Help me out sourcing a knifeadamantly blade blank

[.45Cole]

My brother is driving me nuts about trying to find a halfway custom knife. I was trying to get him to get a blank, pick out handle blanks, and put them in the hands of a local builder to do the final fit/finish. I can't find any sources for steel shaped blanks (he is adamantly against damascus) and I had once seen a builder with a catalogue of tons of blanks. I can get the wood, and prob a builder ( recommendations in CO welcome) but the blade blank is kinda hard to get. Anybody have a lead?

[jcwit]

I'm not at my computer at present,so I'll tell you this. Google knife making supplies,or knife blade blanks, you will have bunches of hits to chose from.

[MaryB]

These guys have some really nice damascus blanks http://www.alabamadamascussteel.com/damascus-knife-blades/

[starmac]

(he is adamantly against damascus)

[chuckbuster]

I have a a Tool & Die shop with a couple of employees that make some knives. They buy various types of steel from me for blades. If you like PM me and I will get contact info for you.

Do you have a basic style in mind?
Kevin

[Moonie]

I've gotten blanks from here:

http://www.knifemaking.com/

[Multigunner]

I have an old blade around here somewhere that was made from a cutting tool of some sort of industrial wood working machine. The guy who gave it to me never got far in shaping the blade but as is it will shave the threads off a heavy steel bolt like whittling wood.

One day I'll get around to making a knife from it.

If you want a carbon steel blade you can anneal a Mill Bastard file. I've annealed these by leaving it in my old oil furnace over night then after shapping the blade I heated a little above cherry red and dropped it in a pan of used crankcase oil. The result was a very tough blade that took a straight razor like edge and point so sharp you could rest it on a drink can and it would slide right through it by its own weight. I used to use it to slice through steel belted tires , it cut these like butter.

My best looking knife is made from an old style solid chainsaw bar. No annealing or other heat treatment on that one. It takes a good edge, I'm sure its not as strong as some other steels but should be far more durable than most.
The old style bars had a problem with chunks of the milled channel for the chain wearing through or breaking away, a lot of these ended up as scrap.

A local knife maker uses coil springs from automobile suspensions. He heats these and hammers them flat then makes his blades.
Auto suspension springs are some very tough and durable steel.

[StolzerandSons]

Track of the Wolf is another source for blanks.

[bayjoe]

There is a knife maker in Pagosa Springs

[Artful]

I'm saving back one broken power hacksaw blade to make a knife with...
I also have a couple of planner blades from a millsmith buddy.

[bayjoe]

Anybody ever try to make a blade out of a rasp. I made a pair of spurs out of rasps I got from a horse shoer.

[.45Cole]

Thanks for the replies guys. When I type custom blade into google, all I get are damascus blades (that was my choice and I had alabama damascus picked out)

Chuckbuster- I was hoping to steer him in a direction like this. Pick a steel, pick a shape, then we have the hard part down. He seems to be all caught up in the art knife guys magical way of heat treating. Alloy plays a larger part, but....He was after a classic Buck (http://www.carid.com/buck-knives/buck-knives-hunting-37232561.html) shape from what pictures he clicks on during searches.

[RayinNH]

Why not just buy the Buck knife at $47 and change if that's what he likes. The fact that they're almost impossible to sharpen should have no bearing on it [smilie=1:.

[oldlincoln]

.45cole, take a look at knifemaking.com. Google up Jantz supply too.

[jcwit]

Thanks for the replies guys. When I type custom blade into google, all I get are damascus blades (that was my choice and I had alabama damascus picked out)

Chuckbuster- I was hoping to steer him in a direction like this. Pick a steel, pick a shape, then we have the hard part down. He seems to be all caught up in the art knife guys magical way of heat treating. Alloy plays a larger part, but....He was after a classic Buck (http://www.carid.com/buck-knives/buck-knives-hunting-37232561.html) shape from what pictures he clicks on during searches.

This is what I suggested you google.
I'm not at my computer at present,so I'll tell you this. Google knife making supplies,or knife blade blanks, you will have bunches of hits to chose from.

Just 1 search, more than you'll ever need

https://www.google.com/search?q=knife+making+supplies

[MaryB]

I have a Buck with the changeable blades, sharpens up fine on my EdgePro sharpener. My favorite grab it and go knife for work around the house and it has butchered many a deer and a few steers too


Why not just buy the Buck knife at $47 and change if that's what he likes. The fact that they're almost impossible to sharpen should have no bearing on it [smilie=1:.

[TXGunNut]

122183

Have made some from Track of the Wolf kits. Have made a few since this one, Green River makes some good steel blanks. This was built as a hunting knife but it gets a lot of use in the kitchen as well.

[TXGunNut]

122186

Here's a couple more, these things are addicting.

[Michael J. Spangler]

USA knifemaker
Jantz supply
There are others out there too. Check out bladeforums.com for some more info. I bet you can find some local makers starting out that could make a great knife for short money.
Good luck

[knifemaker]

If he is looking for a custom at a reasonable price. Have him go on facebook and look up Hatfield Custom Knives. That is my web site and I have 1095 carbon steel, Damascus, and S30V custom knives that start at 125 bucks for the 1095 carbon steel hunting knives. I still have one 1095 steel knife listed on the site that is not sold yet.

[AkMike]

Dixie Gunworks has blades and kits too.

[knifemaker]

If you are wanting to put together a "kit" knife, your best bit for many different style of blades is Jantz Knife supply or Texas knife supply. both have web sites and offer over 40-50 different blades that are finished and you only need to add the handle scales and contour the handle.

[DougGuy]

What is Dell steel? Used to hear it a lot for knifemaking but not so much anymore..

[knifemaker]

I have never heard of "Dell steel". Sometimes a knife company will give it's own name to a steel they are using for market advertising reasons.

[.45Cole]

I'm not sure he's of the craftiness to be doing a kit knife. I think that finding the correct steel (thinking 32 series carbon) and then getting the shape done to a specification is the start. Most of the knife kit companies focus on the 440s and the tool steels.

[JSnover]

Thanks for the replies guys. When I type custom blade into google, all I get are damascus blades (that was my choice and I had alabama damascus picked out)

Chuckbuster- I was hoping to steer him in a direction like this. Pick a steel, pick a shape, then we have the hard part down. He seems to be all caught up in the art knife guys magical way of heat treating. Alloy plays a larger part, but....He was after a classic Buck (http://www.carid.com/buck-knives/buck-knives-hunting-37232561.html) shape from what pictures he clicks on during searches.
Tell him there is no magic, it's alloy and carbon content. I have carried and used a Case "Mako" since 1980. Damascus is some of the best blade steel you'll ever use but it cost about $100 per inch back then.
Ask him specifically why he does not want it.

[Jailer]

This place is a good source and a small time outfit run by a decent guy.

http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php



Anybody ever try to make a blade out of a rasp. I made a pair of spurs out of rasps I got from a horse shoer.

A local guy around here makes some pretty nice stuff out of old files.

[Moonie]

This place is a good source and a small time outfit run by a decent guy.

http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/index.php




A local guy around here makes some pretty nice stuff out of old files.

I recently purchased and assembled the following knife from there:

http://www.knifekits.com/vcom/product_info.php?cPath=1_535&products_id=4430

I really like it.

[TCLouis]

Jantz Supply in Oklahoma