Tanto making. How to make or forge a samurai Japanese tanto knife from a simple bolt yourself - step by step instructions with visual illustrations. View from the tip
Many people know that tanto is a Japanese knife, although the variant that most people know is the so-called "American tanto", that is, an American replica of a Japanese knife. A real Japanese tanto knife is characterized by a rounded blade tip, while the Americans simplified their version of the Japanese knife by cutting the tip at 45 degrees.
Japanese samurai set
A Japanese tanto knife (or short tanto sword) is included in a set of three samurai swords:
- Daito (long sword);
- Seto (wakizashi or medium sword);
- Tanto (short sword or knife).
Since only representatives of the samurai class could wear a long sword, it was the wakizashi and tanto that were the main weapons of merchants and artisans who used them for self-defense.
Although the tanto is just a stylish traditional knife for the people of the United States, the Japanese have never perceived it that way. A real tanto is a cold weapon, moreover, it was forbidden to use it for any economic purposes. By the way, wearing a tanto in Japan is illegal and punishable by a high fine. For Japanese people who really want to carry a tanto-like knife, American firms have come up with folding models with tanto-like blades. Their sizes do not fall under the definition of edged weapons in Japan.
The appearance of tanto knives in Japan
The first tanto knives appeared during the Heian period from 794 to 1185. These knives did not differ in workmanship. During the Kamakura period, better materials began to be used to make tanto, and the knife itself became an invariable attribute of the samurai's weapons.
Apart from the samurai, the tanto knife was the weapon of choice for the yakuza. Ninjas also loved to use it, since this knife was worn by various social groups of the population, and it did not arouse any suspicion. The sheath for tanto was also richly decorated. All tanto blades made according to traditional technology are the cultural heritage of the country.
The meaning of tanto for Japanese culture
In the USA, tanto knives are produced by many weapons companies; a real Japanese tanto knife can only be made after obtaining a special license from a master gunsmith. There are no more than 300 such masters throughout Japan. Each tanto created by their hands has the mark of the master on the blade.
Although you can now find many World War II tantos for sale at auctions in various countries, you should not strive to get them into your collection. These knives were not produced according to technology, using low quality steel. The Japanese government systematically disposes of such blades, as they are low-quality consumer goods that have nothing to do with real short swords.
Most often, tanto blades are sharpened on one side, although blades with the usual two-sided sharpening have been found.
Since tanto knives are very popular among martial arts sections, the industry produces many plastic or rubber copies of these knives, which are used to practice knife fighting with a real opponent. The traditional training tanto is wooden dummies, which were used in the Middle Ages. For training wooden weapons, the material is very carefully selected, so they are able to serve for years.
Often come across combat instances of tanto, designed to pierce armor. They are distinguished by a thick and faceted blade. Tantos without a protective guard were called aikutti, and small tantoids called kaiken were used by women for self-defense.
Different varieties of Japanese tanto knives
Although it is believed that tanto knives fall into just two categories (Japanese and American tanto), there are several varieties of the traditional Japanese tanto knife:
- The aikutti knife differs from the usual tanto in the absence of a guard. These knives were of various sizes, although short blades were most often used. In battle, knives of this type were used to finish off the enemy, since the warrior's code of honor forbade killing a lying enemy with a sword. Since aikutti (unlike tanto) was not considered a sword, they were not forbidden to finish off;
- The kubikiri knife has a more curved blade. A knife of this type could not have a blade edge and was intended to cut off the heads of the enemy. According to one version, knives of this type were worn by the servants of the samurai, who collected the original trophies of their master. Since this knife is devoid of a blade edge, it was used only for specific tasks. Some believe that this knife was used for chopping firewood or for gardening. It is noteworthy that knives of this type were made by Japanese blacksmiths at a time when traditional swords were practically not ordered. It is possible that this is how Japanese gunsmiths made household knives based on combat specimens;
- The tanto fan was a type of concealed carry cold weapon and, along with the battle fan, was a fairly popular Japanese weapon. Most often, low-quality steel was used for these knives, although professional assassins and ninjas made their tanto fans from high-quality steel, since the life of their owner often depended on the quality of the weapon. In addition to professional spies, women, retired military men, monks and other people who needed concealed weapons to protect their lives used such knives. In the late 19th century, the tanto fan was sold as a souvenir for tourists. Naturally, souvenir weapons were completely unsuitable for self-defense due to the low quality of the materials used;
- Tanto-ken is one of the oldest tanto-shaped knives. The first knives of this kind appeared in the 7th century. Tanto-ken has a double-edged dagger-type blade. This is a ritual knife that is used in Buddhist ceremonies. Since blades of this type are real works of blacksmithing, they ended up in monasteries as gifts;
- The real military weapon is the yari-tanto. This blade was used to pierce armor. The blade of this knife almost completely copied the blade of the yari spear. There were samples with a hollow handle that could be put on a shaft and used as a spear. Like any military weapon, some yari-tanto blades had rich inlays. Some samples of these weapons were used as weapons for the second hand;
- Tanto pistols, although they were quite interesting weapons, were quite rare. After the Portuguese brought matchlock guns to Japan in the 16th century, firearms gained immense popularity within a fairly short time, although real samurai treated them with contempt. Tanto pistols appeared in the 17th and 18th centuries and gained popularity not only as a weapon of self-defense, but also as a thing that emphasized the status of its owner. It looked like an ordinary tanto knife, but when taken out of its sheath, it turned out to be a single-shot pistol. Although the workmanship often left much to be desired, such a concealed firearm in the world of swords was a significant advantage in the event of a dangerous situation;
- Another weapon designed exclusively for warfare was the hasiwari knife. This weapon was designed to capture the opponent's blade with a hook. The hasiwari blade was strong enough to pierce helmets and armor. The length of the hasiwari blade varied from 30 to 40 centimeters, which was quite enough to deliver a fatal blow;
- One of the most unusual types of tanto was the tanto saw. Many experts still cannot understand what it was intended for. Although if you remember that Japanese ninjas often penetrated dwellings, cutting holes in the walls, it can be assumed that the tanto saw is a specific tool for shadow warriors.
