How to make a knife at home. The simplest high-quality knife with your own hands What is the best way to make a knife?

The first tools for labor and hunting were invented primitive man another 2.5 million years ago. Back then it was a primitively processed stone. Just sharpened on all sides.

But humanity does not stand still, weapons are being improved. And so tourist, hunting and other types of knives appeared on the shelves of many stores. All of them are universal and suitable for any person.

But many people want to have a bladed weapon that suits them personally. With a special handle that follows the contours of the palm and a sharp blade capable of cutting nails.

In order to make a knife with your own hands and at home, you will need the ability to work with metal, wood, patience and attentiveness.

Material for production

The best choice among all alloys and metals is steel. You should pay attention to the markings; different variations have differences.

But any brand must meet the following characteristics:

  • Resistance to various types corrosion (especially important when working under the influence of water);
  • High hardness;
  • Wear resistance;
  • Impact strength (prevents the material from crumbling).


Bulat and Damascus are perfect for a blade, but the cost of such material is high due to the complexity of manufacturing. Few experienced blacksmiths are capable of performing such work.

Alloy steel is cheaper and more practical, and it will be much easier to forge. At this time, the following brands are available in Russia:

  • X12MF is die steel, sharpens well, has good impact strength. The only negative is that it is very afraid of corrosion. Therefore, you will have to take more care of your knife.
  • 95Х18. A very popular alloy due to its strength (despite the hardness of 64 HRC).
  • HVG – excellent viscosity and hardness, the edge will not crumble under strong impact. Refers to tool steel.
  • 40X13 – stainless spring steel, long-term use leads to reduction and cracking of the blade edge. You can also make a handle for a knife yourself using the following components:
  • Tree. The unique unique pattern of annual rings will add beauty and brutality to your blade.
  • Rubberized plastic. In another way it is called soft-touch or soft plastic. Does not slip in the hand, pleasant to the touch.
  • Steel. Typically 3 mm thick sheet steel is used. Pros: durability and ease of creation.

Step by step guide

The first thing you should make a knife out of is paper. The drawing should have the same dimensions as your future weapon. Think about what your blade will look like, the shape of the blade and handle.

Next comes the forging work. Having bought a sheet of steel of the required grade (or having found it in your shed, the main thing is to make sure that the right type is selected), you can start processing. Using an angle grinder with a cutting wheel.

It’s better not to touch small details; clarifications will be made later. This stage is needed only to give the basic shape of the future knife.

The workpiece must be passed through a grinding machine. Here you need to process every corner, the look should match your sketch.


The cutting part of the weapon is ready, now you need to drill 2-3 holes in the shank to secure the handle. Most the best option fastenings - use rivets made of a mixture of nickel and silver. Another option is more expensive bronze rods, which are available in large home improvement stores.

In order for a piece of metal to improve its quality characteristics, has become more durable, heat treatment is required. It will increase impact strength and eliminate the excessive softness inherent in sheet steel. The forge or furnace must be heated to 800 degrees and the product must be lowered into it.

If the magnet does not attract it when brought up, then the threshold of 750 degrees has been overcome. Wait 15 seconds, remove and dip the knife into the oil (use protection, this will cause the oil to burn instantly).

But that's not all. If you do not put the workpiece in the oven at a temperature of 200 degrees, the metal will soon crumble and lose its properties.

After this, make holes in the pads so that they match the tail ones. This is quite difficult to do; you may need the help of a knowledgeable person.

Glue the parts epoxy resin, for example, JB Weld, the main thing is not to get it on the blade, and wait for the time specified in the instructions for the glue.

Now all that remains is to shape the handle by grinding it with a grinding machine with a radial flap wheel. You can choose the shape to your taste. The last thing is polishing with a finishing compound.


If you wish, you can make a sheath for the blade yourself, the most simple option It will be simple to cut out a piece of rubber that follows the contours of your product, place it on a piece of fabric, and rivet it. This is a fairly economical and practical option.

Also, for edged weapons, you can sharpen them using a whetstone with a grit of 600-700 (fine) / so you can polish and sharpen your knife to a shine at any time.

Photo instructions on how to make a knife with your own hands

] there is a special category - these are knives, the manufacture and cutting of which becomes not just work, but serious hobby. To make such an item yourself will require serious skills and careful selection of materials. We will tell you how to make or forge a knife at home with your own hands in this article.

Important! Article 223.4 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation prohibits the independent production of weapons and objects that can be used as weapons. The material is provided for informational and educational purposes. The sanction under this article is up to 2 years in prison.

First, you need to figure out what metal the knife should be made of, and to do this, determine the purpose of the blade. There are four main types of knives, differing in sharpening, weight and other characteristics.

  1. Hunting - with a very sharp blade, the tip precisely shaped to shape. Knives of this type require careful selection of steel, as they must remain sharp for a very long time. In addition, steel for a hunting knife requires high toughness, since the blade may collide with bone when cutting.

  2. Tourist and hiking ones - must have serious weight and strength, since they usually perform rough work with branches and other objects. This is an analogue of an ax, so it is important to maintain a balance between the hardness of the steel and its resistance to impact and fracture.

