This is the only "budget" knife build video I've seen where the maker actually stays within the budget and doesn't go using other stuff that isn't in the budget. Way to go dude!
3 years ago it was my freshman year in high school and I saw this video. I had around $100 and was looking to get into this sort of thing and was already into knives. I pulled the trigger and followed these instructions, with a few differences, and it turned out to be a great experience. This video is what really got me into shop work. Thank you
I have had that exact same hammer from Harbor Freight for forever! Idk shit about hammers or construction but I do know I love that hammer. It's very comfortable and a perfect weight for me.
I kinda did the same thing when I was 12. Actually really glad I did it no matter how terrible the knife turned out because it introduced me into being more resourceful, cheap, and learning to use tools and starting my own shop and projects. All while doing it under my parents nose until I finished and I showed them. My first project and my worst but best in a way.
I was amazed you actually used everything you bought and no other tools! Seeing you cut the wood with the grinder showed you weren't kidding! Great build! Thanks for sharing!
I see this all the time, as a matter of safety, I hope everyone thinking of trying this, reads this comment. I drill the handle holes first. I watched a guy cut the bevel and then try to drill the holes, the drill hung up and he lost three fingers! fun over! make sure you clamp it when you drill it so if any thing goes wrong, it can't move.
mike walker : good point, always worth mentioning . Also, sheath the cutting edge with the plastic blade cover you get when you buy a woodsaw or a hacksaw, tying it up with adhesive tape.
Always clamp your work; good advice; and.... use two hands on that grinder. That cutoff wheel will virtually explode if it gets cocked in the cut groove. I also wear leather gloves anytime when using a grinder. One of my guts had the grinder flip around and cut his wrist. TG his high dollar jacket cuff slowed the wheel down and it gave him a fair cut otherwise; it would have been an artery. GLOVES /GLASSES AND LONG SLEEVED; TUCKED IN NON BAGGY SHIRTS. DRESS like a welders dresses and you’ll be fine.
Not only that, this guy isn't qualified to even think about making a knife, let alone make a how to video. No safety, no proper approach, not a single thought about anything but trying to get views. Terrible form.
I would have never guessed you could do that with that little bit of tools. I've never made myself a knife before, but since I have all those things I might give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
I'm making a knife using only an angle grinder,the bevel is not as pretty as others knives but it cuts,you just have to start from a rusted metal file and keep it cool to keep the hardness and temper it in a kitchen oven,which is over budget but most people should have one already.other than that i wrapped the handle and sanded the bevel and blade with sandpaper to get the grindmarks down and finish the bevel before sharpening with two water stones
@@Xrated People have always used what they had on hand - ROCKS. A whetstone is sandstone, but whatever there is can be used as an abrasive. They used other rocks to make obsidian knives and arrowheads. Kids (and prisoners) use concrete to sharpen metal and make knives.
I just watched your knife shop for under $100. My 13 year old boy wants to take a shot at making knives, your video has made it possible! If he likes it, we can upgrade from there. Thanks!
From what I understand, lawnmower blades are too soft to hold a good edge for long. Reason being that if they were too hard they'd shatter or at least crack if you hit a rock. Higher carbon steel works better (old broken tools are a good source)
I actually had no desire to make a knife. My brother and cousin do, so my curiosity was piqued. I really enjoyed this video. Your common sense approach to all of the steps was refreshing. Your use of a very limited budget (the tools and materials at hand, I have all of these things sitting around in my shop, and a few old saw blades and dollies...lol) was excellent. I was impressed with your function over form approach, and the way you showed that EVERYONE can do it, and it doesn't have to be "Perfect". I am a Construction Superintendent and I appreciated your awareness and demonstration of safety equipment. (some gloves and some advanced clamping techniques might have been appropriate, especially at the fire. ;) ) You have motivated me to turn out a knife of my own to give my brother and cousin as gifts this year. Thank you. Johnny
This was honestly the perfect video. It’s not the perfect knife but it’s a knife and that’s the point everyone starts somewhere and you can only improve. Make your mistakes with the cheaper materials
Thank you. The people who write books like that seem to think everyone can just find what they need and that would be great but that’s not always the case. Thank you for showing me what I need and can actually get. Also thank you for the knife making info. Great job.
What's so hard about calling a scrap yard and asking where stuff is they're scrap yards in almost every single county you may not have one in your town but I guarantee you there's one in your county and you can either buy or trade with scrap yards if you got a bunch of junk metal laying around that's no good for making blades because it's just mild steel you can take it to the scrap yard and see if they're willing to make a trade for some useful steel many times they will you may even be able to find a nice advice or an anvil they probably won't let you trade equal weight for that though you'll probably have to give him at least twice as much weight.
