What Tools do I Need to Make a Fixed Blade Knife at Home?

Intro.

The focus for this article is more for fixed blade Knives.

Ever since I was a boy I have been drawn towards knives. I see them as an essential companion for almost everything I do, wherever I go. As I was growing up I would have a crack at making my own knife. They were shockingly bad, I didn’t understand anything about making knives. Of course there was no YouTube, in fact there was no internet! So all I could really do was dream of owning my own proper knife. When I was 12 y/o I went to visit my relatives in Canada. It was here that, after badgering my parents I got to own my own knife. From memory I think it was a little Puukko Knife. I don’t know what happened to it. To this day I still think I’m going to find it :0)

I’ve been making knives now for a several years. Right now in early 2024 I am without a workshop after moving house. This is why I’ve turned to writing about knives until I get my workshop up and running again.

I’ve said this before but for me knives are not just tools that can do a great job, but some of them are forms of art. When I make a knife one of the most satisfying steps in the process is the design. I love spending a few hours on the shape, color and the critical elements. I love to have that image in my mind that eventually becomes reality. It’s a thrill when you can pull it off. To do it well you need a good set of tools and machinery.

Hand Tools and Machinery.

Here is a list of What I’m currently using.

Belt Grinder
Angle Grinder/Band Saw
Files
Clamps
Vice
Sandpaper
Drill Press
Anvil
Forge
Small Toaster Oven
Hammers
PPE
Measuring Tools
Glues
Bench Grinder/Buffing Wheel
Woodworking Tools
Sharpening Tools

Belt Grinder.

I live in Australia so I try to support Ozzy businesses. So I use a 48 inch belt grinder. The one I bought is no longer available but the closest likeness currently available is called the Shop-mate 48 Variable Speed Belt Grinder 1.5hp from Artisan Supplies. The one I bought tips over to a horizontal position which gives you endless possibilities of grinding blanks, choils and handle shaping, it makes your time at the grinder so much nicer.

I have known makers to use a cheap little 1 inch belt grinder. I haven’t used one so I can’t vouch for its effectiveness but in my view you are better off using files until you can afford a grinding machine. You’ll soon find out that it will become your most important item for blade making.

I bought an upgraded version which came with a floor stand and it’s proved to be a great space saver. I was able to put it in a position in the middle of the workshop next to the benches rather than on it, this created space on the worktops.

Shop Mate Variable Speed.

Tip. If you can afford it make sure you get this side tip accessory, they are amazing!

Angle Grinder.

What you need this for is cutting out the blade blanks from a larger piece of steel. What you do is fix into a vice and start slicing away to the template lines. It works but it’s noisy, dusty and somewhat dangerous.

I prefer a band saw like this. I have mine mounted upright. It’s much more controllable, safer and less dusty. It costs more but is the preferred option if your wallet is fat enough.

Files.

Files are very important. I can’t stress enough that cheap files are not worth the money. I make sure I check the prices on well known brands like P&N or Crescent Nicholson. Currently I’m using the BAHCO set to see how they perform. You also need a needle file set to get into those tiny areas for that extra level of attention to detail. You won’t regret it if you treat these as important items in your tool collection.

Clamps.

You will hear it said quite often but you’ll never have quite enough clamps. At least enough of the right size when you want it. I have a collection of std F-Clamps, G-Clamps and Spring Clamps of various sizes. It’s something you can start off with a cou[le of each and add to them as you go along. I find the budget range clamps are fine for what we need.

Vice.

I still have a the vice I was using even before I started knife-making seriously. It’s a standard bench vice that opens front to back and no other movement. When I do go and buy another one, i’ll buy one that can spin sideways and even turn on a vertical axis. These are very useful when shaping knife handles and doing fine blade work with needle files. These are not cheap but if can afford it, go for it, what a luxury.

Metal Abrasive Paper.

I hate to keep saying it but you’ll really struggle if you cheap out on this. Believe me I’ve tried every cheap abrasive paper I can get my hands on here in Perth, Australia. A company like Bunnings does have a linen backed abrasive which works quite well but it’s the range is so limited. If you like hand sanding for hours on end then go for the AliExpress specials. However, one of the most recommended abrasive papers is Rhynowet Red Line Wet and Dry. You can get 80 grit to 1500 grit, come on don’t cheap out.

What might be worth a mention is that you can develop a method of making knives without having to do any hand sanding at all. It’s a bit tricky but it can be done. This will obviously reduce the amount of paper you’ll go through.

Drill Press.

The jury is still out for me on this one. I’ve been using a crappy drill press from Bunnings (like this Ozito one) and still does a reasonable job. At the moment my focus is on fixed blades Knife-Making, when it comes to folders it’s a whole new ball game. There are numerous items you’ll need including a much better drill press. Actually, if your budget can stretch this far a small upright mill is probably a better option as it can do drilling and many, many other tasks for both fixed and folding blades. Then again, if you are on a tiny budget then a hand drill will suffice for fixed blades.