  3. Kitchen knives are very close in type to kitchen knives, with the obligatory selection of high-hardness steel. A kitchen knife should not chip when colliding with a bone or become dull when working on a plastic board.

  4. Cleavers and survival knives are the successors to axes and camping knives. The former have a significant mass and width of the blade, the latter must be universal. This is especially difficult, since the functions are often incompatible, for example, as with tourist and hunting knives.

Worth paying Special attention on the choice of source material. In terms of the amount of work involved, the easiest way to make a knife is from a file - it already has a certain similar shape. In terms of strength and wear resistance - from a spring, spring or bearing. Sheet steel is selected from grades for these products. The sharpening angle of the knife is selected depending on the purpose, for example, a tourist knife is sharpened at 25 - 30 degrees, and a kitchen knife at 8 - 15 degrees.

What metal is best to make a knife from?

Several types of steel are suitable for making and forging knives. It is worth considering it by grade to determine its suitability for a particular task.

Steel 95Х18

Knife steel high strength with high resistance to corrosion. It is characterized by an optimal ratio of hardness and strength, which allows you to make a hunting or kitchen knife with an edge protected from chipping. Hardness index 64 - 62 HRC depending on the heat treatment of the material.

Steel 50Х14 MF

Tool stainless steel with a hardness rating of 58 HRC, which is used in the manufacture of scalpels. Knives made from it do not become dull for a long time. Sensitive to contact with bones and hard surfaces.

Steel X12MF

Die steel that can be hardened to 62 HRC. It is characterized by high impact strength and sensitivity to corrosion; it is not suitable for hunting and tourist knives, as it requires careful care.

Steel HVG

Tool material with average hardness and good impact toughness. Holds loads well.

Steel 50 HGA

A spring metal that can withstand loads well, but is prone to corrosion.

Steel 40Х13

Spring stainless steel, the knife from which will be beautiful, but with a fragile cutting edge. Suitable for the kitchen due to its flexibility and sharpening, but not for cleavers, travel and hunting knives.

Stages of preparing and making a knife

The process of making a knife is quite complex - you will have to go through several stages from cutting and forging to grinding and sharpening. Here is a brief description of these stages:

  • It is best to take a drawing and template for a knife from specialists or from magazines, since the optimal shapes of knives have long been worked out;

  • blank - steel can be bought in the form of a finished piece, but in any case it will need to be broached to give the metal the required strength;

  • And mechanical processing - it will have to be done with a milling cutter or an emery sharpener, carefully monitoring the heating so as not to spoil the metal;

  • hardening and tempering is a very difficult task, since it is necessary to precisely maintain the temperature, and only experienced craftsmen can do this visually.

At the last stage, the knife is assembled with the parts of the handle installed, which must be balanced and consistent in shape.

Making a knife from a file

Making a knife from a file should begin by tempering the steel. The material of the original tool is fragile and hard, so it must be heated to 200 C, kept there for about an hour, and then allowed to cool on its own. Sometimes the file is simply thrown into the fire, but it is much easier to let it go in a regular oven.

Using a pre-prepared template, cut out the shape of a knife - suitable for this Bulgarian or cutter. When working with emery, there is a high risk of overheating the metal. A sign of metal overheating during cutting is a change in color. To cool, simply spray the cutting area with water.

After this, you can start sanding the contour with the same grinder - we cut off the corners and protrusions. The work can also be done using a belt sander.

The next stage is making bevels, before which you need to draw a boundary line on the blade. Do not forget that the angle should not be too large and too small - in the first case the blade will be too thick, in the second it will be thin and fragile. To form bevels it is better to use draw frame, Bulgarian is also allowed. The final finishing is done with files. Don't forget to monitor the temperature!

After rough sharpening, the metal can be soaked in vinegar for an hour and polished to obtain a clean, shiny blade. After this, you can drill holes for the handle pins.

Making a knife from a bearing race

To make such a knife, you can use a cardan shaft bearing, machine bearings, the holder of which is made of steel type ШХ15. To obtain a workpiece, it is better to immediately saw the outer frame at an angle in order to obtain a workpiece under the nose of the knife. The circumference should be slightly larger than the total length of the knife, so leave a margin of about 2 cm.

Alloy steel requires annealing before forging. To straighten it, just keep it heated to a dark red color and let it cool in the air. After this, you will need to heat the workpiece to 800 C - the cherry-red color indicates its achievement. If the metal has turned dark orange, the upper temperature limit of 1100 C has been reached. As soon as the color changes to dull cherry, heating in the oven should be repeated.

How to forge a knife

There are two options for forging a knife. The first is for experienced professionals who know how to handle a hammer. The metal must be beaten so that it moves from the middle to the edge, and the tip must be rounded, stretching the workpiece along its length.

The second method is a little simpler - the plate is given a flat shape with a hammer, after which it is roughed with a grinder. This process is similar to that previously described, but the craftsman should ensure that the metal is cut in small pieces.

