Secrets of making knives: from choosing the steel grade to the production method
When humanity began to hunt in ancient times, the question of cutting up animal carcasses arose. The knife was invented for this purpose. Manufacturing knives played a big role in the culture of many peoples.
Nowadays, knives are produced both industrially and privately by blacksmiths and knife makers. If desired, today you can make a knife yourself, having necessary materials and equipment.
When the desire and need for a knife arises, you need to decide what functions it will be intended for. This will affect the shape of the blade and handle. Depending on the purpose of the knife, both the appropriate materials and the method of sharpening the knife are selected.
Types of knives
Knives can be divided into several groups:
- kitchen - for cooking at home;
- stationery - opening envelopes and cutting paper;
- camping - with a more durable blade that performs rough work: cutting branches, preparing a fire, and the like;
- hunting - for easy cutting of prey;
usually starts with a design, regardless of manufacturing conditions. When choosing a knife, you need to consider that the handle is comfortable and holds the blade securely. The blade makes up the main part of the knife and can be made using different technologies.
The shape of the knife blade can be varied, upturned and curved upward, looking down (Finnish type), sharpened with a double-sided blade.
Blades are either solid or welded. The simplest manufacturing technology is considered to be all-steel and all-iron knives.
Welded blades can be made of iron or steel. Technologies for the use of three-layer steel, which have been known since the time ancient Rus', are actively used in the production of knives by many modern European and Japanese companies.
Lever knife should be comfortable and securely held in the hand. According to the mounting of the handle there are:
- end-to-end;
- mounted;
- invoices.
In the production of knives, the following materials are often used for handles:
- tree;
- birch bark;
- plastic;
- skin;
- micarta;
- artificial materials.
A high-quality handle must not only be comfortable to use, but also have an aesthetic appearance, complementing the blade, being in the same style with it.
Using classic and modern materials in production knives, you can get a real work of art.
Features of steel knife hardening
Almost everyone knows that steel needs hardening.
Now let's look at the most common steel grades found in the production of knives:
- Steel 65G - used in serial and individual production. Steel is quite susceptible to corrosion, bends easily and can burst. To avoid rust, when producing knives in factories, the blade is coated with various polymer compounds. The advantage of 65G is the affordability of the material and good cutting function.
- Steel 40Х12 is quite soft. It is used to make knives for the kitchen and blades for souvenirs. This type of steel does not respond well to hardening. Despite the fact that knives quickly become dull and bend easily, they do not rust at all. These knives are quite easy to sharpen and do not require additional care. Having a knife made of this steel in the kitchen, any housewife will be completely satisfied with it.
- Steel 95X18 is domestically produced and does not rust. It has its own characteristics during hardening and processing. Knives from well-known manufacturers are highly hard, at the same time flexible and durable. After sharpening the blade is sufficient long time remains sharp. When using a knife made of 95X18 steel, it is recommended to wipe it with a towel after contact with water to avoid corrosion. If you make a knife from such steel yourself, you need to prevent it from overheating. Otherwise, the blade will become brittle and can easily break.
- Steel 50Х14МФ is widely used both by private craftsmen and on a production scale. The blades of the knives are strong and hard, and remain sharp for a long time, despite regular use. It is a good all-purpose steel, but can corrode when exposed to water for long periods of time.
Secrets of making knives yourself
Technology knife making at home requires some time and patience. You can make a knife blade from many available tools, for example, a flat file. From this affordable item you can make a knife that will become the pride of the owner and will serve for many years.
First, the workpiece is placed in an oven, fireplace, stove or wood fire, warmed up for several hours and left there until it cools completely. This processing method helps reduce the hardness of the metal for processing with metalworking or electric tools.
It is very easy to control the shape of the future blade using a cardboard template. It is impossible to imagine a knife without a handle. The most accessible material for it is wood. In order for the handle to be easily installed on the knife, holes need to be drilled in the tail part of the future product.
Before assembling, sharpening and polishing the blade, it should be hardened. At home, this can be done with a muffle furnace, a blowtorch or a small forge. When hardening steel yourself, the most important thing is to achieve the desired temperature. It is usually customary to be guided by a light cherry or raspberry color, which indicates that the workpiece is heated to approximately 850 degrees Celsius. The second way to check that the desired temperature has been achieved is the absence of magnet attraction.
Taking the knife by the tail with pliers, it is dipped into a solution of water and salt or waste. Since a hardened knife can easily split from an impact, it must be heated a third time to a temperature of approximately 300 degrees Celsius and left to cool slowly in the open air.
The handles should be fastened to the tail of the knife with rivets, after making leather gaskets.
Remains at the end of the process manufacturing knife, sand it with sandpaper, and further polish the blade.
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Here is an example of how you can organize your own small knife manufacturing business. This topic is quite profitable, since good knives will always be appreciated. The scope of knife making is also wide, you can make knives for hunting and fishing, for tourism, wood knives and others are also popular.
One author has automated the process of making knives as much as possible, and he makes not simple knives, they are made of Damascus steel, and in addition to this, they are also folding. Due to etching and non-uniformity of the metal, such steel always has its own unique pattern, so despite mass production, your knife will always be unique.
