A knife is a piercing and cutting tool that people use not only in everyday life, but also in hunting. He has different shapes, blade sharpening and design. Any man can make a hunting knife with his own hands, as it is not difficult to do. The material and manufacturing technology are selected depending on the purpose of the tool.
Design features
To prevent the hunter’s hand from getting tired while working with a knife, the center of gravity of the tool is shifted closer to the handle. This reduces the load on the hand and increases cutting efficiency. The tool becomes easier to use. Features of hunting knives:
Since homemade hunting knives are used in any weather, when making them, they take into account the climate zone in which they will be used. A tool with a solid wooden handle is used in conditions high humidity and at severe frost. Handle made from wooden material, does not freeze to the hand in frosty weather and does not slip out of the palm during humidity. There are no patterns on the handle or finger grooves. Without them, the tool is more convenient to use.
To avoid losing or injuring yourself on the knife while carrying it, it is stored in a sheath. In addition, the case protects the instrument from harmful atmospheric influences. The scabbard comes in wood and leather with straps for attaching to the belt.
Purpose of the tool
Cutting is the main purpose of a knife, but depending on the circumstances, hunters use the tool for a variety of other functions.
Using a knife:
- They skin the caught prey.
- Cut the carcass into pieces.
- They finish off a wounded animal.
- Protect yourself from an attack by an angry beast.
- They are setting up a camp.
- They chop branches and open cans.
In rare cases, the instrument is used as a weapon.
Making your own knife
Sometimes the products sold in the store are of poor quality or are expensive. Therefore, you can make a hunting knife at home. To make a tool, you need special tools and skill in working with metal. The work consists of several stages:
Drawings of hunting knives in life size You can do it yourself or use ready-made diagrams. Tools you will need editing table with a vice, drill, files, diamond files, rectifier and other small tools.
Step-by-step instruction
Before you start making a knife for hunting and fishing with your own hands, prepare a drawing. Finished parts, handle and blade, will be connected using the mounting method and fixed with a rivet.
Crafting and Sharpening the Blade
The steel for the blade must have special hardness, ductility and anti-corrosion properties. Steel under the R6M5 brand has these properties. The material is commercially available and is often used to create pendulum saws.
Carbon steel grade 65 G has good resistance to corrosion. It holds an edge well due to its hardness. If such materials are not available, you can use a hacksaw or any other tool.
The blade is made like this:
Handle installation
Wood is the most suitable raw material used to make the handle. Apple, maple, ash and other dense varieties of trees produce good blanks. But the ideal raw material is birch bark. The material is placed in a container with water and boiled for 2 hours. After heat treatment it softens. It is thoroughly dried, then prepared.
Not used for handle coniferous trees. You can use a leg from an old chair or other furniture as a blank. The manufacturing and installation diagram is as follows:
Sheath for protection
Various available materials are suitable for making sheaths. These can be boards from old boxes and leather. Manufacturing process:
After making a simple model of a hunting knife, you can begin to create more complex products.
Every hunter understands that without special knife you can’t do without it - you can use it to split a splinter for a fire, repair equipment, and process prey. Thus, this device is truly universal. And you can make it this way yourself to your taste.
Materials and tools:
1. Emery stone.
2. Diamond needle file.
3. Drill.
4. Drills.
5. Files.
6. Abrasive bars.
7. Current rectifier.
8. Soldering iron.
9. Grinding wheel.
10. Metal for a knife. It is advisable to choose high-speed tool steel.
11. Wood for making a handle.
12. Rivets.
13. Brass or bronze plate.
Operating procedure:
Any work begins with a drawing. Moreover, in in this case You will need two drawings - the knife itself and a separate blade with a shank.
Now you can carefully cut out the blade layout. The basis for the layout is paper as strong as possible. This item is applied to the hacksaw material and outlined as clearly as possible.
