Thread: knife blank
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Old 03-03-2017, 04:27 PM
jimmontg jimmontg is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Now live in Las Cruces NM.
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Exactly Dave.

I was just pointing out that you can grind a knife very cheaply from files (actually not so cheap for good ones) to hand held belt grinders to angle grinders. I made my 12" daggers with an angle grinder while I had a 1x42-8"disc belt sander. Overall length was 18"+. Angle grinder was easier.

As a matter of fact if I was to make big 18"+ knives I would start them with a hand held angle grinder first. It really is easier on something that big even with a 2x48 I have. For stock removal there are many ways to go about it. Cheapest is a 3x21 belt sander at Home Depot. Faster than a file and cheaper than the high quality files. I still have good sharp Nicholsons files from the 70s and they cost like $25 in the large sizes.
Do not forget taping sandpaper to wooden sticks either for finishing. A 1/4 by 1.5 by 10" will be very good for finishing a knife, a piece of steel is good too. I have several, some with no backing and some with 1/16" cork backing.

If poor and can't afford the big grinders it's all a great place to start. I find the sanding sticks very helpful on finishing the edges of my knife sheaths. Your's is almost ready Dave btw.

Last edited by jimmontg; 03-03-2017 at 04:30 PM.
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