What amazed me is that angle grinder lasted more than 3 minutes. I got the same model to use for work (I didn't want my good expensive one to disappear) and not even 2 minutes into it smoke began growing out the vent holes... then came the flames... then the laughter from all the guys watching it self destruct. We locked the trigger closed with a zip tie and watched in awe as it finally let out its last puff of smoke.
I’m a machinist, I’ve made a few knives from table saw blades, and from tool steel. This was a really informative video, I picked up a few tips. I like to use old pallets for scales, there is usually some hardwood, but a lot of pine in them, the good part is they’re usually free. I also like to use brass for the pins.
I've noticed that a lot of "build x for under y" follow that same pattern that you mention of like, "get scrap steel" or "get an alternator or some other car part from a junkyard" or so on. Like you said, I don't live in those circles where that's something that I know how to do. It's great to see someone doing something with what we call COTS (common off the shelf) stuff, rather than lucky finds.
You just gotta look and nit ve scared to ask around. I just got a forklift tine for free. From equipment rental place. I can make 2 anvils from that. I got 3 electric motors from work 2 were 5 ho and 1 was 1 hp I also got steel tube to make the frame for my 2x72 from work and a 5ho gas engine. All work and all were in or headed to scrap bin. People arent born knowing how to use an alternator for this or that, but anyone can learn if they put in a small amount of googling. In knife making you either use really basic tools on the cheap, shell out a lot of money for nice tools, or you learn to make tools for cheap or free. I personally didnt like doing everything with files so I learned. When I get another fork lift tine, using it to make a power hammer.
You don't have to run in a certain circle to be able to pick up a phone book or your phone and look for the phone number to the nearest scrap yard and call them. And you can find usable scrap steel for blades just by walking down the road.
Love this video. I started at knife making last year. Keeping to minimal bidet as it is just a hobby. This should be an inspiration to a lot of young and old that want to get started.
I like the constraint of budget and one store. People who don't think they can do this might be compelled to give it a shot. I like the process of using strict constraints to make me think outside the box.
This is awesome! I too got in the hobby through that book, and ran into some of the same issues and turned to Harbor Freight. Thanks for giving your time and energy to make this video.
Make every thing I have been makeing fix blade knifes for 4 years and I really do enjoy it . Made knifes from a file and lawnmower blades and all kinds of good steel. Good job on that knife.
I think I just found something to do during this "quarantine"! I've always wanted to get into knife making and now I have a ton of time to dip my toes in it.
Great video mate. Actually using only the tools and items you bought is a refreshing change. The fact that it's all basic items from the hardware store is the icing on the cake.
For even cheaper materials but a little more leg work check out estate / tag sales. A lot of older people had older hand tools and when they pass the heirs just want rid of the "old junk." With the aging population theses types of sales are pretty common. Great no excuses video.
Bob Brownell used a large rectangular flashlight battery connected to a removed D cell carbon center "post" that he sharpened to a point to de-temper spots on the rifles he worked on so that he could drill / tap holes for scope mounting. The same technique could be used to soften tempered knife making steel to bore holes easily without having to start a fire and waste time.
Nice. I made my first knife with files, a hack saw, and a hibachi barque grill in high school. Nice to see someone showing that it doesn't take a $1000 dollar shop to get started. The more people get into the hobby the broader the material cost will be to supply the hobby. That and the more people will appreciate the skills that the pros have when they make a nice nearly perfect knife. I know I'll never be a pro, but I respect armature quality more and am more critical and forgiving of pros products now. I also know if I need a specialty knife I can make it and save a little if I need to.
The first knife I "finished" was done with a hack saw and some files. Handle was red oak and the pins were cut from a wire hanger, heat treated with a map gas torch. I say "finished" because it was made from a bar of mild steel I bought from Lowe's. I learned the process before the importance of steel and somewhere in my mind was something saying "the quality of the heat treat affects the knife more than the quality of the steel." I didn't realize that the rest of that sentence was "but you still need enough carbon to get a good result."
Handy little sandpaper knife for the shop. Good demonstration of how little you actually need by way of tooling, but the difference between basic power tools vs all hand tools at a very similar price point is in the time it takes. Thanks for the video.
you can spot anneal for drilling by clipping the end of a finish nail, putting in the drill and try and drill your hole, lean i to it. It will turn cherry red and be able to be drilled.
"this was $4 and this was $1" You are awesome mate. Telling everyone exactly what you were spending along the way was great. Your detail to work and explaining is what makes this such an awesome channel.
I don't know why, but I ran across one video of a guy making a sword from scratch a few weeks ago. Ever since then I have been watching one knife or sword making video after another. Some of them are just cool to watch, other are semi-interesting to learn from. However, this is the only one I have yet to find that I feel comfortable (and able to) follow along with being a total beginner. Most the other "beginner" videos, or at least all the ones I have found, use heavy machinery or specialized tools which most beginners would not have. Thank you for producing this video, if I can get a little spare time, I am going to try knife making out by loosely following this video.