How to harden and temper knife metal

Bearing steel requires, therefore, it will be necessary to control the heating of the metal - the salt poured onto the blade will begin to melt at a temperature of 800 C. After this, the workpiece is placed in heated oil, being careful, since ignition is likely. When hardening, do not add oil or shake it, or turn the workpiece over. After hardening, the metal is tempered by heating to 200 C and gradually cooling. Subsequent operations for sharpening, finishing and assembling the knife are described above.

Knives made of springs and sheet steel

The blades are made in almost the same way as the previous ones, but the master must take into account that different varieties metal require selection of temperature, quenching and tempering. This depends on the specific workpiece material. You can get information from metalworking reference books.

We remind you that the manufacture of a knife can be regarded as the manufacture of edged weapons, so we do not list detailed instructions!

The knife is an integral attribute a person engaged in hunting. The areas of its use are varied: finishing off game, defending against attacks from wild animals, butchering a carcass, separating the skin from a carcass, solving household issues (for example, cutting branches or opening cans of canned food). Some actions are performed with multifunctional hunting knives, but in other situations you will need a special knife designed for specific function. If you wish and have the skills, you can make a hunting knife with your own hands.

Design of hunting knives

Based on the type and dimensional design parameters, hunting knives are divided into the following categories.

  • Classic. Standard length is from 10 to 13 centimeters. The blade width is 3-3.5 centimeters. Weight – from 120 to 180 grams. Blades of all types are allowed, excluding those sharpened on both sides. The purpose of such knives is long-term work on skinning and butchering carcasses.

  • Big ones. Length – from 13 to 17 centimeters. The blade can have any shape. Weight – from 180 to 300 grams. Great weight must be accompanied by a proper guard and a massive handle. Such knives are used to deliver cutting blows. They are not very suitable for other tasks.

  • Foldable. Sizes vary. Folding knives are equipped with 1 or 2 blades. They demonstrate themselves most effectively when performing small, short-term jobs.

How to choose size and shape?

The choice of size depends on the purpose of the knife. Small length specimens do not have the versatility that a hunter may need in unexpected situations. From 10 to 12 centimeters – best length knife

When you often cut up game with your own hands, choose a knife whose blade will be at least 15 centimeters. To hunt aggressive, large animals, for example, a bear or wild boar, you need a knife from 16 to 25 centimeters.

When making a hunting knife, close attention should be paid to the shape of the blade. There is a huge variety of their types, but only a few configurations are particularly common.

Materials for manufacturing

Even if you are not planning to make a hunting knife, understanding the materials used for manufacturing will help you out when purchasing a knife. Let's look at what types of steel are used for knives of this type.

  • Carbon steel should be designated grade 65 G. It is endowed with the required rigidity, holds an edge excellently, and has high corrosion resistance.
  • Another stainless steel that is often used to make affordable hunting knives is 65x13 steel. Suitable for a tourist, however, for a true lover of hunting, who often cuts up solid prey, it is poorly suited, since it instantly loses the sharpness of the blade.
  • Steel 95x18 is the optimal solution in terms of price and quality ratio. There is ease of sharpening - sharpening a blade made of 95X18 steel is quite simple. A knife made of this steel can be edited even on an ordinary stone.
  • Chrome tungsten steel ХВ5, called diamond steel, or steel ШХ-15 are also excellent for knives, but require constant care because they are subject to rust.
  • Tool steel grade R6M5 performed very well. It is used to make pendulum saw blades, and it is not that difficult to get.
  • Bulat steels have a rather “floating” quality. In the entire Russian Federation, only a few blacksmiths can produce high-quality damask steel.
  • Modern steels made using powder metallurgy methods have the rarest properties that outshine even the famous damask steel. Products made from these metals are usually very expensive.

There is a lot of practice to create handles for knives. different materials, starting from plastic and ending with mammoth tusks. Optimal material is a tree. Wooden handle Can be adjusted to any configuration and palm size.

Step-by-step instruction

The blade material will be made from 1080 steel, a very strong alloy that can be easily processed and hardened. For the work, you take the usual tools; for key tasks, a grinder is used.

List of required materials and tools:

  • workpiece, steel 1080;
  • grinder, cutting and grinding discs;
  • sandpaper;
  • electric drill, drills;
  • rod for pins;
  • epoxy adhesive;
  • wood for making handles;
  • cardboard, pencil;
  • marker;
  • source of thermal energy for hardening;
  • pliers, hammer, etc.;
  • vice or clamp;
  • files for wood and metal;
  • belt grinder.

Now let's look at the detailed steps of creating a hunting knife.

  • Template development and transfer. First of all, we make a drawing and a template based on it. You can find a ready-made stencil online and print it or draw it yourself. Then we cut it out, attach it to the workpiece and outline it with a marker.

  • Rough work with contour. Take a sander and carefully cut out the rough shape of the outline. When working with a grinder, you must regularly cool the workpiece with water.

  • Finishing the contour. The consequence of rough cutting will be uncut areas on the contour in the form of various curves and other elements. Such components can be cut using a sharpener. Here we again use a sander, sanding discs and files with different configurations. Using hand tools, the risk of steel overheating is reduced.

  • Drilling holes for pins. If you plan to harden a knife, you should always complete the basic steel work before hardening. Otherwise, working with iron will become very difficult.

For example, before hardening it is necessary to drill holes for the pins - at least 2.

