Making the first knife

General guide for making the first knife

Start by selecting a blade and then draw the outline of the blade on a piece of paper. Then draw the outline of the handle. You can draw different models to see which one looks best.

A handle can be made from various materials such as wood, horn, bone, etc. The most common material is wood. Choose the piece of wood or handle material you want to use and draw the handle and the angle of the wood. You can also combine multiple materials in the handle.

Next, drill holes for the angle. Measure the width of the angle at the innermost part of the blade and transfer it to the wood. Drill holes as shown in the drawing. Then remove the excess material between the holes with a hole saw.

Once the angle fits in the hole, it's time to glue the blade. Use two-component epoxy glue and apply pressure to the knife. It's a good idea to wrap the blade and the first part of the handle in masking tape to avoid getting glue in the wrong places.

When the glue is dry, shape the outline of the handle. This can be done with a rasp, knife, or a rotating grinding tool. Once the shape is achieved, sand the knife with sandpaper. Start with coarse sandpaper and then use finer and finer sandpaper. Finally, treat the knife with oil or wax.
 

Video example of how to easily make your own knife

In the video, you can see how knife maker Keld Lisby draws the design of the knife, makes holes in the front and the handle for the angle, and how to glue everything together. It also shows how to sand the knife to a smooth finish and optionally add color. Finally, oil is applied.

Materials used by Keld Lisby in the video to make a good, fine knife:

• Wooden handle
• Knife blade
• A piece of bone
• File or grinding machine / grinding wheel / belt sander
• Wood scraper or grinding machine / grinding wheel / belt sander
• Drill with 2 mm + 3.5 mm bit
• Hole saw
• Hand saw or jigsaw
• Epoxy glue
• Glue stick
• Paper and pencil
• Danish oil
• Sandpaper from grit 80 - k. 600
• C-clamp (can be omitted, but recommended for simplicity)
• Stain
• Wool brush

Find materials for knife making here