Since we started making crude edged instruments out of bone and obsidian over two and a half million years ago, we have taken a simple concept and formed it into countless designs suited for everything from shaving to combat to chopping down trees. From the moment the ore is pulled from the ground to the final polishing of the blade, making a knife is an art form filled with secrets, some of which a smith may take to their grave.
Even with all of our current technology and mass production, there is still a need for blades, and a need for blade makers who create beautiful and unique pieces from scratch.
A Knife’s Anatomy
While knives come in all shapes and sizes, they also have some pretty basic components that it is a good idea for you to familiarize yourself with. Understanding your tool and its parts will better allow you to do what you need to with it.
The Blade: This is the bulk of the knife or sword, you should always consider a blade to be sharp. A blade can be as short as an inch to more than five feet long, like a Scottish claymore.
The Edge: This is the sharpened part of the blade, meant for cutting, however there are multiple edge types.
A straight razor will have a fine, thin edge to smoothly cut hair, but an ax will have a thicker body and different edge angle to prevent damage. Chefs use one of the widest arrays of knives, while one dish may only require some sharpened standard knives, others may ask of chefs to produce a fillet knife for fish, or a knife with a serrated edge for cutting bread. While most knives are single edge, where only one side of the blade is sharpened, there are quite a few double edge blades ranging from small daggers to large German broadswords.
The Tip: The top is the piercing first point of contact in many cases, however for this reason its prone to snapping off. The three main kinds of tips commonly used today are the clip point, the spearpoint and the sheepsfoot.
The clip point is commonly seen on large combat and camping knives and has proven itself to be very strong and damage resistant, making it an excellent option when you need to dig a hole or open a can.
Most often the spearpoint is found on double edge weapons like daggers and push knives. Knives that have a spear point are designed to be used to stab and thrust, and the point of the blade is meant to take the impact without damaging the blade, the handle, or the user.
The sheep’s foot is a utilitarian knife used mainly on ranches and farms, and is known to be solid and heavy. A type of chef’s knife, the Japanese santoku, is one of the most commonly seen types of knife with this point. The blade, even when small, is able to do large tasks due to all of the weight being blades near the tip.
The Guard: This is the piece of material that prevents the user’s hand from slipping up on the blade and causing injury as well as, in the case of swords, protecting the user’s hand from attack. While some small folding knives don’t have any kind of guard, other larger blades such as rapiers, feature large, highly ornate configurations that not only added beauty to the blade but also acted as counterbalance that helps prevent fatigue for the users.
The Handle: The handle is where the knife or sword is able to be safely grasped and can be made from anything from wood and leather to bone and are often textured to make sure that the user remains in control even if their hands become wet.
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What Materials make up a Blade?
While we’ve used everything from bone to glass, steel is hands down the most popular material for making blades. For years bronze was the main metal of the world, however when trade routes fell apart people have to start using iron, which they had been ignoring for a while, but by the end of it they discovered how to create steel. A small amount of carbon and some heat treatment is all it took to create one of the strongest materials in the world at that time, and bladesmiths found themselves working day after day to perfect the art of steel.
Wootz steel is one of the strongest materials ever made, however the art of creating it has been lost to history, and modern science has been unable to recreate it, even with functional blades that have survived thousands of years.
Both stainless steel and high carbon steel have their high and low points, so modern knives are made from whichever one suits their needs best.
Stainless steel is made with the addition of chromium to the mix, and this helps to prevent rust from forming on the blade. The name itself is slightly misleading as the steel is highly corrosion resistant, if left in the elements, it will slowly start to oxidize. While most people think of this as an added perk, when it was first created it solved a major problem for the various navies around the world as their equipment was constantly faced with the damaging effects of the saltwater.
While all steel has a certain amount of carbon in order for it to go from iron to steel, high carbon steel has almost 2.6 % carbon, which might not seem like a lot but it makes a major difference in terms of the final product. A little carbon turns steel into iron, but too much carbon simply makes a brittle metal, so bladesmiths have been searching for the perfect ratio. Though it corrodes much faster than stainless steel, high carbon steel knives are still very much in demand and are often used in high-quality chef’s knives since it’s able to take and keep a much sharper edge than is possible with stainless steel.
Why do You Need a Forge and Anvil to make a Blade?
A forge can best be described as a large fireplace that the bladesmith uses to heat the steel to the point that it can be shaped with a hammer. Whatever their design, all forges use fuel and air to efficiently reach a high enough temperature to work with metal.
While gas-powered forges are much easier to use, a lot of classic bladesmith prefer the hands-on approach that comes with using a coal-fired forge and having to adjust the fuel, fire and air mix as needed.
The steel is heated, then removed using large tongs and is then placed onto an anvil for shaping. This isn’t quick by any means, as some smiths may take hundreds of hours, going back and forth between the forge and the anvil for heating and shaping.
In the case of the Japanese katanas, the steel is also folded into itself repeatedly creating a sword with several hundred layers that is several times stronger than most other kinds of blades, and this is part of why these swords are so highly prized and revered by the people of Japan.
Though it looks out of place, the anvil is actually a well crafted tool that has been modified over the years to become multifunctional. The majority of the piece is pig iron, however the top has a tool steel face what can withstand misplaced blows and up to 90% rebound for the hammer, making the process more efficient. There are also a few holes that can be found on the anvil, and these hold the tools the smith isn’t using at the time. Even the horn is used to help shape curves of various sizes.
Makers have a variety of hammers at their disposal, along with different shapes they also come in different weights, ranging from 1 to 30 pounds. Depending on what is required, some tools may be made from soft metals like brass, however most are made from highly durable steel.
Each time shaping is done the smith will then cool the blade in a slack bath, allowing them more control over their work. It’s often necessary for the blade to be heated and quenched repeatedly during the forging process.
Why Would You Grind a Blade?
Grinding is also an essential part of shaping a blade. While most modern shops use large mechanical belt grinders, some people still prefer the old method of using a hand file. The grinding process starts off with a very abrasive first step that progressively gets softer until a mirror finish is achieved.
Some smaller, more home based makers will skip forging and buy “blade blanks” that they can then grind down to the size and shape they want. Another feature of buying a blade blank is that they are typically heat treated already, so those who are more casual in blade design can have an easier time of it. This step is also where the main edge sharpening occurs.
What is Heat Treatment?
There is a very long and hard to understand scientific explanation for why you need to heat treat metals such as steel, but what’s really going on is pretty simple. It’s simply heating a metal to a certain point then quickly cooling it off.
This is crucial in knife making as it gives the steel’s atoms a chance to properly align themselves. Different steels have their own properties, however this process provides a great deal of the metals durability and strength. Without undergoing this process, the blade would either be too soft and bend or dent upon impact, or be too hard and brittle and shatter like glass when struck. Even if you have the world’s greatest steel it’ll be damaged without heat treatment.
How are Knives put Together?
Steel is widely accepted as the best choice for a blade, however the handle is a more personal matter. In the past leather, bones, and wood were all fine choices, but with our current technology we’re able to craft new materials, like carbon fiber and plastic, both of which are lighter and more resistant to corrosion.
Blades of a folding knife will be attached with screws or bolsters once both products are finished.
A fixed blade knife can have its handle glued onto its tang, but for extra safety and security many makers use bolsters.
What’s the last step in Making a Blade?
To make the final product look shiny and appealing to customers the maker will run it over a buffering wheel. Not all steel will take on a mirror finish, but most knife makers still want to show you the best of their work in the hopes that you’ll return again and again.
Butterfly Knife 