The workpiece is placed on an emery machine and ground along the contour. It is important to remember that the transition point from the blade to the shank should be semicircular - this will help increase the strength of the product. Before grinding, it is recommended to prepare a container with water into which you should dip the metal more often - thereby reducing the risk of overheating.
It is quite difficult to make correct holes for rivets on alloy steel. At this stage, you can contact specialists. However, if you have a current rectifier at hand, the procedure can be quite successful using electrolysis.
Next stage just as difficult as making holes for rivets. Derivation of blade releases is not always possible immediately, so it is recommended to practice on some unnecessary materials. Concave slopes are easiest to remove using sandpaper, but with a flat wedge everything is much more difficult. It is advisable to start with slightly curved lens-shaped slopes. The main requirement for them is the same width, angle, simultaneous and clear completion. We should not forget about the fragility of the overheated blade, periodically cooling it in cold water.
To improve the through cut of the product and eliminate the risk of corrosion, you need to grind and polish. For this purpose it is taken rough stone, capable of grinding off all the irregularities. The slopes, as well as the cutting edge, are leveled using a suitable block. After this, a vulcanite disk should be installed on the emery. An alternative is a felt circle treated with abrasive paste.
To make a sleeve you will need a brass plate 3-5 mm thick, from which an oval is cut. When calculating the dimensions of the oval, proceed from the parameters of the knife itself. The bushing will look best in the form of a stop that protrudes above the handle by more than 5 mm. Don't forget about the hole for the shank. You can solder the sleeve to the base of the blade by soldering and grinding off the tin deposits with a needle file.
Now you can start making a handle from the wood you like. The shape is chosen according to personal taste. It is fastened to the shank using rivets. After this the tree is processed protective composition and is left to dry.
The final stage– engraving, decorations, sheath sewing. All these procedures are carried out based solely on preferences, as well as the purpose of the knife.
It will easily cut up prey, remove the skin, help in setting up a camp, and at the same time keep razor sharpening. There are special cutting, skinning and universal ones. What qualities are inherent in the best hunting knives? To do this, you need to consider the history of the appearance of knives of this type.
The appearance of the first hunting knives
The first hunting knives appeared in the Stone Age. Unlike daggers, which were made from horns and were not suitable for cutting prey, the first hunting knives were made from flint and had a sharp edge. cutting edge. Over the course of many centuries, hunting tools developed along with military weapons. Their main difference has always been versatility. Knives were used for cutting and skinning prey and for cooking. If necessary, the knife became a formidable weapon in skillful hands.
Over time, hunting knives began to differ from household knives. They began to be beautifully decorated, although even then the dimensions of a hunting knife far exceeded the dimensions of household ones. Richly decorated hunting weapons were given to leaders and rulers as a sign of respect and reverence.
Fixed Blade Hunting Knives
The best hunting knives are fixed blade knives. The choice of such a design is not accidental; a hunter’s knife must be ready to work in any circumstances. Folding knives do not have this function. In addition to the fact that a folding knife needs to be opened, upon impact it can easily collapse on your fingers. Moreover, due to small size blade, such knives are not suitable for protection against animals. Now all-metal hunting knives have appeared, with linings on the handles. This design is very reliable and it is almost impossible to break it. However, hunters prefer classic models with mounted or through mounting of the blade. A good hunter will choose a more reliable through-the-blade mount.
Folding hunting knife
Folding models of hunting knives were widespread in the USSR. Almost every hunter had a model equipped with a cartridge extractor. This product was completely unsuitable for cutting, since the steel on the blade was of terrible quality. Gradually, these knives migrated to the sons of hunters, and the fathers returned to using traditional fixed knives.
Now there is an excellent folding hunting knife - Wenger, represented by the New Ranger Hunter model. This model equipped with an opener, corkscrew, saw and awl. The blade of the Wenger hunting knife is made of high quality of stainless steel. This knife is useful for cooking and doing small jobs in the camp. It just needs a reliable classic hunting knife with a fixed blade to be paired with it.
