How to Make Hunting Knives

You can learn how to make great hunting knives from inexpensive, used saw blades, adding a unique touch to your hunting gear. Impress your hunting buddies with one-of-a-kind, handmade knives.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Welding tip
• Electric kiln or acetylene torch
• Piece of cardboard or posterboard
• Cutting torch or band saw
• Belt grinder with 40, 80 and 120-grit belts
• High-speed grinder
• Pencil
• Used saw blades
• Wood or plastic
• Tempering oil

Make Your Own Hunting Knives

1. Trace your ideal blade on a piece of cardboard or poster board. Draw the entire blade. Transfer your pattern onto your selected saw blade.
2. Use a cutting torch or band saw to cut out your blade pattern. Shape the blade edges by using a high-speed grinder to begin transforming the saw blade into your desired blade type. Remember that the more pressure you put on the metal, the more you will grind it down.
3. Use a 40-grit belt to begin grinding down your blade to the desired thickness. Grind the blade again with an 80-grit belt to smooth out the roughness in the blade. Smooth out every edge and surface of the blade, including the tang, with a 12-grit belt to prepare the metal for heat-treatment.
4. Heat your blade, using an electric kiln or an acetylene torch, until it is bright red in color or at least 1425 to 1450 degrees F.
5. Dunk the blade in tempering oil or make your own, using a 50/50 mixture of diesel oil and crankcase oil.
6. Grind and clean the blade once again with 120-grit belt.
7. Use a welding tip on a cutting torch to heat the handle portion or tang of your blade, as well as the center, back portion of the blade up to the ground edge. Heat blade areas until they are deep blue in color, making sure not to allow the color to filter down into the cutting edge.
8. Create a handle using wood, plastic or a material of your choice. Use rivets to secure your handle to your blade.
9. Place the blade in your oven and heat it at 450 degrees F. until it turns from a silver-gray shade to a medium-gold color. Remove the blade from the oven and allow it to cool.

Tips & Warnings

• The ideal knife blade should be hard, wear-resistant and able to keep a good edge. Be cautious of using blades that are too hard or tough, as they can be difficult to sharpen.
• Stick with stainless-steel metal blades, ensuring that your knife will not rust or turn a darker shade.