Thread: Can I use this saw blade for knife project?

Originally Posted by Johnny J

Well, I hit my first snag. The saw blade is already too hard to be drilled or filed. I could anneal it & re-harden later, but I think instead I'll change the design to a hidden tang knife so I don't have to drill any holes. I can cut it with a diamond abrasive hacksaw and shape it on concrete. This project is getting more ghetto by the second

I was going to make the "too hard to file" comment.

I would not heat it but would rather cut it with a Dremel and
a thin cutoff disk while laying it flat on a wet towel to help keep the local
heating to a minimum. A diamond hacksaw will also work.

While you are cutting cut a strip and test to see if
it is too brittle to use as a knife. A knife that snaps
off is not a good thing.

I have made smallish special purpose knives out of hacksaw blades
this way. It can work... saw blade steel has a long history
of use from scrapers, to scribes, knives, etc.

My initial design for this knife, top, was going to be a handle-less design based on an old-time candle holder. The idea was that it would dangle from your finger when not in use, but could be held stable with your thumb and your 2nd finger.

When I realized this steel was too hard to drill & file, I thought making that finger hole was going to be very challenging. So I switched to a more conventional hidden tang design, so I can do the whole thing without making any holes.

At the bottom you see the blank, which I cut by hand with an abrasive hacksaw blade. This steel is soft enough to bend, but (as I mentioned) too hard to drill, so I think the hardness is about right for a utility knife & I'm not going to heat treat it.

I plan to use a tanto-style chisel grind, and to make an egg-shaped handle that fits nicely in the palm.

Stay tuned...