Hunting knife blade shapes
The blades of hunting knives have different shape, but the most common are:
- Blades classic type. This was once the most common type of blade. For centuries, all knives, from the north to the east, had this shape (in the east, however, it was quickly replaced by a curved form); Upswept point blades (upturned blade). Such blades are found on skinning hunting knives; they cut well, but are not at all suitable for stabbing; Spear point type blade. Perfect for stabbing, but cutting is inconvenient; The blade is drop-point. One of the most convenient and versatile blade shapes; Clip point. This form occupies an intermediate position between the third and second options; The “Pike” form, beloved by most hunters. She's "Bowie". Despite its menacing appearance, such a knife is only suitable for finishing off large game and intimidating hooligans.
For hunting best knife It will be with a classic blade or drop point. It is capable of completing most hunting tasks.
National hunting knives
Each nation had its own national hunting knives. Some models are still popular and are used by hunters all over the world.
- Finnish puukko knives. This small knife, suitable for cutting and household work. It is distinguished by the absence of a guard and a barrel-shaped birch handle. Not recommended for beginners due to the traumatic handle; Large Finnish leuku knives. This knife used as a cleaver. They can be used to chop brushwood and poles for a hut. If necessary, it turns into a formidable weapon; The Yakut knife is the most unusual knife, dating back to the Stone Age. The shape is similar to half of a large bone. Probably made from bone in the Stone Age; Scandinavian knives. They differ from Finnish knives in the shape of the handle.
There are many more varieties of national knives, but they are not widely distributed.
Steel for hunting knives
There are different types of steel used for hunting knives. Starting from brand 45x13, to expensive powder and damask steel. There are two positions when choosing steel for a knife blade. It should hold an edge and be easy to edit.
- Steel 45x13 is not recommended for a hunting knife, it is too soft, although it does not rust; 65x13 is often used for inexpensive blades. Usually enough for one hunting trip, after which it requires sharpening; 95x18 is placed on the blades of medium-sized knives price category. With good heat treatment such a blade will cut two or three cuts without editing; Tool steels allow you to achieve excellent cutting properties. Unfortunately, they are susceptible to corrosion and require maintenance; Hunting knives made of Damascus steel show excellent results; Damascus knives cut even better than Damascus knives. Only in both options the properties depend on the composition of the steel package used in the cooking of damask steel and forging Damascus; Powder steels (the modern equivalent of damask steel) have best characteristics. Unfortunately they are very expensive.
Hunting knife handles
Traditionally, natural materials are used for the handles of hunting knives. Wood, leather, horn, brass, copper. Knives self made made with handles from exotic wood(zebrawood, amaranth, padauk, etc.) using titanium plates. Natural materials fits perfectly in the hand, and the leather stacked handle Doesn't freeze your hands in winter.
DIY hunting knife
If you are interested in how to make a hunting knife with your own hands, first you need to decide on the shape and download the knife drawing you like. The drawing must be carefully studied and the blade cut from the blank. You can try to forge it, but you are unlikely to like your first forging experience. Having cut out the blade, you need to sharpen the slopes. A drawing will help you create the desired geometry of the slopes.
You can purchase a ready-made blade and simply “dress” it. A hole is drilled in the handle into which the blade shank is inserted. Don't forget the bolster. Without it, the blade will quickly become loose in the handle. The handle is given a shape that is comfortable for your hand, after which it needs to be impregnated with Danish Oil. After the oil has dried, the knife handle can be polished with carnauba or beeswax. Now you know how to make a hunting knife.
Sharpening hunting knives
Every hunter wants to see his hunting knife in full combat readiness. Unfortunately, many people do not know how to sharpen blades correctly. To sharpen a high-quality steel hunting knife, it may take about an hour of time and a set water stones different grain sizes. To properly sharpen a knife, you need to strictly maintain the sharpening angle. Sharpening should begin with coarse-grained sharpening stones, gradually moving to finer grains.