Materials and tools for making knives
Blanks
To produce such knives you will need Damascus steel. In principle, you can buy ready-made blanks, but of course it will be more profitable to make such steel yourself. Damascus steel is a mixture of different grades of steel. In other words, you can take a couple of plates of different steel, weld the sheets, and then mix them using the forging method. The more layers you have, the more valuable the knife will be.
As for the handles (if the knife is folding), then it is more advisable to buy them. Then, after installing the blade, the knife will be immediately ready. Or you can come up with a simple design for the handles yourself, although the manufacturing process will take a long time.
Cutting tool
Next the most important tool will be cut off. Of course, everything can be done with a grinder or band cutting machines, but even this is not very effective. Today, steel is cut with lasers, water jets and other tools. This process is practically automated.
Grinding tool
Still, the production of knives requires some effort on the part of humans. The machine will not be able to professionally polish the planes and remove the bevels of the blades for you. Of course, there is no limit to perfection, but such machines will be quite expensive.
To do this you will need a belt sander. It will allow you to qualitatively form bevels, as well as grind workpieces.
Bake
To harden knives, you definitely need a good oven in which you can set the temperature and preferably with a timer. This will allow you to load several workpieces at once and carry out high-quality heating. Tempering is still carried out in the furnace; this will require a temperature of around 200 o C.
That’s all, actually, I announced the main list of tools. Of course, you will also need hammers, a bunch of different parts for making handles and other parts of the knife, a sharpening machine, and so on.
Knife making process:
Step one. Cutting out blanks
Having made a sheet of Damascus steel, the author cuts blanks from it. For maximum ease of manufacture, you can use a water cutter here. You can see how it works in the video below.
As a last resort, you can also cut it with a metal band saw; it takes a little time, but is not particularly difficult.
Step two. Sanding the workpiece
Next you will need human hands and a belt sander. Having screwed the workpiece to the block, it needs to be thoroughly sanded on both sides on the machine. You will also need to bring the workpiece to the desired thickness.
You will also need to sand the metal in a circle, as cutting with water will leave some rough edges.
At the end of the work, the author forms bevels on the blade. Accuracy and, as a result, some experience are important here. The bevels must be symmetrical, even, and they are responsible for the future sharpness of the blade.
Step three. Hardening and tempering of metal
Here, too, some attention from a person will be needed. The steel must be hardened and then tempered. To do this, heat the workpiece to such a temperature that a magnet is not attracted to it, and cool it in vegetable oil. In the future, it will not be necessary to set the temperature again; this is done only the first time.
After hardening, the steel must be tempered, otherwise it will become brittle. To do this, you will need an oven with a timer, which is usually set for an hour. The workpieces are heated at a temperature of 200-210 o C and cool as smoothly as possible.
Step four. Cleaning carbon deposits
After hardening, there will be a lot of carbon on the metal; it can be cleaned manually, on a belt grinder, or this process can be completely automated. For such purposes, a vibration machine with abrasive granules will be needed. You can see in more detail what I'm talking about in the photo. When vibrations occur, the abrasive granules move and clean the surface of the knives that are immersed there.
Step five. Etching
The etching process for Damascus steel is very unique. The acid “eats away” different layers of metal, forming a pattern on the metal that is always unique. Well, everything is simple here, pour ferric chloride into a plastic container and lower the workpieces for a specified time.
Step six. Sharpening the blade
The next step is to sharpen the blades to a razor-like finish. To simplify this process, the author uses a Japanese water wheel. If you need to sharpen the blade with teeth, then a serrated blade wheel comes to the rescue.
Step seven. Quality checking
Finally, the metal of the workpieces is checked for hardness. Well-hardened metal should not be taken with a file. The author has a special device that determines the hardness of workpieces. If everything is fine, you can move on to the final stage - installing the handle.
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LLC Plant Spetsstanmash manufactures such multifunctional products as industrial knives of the following types:
- Notching knives. Designed for cutting products along various contours from foil, film, paper and other materials. Provide production of label products of arbitrary shapes and sizes.
- Disc knives. Used for cutting paper. The production of circular knives is required in the printing and pulp and paper industries.
- Serrated knives. Designed for cutting fabric, paper, film and other materials. Installed on packaging and filling machines.
- Knives for crushers. Designed for grinding wood waste and wood. The production of knives for crushers is required at pulp and paper mills.
- Sector knives. Used for cutting cardboard, corrugated cardboard and paper on slotters.
- Disc knives. Used for cutting cardboard, film, non-woven fabric, paper, fabric. They are installed on slitting rewinding machines and various unwinding and winding units.
- Guillotine knives. They are indispensable for cutting non-ferrous and ferrous metals in any condition. The production of guillotine knives is necessary in many areas of industry.
In addition, we manufacture knives of non-standard configurations, offer to purchase special holders for knives, and also sharpen these products of various types.
Prices for services:
* Orders are accepted from 1 piece
* You can find out the exact cost using the form or by phone
* Minimum order amount - 3500 rubles
The minimum production time is 2-3 working days and depends on the characteristics of a particular product, the availability of a suitable workpiece and other factors.