Yeah I never get how that all works. I do the same for 2025 batteries when I need them-I buy $1 headlamps from walmart that have 2 of them, vs paying 5 bucks for a 2 pack in the battery isle. Bunch of stuff I do that with
@@MakeEverything Looking forward to it. Still, the low budget and the message at the end that actually now one has the tools to move forward and make more stuff is so good. In a time and place in which I feel like we are bombarded with "buy more buy more buy more" messages like yours are so important.
I spent about 30 dollars at harbor freight to start knife making about a year ago and I got a hacksaw some files and clamps and a couple other things. I already had a drill and I found a chunk of mild steel and in about a week of working after school a had a knife. I didn't even try sharpening it because I knew it wouldn't hold a edge
Try it out on some tool steel like 0-1 or 1075, there is a link in the description to an amazon seller who has it. Heat treating can be intimidating but it’s not as hard as people think! Best of luck!
Actually I was thinking air compressor and a scrap piece of pipe or conduit to be able to get air to the base of the coals. But yes, I think we all wanted better air flow to the fire.
Nice! Point well made. That's pretty similar to the process I used on the stock removal knife I did recently .... I splurged a bit on a bench top 4" belt grinder from harbor freight (i think it was like $80) and I got 3 12" by 1.5" by 3/16" annealed 1095 steel bars on amazon for under $40 and a brass rod from home depot for $10 or so. The scales I used were cherry scraps I had already. It's really easy to spend a ton of money kitting out a knife shop but you can get started and produce some fairly impressive results for very little. Also, I like to use a drill bit that is just slightly thinner or thicker than my steel to mark my lines so that in the rough grind I leave the blades edge thick enough that there is still some material to remove when I'm ready to put a cutting edge on it. Cheers and happy new year!!
This video is great! I've hand forged tools (marking knife, drawknife, chisel) but I've never made a proper fixed blade. This made me realize I have EVERYTHING I need in my shop right now, including a belt grinder, oxy-acetylene torch, and old saw blades and lumber. I'll probably crank out a knife tomorrow. Thanks!
You kept my interest during the entire video. You provided common sense reasons on what you were doing. Your procedure for attaching the handle to the blade is simple and efficient. Anyone competing in Forged in Fire should watch how you put the handle on the blade. It kills me watching the competitors trying to put the handle on their blades. Well done.
Great job Chris. Excellent primer on the entire process with a bare minimum of power tools. It could be done with just files as well. Bring the entry cost down even more. But shoot. This really makes the barrier to entry low. If I get comments on my tools, I’m sending them to this video.
I've never made a knife before and I'm not sure how I ended up here, but this was a pretty cool video. I may end up trying my hand at it. I already have all the tools. Thanks for showing people that you don't have to spend a fortune to get into a hobby. Regardless of the hobby there will always be a tool snob, gun snob, metal detector snob, etc, etc that will laugh if you don't buy the most expensive equipment.
Just came across this during the U.K. lockdown, I already have all of these tools plus a few others that’ll come in handy, and I have an old lawnmower blade and some offcut oak boards, this could help keep me occupied thanks!!!
That was an excellent exercise in operating within your parameters. Well done! I am always frustrated if someone says "OK, I cheated a little and used 'blah blah blah' I had on hand." You stuck to it! Subbed!
If you keep an eye on the sales and get the 20% off coupons, you could outfit yourself with the 1x30, some belts and some ratcheting bar clamps perfectly sized for knife scales. All for under 100 bucks. That's how I got my start up shop going.
My father-in-law loves collecting knives. While making something like this for him wouldn't be the best knife he owns, I imagine just having one made specifically for him would be worth the cost, and effort. Kind of like a kid making a craft, but one that can cut things. Thanks for the video.
The first knife I made I used an old lawnmower blade. I had no file, no angle grinder, not even a hack saw. The only tool I used was an old single wheel bench grinder that my great-grandfather had made from an old motor. It took me hours to grind out the rough profile, but in all, for the tools and knowledge I had, it turned out just fine!
you can drill through those blades with out annealing the metal use concrete drill bits they have carbide tips. you might go through a few but it can be done
Thank you, you explain the process well. What I like to use for handle is old pallets, there free. Also I like to use harbor freight macheties on sale for blade blanks.
Incredible, pretty awesome! Just a FYI when I worked in Alaska I'd see the native people make their personal Ulu's with any circular saw blade they found and a small campfire, quite fascinating to watch, enjoyed your video!
Love how you speeded up the tedious parts. Good job with the video. I know you wanted to source everything from Harbor Freight but for a real budget knife you can get a small piece of wood from the box store or a board from an old oak pallet. My local hardwood distributor allows me to dumpster dive for split or broken pieces of hardwood. Old saw blades at the swap meet are a buck each.
