Thread: Nicked blades

I am a compulsive hobbyist. My main hobby has been woodcarving. I made the very best woodcarving knife I have ever owned from an old straight razor. The handle is a simple piece of pine with the tang of the blade embedded. The blade itself was ground down to about 3/8 inch wide (more or less) so that the thin part of the blade is not wide enough to be fragile. The spine was left intact. Thus, sharpening the knife is very simple (the same as for a straight razor). This knife cuts soft wood almost like butter and is better than any knife you might purchase. If careful, it cuts hard wood as well. So, if you are so inclined, the old straight razors with deep nicks can be made to good use. If you would like to take up knife making without learning metalworking, you might like to try this. And the blades would be inexpensive on eBay.

Sounds interesting htmitten, can you post a picture? I have a blade that would be well suited for this purpose.

Knife is 6 in long, 5/8 wide, and tapers from 1/2 to 1/4 in thick. The blade is 2 1/2 in long. I would recommend shortening the blade to about 1 1/4 inch for general detailed carving. I just haven't gotten around to doing that yet.