Advantages of Spetsstanmash Plant LLC
Modern technologies that we successfully implement into production, a team of experienced and highly qualified engineers - masters of their craft, as well as the latest equipment- all this allows us to create industrial knives that can compete with similar products from foreign manufacturers.
Domestic production of knives reduces their cost several times, which is a priority for our company. We produce exclusively high-quality products of various configurations and purposes, which are made from imported steel.
In the process of creating knives, heat treatment is used, which increases the strength properties of products. The production of knives for crushers, disk, gear and other knives is carried out using modern vacuum furnaces.
Don't overpay for foreign brands - you can get impeccable quality knives from us at an affordable price.
To place an order, please contact the contacts listed on the company’s website.
If you ask a novice knife collector what knife brands he knows, then most likely we will hear in response the names of popular European and American brands. A person who has recently begun to be interested in knives first of all learns about foreign manufacturers and only then does the special world of Russian-made knives begin to open up to him.
We have collected Russian knives in one section, dividing them by production region. When you begin to take a partial interest in the issue, you find out that in Russia there are several knife capitals and each region has its own traditions.
In this short article we will talk about the main Russian manufacturers of knife products.
- Kizlyar knives. Dagestan blacksmiths have long been known for their skill in creating bladed weapons. During the Soviet years, this tradition was partially lost, but in the late 90s, in the small town of Kizlyar, two companies appeared at once, which to this day are fighting each other for the right to call their products “Kizlyar knife.” The LLC PP Kizlyar company specializes in the production of universal working, national and tactical knives. The Kizlyar Supreme company focuses on the production of tactical knives, taking into account latest trends knife fashion. The company produces fixed blade knives and folding knives.
- Vorsma knives. Nizhny Novgorod Region and towns located in the middle reaches of the Oka River were traditionally engaged in the knife trade. Companies located in Vorsma specialize in creating classic hunting knives in the Russian style. As a rule, these are knives with mounted handles, equipped with cast frames and pommels. Among them I would like to highlight Zavyalov’s Forge and Marychev’s folding knives.
- Knives Zlatoust. This small Ural town can be called the birthplace of Russian damask steel. It was here, in the 19th century, that the secret of smelting especially strong damask steel was restored. The honor of this discovery belongs to the Russian engineer Pyotr Anosov. The undoubted leader among manufacturers in this region is the AIR company, which produces tourist and hunting knives from traditional materials.
- Pavlovo knives. Modern production knives in this quiet and cozy town are represented by the companies “Yasny Sokol” and “Pavlovskie knives”. The first specializes in creating universal knives using all-metal technology. The second produces traditional knives with mounted blades.
- Knives Starominsk. This region appeared on the knife map of Russia relatively recently. He gained his fame thanks to the family business of the Sander brothers, who decided to produce designer knives in ethnic style. And we must admit that the Sander brand succeeded. The knives have a unique and memorable appearance and charisma.
- Knives Ryazan. This region also recently appeared on the knife map of our Motherland. Thanks to enthusiasts from the Owl Knife company, we have the opportunity to purchase knives in ethnic style, but made from modern high-tech materials.
- Knives Volgograd. The lower Volga is a territory that was under the jurisdiction of the ataman of the Don Cossack army. The traditions of that time are still alive here. Thanks to craftsmen from this region, we have the opportunity to purchase elements of Cossack life: checkers, daggers and statutory whips.
- Knives Omsk. The Siberian Blade company, which is located in this small town, specializes in creating accurate historical copies of combat knives of the first half of the 20th century. At the same time, all knives are fully working and can be used to solve household problems.
- Knives Khanty-Mansiysk. The MANSI-ERA brand produces authentic knives of the peoples of the North. The knives fully correspond to historical prototypes: scale on the blade, birch bark sheath and birch burl handle.
The hometown of Alexander Cheburkov is Pavlovo. The city has been the center of blacksmithing in Rus' for more than 400 years.
Alexander Cheburkov graduated from the Pavlovsk Automotive Technical School, faculty of mechanical engineering technology, metal cutting. From 1981 to 1989 he worked at the Voskhod PMZ as a turner - boring machine, then as a site foreman. My father also worked at the same plant as a process engineer. Alexander Cheburkov’s mother worked for 30 years at the “Folding Knife” factory, famous throughout the Soviet Union. Therefore, throughout my childhood until the army, I had a folding knife in my pocket. The experience and attitude to the work performed were useful in the future. The decision to create our own knife-making workshop did not come by chance. In 2003, the first works made were presented at the exhibition “Blade - Tradition and Modernity”. From that moment on, an interesting, educational, and sometimes hard life workshop.
Currently, more than 20 people work in a single team of the Cheburkov Workshop. Close-knit, friendly and hardworking team. These are young guys who were students of Alexander Cheburkov, and now they are professionals in their field.
Knives from the Cheburkov Workshop are distinguished by their exceptional build quality, which is strictly monitored by Alexander Ivanovich himself. The team of A.I. Cheburkov produces both working and collection knives.