  • Hardening. This procedure takes place in 2 steps. First, the steel must be made as strong as possible, and then weakened a little so that it becomes less brittle. This action is called "vacation". For hardening, we use a stove or a good fire. The workpiece is heated to a bright red glow, then lowered into vegetable oil. To establish a suitable temperature, you need to bring a magnet to the workpiece - if it does not stick, the steel can be cooled. After hardening, steel becomes very brittle. Therefore, we perform a vacation, as a result the blade becomes flexible.

This can be done in home oven. It must be heated to 200°C and the canvas should be left for 1.5-2 hours. After this, turn off the oven and let it cool without opening it, together with the knife.

  • Creating handle overlays. For linings we take aluminum alloy, polymer, horn, animal bone, wood, and other options. It is necessary to cut the rough blanks to size and drill holes for the pins.

  • Fixing the overlays. At this stage we use epoxy glue and a clamp or yew. Prepare 2 pins. Copper, brass, and other alloys can be used for pins. If you don't have anything at hand, regular nails will do. Next, you need to mix the hardener with the resin and glue the halves together. Then carefully clamp the handle with a clamp or vice and leave until completely dry.

  • Handle processing. After the glue has completely dried, we form the handle. For this we use files. You can also work with a sharpener or a grinder, but then you have to be very careful not to remove excess.

  • The final. Next, the wooden handle must be impregnated so that it does not absorb moisture. To do this, we use natural flax seed oil. After impregnation, let the oil dry and grind the handle until a shine appears on the surface.

In addition to the previous option, you can make your own knife from a file. Let's figure out how this can be done.

A used file is an excellent semi-finished product for a good knife. The file uses steel with a high percentage of carbon, which can be heated. Because of this, the knife becomes strong and does not become dull for a long time.

The materials and tools for homemade work are the same, only a file acts as a workpiece.

  • Steel tempering. First you need to temper the steel, since the metal of the file is brittle and very hard to process. You can release it at home in the oven, heating it to about 200 degrees and placing the workpiece for an hour. After an hour, allow the cabinet to cool along with the steel.

  • Knife outline. As in the case described above, you can come up with or find the outline of a knife on the Internet. Or you can change an existing one. We simply put its diagram on cardboard and then cut it out. When the outline is prepared, place it on a file and outline it with a marker.

  • We cut out the profile. Now we cut out the outline. Place the workpiece in the yew and slowly cut it out. Be careful not to overheat the steel as this will cause it to loosen. Pour water over the part and make sure that the steel at the cut site does not change color. Next, you can start sanding the outline. Use a sander and grind off all unnecessary edges, making the contour the way you intended it.

  • We create bevels. The cutting properties of the knife completely depend on the bevels. The thinner the blade, the easier it will be to sharpen and the sharper it will be. First, use a marker to depict the future bevel. You will need to divide the future blade into 2 areas to make it easier to navigate when processing steel. We take a drill corresponding to the diameter of the workpiece, place the workpiece on the leveled plane and draw a line with the drill.

  • Let's start sanding. Creating bevels depends on having the right tools. The optimal solution would be to use a belt grinder. If it is not there, we use a grinder or a decent set of iron files.

  • Loosen the blade handle. To do this, place the knife blade in a tank of water, and heat the handle with a burner until it turns red. After the steel has cooled to fresh air, it will begin to drill without difficulty. We drill holes for the pins, preferably using a drilling machine.

Warning!
This article was written solely in the interests of the author to convey information to people about how knives are made, what they are like and what they can be used for. That the right knife can become your friend and comrade who will help you out more than once.
If you, dear readers, decide to make a knife with your own hands, then keep in mind that Russian Federation, there is a law: Article 222 of the Criminal Code, Part 4 and Article 223 of the Criminal Code, Part 4. The illegal sale and manufacture of bladed weapons is a criminal offense and any product must be certified. And if you end up with such a product before the lawyers, such excuses as “I didn’t know” will not save you. (It’s better to say “I found it, I’m bringing it to you.” And mentally say goodbye to your favorite product.)
Many people, having made a knife exclusively, for self-educational reasons, found themselves in trouble with the law. Keep this in mind.

Types of steel for knives

What is steel? Steel is iron with various additives ( chemical composition alloy) quite simply iron containing carbon. There is laminated steel, three layers of different brands. There is a Damascus sandwich made of hundreds of layers of steel, two or three grades of steel, more often than two.
What steel to choose for a knife and where to get it?
This table shows the most suitable steels for making knives that you can find at your fingertips.

steel grade Description Where to find
A-2 Holds an edge perfectly. Self-hardening steel. Very often used in the manufacture of combat knives. Subject to corrosion. Regular bolts
L-6 Very durable and holds an edge well. If you need strength in a knife, this is it. Subject to corrosion

An excellent material for making a fishing fillet knife.

Band saw blade
5160 Highly professional grade steel. Holds an edge well and is susceptible to corrosion. Springs for cars and tractors.
52100 It is similar to grade 5160 and differs in carbon content, as indicated by the number 100 (contains about 1% carbon). This steel is widely used in the manufacture of hunting knives. subject to corrosion. Bearings
R6M5 The best steel for making alloy steel knives. Holds an edge perfectly, cuts very well, chops bone. Canvas pendulum saw on metal. Thickness 2mm.

