Thread: File Neck Knife

That looks sweet. I love the handle being left as a file and the little bit of file still in the spine of the blade. It looks to be about 5-6 inches total length is that about right.
Iv'e been grinding away at an old file now and then trying to make a fixed blade razor. And seeing how well your knife turned out I think I'll have to start up on it again.

Originally Posted by gandrw

It looks to be about 5-6 inches total length is that about right.

It's 5 1/2", so right in the middle of your guess. The good news is, it was an 11" file! Good luck with yours. I think I'd struggle with a razor.

Legion, I think the tempering in the oven that Butch suggested is to remove some of the hardness & make the knife more durable. It's seriously hard right now. You can hear it! It's taken an absolutely beautiful edge, but I think it would benefit from being just slightly softer. I get the feeling it could chip quite easily.

Yep, fair enough. Some files are harder than others, though. But if you feel that the edge is fragile, temper away.

A good book, if you can track it down, is Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop. It has a lot of useful info about DIY knife-making using common stuff you can pick up easily.

After that read How to make knives by Richard Barney and Robert Loveless. It is considered one of the best books for the backyard knife smith.

Originally Posted by ben.mid

It's 5 1/2", so right in the middle of your guess. The good news is, it was an 11" file! Good luck with yours. I think I'd struggle with a razor.

Does that mean you are working on another little beauty out of the other half.
BTW can't wait to see the sheath you mentioned in the original post.

I have to say that I am very impressed. Did you profile it, then grind the edge? Any kydex or simular material in the future for protecting the edge?

I basically gave it a flat grind, then honed the edge to around 20 degrees ish. My Lansky is at work, so it got done on the stones.

Other half will get similar treatment, but not sure what yet.

Sheath is planned in Kydex. Should be funny, if nothing else, as I've never tried making a sheath of any type before. Mind you, that was my first knife, & I was happy enough, so who knows.

Thanks for all the kind words, advice & encouragement.

Right chaps, I'm out the door now & shall be gone for a week or so. Zanzibar here I come!

Have a safe trip Ben!

I like everything about that knife, a very fine job
Amund.

Very nice! And very creative.
Mighty fine work!!

That turned out amazingly well. It's not often that you see someone's first "file knife" actually look good. This one does. That knife makes me want to use it.