@@mrmidnight32 bullshit. I’ve been grinding for 50 years and it hasn’t effected my hearing. Hell while you are at it dress up like a half ass astronaut and protect everything.
A respirator for breathing is more important than earplugs. You don’t want to come down with grinders consumption. That has killed a lot of knife makers. If you don’t believe me look up knife maker Vernon Hicks in Arkansas.
Quick tip use an old brake line or archery arrow as a blow tube to add air to your fire, gives you much more control over where your putting air to the coals.
I kind of liked the whole concept of your video and i know HF Dollies are cheap i wanted to throw out another possible cost savings idea That's free , most wooden pallets are made from hardwoods many. Are Oak and can be had for no money check on Craigslist " Free " and almost always someone is giving them away just a thought of mine by no means a negative comment about the video i personally do love those HF furniture dollies for many projects myself i am actually a retired Woodworker and on a budget minded lifestyle so i am always on the look out for inexpensive or free woods to work with
Adventures with Frodo that angle grinder is a pretty crappy one. If you're on a budget look for a used one (Craigslist/eBay). Or the Hercules brand at Harbor Freight isn't bad. I have one that I've beat on quite a bit and it seems tough. I do a lot of fab/ welding work and keep at least 4 grinders on the bench at all times.
I love this concept! Thanks for making this video mate!
Hey Black Beard. Discovered your channel last week and have blown through all your content. Can't wait for whatever you release next.
This is the only "budget" knife build video I've seen where the maker actually stays within the budget and doesn't go using other stuff that isn't in the budget.
Way to go dude!
Yeah really. “Budget knife build”
“Now we’ll go over to the drill press, and finish off the blade on my belt sander...”
He used a marker that wasn't in the budget!!!!!! haha
@@Grumpini 😆
3 years ago it was my freshman year in high school and I saw this video. I had around $100 and was looking to get into this sort of thing and was already into knives. I pulled the trigger and followed these instructions, with a few differences, and it turned out to be a great experience. This video is what really got me into shop work. Thank you
I just learned more from you in 30 min. Than I have in years watching guys with high dollar tools that I’ll never have.
Thank you brother
brøthęr rgbcockroach gang
Very.... AND I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH.... VERY cool video
I'm 16 and want to get into knife makeing and this was the perfect video to show me how to do so.
I have had that exact same hammer from Harbor Freight for forever! Idk shit about hammers or construction but I do know I love that hammer. It's very comfortable and a perfect weight for me.
About a year ago I saw this video for the first time. It lit a fire in me and I fell in love with knife making
I kinda did the same thing when I was 12. Actually really glad I did it no matter how terrible the knife turned out because it introduced me into being more resourceful, cheap, and learning to use tools and starting my own shop and projects. All while doing it under my parents nose until I finished and I showed them. My first project and my worst but best in a way.
I was amazed you actually used everything you bought and no other tools! Seeing you cut the wood with the grinder showed you weren't kidding! Great build! Thanks for sharing!
Ayyyy Scoutcrafter
I was amazed that none of the Harbor Freight tools broke .
@@MrNorthstar50 Cadillac?
@@MrNorthstar50 I wasn't.
@@MrNorthstar50 The maple would have dulled HF nitride bits.
Finally a knife build on u tube that makes my work look good
I love that just used the tools and didn't just complain the whole time because their cheap and still made a great knife👍👍
I see this all the time, as a matter of safety, I hope everyone thinking of trying this, reads this comment. I drill the handle holes first. I watched a guy cut the bevel and then try to drill the holes, the drill hung up and he lost three fingers! fun over! make sure you clamp it when you drill it so if any thing goes wrong, it can't move.
mike walker : good point, always worth mentioning . Also, sheath the cutting edge with the plastic blade cover you get when you buy a woodsaw or a hacksaw, tying it up with adhesive tape.
Good Advice! thanks for commenting.
Always clamp your work; good advice; and.... use two hands on that grinder. That cutoff wheel will virtually explode if it gets cocked in the cut groove. I also wear leather gloves anytime when using a grinder. One of my guts had the grinder flip around and cut his wrist. TG his high dollar jacket cuff slowed the wheel down and it gave him a fair cut otherwise; it would have been an artery. GLOVES /GLASSES AND LONG SLEEVED; TUCKED IN NON BAGGY SHIRTS.
DRESS like a welders dresses and you’ll be fine.
Not only that, this guy isn't qualified to even think about making a knife, let alone make a how to video. No safety, no proper approach, not a single thought about anything but trying to get views. Terrible form.
Ethan Vandal :DILLIGAF!!!
I would have never guessed you could do that with that little bit of tools. I've never made myself a knife before, but since I have all those things I might give it a try. Thanks for sharing.
Mama Bear's She Shed Tracy Keaton get to it!