Disc cutter for metal. Thickness 5 mm.

154CM or ATS-34 (ATS-34) The most popular stainless steel for making knives. To order: price approximately 3500 rubles per strip 3x25x250

Blade shapes.


Combat or tactical knife and its features.

Handle of a combat knife.

An extremely negative characteristic of a knife handle is round section. Because the handle may slide during a fight and the fighter will not be able to control the exact position of the blade. Imagine that a fighter is wielding a knife in slush conditions, or worse, bloodied. So when choosing a knife, pay attention to the handle: it should be oval, have special linings and fit well in your hand.

Sharpening.

A combat knife is most effective when it has a double-sided sharpening or one-and-a-half. During a fight, a fighter can use both sides of the blade without turning it over.\

Blade width.

Also, for a combat knife, the width of the blade is very important, which should be at least 2.5 centimeters. This primarily promotes wide wounds; secondly, wide bevels reduce the sharpening angle, which is responsible for cutting properties.

Blade shape.

The importance of blade shape should not be overlooked. The optimal shape is a leaf shape or a leaf-shaped shape, and if it is made with differential sharpening, plus serrated sharpening plays a good role in combat knives.

Limiter.

Any combat knife has a limiter; its function is to keep the hand safe during stabbing strikes. That is, it prevents your hand from slipping onto the blade during a strike.

Knife length.

This is also an important thing in combat knives. Judge for yourself: if the knife is short, then during the strike the vital organs will not be affected, the meaning of a combat knife is lost. A knife that is too long is easy to knock out of your hands, difficult to carry and difficult to hide. So the optimal knife length is 18-30 centimeters.

Blade hardness.

This feature applies not only to combat knives but to all knives in general; if the steel of the blade is not hard enough, it will either break or bend and will not hold an edge and will quickly become dull. In combat knives it is necessary to overcome the material of special clothing which Lately Almost all armies of the world are supplied. For example, Warrior 3 equipment has fabric that can withstand shrapnel loads. Judge for yourself what hardness and sharpness the blade should have. According to the standards, it should be no less than 47-55 HRC.

The location of the tip in relation to the axis.

The tip of the knife must be strictly at the level of its axis. Indeed, during a stabbing blow with a knife, all the energy is focused precisely on the edge of the knife, and the displacement from the axis will have a negative impact on the knife; the force is lost and the penetrating ability decreases.

Knife weight.

The optimal weight of a knife is considered to be about 200-300 grams. If the knife is heavy, it will take a lot of effort to use it, and a light one will not produce results when struck.

Center of gravity.

It is important that the center of gravity of the knife is closer to the handle.

Requirements for the sheath.

The sheath should be: light, without fasteners, the knife sheath should be securely fastened in the sheath and not fall out, the sheath should be dark in color. The sheath attachment should not interfere with the fighter’s movement. The knife should be removed from its sheath silently.

Russian combat knives

“Looking through chronicle texts, you can find a lot of evidence that Russian people have been able to use knives in battle since those times. Consider the description of the siege of the city of Kozelsk by Batu Khan. When he entered the city in battle, he was met by townspeople with knives, turned the tide of the battle in their favor, drove the enemy out of the city and slaughtered 4,000 Tatars.” Since those times, little has changed in the Russian spirit and knife. When foreign military personnel consider a knife to be a “weapon of last chance,” that is, during a battle it is the last hope for salvation. For a Russian person, a knife and a bayonet play a completely different role. Shouts of hurray and the point of a bayonet always instilled horror and fear in the enemy.