If you want the blade to be razor sharp enough to shave arm hair, you need to sand the edge. To do this on wooden block a piece of skin is attached, with the inside out. Rub the skin with GOI paste and grind the blade using this device.
If this sharpening process seems very difficult to you, you can purchase a knife sharpener. Just don't buy a cheap kitchen or electric sharpener. Only the Lansky or Apex Pro system can sharpen a knife to razor sharpness. If you don't mind the money, you can buy a Chinese clone several times cheaper. Using such a system is as easy as shelling pears. The knife is clamped into special device, which maintains the desired sharpening angle of the blade, and a set of whetstones of different grain sizes will help to perfectly sharpen your hunting knife.
One of best models hunting knife - Roselli Hunting.
This is one of the most popular knife models from the Finnish company, founded by blacksmith Heimo Roselli in 1974. This knife is positioned as a knife for harsh conditions, able to withstand harsh use. This knife costs about 7,000 rubles and is perfect for hunting. You shouldn’t go after a bear with this knife, but it is quite capable of solving other problems.
If you want to buy an inexpensive Swedish classic knife, you can't find anything better than the classic series from Mora. These knives cost from 900 to 2000 rubles. For such a modest amount you will receive high-quality carbon steel and birch handle. The quality of the cut is simply incredible for the money. Shaves hair out of the box. The only drawback is its risk of injury.
There are a great variety of hunting knives. Beginning hunters usually buy the most threatening blade, which is absolutely unsuitable for cutting and skinning work. After several trips, this knife settles on a shelf at home, and its place is taken by a convenient and multifunctional hunting blade.
A knife is an essential attribute of a person who hunts. The areas of its use are varied: finishing off game, defending against attacks from wild animals, butchering a carcass, separating the skin from a carcass, solving household issues (for example, cutting branches or opening cans of canned food). Individual actions are done with multifunctional hunting knives, but in other situations you will need a special knife designed for a specific function. If you wish and have the skills, you can make a hunting knife with your own hands.
Design of hunting knives
Based on the type and dimensional design parameters, hunting knives are divided into the following categories.
- Classic. Standard length is from 10 to 13 centimeters. The blade width is 3-3.5 centimeters. Weight – from 120 to 180 grams. Blades of all types are allowed, excluding those sharpened on both sides. The purpose of such knives is long-term work on skinning and butchering carcasses.
- Big ones. Length – from 13 to 17 centimeters. The blade can have any shape. Weight – from 180 to 300 grams. Great weight must be accompanied by a proper guard and a massive handle. Such knives are used to deliver cutting blows. They are not very suitable for other tasks.
- Foldable. Sizes vary. Folding knives are equipped with 1 or 2 blades. They demonstrate themselves most effectively when performing small, short-term jobs.
How to choose size and shape?
The choice of size depends on the purpose of the knife. Small length specimens do not have the versatility that a hunter may need in unexpected situations. From 10 to 12 centimeters is the best knife length.
When you often cut up game with your own hands, choose a knife whose blade will be at least 15 centimeters. To hunt aggressive, large animals, for example, a bear or wild boar, you need a knife from 16 to 25 centimeters.
When making a hunting knife, close attention should be paid to the shape of the blade. There is a huge variety of their types, but only a few configurations are particularly common.
Materials for production
Even if you are not planning to make a hunting knife, understanding the materials used for manufacturing will help you out when purchasing a knife. Let's look at what types of steel are used for knives of this type.
- From carbon steels grade 65 G should be designated. It is endowed with the required rigidity, holds an edge excellently, and has high corrosion resistance.
- Another stainless steel that is often used to make affordable hunting knives is 65x13 steel. Suitable for a tourist, however, for a true lover of hunting, who often cuts up solid prey, it is poorly suited, since it instantly loses the sharpness of the blade.