Did you made the knife? Just curious lol
I'm making a knife using only an angle grinder,the bevel is not as pretty as others knives but it cuts,you just have to start from a rusted metal file and keep it cool to keep the hardness and temper it in a kitchen oven,which is over budget but most people should have one already.other than that i wrapped the handle and sanded the bevel and blade with sandpaper to get the grindmarks down and finish the bevel before sharpening with two water stones
this is definitely something that could easily start someone’s passion for knife making
So easy a Caveman could do it. Wait a minute .... They did. You nailed the process in an easily followed video. I enjoyed this very much.
ummm no they didn't.
Please show me where cavemen had grinders
@@Xrated People have always used what they had on hand - ROCKS. A whetstone is sandstone, but whatever there is can be used as an abrasive. They used other rocks to make obsidian knives and arrowheads. Kids (and prisoners) use concrete to sharpen metal and make knives.
@@Xrated Please show me where they didn't. I am the accused. You have to prove me guilty 😉
Man, that drill bit trick and the epoxy measuring trick are worth their weight in gold!
I've never seen the metal heat treating process explained so well. Thank you!
I just watched your knife shop for under $100. My 13 year old boy wants to take a shot at making knives, your video has made it possible!
If he likes it, we can upgrade from there.
Thanks!
This folks is why I keep old lawn mower blades.
i know...lol i have like 6 in my garage lol old files too.
From what I understand, lawnmower blades are too soft to hold a good edge for long. Reason being that if they were too hard they'd shatter or at least crack if you hit a rock. Higher carbon steel works better (old broken tools are a good source)
@Garrett McCullough Some folk calls is a slingblade I calls it a kaiser blade.
@@alexg7965 Can’t you harden it with heat?
@@BeefNEggs057 not a high enough carbon content. They're basically mild steel to my knowledge.
I actually had no desire to make a knife. My brother and cousin do, so my curiosity was piqued.
I really enjoyed this video. Your common sense approach to all of the steps was refreshing. Your use of a very limited budget (the tools and materials at hand, I have all of these things sitting around in my shop, and a few old saw blades and dollies...lol) was excellent. I was impressed with your function over form approach, and the way you showed that EVERYONE can do it, and it doesn't have to be "Perfect". I am a Construction Superintendent and I appreciated your awareness and demonstration of safety equipment. (some gloves and some advanced clamping techniques might have been appropriate, especially at the fire. ;) )
You have motivated me to turn out a knife of my own to give my brother and cousin as gifts this year.
Thank you.
Johnny
I was already subscribed, and you confirmed my confidence in you when you burned the drill instructions to start the fire LOL
This was honestly the perfect video. It’s not the perfect knife but it’s a knife and that’s the point everyone starts somewhere and you can only improve. Make your mistakes with the cheaper materials
Thank you. The people who write books like that seem to think everyone can just find what they need and that would be great but that’s not always the case. Thank you for showing me what I need and can actually get.
Also thank you for the knife making info. Great job.
What's so hard about calling a scrap yard and asking where stuff is they're scrap yards in almost every single county you may not have one in your town but I guarantee you there's one in your county and you can either buy or trade with scrap yards if you got a bunch of junk metal laying around that's no good for making blades because it's just mild steel you can take it to the scrap yard and see if they're willing to make a trade for some useful steel many times they will you may even be able to find a nice advice or an anvil they probably won't let you trade equal weight for that though you'll probably have to give him at least twice as much weight.
What amazed me is that angle grinder lasted more than 3 minutes. I got the same model to use for work (I didn't want my good expensive one to disappear) and not even 2 minutes into it smoke began growing out the vent holes... then came the flames... then the laughter from all the guys watching it self destruct. We locked the trigger closed with a zip tie and watched in awe as it finally let out its last puff of smoke.
This will remove ALL excuses for anyone to try a build i am just slightly above this level but im still learning all the time great vidja.......
Nice video very educational I discovered all the possibilities of Harbor Freight was life changing
Those flap discs are amazing tools! So versatile. It was like a revelation when I realized they existed!
I’m a machinist, I’ve made a few knives from table saw blades, and from tool steel. This was a really informative video, I picked up a few tips. I like to use old pallets for scales, there is usually some hardwood, but a lot of pine in them, the good part is they’re usually free. I also like to use brass for the pins.
I've noticed that a lot of "build x for under y" follow that same pattern that you mention of like, "get scrap steel" or "get an alternator or some other car part from a junkyard" or so on. Like you said, I don't live in those circles where that's something that I know how to do. It's great to see someone doing something with what we call COTS (common off the shelf) stuff, rather than lucky finds.