The first parent of the Russian army combat knife is considered to be the knife (army knife of 1940), (scout knife of 1940). These knives were used by the military who had a machine gun instead of a rifle with a bayonet, and the scouts you know why.
Now you can find new knives made by analogy; they are produced by the AiR company under the product name “Razvedbat” - a hunting one and “Shtrafbat” - a civilian version.
Available in four versions: Airborne Forces, Marines, Border Troops, Special Forces. The difference lies in the emblems of the troops that are printed on the blades and the color of the stripes on the handle.
At the same time, 1940, they began to produce for the NKVD services.
In 1943, the HP-40 knife underwent many changes and Soviet intelligence officers received NR-43. He had a straight guard, leather sheath, a plastic handle and a metal pommel which made it possible to use it in many brute force moments (even hammering a nail) the second name of the knife is “Cherry”. The knife was so well designed and thought out that it is still used by some troops.
In 1960, to replace the HP-43 knife, the special service received a silent cartridge firing from the handle with a 7.62 mm caliber bullet. NRS (scout shooting knife). This knife has also undergone changes, turning into one this moment is the main combat knife of sabotage brigades. Its sheath is designed in a special way and allows you to cut through wire, the blade, unlike the NRS, has become spear-shaped, and the saw on the butt has become half as long. The cartridge in the handle was replaced with a modernized SP-4.
Soviet paratroopers, at that time were recruited, which were intended to cut the lines of a paratrooper hanging on a tree. The sling cutter was not intended for combat battles, but the military personnel, by sharpening the tip and one side of the saw, repurposed this item into
Since those times, a lot has changed, the government, money, various gadgets have appeared, knives have not stood still either. They were manufactured according to various orders of army and internal military units.
These knives include - this knife was produced by Zlatoust by order of SOBR, which exists in three variations: a combat knife, a premium knife and a civilian knife.
— designed for law enforcement agencies FSB is available in two types "Vzmakh-1" And "Maestro" the handle of which can be made of various materials."Maestro"— differs in that it is made in anti-reflective design.
Knife "Antiterror"— made for the FSB. The shape of the blade has high penetrating characteristics; the cutting part has a depression, which increases the length of the cutting edge.
Combat knives series. The knives in this series differ from each other in the following ways:
"Katran -1" The underwater combat knife has a one-and-a-half sharpening. The butt has a wave-shaped sharpening; in the root part of the butt there is a hook designed for cutting nets. The sheath is made to be attached to the leg and is made of rubber; all metal parts are coated with black chrome.
"Katran-1-S"- created for ground forces. Made of steel 50X14 MF with anti-reflective treatment.
"Katran -2"— the handle is made of leather.
"Katran-45"- exclusive, specially made for the 45th Airborne Regiment. It has a metal saw on the butt.
– the knife was designed and made by order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tatarstan. It has a double-sided sharpening in the root part, the sharpening turns into a serrated one designed for cutting climbing slings, the guard is seven-fold, the handle is made of a set of leather, there is a modification of Shaitan-M (throwing knife) that can withstand up to 3000 throws.
designed and made by order of SOBR for work on the streets and in cramped conditions.
adopted by the FSB
Popular abroad Corsair knife. He fascinated the Germans with his form and performance. The catalogs describe it as one of best knives in Russia.
A stalker knife or one whose shape resembles a strop cutter modified on the knee by paratroopers. This knife, by the way, is used by the Slovak military.
Development of the Melita-K company, which took the HP-43 as a basis.
This knife was developed by one person together with an applied research center. It was developed for saboteurs, taking into account the specifics hand-to-hand combat. Tested on animal carcasses. The goal was also to find an optimal knife with a stopping effect when stabbed with a knife.
Knife or K-2. An ideal knife created taking into account all the requirements of our legislation so as not to classify it as a bladed weapon. The tests carried out on this knife are somewhat impressive and I take special pride in the fact that this knife was developed by a Russian person without any large investments. And with all this, the knife surpasses all foreign knives in terms of characteristics and has no analogues in the world.
The knife is designed for ordinary people even for a child. The main purpose of a knife is self-defense.

Popular foreign combat knives

I did not completely write out all the knives that are available abroad; if this is done, the article will be more than tens of thousands of words. You'll just get tired of reading it. And therefore, here are the most popular combat knives that are found abroad.

Bowie knife

Wood processing for knife handle


To process wood, you will need sanding paper with a grit of 120-150 to give shape, you can use 40-60, just don’t overdo it, for final processing Use 600-800 grit sanding paper. Prepare a couple of wooden blocks that are comfortable to hold in your hand. Attach a thick rubber plate with a thickness of at least 3 mm to one of the bars. after which you can wrap the sanding paper around the belt and begin sanding the knife handle. You will also use the second block, without rubber, at the junction of the blade guard with the handle (this is done so that there are no differences between the blade and the handle).
These are probably the most simple tools which can be adapted without significant costs and begin to process your future handle.
When sanding light-colored wood at the end of the entire work, in order to avoid eating into small particles formed from the sanding paper, it is necessary to use the wet sanding method. The essence of this grinding is constant impregnation linseed oil wood, which not only prevents the absorption of small particles, but also contributes to a brighter highlight of the texture and pattern of the wood. Impregnation with linseed oil should be done every time the sanding paper is changed. At the very end, after sanding, the handle is impregnated with shellac.
If porous wood is being processed, and this can include any root wood, shells may form that the craftsmen simply rub over epoxy glue, having previously mixed with sawdust of the same type of wood.

Birch bark knife handle




One of the popular handles is considered to be a knife handle made of birch bark. It doesn’t look bad, it gives a kind of pattern or texture, so to speak.
The principle of preparing the workpiece is the same almost everywhere: birch bark is harvested and removed from the birch (the birch then dies after a few seasons). The birch bark is cut into even pieces, they are pressed, squeezed, glued together, and after drying they are processed like an ordinary tree, a deliberately mounted workpiece on a blade or a special device.
I saw it not long ago unusual way which speeds up the preparation of a birch bark handle, I will try to describe it in detail.
One master told how to make a knife handle from birch bark. Having prepared birch bark, he chops small circles from it using. The notch is made from the outer ring of the bearing with the end sharpened on one side. With this notch he stuffs many birch bark circles, after which he uses the same method to knock out a hole in the circles in the center (the center is not specially measured) with a diameter of 8 mm. Next, he places all the prepared birch bark circles about 20cm long. tries to plant side to side, not to turn side to side. Then he clamps it with washers and nuts, stretches it and sends such a workpiece into a pan of boiling water for 4 hours. Every hour you need to take out the workpiece and stretch it as far as possible. After 4 hours of boiling, the workpiece is taken out and dried for 24 hours, and the broaching must be repeated while the nut is stretched. After the birch bark dries, the workpiece is reduced in length by almost half (keep this in mind when making the initial set of circles). After such procedures for cooking and drawing, the workpiece becomes monolithic, which is what was required of it. Now remove the workpiece from the pin, you can place it on the shank of the blade and process it as you please.
Very comfortable and most importantly quick way preparing a handle for a knife from birch bark.
The process of preparing a blank for a knife handle is described above. Then, naturally, according to all the canons, it is necessary to treat it with sanding paper and impregnate it with varnish, as indicated above, in the section on how to prepare a handle for a knife made of wood.

