# Who makes File Knives???



## HALOJmpr

Hey everyone.  I love looking at your knife work and have gotten the bug to make some knives for family for Christmas.

I had seen a really nice file knife on here by someone but I can't find it now.  I don't know anyone with a forge so I was thinking about making a brake drum forge to temper the steel with.  Anyone have experience with it???  I was lucky to get a number of rasps from a local farrier I'm going to use.  Any tips or advice???

Thanks
Paul


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## sharpeblades

*File knives*

Hank Hammond over in Leesburg Ga, does a super job on the file knives his screen name is --godogs57


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## fishfryer

A local knifemaker and friend, recommended this book to me. It will more than get you started. Spend a little, and learn a lot. Let me know later if it helped. "The Complete Bladesmith" Forging Your Way To Perfection   Jim Hrisoulas


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## Brad Singley

The brake drum forge will work for your hardening needs.  If you can control it properly.  As for tempering your blades your kitchen oven will work just fine.  
  My suggestion to you is to read up on the subject of heat treating hi carbon steel.   Lots of great info out there.  Annealing, grain refinement, spherodizing, martensite, pearlite, and tempering.  These are things you should have a grasp of in order to heat treat properly.  It's not as hard as the fancy names may suggest but it is good stuff to know to get great and repeatable results.
  First order of businees on a file is to anneal it so that you can work on it with hand and power tools.  This step is best thought of as the softening step, a file is hard, to hard to drill and work on.  To anneal it, bring the steel up to non-magnetic and bury in lime or vermuculite, along with a thick piece of metal you have heated up.  This will slow the cooling rate of the steel and as it cools slowly it will change from martensite to a pearlite structure, ie softening it.
  Sorry for being so long winded but just trying to get you to thinking about a few things.  I hope this helps you at least get started and I tried to describe so simple ways to accomplish what you are striving for.  Good luck and I will be glad to help you if you need it.  Feel free to pm me.


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## HALOJmpr

Brad Singley said:


> The brake drum forge will work for your hardening needs.  If you can control it properly.  As for tempering your blades your kitchen oven will work just fine.
> My suggestion to you is to read up on the subject of heat treating hi carbon steel.   Lots of great info out there.  Annealing, grain refinement, spherodizing, martensite, pearlite, and tempering.  These are things you should have a grasp of in order to heat treat properly.  It's not as hard as the fancy names may suggest but it is good stuff to know to get great and repeatable results.
> First order of businees on a file is to anneal it so that you can work on it with hand and power tools.  This step is best thought of as the softening step, a file is hard, to hard to drill and work on.  To anneal it, bring the steel up to non-magnetic and bury in lime or vermuculite, along with a thick piece of metal you have heated up.  This will slow the cooling rate of the steel and as it cools slowly it will change from martensite to a pearlite structure, ie softening it.
> Sorry for being so long winded but just trying to get you to thinking about a few things.  I hope this helps you at least get started and I tried to describe so simple ways to accomplish what you are striving for.  Good luck and I will be glad to help you if you need it.  Feel free to pm me.



Thanks so far for the tips everyone.  Looks like I'm heading to Books a Million tonight.  

Brad-  No chance of being long winded when you're giving good advice.  I'm just hoping in my spare time I can get all this done fairly quickly.  I'm off a half day Fri so I'm heading to a scrap yard for a brake drum and some parts.  Hopefully it will at least be a great learning experience for me.  I just hope they all appreciate the effort when they get their knives


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## HALOJmpr

Oh .... will hydrated lime work ok to cool it in?


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## Brad Singley

I think its called anahydrous lime.   Its been a few years since I bought mine. Just get you a metal trashcan w a lid for the lime.  Hope this helps.


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## george hancox

I don't know if you will be ready to make a knife to give away at christmas or not that is a lot ask of yourself.The $50 dollar knife shop is a good book by wayne goddard.In it you will find a 1 brick forge.It will use a simple torch to forge with and you can temper in a little toster oven at 400 for and hour twice.Coal is a very touchy way to go for beginners and very messy when there are wives around.You will need a good piece of heavy steel for an anvil and a good 3lb hammer.Making knives is a lot of fun and there are a bunch of great makers out there so read all you can and don't give up.


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## HALOJmpr

The rasps that I've collected are all Vallorbe Spirit rasps.  I understand they are a pretty decent rasp.  I'll have to try to find out if there's a difference between the anahydrous lime and the hydrated.


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## HALOJmpr

OK .... found out there is a difference and the hydrated will not work.  When it reaches temps over 1000 degrees it "decomposes" back to water and anhydrous lime.  Probably not what I'm looking for.  It seems the vermiculite is available in bulk and used as a pool base, and in gardening.  I should be able to locate one or the other.


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## Brad Singley

I use lime I bought from a local feed store.  It does a great job.  I also have vermiculite stashed away in the corner.  
  Something else you may want to consider is knife blanks from one of the knife supply stores.  Heat treat is done for you and you can focus on handle material and shaping along with pin selection.  The learning curve is gonna be steep when you throw forging in the mix along with heat treat. Forging is great fun but you can ruin good steel if it's not done properly.


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## HALOJmpr

Brad,  I'm going to try to keep it as simple as possible.  I'm not going to try to blacksmith the knives.  In the simplest terms it seems I have to anneal them as you said and then grind/shape them into the profile I want.  Drill my tang holes and then reharden then temper the blades.  Then finish and handles.  I know this is over simplified but it's the path I'm seeing so far.  This is an example of the finished product I'm leaning towards but probably not a 14" bowie.


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## Brad Singley

Halo you are on the right track in your thinking.  Good luck with your project and post some pics as you finish them.


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## godogs57

I love my file knives......get with me if you might be interested.


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## HALOJmpr

HANK!  Those are gorgeous .... that's the stuff that made me want to try.  Way more skilled than I am for sure.  Thanks for posting some more inspiration!


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## HALOJmpr

Well,  looks like GON has struck again.  I'm always amazed at the generosity and helpfulness of everyone on here.  Hank, godogs57, has offered his help and assistance in "honing" my knifemaking skills.  Not to mention everyone else who has offered support and advice.

Thanks everyone and I'll keep ya posted when Hank and I have time to get together!  I promise if there's any way I can help anyone I'll pay it forward!!!

Paul


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## Ballplayer

About 20 yrs ago GPTV had a guy who taught knife making step by step and the show came on every Sat. or Sun. Its a shame they don't have programs like that anymore. They had really good programing of different types of skills back then.  At the time I was'nt interested but now I am and all they want to show now are travel shows and British soap operas.


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## george hancox

The guy's name is Jim Small and He lives here in ga.I know that the university still sells the books for the class but you would have to contact Mr Small for the tapes to the show.He is a great man and I think he still has copies of the shows.


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## arcame

I also make them, all of mine are hammer forged and very little finish grinding. let me know if I can help


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## HALOJmpr

arcame said:


> I also make them, all of mine are hammer forged and very little finish grinding. let me know if I can help



Thanks arcame!!!  Another fine person on GON!  BTW do you have any pics of your knives?  I'll take all the inspiration I can get.


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## godogs57

That knife that Jim Small made on his show???? My friend has it in his possession....very pretty.


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