Welcome Home...THANK YOU FOR BEING A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY

iKnife Collector

The online community of knife collectors, A Knife Family Forged in Steel

First Attempt At A Hand Made Knife

This is the first knife I ever made. It is rude, crude and not very pretty, but it cuts like nobody's business. Back in the mid-1960's my uncle obtained several pieces of a broken power hacksaw blade and him, my cousin and I all made some knives. We ground out the shape we wanted, then heated them to cherry red with an oxy-acetylene torch and dropped them into a tub of used motor oil. I have no idea of the metal composition or the proper heat treat method required, but it will hold an edge forever. I suspect that if I dropped it, or pryed with it, it would shatter like glass. It has skinned and butchered several deer and an elk in it's day, and I still prefer using it for whatever meat cutting job crops up around the house today.

3 members like this

Attachments:

handmade1-1.jpg, 3 MB
handmade2-1.jpg, 3.1 MB

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on September 1, 2012 at 18:03

Rusty,

I dont even think it is rude and crude. I think it was a great first effort and the memories it brings back everytime you use it must be awesome! Good Work!

The handle material is interesting, what is it?

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Rusty R Halsey on September 1, 2012 at 22:23

The handle is made up of stacked pieces of plexiglass.

▶ Reply

FeaturedPermalink Reply by Craig Henry on September 2, 2012 at 0:22

Stacked pieces of plexiglass? Interesting....and ingenious! Looks good, and useful!

▶ Reply

In MemoriamPermalink Reply by John McCain on December 28, 2013 at 19:29

Hey, I happen to like it. The handle material is unique and appealing Blade to handle ratio might be a little off, but If it does what it was designed to do, which obviously it does, who gives a darn !! BTW, many a fine custom knife has been quenched in motor oil !! Congrats on your first custom !!