Knife handle made of bone or horn.


This is the most difficult task, making a handle for a knife from bone or horn. In order to make a handle from horn, you need to make a handle from some other material at least a couple of times.
If you are planning to make a handle from horn, then you will need horn naturally, and it must be dried. It usually dries in 0.5 to 2 years. There is a faster way: you simply dry it in the microwave for 5 minutes for half an hour at maximum power, after allowing it to cool and ventilate. Of course, not the whole horn is dried, but only the blank.
In general, an incorrectly chosen horn can initially cause you a lot of trouble. It can be caught wet, with rotten inside, with cracks. And all this comes up at the most inappropriate moment.
The handle can also be made from hollow bone. The bone cavity can be pre-filled cold welding or epoxy glue with pre-prepared filler. The bone is also easily deformed under the press; it must first be boiled for 30 minutes and, without waiting for cooling, put into the press.

Types of sharpening and removal of triggers




In order to properly sharpen a blade, you first need to know that before sharpening it needs to be stabbed, because the future blade requires from 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm of thickness, depending on the type of steel. Secondly, you should not sharpen your knife using electric sandpaper. The circle rotates at high speed, reaching 3000 rpm. From such a rotation speed, not only a significant layer of the workpiece is processed, but also loses its hardness.
There are many ways to remove bevels from a blade, some use diamond files, some use a sanding belt on a machine, one of these is correct, until the angular requirement is met, the result will not be achieved. In such cases, beginners can benefit from sharpening sets that allow them to adjust the required angles.
During sharpening, burrs are formed, the edge collapses or the creation of a chichetse-shaped profile, which must be processed because such an edge quickly dulls or shrinks. There are two ways to fix this: use a special grinding stone with paste or the old-fashioned method: a leather belt attached to a wooden block with paste attached to a wooden block.
Also, a beginner may mistakenly think that the knife has been sharpened due to the formation of a “wire cutting edge” this feature lies in the cutting part, not of the blade itself, but of chips that have not been completely cleaned and which were formed as a result of sharpening.
How to check if a knife is sharpened enough. You can check the sharpness of a knife using a sheet of paper that needs to be cut crosswise. The sheet should be cut easily without jamming or changing the cut. Or can you just take the hair and cut it effortlessly? This means the sharpening is sufficient.

A knife is an essential tool that is needed in any household. Choosing the right product so that it lasts long and effectively is not very easy. However, you have the opportunity to make homemade knives that will not be inferior in quality to store-bought ones. Let's consider this issue in more detail.

Advantages of homemade knives

Among the advantages of homemade products are the following:

1. Free choice of knife type.

2. Use of available materials, which makes the cost of the finished element lower.

3. Opportunity self-registration knife handles.

4. Satisfying creativity.

In principle, homemade knives, if you follow the manufacturing technique, are practically not inferior in quality to industrial products. Naturally, all stages of production at home must be strictly observed. Also consider that in a factory, instead of people, almost all activities are performed by machines. At self-production you will have to do a lot of manual work.

Types of products

Before you make homemade knives, you need to decide what you will need them for. So, we can distinguish the following types of products:

  • hunting;
  • combat;
  • household.

The peculiarity of such products is that the first and second types require permission if, of course, you buy them in a store. Also, homemade knives differ in the shape and length of the blade, and in the material used for manufacturing. The production process is the same for everyone. Sometimes there are only some nuances.

How to choose the necessary materials?

Making homemade knives is not very difficult. However, this is painstaking work that requires a lot of patience and time. Before starting work, you need to select the materials that will be useful to you in the process. So, you should prepare:

1. Steel, the thickness of which reaches 2 mm or more. Instead, a file or cable can be used.

2. Wood or other material from which the handle can be made.

3. Varnish (if wood was chosen).

4. Rivets for fixing the handle.

5. Fine sandpaper.

Need in additional material, of course, it can arise. It all depends on what type of product you want to make.

A very interesting knife is made from a cable. For example, you have the opportunity to get a very original handle from a tang. However, the most difficult stage is considered to be welding the scattered wires, of which the cable actually consists. Moreover, this process will be very difficult for a beginner without experience. You will not be able to make such a product the first time.

The preferred option is forge welding. That is, the cable needs to be heated, sprinkled with borax, heated again, and then begin to hit the material with a heavy hammer. The procedure is physically difficult.

What tool will you need?