- Steel 95x18 is the optimal solution in terms of price and quality ratio. There is ease of sharpening - sharpening a blade made of 95X18 steel is quite simple. A knife made of this steel can be edited even on an ordinary stone.
- Chrome tungsten steel ХВ5, called diamond steel, or steel ШХ-15 are also excellent for knives, but require constant care because they are subject to rust.
- Tool steel grade R6M5 performed very well. It is used to make pendulum saw blades, and it is not that difficult to get.
- Bulat steels have a rather “floating” quality. In the entire Russian Federation, only a few blacksmiths can produce high-quality damask steel.
- Modern steels made using powder metallurgy methods have the rarest properties that outshine even the famous damask steel. Products made from these metals are usually very expensive.
There is a lot of practice to create handles for knives. different materials, starting from plastic and ending with mammoth tusks. Optimal material is a tree. Wooden handle Can be adjusted to any configuration and palm size.
Step-by-step instruction
The blade material will be made from 1080 steel, a very strong alloy that can be easily processed and hardened. For the work, you take the usual tools; for key tasks, a grinder is used.
List of required materials and tools:
- workpiece, steel 1080;
- grinder, cutting and grinding discs;
- sandpaper;
- electric drill, drills;
- rod for pins;
- epoxy adhesive;
- wood for making handles;
- cardboard, pencil;
- marker;
- source of thermal energy for hardening;
- pliers, hammer, etc.;
- vice or clamp;
- files for wood and metal;
- belt grinder.
Now let's consider detailed steps creating a hunting knife.
- Template development and transfer. First of all, we make a drawing and a template based on it. You can find ready stencil online and print or draw it yourself. Then we cut it out, attach it to the workpiece and outline it with a marker.
- Rough work with contour. Take a sander and carefully cut out the rough shape of the outline. When working with a grinder, you must regularly cool the workpiece with water.
- Finishing the contour. The consequence of rough cutting will be uncut areas on the contour in the form of various curves and other elements. Such components can be cut using a sharpener. Here we again use a sander, sanding discs and files with different configurations. Using hand tools, the risk of steel overheating is reduced.
- Drilling holes for pins. If you plan to harden a knife, you should always finish basic work on processing steel before hardening. Otherwise, working with iron will become very difficult.
For example, before hardening it is necessary to drill holes for the pins - at least 2.
- Hardening. This procedure takes place in 2 steps. First, the steel must be made as strong as possible, and then weakened a little so that it becomes less brittle. This action is called "vacation". For hardening, we use a stove or a good fire. The workpiece is heated to a bright red glow, then lowered into vegetable oil. To establish a suitable temperature, you need to bring a magnet to the workpiece - if it does not stick, the steel can be cooled. After hardening, steel becomes very brittle. Therefore, we perform a vacation, as a result the blade becomes flexible.
This can be done in your home oven. It must be heated to 200°C and the canvas should be left for 1.5-2 hours. After this, turn off the oven and let it cool without opening it, together with the knife.
- Creating handle overlays. For linings we take aluminum alloy, polymer, horn, animal bone, wood, and other options. It is necessary to cut the rough blanks to size and drill holes for the pins.
- Fixing the overlays. At this stage we use epoxy glue and a clamp or yew. Prepare 2 pins. Copper, brass, and other alloys can be used for pins. If you don't have anything at hand, regular nails will do. Next, you need to mix the hardener with the resin and glue the halves together. Then carefully clamp the handle with a clamp or vice and leave until completely dry.
- Handle processing. After the glue has completely dried, we form the handle. For this we use files. You can also work with a sharpener or a grinder, but then you have to be very careful not to remove excess.
- The final. Next, the wooden handle must be impregnated so that it does not absorb moisture. For this we use natural oil from flax seeds. After impregnation, let the oil dry and grind the handle until a shine appears on the surface.
In addition to the previous option, you can make your own knife from a file. Let's figure out how this can be done.