In addition to the traditional Japanese types of tanto, there are many more tanto-like blades produced by various knife manufacturers. Due to the great popularity of folding knives, many models with tanto-type blades have appeared. Their advantage over other types of blades is the high strength of the blade tip.
There are many tanto-shaped knives on the market today. When buying such a product, you need to remember that most of the models sold have an American tanto-shaped blade, which even looks very different from the classic Japanese tanto.
Article: SUK-TAN-10/13(TBD13-8)
Dimensions:
Blade length: 204 mm
Shank length: 81mm
Total blade length including handle and storage rim ( saya) - 330 mm
The total length of the blade, including the handle and front frame ( kosirae) - 410 mm
Blade width at its widest point - 231 mm
Blade thickness at the thickest point - 6.5 mm
Blade weight - 140 g
The total weight of the blade, including handle and sheath for storage ( saya) - 335 g
Blade bend - 0.04 cm
Signature values on the shank: on the front side - Sukesada(祐定), there is no signature on the reverse side.
Type hada(hardening pattern on the blade steel surface): mokume and masame.
On the front frame kosirae prints of famous artists made using the technique maki-e which makes the design of this decoration unique. Artists put such seals on their works to certify their authenticity.
This tanto in style aikuti belongs to the period edo (1600-1868 ), when the Land of the Rising Sun was ruled shoguns dynasty Tokugawa.
On a 20.4 cm long blade signed ( May) 祐定 Sukesada the time of its manufacture is not indicated; however, can be attributed to the period Shinto("new swords") and tentatively date XVII - XVIII centuries. As for the signature, the name is 祐定 Sukesada can be called "branded". Signature 祐定Sukesada was used by a very significant number of blacksmiths (at least 150) who were active in different historical periods. Most of the blacksmiths who used the name "Sukesada" lived in the province of Bizen, in the village of Osafune. Apparently, this blade is the work of one of the "late" Sukesada, descendants of Yokoyama Toshio Sukesada. This blacksmith was lucky enough to survive the flood of the Yoshii River and the accompanying landslide of the Yokoyama Mountains, which destroyed the village of Osafune in 1591, along with the blacksmiths living there and their families. The descendants of Toshio Sukesada formed several lines of hereditary blacksmiths who also signed their work "Sukesada"; 14 generations of this family are known, active until the beginning of the 20th century. The estimated time of manufacture of this blade: the Edo period, possibly the second half of the 17th - the middle of the 18th century. (?).
This blade is quite consistent with the style of tradition. Bizen-den: forging pattern ( kitae) on the side surface ( jihad) -mokume and masame(pattern of "wood cut" with long longitudinal wavy fibers and characteristic "eyes", resembling traces of knots); hardening line ( jamon) – a combination of patterns choji("cloves") - and gonome(wavy line). The scabbard is covered with black lacquer ( kuro-urushi) painted with gold, red and silver lacquer, with gold foil appliqué and thin mother-of-pearl plates ( aogai). Decorative motif - various cartouches made in the form of seals, demonstrating various forms (images of ancient Chinese incense burners, gourds, circles, rounded squares, etc.), symbols and techniques, with stylized auspicious inscriptions in the archaic ancient Chinese style, made in cinnabar , gold or black varnishes in the technique of relief painting.
Similar images of seals with archaic inscriptions are associated with the so-called. the culture of "educated people" - scribes, experts in ancient Chinese poetry and literature, Confucian philosophy, etc.
The wooden handle is made in the style hanashi menuki(i.e. without braiding with cords) and pasted over with a beautiful grainy same(stingray or shark skin).
Tanto, despite its quite respectable age, is distinguished by a very good state of conservation; at the same time, it has the corresponding signs of a very long existence: a natural gray-brown patina has formed on the shank, the lacquer painting of the scabbard has characteristic abrasions - traces of the existence of an object that retains the “flavor” of a bygone era.