Now let's talk in more detail about what exactly you will work with. In order to make homemade knives, you will need the following tool:

  • Vise. Thanks to them you can fix the workpiece for further polishing and sharpening.
  • Tin snips or jigsaw with appropriate blade.
  • Hammer (if you will be using a wire or file).
  • Gas burner or other equipment for hardening metal.
  • Drill and drill bit of the appropriate size. This is necessary to secure the handle with a rivet.
  • Sharpening machine with different attachments. Naturally, you can also use sandpaper, but it will not be as effective, and the work will be labor-intensive.

You will also need sketches of knives that you can draw yourself. In this case, pay special attention to all parameters if you are going to build military weapon. In addition, now you can find a ready-made drawing that will meet your requirements.

Step-by-step manufacturing instructions

Before you make a knife, you need to thoroughly prepare. If the drawing is all necessary materials If you have the tools, you can start working. Moreover, you can do everything in your apartment or garage. However, please note that the work is noisy and dusty.

Naturally, the metal should be hardened before work. So, the manufacturing process itself consists of the following stages:

1. Cutting out the workpiece. Its length is 20-25 cm, and its width is 2-3 mm. To work you will need a vice. First, a rectangle of specified dimensions is cut out on steel. Next, the outline of the future knife is drawn on it.

2. Processing the workpiece on a grinding machine. Moreover, it is necessary to work with the edges. As a result of the procedure, you should receive a division of the future knife into two parts: the handle and the blade.

3. Roughing along the plane. Naturally, first you need to choose the type of sharpening. It can be blade (used in the manufacture of hunting knives) and razor (for the production of household products).

4. You have already figured out how to make a knife, its blank. Now let's start making the handle. For work, you can use wood, plexiglass or other material that can be easily processed. First you need to mark it and cut it out. Next, a hole is made for the rivet. The handle can now be sharpened to give it the appropriate shape.

5. The product should be sanded using sandpaper. Naturally, polishing will be required.

6. Sharpening and polishing the blade. This action is performed using a machine and sandpaper.

7. The final stage is polishing the product. To do this, use felt and a special paste.

This method is used to produce combat knives and ordinary household products.

Features of making a product from a file

It is now necessary to consider the production process using other materials. For example, you will learn how to make a knife from a file. In principle, this process is practically no different from the instructions already given here. However, it has its own characteristics.

First of all, know that a knife made from a file will be quite durable and of high quality if everything is done correctly. For example, it is necessary to harden the workpiece so that it does not break or crumble.

It is very important not to forget to temper the metal. So you will remove internal tension in the workpiece, which may damage it. In order for the future knife to be smooth and beautiful, an etching procedure is also needed. Preliminary sharpening of the product can be done using a machine. But finishing should be done with regular sandpaper.

How to properly harden a workpiece?

You already know what to make a knife from. Now we should consider the sequence of the hardening procedure. So, first you need to thoroughly warm the workpiece at a temperature of 600-700 degrees. Hardening time is 4-6 hours. You can heat the product in the oven, stove, or even on gas stove. However, the latter option requires the construction of a special structure above the burner, with the help of which the temperature will be maintained.

The future knife should cool down together with the oven. Periodically during hardening you can sprinkle the product with salt. After cooling, it is necessary to temper the metal. This procedure is very simple. You need to place the workpiece in the oven, heated to 200 degrees and leave there for an hour and a half. The knife should also cool down there. After this, the hardening process will be completed.

As you can see, making a knife at home is not that difficult.

Etching Features

To carry out the procedure you will need:

  • Knife preparation.
  • A container into which liquid will be poured. In this case, the workpiece must be placed in this vessel.
  • Regular table salt.
  • Nail polish (color doesn't matter at all).
  • A means with which women remove manicure from their nails. It will be needed in order to subsequently process the knife.
  • Charger for mobile phone.

In principle, all this can be found at home. So the procedure will not be difficult and lengthy. Please note that the process itself is quite rapid. Therefore, choose deep containers.

It should be noted that this procedure must be carried out if you want to get a beautiful design on the knife.

Features of sharpening the finished product

This process is very important and requires some skill. Otherwise, you can simply ruin the workpiece or cause it to break and cause unevenness to appear on the blade. Rough grinding should be done using a machine. This will save you time. However, don't overdo it.

Finishing must be done carefully. It is best to use a regular sharpening stone for this and carry out the entire procedure manually. After sharpening, the blade is polished with a special paste and felt.

We looked at what to make a knife from. But the procedure has a number of nuances that should be taken into account. The tips below will help you make a quality product that will actually be used.

1. If there are any left on the workpiece small irregularities or burrs, then process it with a needle file.

2. To avoid injury when installing the handle, wrap the blade with electrical tape.

3. When choosing a material, try to pay attention to its evenness and the presence of microcracks. This can greatly affect the quality of the future product.

4. The blade slopes must be drawn out very carefully.

5. If you decide to choose wood for the handle, then you can use a regular parquet board.

6. The manufacturing process of this product is quite noisy. Therefore, it is advisable to carry it out in the garage rather than in the apartment. In addition, you must wear work clothes.

Now you know how to do good knife at home. Good luck!



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