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Learning how to make a knife using traditional Blacksmith tools was an incredible experience. We started out with a blank piece of 01 Steel, heated it up in the forge and then used the power hammer to get the material thickness to what we wanted. It was then a case of using the both the flat and round side of the hammer (and anvil) to shape out the point of the knife, paying particular attention to the classic drop-point that Bushcraft Knives tend to have. From here we used the horn of the anvil to create the knife Choil and palm swell.
It was then a case of grinding the knife profile down and removing the oxidised layer to get to the true steel. The hardest part for me was grinding the bevel of the knife. I didn’t know how to grind a knife bevel but with Alec’s tuition he guided me in the right direction. We then drilled holes for the pins and used Lignum Vitae as the wood handle scales. Lignum Vitae being an incredibly hard and dense wood. One of the hardest trade woods in the world. To finish off I oiled the knife with boiled linseed oil to stabilise the scales and we polished off the bevel on the grinder again.
It was then time for me to test the Bushcraft Knife. I showed how to make feather sticks, batoning with the knife, carving and making notches for pot hangers over the fire to hang various cooking implements. These are core Bushcraft skills and it was a great opportunity for me to see the limits of this survival knife.
Although not quite primitive technology, Blacksmithing is becoming a bit of a lost art. But thanks to Alec Steele’s incredible work, he is brining it back! Learning how to forge and make a knife from scratch was one epic experience. Be sure to head over to Alec’s channel to see his version of the knife build!
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