You just gotta look and nit ve scared to ask around. I just got a forklift tine for free. From equipment rental place. I can make 2 anvils from that. I got 3 electric motors from work 2 were 5 ho and 1 was 1 hp
I also got steel tube to make the frame for my 2x72 from work and a 5ho gas engine. All work and all were in or headed to scrap bin. People arent born knowing how to use an alternator for this or that, but anyone can learn if they put in a small amount of googling. In knife making you either use really basic tools on the cheap, shell out a lot of money for nice tools, or you learn to make tools for cheap or free. I personally didnt like doing everything with files so I learned. When I get another fork lift tine, using it to make a power hammer.
You don't have to run in a certain circle to be able to pick up a phone book or your phone and look for the phone number to the nearest scrap yard and call them. And you can find usable scrap steel for blades just by walking down the road.
I tried knife making once and gave it up. After watching this, I think I will give it a shot again. Great video!
Love this video. I started at knife making last year. Keeping to minimal bidet as it is just a hobby. This should be an inspiration to a lot of young and old that want to get started.
Very impressive instructional video. People think that HF stuff is all crap, but you proved differently.
I like the constraint of budget and one store. People who don't think they can do this might be compelled to give it a shot. I like the process of using strict constraints to make me think outside the box.
This man is a magician he got a knife sharp with a pullthrough 😯
This is awesome! I too got in the hobby through that book, and ran into some of the same issues and turned to Harbor Freight. Thanks for giving your time and energy to make this video.
Make every thing I have been makeing fix blade knifes for 4 years and I really do enjoy it . Made knifes from a file and lawnmower blades and all kinds of good steel. Good job on that knife.
I think I just found something to do during this "quarantine"! I've always wanted to get into knife making and now I have a ton of time to dip my toes in it.
Great video mate. Actually using only the tools and items you bought is a refreshing change. The fact that it's all basic items from the hardware store is the icing on the cake.
For even cheaper materials but a little more leg work check out estate / tag sales. A lot of older people had older hand tools and when they pass the heirs just want rid of the "old junk." With the aging population theses types of sales are pretty common.
Great no excuses video.
Well, ya🙄
Omg... its a tutorial video thats actually helpful and stays within budget
Bob Brownell used a large rectangular flashlight battery connected to a removed D cell carbon center "post" that he sharpened to a point to de-temper spots on the rifles he worked on so that he could drill / tap holes for scope mounting. The same technique could be used to soften tempered knife making steel to bore holes easily without having to start a fire and waste time.
Nice. I made my first knife with files, a hack saw, and a hibachi barque grill in high school. Nice to see someone showing that it doesn't take a $1000 dollar shop to get started. The more people get into the hobby the broader the material cost will be to supply the hobby. That and the more people will appreciate the skills that the pros have when they make a nice nearly perfect knife. I know I'll never be a pro, but I respect armature quality more and am more critical and forgiving of pros products now. I also know if I need a specialty knife I can make it and save a little if I need to.
The first knife I "finished" was done with a hack saw and some files. Handle was red oak and the pins were cut from a wire hanger, heat treated with a map gas torch.
I say "finished" because it was made from a bar of mild steel I bought from Lowe's. I learned the process before the importance of steel and somewhere in my mind was something saying "the quality of the heat treat affects the knife more than the quality of the steel." I didn't realize that the rest of that sentence was "but you still need enough carbon to get a good result."
That would make a really good black powder patch knife!!!! Great video!!!!
Great execution of concept. Also thanks for the epoxy mixing in lines tip. I've never heard that before, but I'll start using it.
Handy little sandpaper knife for the shop. Good demonstration of how little you actually need by way of tooling, but the difference between basic power tools vs all hand tools at a very similar price point is in the time it takes. Thanks for the video.
For your fires, try a rocket stove made with a couple of institutional sized fruit cans. Provides high airflow and really high temps on minimal fuel.
I just eat a lot of beans and broccoli and light my farts on fire
Excellent idea!!! Rocker stove is a good general survival tool as well. Good thing to have around.
This is awesome, I've totally got about a hundred bucks to dedicate to something I've been interested in for so long.
you can spot anneal for drilling by clipping the end of a finish nail, putting in the drill and try and drill your hole, lean i to it. It will turn cherry red and be able to be drilled.
This is a GREAT tip!!
@@MakeEverything Drill press is better because of the leverage but drill will work.
You just made my top 10 makers on youtube list!!! You just made knife making attainable for me!
"this was $4 and this was $1"
You are awesome mate.
Telling everyone exactly what you were spending along the way was great.
Your detail to work and explaining is what makes this such an awesome channel.
I don't know why, but I ran across one video of a guy making a sword from scratch a few weeks ago. Ever since then I have been watching one knife or sword making video after another. Some of them are just cool to watch, other are semi-interesting to learn from. However, this is the only one I have yet to find that I feel comfortable (and able to) follow along with being a total beginner.
