How to Forge a Knife

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Heat the metal in a forge or your own personal metal working furnace.

   Proper temperature varies, but a charcoal fire with introduced air is sufficient.
2. 2

   Step 2: Check color when heated.

   The steel should be 2,100 to 2,200 °F (1,150 to 1,200 °C) which is a straw or yellow color. ,, Leave about two inches or more on one end. , Work on both sides of the blade to prevent it from distorting. , Note that doing so will cause the blade to bend back on the spine. ,, After the third heating, let it cool in the fire overnight.
   
   Cooling it very slowly will make it softer, easier to file. ,, Dipping only the cutting edge will provide a hard durable cutting edge but leave the back flexible, thereby increasing the overall durability of the blade.
   
   Only dip the metal vertically, any other angle besides being a few degrees off will create bubbles around the metal, causing warping and you to have to reforge. , You can also leave it in a hot covered spot with a few coals, such as a makeshift brick box. ,, Finally use a leather strop impregnated with polishing paste to remove any burr and leave a razor sharp edge.
3. 3

   Step 3: Forge the blade to a point so that the flat side will be your blade edge and the curved side will be your spine when finished.

4. 4

   Step 4: Leave room for a tang (the part in the handle).

5. 5

   Step 5: Establish a blade

6. 6

   Step 6: by repeating rows of small taps with a three pound sledge (best weight will depend on your size and strength) in long rows up the blade

7. 7

   Step 7: narrowing the steel making the distal taper.

8. 8

   Step 8: Hammer out the flat side to make the bevels.

9. 9

   Step 9: Try to keep the blade from mushrooming or bending over itself

10. 10

    Step 10: as this will cause inclusions weakening the blade.

11. 11

    Step 11: Remember

12. 12

    Step 12: when it is a rough blade shape

13. 13

    Step 13: you can anneal it by bringing it to this red hot nonmagnetic temperature three times and letting it air cool till all the red is gone.

14. 14

    Step 14: File to shape and even up any uneven spots.

15. 15

    Step 15: Bring back to nonmagnetic and dip in a vat of oil to harden the blade

16. 16

    Step 16: (there are oil

17. 17

    Step 17: and air hardening steels).

18. 18

    Step 18: Put it in an oven for an hour or two on 250–350 °F (121–177 °C) to temper it.

19. 19

    Step 19: Handle it (either drill holes and pin scales of wood

20. 20

    Step 20: wrap with cord or wire

21. 21

    Step 21: or make a pointy tang and put in a block of wood then file it to shape.

22. 22

    Step 22: Sharpen your knife with a fine file

23. 23

    Step 23: then with a whetstone.

Detailed Guide

About the Author