpen and polish the blade. I will keep the handle and see if it is usable. I tried up loading a few photos, but its not working as I wish it would, so you can have a look at my page where I will place the pictures.
Very well done, Ivars. More or less the way I do my lock-back mods.
J.J. looks really great! I was thinking about Opinel modification but for this modification I need some tools what I don't have today and they are pretty expensive for me. Now Iam making a fixed blade carving knives with slojd blades, wharcliff blades are good, but I found that slojd is much better! I mean my Revolver Jack only now Iam making blade out of specific saw blades. A little dificult to cut them, but when its done and knife finisht - knife is great!
J.J. Smith III said:
Finished a modification to an Opinel #7 knife. Costs more than Ivars' $5.00 mod, but I'm well pleased with the result. Used a CASE Seahorse as the blade pattern.
Ivars,
I just used a dremal tool with a diamond cut-off wheel. Sanding drum to shape. Polished the spine with regular diamond stones.
We're back from the Carving Show. My SD card malfunctioned , so no pics from the show itself.
Visited the Smoky Mountain Woodcarvers display, and Mac had indeed brought along one of the Whittlin Jacks.
It's not a pretty knife, but it is a functional one. The carbon steel blades came properly ground, and were very sharp, strait from Flexcut. The 4"aluminum handle is on the large side and have some sort of wood, as inserts. It definately won't win in the looks department. Springs are strong but there is a lack of "walk and talk" here. The blades need to be pusged down into the handle once they're closed, and when closed they sit down deep into the frame. Nail nicks are minimal at best.
All that being said, I was on the fence about dropping down the cash for it, but I did. It is after all a carving tool.
Specs are;
Length closed 4", 7/16" wide and weighs in at 3.5 oz.
Main blade, carbon steel "roughout" blade (Wharncliffe shaped), 2" long, (non locking).
Secondary blade, Carbon steel, "Detail" blade, 1 3/8" long, (non locking).
Aluminum handle with "Wood" inserts. Brass pins and liner.
There's an accurate review on the Bushcraft Forum and I agree with pretty much what was said there.
I've added some stock photos and a copy of the package inserts, below.
(Oh, BTW, while we were there, I managed to snag me some more needle files, an ex-fine diamond card and a thumb protector. The Mrs, snagged a Mac Proffett "HillBilly" hat and a carved golf ball for inspiration for me. T'wer a good day.)
Glad you got a new thumb protector. JJ, Let us know how this knife works out. It is interesting that the walk and talk are not there as they should be for a knife. Being a whittling tool maybe they did not feel it as necessary
These blades are carving sharp. The springs are strong.
I figure that they were concerned with the blades snapping shut on a finger. There was talk on the carving forum about the Carving Jack causing seriuos cuts.
Comment by Robert Burris on April 16, 2011 at 20:49
I was asked to write a review for a seahorse whittler so I'll give it my best try. I have never owned a seahorse whittler or any wharncliffe blade in my life. I always bought blades relating to outdoor activities.
The case seahorse whittler that I purchased came with stag scales, not the quality of the 60s and 70s, but still very nice stag. The knife came with razor sharp blades, they're thin and adapted to precision cutting.
The knife arrived just in time for a planned camping and fishing trip with my two grandaughters, alot of my good friends and their children. So I figured I'd give this new knife a try on this trip.
On a camping trip like this, there is need for a small pocket knife; opening packages, food preparation, cutting fish lines and so forth. The knife passed all the tests and everyone that saw it fell in love with it.
It's only drawback was when it was time to clean fish. It's not very well suited for this task. I cleaned a few with it so it will get you out a bind if it's the only knife you have with you.
I make walking staffs for fun and as gifts for friends and family. I'm starting to make more and may start selling them and I thought it would be a good idea to carve something into them, like a face or different designs and patterns. It has worked great so far. It carves like a dream. I would encourage anyone wanting to try a new knife pattern to give this one a try. You will be very glad you did!
Comment by Robert Burris on April 7, 2011 at 18:29
Comment by J.J. Smith III on May 5, 2011 at 9:51
Bout missed this one. Locking Wharnie. Great work, Ken.
Comment by Ken Erickson on April 29, 2011 at 8:44
I just missed a great Fight'n Rooster whittler on Ebay...so sad.
The more whittler patterns I see, the more I want to collect them.
I mean those that have whittler as part of their name.
The only problem with this is that a whittler needs to only have two major distinctions, 1 - the main blade is at opposite ends with the secondary blades, and 2 - the main blade falls in between the secondaries when closed.
The big task is to try to find all different blade variations, frame styles and backspring configurations.
Ivan, anyone that knows of some of the patterns can list them. I recently learned of the Ballroom Whittler. A favorite of mine that is seldom seen is the Cotton Sampler Whittler.
Robert you want to know all whittler patters??? It could be difficult! Need to sum all patterns who was made many years ago! Dale could be knowleged in whittler patterns, because I think he knows everything about whittlers!
Someone in this group that is knowledgable in the whittler pattern could list all the different whittler patterns might get some fire going in this group.
Kens knives are great, but not for my pocket :D
Hey am I in the right room? I am entered in the Pumpkin Carvin Contest, and I need to get some tips?
It's all good, Steve.
Check out Extreme Pumpkins.com, for some ideas.
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I have seen two different ways to make a carving knife:
1. From straight razor blade
2. From scraper blades
3. And my remaking
Maybe some one know other type of carving knife making?