Most the other "beginner" videos, or at least all the ones I have found, use heavy machinery or specialized tools which most beginners would not have. Thank you for producing this video, if I can get a little spare time, I am going to try knife making out by loosely following this video.
This is a great video. It's stuff I already have in my shop, so no more excuses! Time to make a knife.
How’d it go? Excuses or did you make something?
@@BeefNEggs057 made something. Not amazing, but it's mine.
I see a new winter project coming! Thanks for the epoxy tip!
Man, this is a REALLY inventive and thorough project. Great update of a classic book!
Great video! I had made a neck knife from a saw blade a few years ago. It was a total success and a tremendous confidence builder for me. Thanks
Great video! I often just buy a dolly when I need casters. Must cheaper than buying 4 individual casters
Yeah I never get how that all works. I do the same for 2025 batteries when I need them-I buy $1 headlamps from walmart that have 2 of them, vs paying 5 bucks for a 2 pack in the battery isle. Bunch of stuff I do that with
DannyWarlegs lol I’ve thought about that before
@@danvondrasekI have like 20 batteryless headlamps because of this.
What are you using the castors for?
Beau Watkins I’m not sure how to answer that.... ummmmm a variety of projects?
Nice work Chris. I dig the message: We can all make stuff, and we should. Good stuff.
Thank you for watching! Ive got a version 2 of this project coming soon too! $200 budget, different tools and a better end result!
@@MakeEverything Looking forward to it. Still, the low budget and the message at the end that actually now one has the tools to move forward and make more stuff is so good. In a time and place in which I feel like we are bombarded with "buy more buy more buy more" messages like yours are so important.
Dude! You got it figured out. Informative, thorough , doable and no bullshit. Nicely done, thank you!
I have been thinking of making a knife and you just gave me that extra push to go for it. Thank you.
I spent about 30 dollars at harbor freight to start knife making about a year ago and I got a hacksaw some files and clamps and a couple other things. I already had a drill and I found a chunk of mild steel and in about a week of working after school a had a knife. I didn't even try sharpening it because I knew it wouldn't hold a edge
And now I have angle grinders belt grinders and a bunch of other tools
Try it out on some tool steel like 0-1 or 1075, there is a link in the description to an amazon seller who has it. Heat treating can be intimidating but it’s not as hard as people think! Best of luck!
Big bad wolf knife.He huffed and he puffed,I love the video.
Is it odd I kept thinking, "Get your wife's hair dryer" to stoke the fire. It's free and she'll never know unless you melt it like I did ;)
I thought the same thing😂😂
Leaf blower
Actually I was thinking air compressor and a scrap piece of pipe or conduit to be able to get air to the base of the coals. But yes, I think we all wanted better air flow to the fire.
nope
me too
@FrogZ this was the reply...
I love beginners guides like this. Well done.
Nice! Point well made. That's pretty similar to the process I used on the stock removal knife I did recently .... I splurged a bit on a bench top 4" belt grinder from harbor freight (i think it was like $80) and I got 3 12" by 1.5" by 3/16" annealed 1095 steel bars on amazon for under $40 and a brass rod from home depot for $10 or so. The scales I used were cherry scraps I had already. It's really easy to spend a ton of money kitting out a knife shop but you can get started and produce some fairly impressive results for very little. Also, I like to use a drill bit that is just slightly thinner or thicker than my steel to mark my lines so that in the rough grind I leave the blades edge thick enough that there is still some material to remove when I'm ready to put a cutting edge on it. Cheers and happy new year!!
This video is great! I've hand forged tools (marking knife, drawknife, chisel) but I've never made a proper fixed blade. This made me realize I have EVERYTHING I need in my shop right now, including a belt grinder, oxy-acetylene torch, and old saw blades and lumber. I'll probably crank out a knife tomorrow. Thanks!
Those carpeted maple pieces on the dolly can be removed and used as sanding and/or finishing stands for bigger pieces. Pretty damn handy!
John here may not win an award but it's still a KNIFE looks good.
You kept my interest during the entire video. You provided common sense reasons on what you were doing. Your procedure for attaching the handle to the blade is simple and efficient. Anyone competing in Forged in Fire should watch how you put the handle on the blade. It kills me watching the competitors trying to put the handle on their blades. Well done.
strended1 thank you for watching!!!
@stended1, competitors in Forged in Fire are under a very tight schedule. They don't have time for that.
Good fun. Enjoyed this one. Does not mean I don't want a 2x72 grinder. Because I do.
Workshop full of history, complete equipment👍👍👍
Great job Chris. Excellent primer on the entire process with a bare minimum of power tools. It could be done with just files as well. Bring the entry cost down even more. But shoot. This really makes the barrier to entry low. If I get comments on my tools, I’m sending them to this video.