Cheap and cheerful is fine :0)

Anvil.

Here is another one that you can get by without it for a long time. A good second hand anvil can cost anywhere between AU$600 & $2500 depending on the size. I have one but it’s cast iron with a hard steel plate put on the top of it. I can forge knives with it but it’s not ideal. It is very useful to have a round the workshop even if it’s just for straightening blade blanks. But unless you are planning to forge a lot of blades forget it.

Any Old Anvil will do for knife-making!

Forge.

If you are heat treating your knives at home you must have a forge. There are a few examples of people using two propane torches, one on each side. You can only heat treat basic carbon steel like 1084 with this technique but thats all, and the results are a bit hit and miss. I’ve used a coal hearth, little tiny gas forges, large gas forges and my latest one is an electric kiln/forge I built myself. It’s much easier to control the temperature.

One of the most popular kilns is a Paragon Kiln at around AU$4500. You can see why people try making their own! Or you can buy a little gas kit AU$170 and drop it into a fire brick surround to create a gas forge. If all this seems like too much hard work or too expensive you can always send your roughed out blade blanks to a commercial heat treat service. Whatever you choose to do it is a very important area of knife-making that needs to be taken serious.

Small Toaster Oven.

The reason you need this is to temper your blade after hardening back down to a managable hardness/toughness ratio. This process takes out the brittleness so it doesn’t chip or crack during use. I’ve found a small toaster oven like this seems to work fine. I modified one to include a Digital PID Temperature Controler. I have created a YouTube Vid on my channel on how to do this.

Another way to temper your blade is to place it in your home oven. Drop it in at the right temperature for the desired time and cycles and Bobs your uncle. You could use a propane torch to warm the spine back up the desired temperature. You would need to watch the colors travel from spine down to the cutting edge to achieve the hardness/toughness ratio. There is salt bath tempering, plate tempering and the list goes on. For this article you only need a cheap toaster oven.

Hammers.

I use any hammer I have lying around. This collection here is from an old blacksmiths shop. You don’t need specialist hammers!

I even use one like this from Bunnings for $5.00 :0)

PPE.

So you need to get into a Zen like state to make them useful….Ha. Actually it’s a serious matter. You need hearing, facial, and body protection depending on what you are trying to do. I make sure I have ear muffs, goggles or a face shield of some sort, a respirator and either an apron or boiler suit.

Once I have my workshop up and running again I will be using one of these. It’s expensive Your Health is Super Important

I know these as Versaflo Systems, 3M Make them.

Measuring Tools.

This shouldn’t be overlooked. A good set of calipers is a must to keep your work consistent across all aspects of your knife-making. You’ll measure the average thickness of your blades, depth of drill holes, diameter of drill holes….and the list goes on. There is also the need for a standard straight edge ruler and perhaps a set of square and 45 degree engineers plates like these. They are so useful.

Glues.

Glue is a consumable that you’ll change brands and types as you go along. In short I have always used an epoxy glue with a solution and a hardener. I have used special expensive glues and cheaper glues. In my view a two part epoxy from Bunnings, like this glue works perfectly fine.

There is also a need for Superglue for temporary bonding 2 surfaces together like finishing the front edge of handle scales for example. I’ve even used it to bond a handle scale to a layer of tape on top of a steel plate for surface grinding. A few tubes of this is so useful. These happen to be the Gorilla Variety but any of them are fine.

Bench Grinder.

Arguably the most dangerous thing in the blade-smiths workshop. But it depends on what you are using it for and how you are using it. There are many tales of accidents both minor and major. I purposely use a low powered one for two reasons. The first is that if you happen to get wrong and the work-piece is dragged into the grinder or buffer, the chances are it will stop instead of grabbing and hurling it 1000mph at the wall or somewhere on your body or head. The second is it kind of stops you over buffing something. The bonus is they are also much cheaper to buy. I use this cheapy.

Woodworking Tools.

You don’t need many of these really. All you need them for is cutting wooden blocks for scales. Maybe an Axe if you want to really make a mess of things, ha, ha :0)

Sharpening Tools.

This a big subject all by itself. However, to keep it short you have to decide what kind of sharpening you intend to do. There are water wheels, paper wheels for the bench grinder, you can use the belt grinder and so it goes on. My recommendation is to get a fixed plane sharpener like this one. There plenty of choices on the market from terribly made cheap ones to very expensive engineered options. I use this one in the second image which was made in Ukraine. It’s a no brainer. Easy to use, repeatable results and not too expensive. Ideal for the beginner.

Conclusion.

I’m not sure there is any conclusion really except to say it is possible to make a knife with very basic tools. One of these days I’ll test this out and write an article on it. In the meantime the premise is to buy the best tools you possible can. Starting with the belt grinder, then the forge and work your way down.

Knife-making is a lot of fun and you end up with a functional, usable tool you can be proud of.

As always, happy camping :0)

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