Knife Making - My Day With A Blade Master
Knife making is a serious business, whether it be on a commercial scale like Victory Knives in Auckland which produces 1000's of knives per month or the bespoke craftsmen like Kiwi Blade Knives who forge a living out of creating custom-made pieces. Then there are the myriad of hobbyists who spend hours learning the art and craft of knife making and all the intricacies that go with it.
I supply both craftsmen and hobby knife makers with general abrasives like aluminium oxide and zirconium belts, grinding discs, cut off wheels, polishing equipment, safety equipment and the list goes on.
At Millin, we also custom-manufacture grinding belts using specialist abrasives like Cubitron, Trizact and Ceramic Grain.
I understand the products I supply, on an intellectual level. I know that Ceramic Grain will grind cooler, I know that a 2 x 72 (50mm x 1830mm) belt is the preferred size of many knife makers, and that Trizact is a fantastic finishing material, but I do not have a back ground in engineering, or metal work so at the end of the day it is only theory.
All this changed for me recently when I was invited to take part in a knife making course with one of my customers - craftsman and award winning knife maker (these are my titles I have bestowed upon him) Willie Van Niekerk from Kiwi Blade Knives.
I was one of three students on this particular day. We were warmly welcomed and then spent a short amount of time learning about Willie and his passion for blade making (he also makes swords), before being told we can make any shape knife we want as long as it had a blade no longer than 30cm as that is the largest he can fit in his smaller forge.
A display case with about 50 knives was brought out, showcasing a vast variety of shapes, styles and sizes to help with inspiration. The handles were made from a range of materials including resins, deer antler and an extensive range of different timbers -The choices were limitless!
I decided I would try my hand at a Mini Santoku. This is where the real fun started. With pen and paper you had to draw to scale, the shape you wanted, then once finalized we cut this out as out template. All the while we were learning about steel, carbon levels and how it is rated. You could tell how passionate the teacher was and it made for fully engaged students.
For this project we used O1 Tool Steel as it allowed for completing a take home project in one day. I was to use a 2mm thick piece as my design was compact while another participant was given a 4mm thick piece for a much larger project.
First up, was getting the shape of the knife. For this we used cutting discs to do a rough cut. Then it was on to a linishing belt sander with 36gt ceramic belts to grind its final shape - I was astounded at the speed these belts worked on soft annealed steel.
Next up was the pin selection. We were using standard brass pins but you could choose the size, quantity and layout of these;- all the while Willie was sharing stories about different knife-makers and their signature designs.
The next step in the process was choosing the wood for the handle. I went with a piece of Jarrah that had a two-tone coloring. However there was almost a limitless number of choices including both native and foreign timbers.
Once we had made our selections, we drilled the holes for the pins through both the wood and the steel and we were then ready to forge and harden the steel.
The blade was placed in the forge and heated to 800°C, or as Willie called it, 'a specific tone of red'. After a few minutes it was glowing ready for us to shock cool it in oil and complete the initial hardening.
The next hour flew by with lots of grinding with a variety of Zirconia and Trizact belts, getting the correct angle on the knife edge so it would be a functional tool rather than a cosmetic shelf piece. Once this was completed to an accepted standard, the blades were placed in an oven to be tempered and we indulged in some amazing home cooking and another round of fresh coffee provided by Angel, Willie's partner Angela (and the other half of Kiwi Blade Knives).
The last stage was to finish the handle. This involved attaching the wood using an epoxy resin and the pre-chosen pins. What then followed was lots and lots of sanding, both machine and hand sanding and then once you thought you had finished sanding, Willie would get you to do a bit more.
The final part of the knife making process was to soak the handle in Tung oil; sealing the timber and bringing out the lovely rich tones of the wood, and at this point Willie took it and sharpened it to a lethally sharp edge.
The finished product is a beautiful creation of your own unique design. It is a fully functional tool ready for everyday use and it is something you have made yourself. "There are few things more amazing than making a knife that you can keep for a lifetime and then pass on to future generations. - Not many things, these days, can pass that test of time", summed up Willie, while sharpening, and he is right!