I've never made a knife before and I'm not sure how I ended up here, but this was a pretty cool video. I may end up trying my hand at it. I already have all the tools. Thanks for showing people that you don't have to spend a fortune to get into a hobby. Regardless of the hobby there will always be a tool snob, gun snob, metal detector snob, etc, etc that will laugh if you don't buy the most expensive equipment.
This is a great video for anyone, if you have some tools you can do this and if you have no tools you can still do it. No Excuses
Just came across this during the U.K. lockdown, I already have all of these tools plus a few others that’ll come in handy, and I have an old lawnmower blade and some offcut oak boards, this could help keep me occupied thanks!!!
That was an excellent exercise in operating within your parameters. Well done! I am always frustrated if someone says "OK, I cheated a little and used 'blah blah blah' I had on hand." You stuck to it! Subbed!
Absolutely love the drill bit scribe trick.
If you keep an eye on the sales and get the 20% off coupons, you could outfit yourself with the 1x30, some belts and some ratcheting bar clamps perfectly sized for knife scales. All for under 100 bucks. That's how I got my start up shop going.
A Harbor Freight prison shank....LOL Kudos for the great video and staying on budget.
Like what you did there. Have said many times, and it applies to everything in life. Information is power! Well done. 👍
My father-in-law loves collecting knives. While making something like this for him wouldn't be the best knife he owns, I imagine just having one made specifically for him would be worth the cost, and effort. Kind of like a kid making a craft, but one that can cut things. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the great video.. did not know to use magnet to check temperature
The first knife I made I used an old lawnmower blade. I had no file, no angle grinder, not even a hack saw. The only tool I used was an old single wheel bench grinder that my great-grandfather had made from an old motor. It took me hours to grind out the rough profile, but in all, for the tools and knowledge I had, it turned out just fine!
Oh, and I didn't know heating up the steel would make it softer and thus, I didn't.
you can drill through those blades with out annealing the metal use concrete drill bits they have carbide tips. you might go through a few but it can be done
Good video, thanks. I think having the clamp handles below the work when possible is the best way to go.
An example of Pulmonary Bellows.
Thank you, you explain the process well. What I like to use for handle is old pallets, there free. Also I like to use harbor freight macheties on sale for blade blanks.
Incredible, pretty awesome! Just a FYI when I worked in Alaska I'd see the native people make their personal Ulu's with any circular saw blade they found and a small campfire, quite fascinating to watch, enjoyed your video!
Love how you speeded up the tedious parts. Good job with the video. I know you wanted to source everything from Harbor Freight but for a real budget knife you can get a small piece of wood from the box store or a board from an old oak pallet. My local hardwood distributor allows me to dumpster dive for split or broken pieces of hardwood. Old saw blades at the swap meet are a buck each.
A really cool knife! I like your passion for creating, and I think you'll inspire a lot of people to make stuff they never thought possible.
I like how you went through the heat treat process.
Great video! Thanks for sharing. I am inspired to make a knife.
Thanks again.
Myself I have never made a knife I just stumbled on this video and it was actually really interesting and now I wanna make a knife!
Think I might have added $4 - $13 for hearing protection.
Huh?
$0.22 for ear plugs.
@@lauriebenton8064 grinders have high db outputs which will damage hearing over time.
@@mrmidnight32 bullshit. I’ve been grinding for 50 years and it hasn’t effected my hearing. Hell while you are at it dress up like a half ass astronaut and protect everything.
A respirator for breathing is more important than earplugs. You don’t want to come down with grinders consumption. That has killed a lot of knife makers. If you don’t believe me look up knife maker Vernon Hicks in Arkansas.
Quick tip use an old brake line or archery arrow as a blow tube to add air to your fire, gives you much more control over where your putting air to the coals.
I kind of liked the whole concept of your video and i know HF Dollies are cheap i wanted to throw out another possible cost savings idea That's free , most wooden pallets are made from hardwoods many. Are Oak and can be had for no money check on Craigslist " Free " and almost always someone is giving them away just a thought of mine by no means a negative comment about the video i personally do love those HF furniture dollies for many projects myself i am actually a retired Woodworker and on a budget minded lifestyle so i am always on the look out for inexpensive or free woods to work with
Period.
@@markcrume Some guys don't have periods like you do
Well now I can have an excuse to buy a angle grinder. This was really good and informative. Also a couple carbide drill bits. THANKS.
Adventures with Frodo that angle grinder is a pretty crappy one. If you're on a budget look for a used one (Craigslist/eBay). Or the Hercules brand at Harbor Freight isn't bad. I have one that I've beat on quite a bit and it seems tough.
I do a lot of fab/ welding work and keep at least 4 grinders on the bench at all times.
This video's 1y/o now, I was just wondering if you've ever done an edge retention test on that knife!?!?
It takes forever using a flapdisk on so much wood, but it smells so good. Great video, enjoyed it.
Oh, and I'd recommend adding a mask to the list since you're using epoxy.