A used file is an excellent semi-finished product for good knife. The file uses steel with a high percentage of carbon, which can be heated. Because of this, the knife becomes strong and does not become dull for a long time.
The materials and tools for homemade work are the same, only a file acts as a workpiece.
- Steel tempering. First you need to temper the steel, since the metal of the file is brittle and very hard to process. You can release it at home in the oven, heating it to about 200 degrees and placing the workpiece for an hour. After an hour, let the cabinet cool down along with the steel.
- Knife outline. As in the case described above, you can come up with or find the outline of a knife on the Internet. Or you can change an existing one. We simply put its diagram on cardboard and then cut it out. When the outline is prepared, place it on a file and outline it with a marker.
- We cut out the profile. Now we cut out the outline. Place the workpiece in the yew and slowly cut it out. Be careful not to overheat the steel as this will cause it to loosen. Pour water over the part and make sure that the steel at the cut site does not change color. Next, you can start sanding the outline. Use a sander and grind off all unnecessary edges, making the contour the way you intended it.
- We create bevels. The cutting properties of the knife completely depend on the bevels. The thinner the blade, the easier it will be to sharpen and the sharper it will be. First, use a marker to depict the future bevel. You will need to divide the future blade into 2 areas to make it easier to navigate when processing steel. We take a drill corresponding to the diameter of the workpiece, place the workpiece on the leveled plane and draw a line with the drill.
- Let's start sanding. Creating bevels depends on having the right tools. The optimal solution will be the application belt grinder. If it is not there, we use a grinder or a decent set of iron files.
- Loosen the blade handle. To do this, place the knife blade in a tank of water, and heat the handle with a burner until it turns red. After the steel has cooled to fresh air, it will begin to drill without difficulty. We drill holes for the pins, preferably using a drilling machine.
How to make a hunting knife?
If you look at the store's assortment, the desired type and the type of hunting blade was never found, then there is a way out! You can make a hunting knife at home with your own hands. To do this you just need to select free time, be patient, read the instructions on how to make a hunting knife yourself and prepare necessary materials with tools.
The first step on the path to a new hunting knife with your own hands will be to determine the required type of future blade. For example, at www.mens-tema.ru/ the main types of knives for hunting are blades for cutting, for skinning and for striking. The main features of a hunting knife, formed over the centuries, are the following:
- blade with a straight spine or a blade is allowed curved shape;
- the edge of a hunting knife can be either cutting or piercing;
- the length of the blade must be at least 10 cm;
- the blade must be made of stainless steel, since if the blade is frequently exposed to moisture, traces of corrosion may appear on its surface;
- It makes sense to make the handle from wood or durable plastic with a rubber base so that your fingers do not slip when gripping the knife.
To make a neat hunting knife with excellent balance with your own hands, you cannot do without specialized tools. For work you will need:
- Drill and a set of drills of various diameters;
- Emery machine;
- File;
- Abrasive stones;
- Grinding wheel;
- Soldering iron.
The materials that will be required to make a hunting knife with your own hands are steel sheet (grades 65G, R6M5 and R3MZF2 are recommended) and wood or plastic for the handle. For homemade knife It is best, of course, to take wood, as it will be easier to work with. Walnut, maple, pear, mahogany, cherry or beech are suitable.
Next, you will need to prepare a drawing of a hunting knife and cut out a stencil that will help you create emery machine workpiece But a person who decides to make a hunting knife with his own hands should understand in advance that the procedure is long. It will be necessary to sharpen, grind off irregularities, polish the blade, attach a sleeve and a handle to it, which will need to be sharpened, given a shape that is convenient for gripping, and polished.
At the last stage, if the desire to craft still remains, you can make a simple case from leather so that the knife is kept clean and remains in perfect condition. But in the end, the hunter will have a very special blade, which he made for his needs with his own hands!
Article: How to make a hunting knife yourself?
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