How To Make A Hunting Knife

Wondering how to make a hunting knife? Few people have the skill, or tools to make their own knife completely from scratch. At least the first one or two that is. Often after making a few knives they get the bug and tend to get more deeply involved in the entire process. The new knife maker is probably best served by buying a kit blade.

Items needed to make your own hunting knife.

• Knife blade
• Handle material
• Guard or bolster material
• Pin stock
• Epoxy
• Duct tape
• Files and rasps
• Metal polish
• Soft cloth
• Sand papers
• Hammer
• Drill
• Drill bits
• Clamps
• Saw
• Bench vice
• Sharpie marker
• Torch
• Solder
• Flux
• Stain
• Wax
• Varnish

1. Buy materials. You will want to buy a good quality blade from a good blade maker. Cheap ones will do nothing but disappoint. This is when you decide if you are adding bolsters, a guard, or pins. You can buy all the materials at the same time so they match.
2. Attach guard or bolsters. Put the knife in a vice, it is always better to work from a vice whenever possible. Using files work the material for the guard as closely as possible to fit before hand. The smaller the joint you are soldering the better it will come out. Use the torch, solder and flux to solder the guard or bolster in place. Take care, it will be hot for a long time after.
3. Wrap the blade in tape.  Use the duct tape and wrap the blade in tape. This will protect the blade from being marred, and you from getting cut if it is sharp.
4.  Cut and fit handle.  Use the saw and cut the handle materials, Try and get it close as possible to make for less filing later.
5. Mark and drill pin holes. If putting in pins mark the holes with the Sharpie. Use your drill to drill them as closely as possible in size to the pin stock.
6. Cut pins.  Use your saw and cut the pins for the handle. Cut the pins long enough to fit through both sides of the handle material. If you are going to peen them you will want to leave them slightly overlong.
7. Assemble handle. Now is the time to put everything together. You need to plan a bit here. If you are going to peen the pins in place you need to counter sink the outside pin holes a bit prior to assembly. Mix the epoxy and put everything together. The handle materials will be slippery and tend to slide if you are not using pins, so clamp it in place carefully. If you are not peening pins in place dip them in epoxy and slip them into the holes. You may need to hammer them lightly into place. If you are peening them now is the time to peen them down. Work each side slowly to peen them and tighten the handle. You will want to have some type of anvil to peen them against. Usually we advise new comers to use epoxy and work up to peened pins in part because it is very easy to split some handle materials.
8.  File handle.  Using your rasps and files file the handle, pins and guards or bolsters until you have a nice smooth, blended, pleasing shape.  Work slowly and carefully here.
9. Sand handle. Use sand paper to sand the handle smooth. For a final sanding wet the handle and let dry, then sand the whickers smooth, repeat as needed.
10.  Polish guard or bolster. Wrap the handle in tape so it does not get stained. Use metal polish and cloth to polish the guard or bolster to a high polish.
11. Finish handle.  Remove tape and finish the handle with stain and varnish. Let it dry over night.
12. Finish knife.   Remove the tape from the blade. Wax the entire knife to protect and finish it. Take care not to cut your fingers on a sharp blade.

There, you have made your first hunting knife. Use it will pride, as there is no other quite like it, and it was made by you, now make a sheath.