Greetings to all fans to work with metal. I propose to consider the instructions for making a quality knife in the Japanese tanto style. In general, initially such knives were swords, but then the craftsmen liked this form of the blade and began to make knives in this style. Such knives are very convenient for woodworking, they can also be successfully cut and chopped, and some cooks approved this blade profile.
The author decided to make his knife from a file, this metal is strong, can be hardened, the knife will be sharp and durable. The file must be correct, good metal is found only in old samples. At the break, the metal of the file should be of a uniform gray color, and when cutting the core, thick bright sparks should pour. Modern files are made of poor metal, cementing only the outer part. In addition, the manufactured blade must be properly hardened, otherwise the carbon that makes the steel strong may burn out.
Materials and tools used
List of materials:
- an old file;
- wood for the handle;
- epoxy with black dye;
- rope;
- copper tubes and sheet copper;
- deer horn and a thick board (for a stand);
- wood for scabbard;
- wood impregnation oil.
List of tools:
- Bulgarian;
- drill;
- files for metal and wood;
- planer;
- sandpaper;
- a hammer;
- chisels;
- blacksmith's furnace and accessories for forging;
- hacksaw;
- vice;
- a hammer;
- gas-burner;
- clamps;
- polishing paste or fine sandpaper.
Knife making process:
Step one. Production of the main profile
It should be noted right away that it is impossible to process a file by hand just like that, since the steel is hardened and very durable. Here you need either a vacation, or you can simply use forging, as our author did. We heat the metal to a red glow and slowly, using a hammer and anvil, set the desired blade profile. Strongly overheating of the metal should not be, as the alloying element may burn out, and the steel will turn into raw material. Forging is desirable to perform as high quality as possible, so then you will have less time for grinding.
Step two. Let's start sanding
Next, we need to grind the blade to remove all the defects left after forging. To do this, we need files, clamp the blade and process. Of course, the fastest way to do this is with a belt sander. You can now process metal manually, since we released it.
Next, you can use already sandpaper, fixed on a bar. It is useful to wet the paper in water, so it works much more efficiently by cleaning. As a result, we work with the finest sandpaper or on a fine-grained grinding stone. The metal must be brought to an almost perfect state, since further hardening is to be done.
Step three. hardening
We proceed to hardening, since we previously released the metal. To do this, the author coated the blade with a heat-resistant composition so that the alloying elements remained in place. Well, then we warm the blade to a bright red glow and dip it in oil. After that, we check the blade, trying to scratch it with a file. If there are no scratches, excellent, then the steel is hardened. As for such a moment as a vacation, its author did not do it, but it is recommended.
Step four. Bolster and emphasis
On the blade is the so-called bolster or overlay, due to which the sheath is fixed. In addition, this detail has ethical significance, it makes the knife look more beautiful. We make this part from a piece of copper pipe, cut off the desired piece, and then form the desired profile with a hammer. The author welded the ends of the pipe, they can also be soldered. In addition, we need to focus, here we need sheet copper. We cut out the desired workpiece and cut a hole for the profile of the tail of the blade.
Step five. Back and handle
The author makes the basis for the pen from wood. We select a block of hardwood and form the desired profile with a planer. Next, we drill and bore a hole for the knife shank. We form the final profile with files.
Also, the author made a back plate for the pen, so it will last longer, and it looks amazing. The back is made from a piece of copper pipe and a piece of sheet copper. Both parts are welded together with a gas burner, they can also be soldered or glued with epoxy. The author walks along the stop and the butt plate with a hammer, making dents. This gives the impression that the knife is antique, looks beautiful.
Step six. Pin and decorations
An interesting feature of this knife is that the handle is installed without glue, it is held on one carefully fitted pin. But if desired, it can be planted with glue. To begin with, we drill a hole in the place of the handle where the pin will be installed. A brass or copper rod can be used as a pin. Next, as a decoration, we make two “flowers”. The author makes them from sheet copper, the hole needs to be punched, so the flower will be securely fixed. For more details on how such details are made, see the photo.
Step seven. Finishing the handle
The main material of the handle is wood. From above, it is wrapped with a black rope impregnated with glue. The result is a very strong and beautiful handle. For these purposes, we need epoxy and black dye. We wind the rope and soak it well with glue. When the glue dries, we get an excellent resistant coating. The butt is also installed on epoxy. Let the glue dry overnight.
Step eight. Sheath and stand
For a knife we make a scabbard, they are wooden by the author. We take two boards and with the help of a chisel we form a hollow part into which the blade will go. Next, these parts are glued together with epoxy and the desired profile is formed using files and sandpaper. Rougher processing can be carried out with a planer.
The author also decided to make a stand for his masterpiece. Of course, you don't have to do that at all. For these purposes, the author used deer antlers. We select the material for the base, it can be a piece of a thick board. With the help of a chisel, we make a recess in it under the bow of the scabbard. The horns must be fixed so that the knife rests on them. We fasten the horns using epoxy glue, additionally fix the horns with a screw, and so on.
Step nine. Assembling the knife and testing
Polish all parts of the knife. To assemble it, the author did not use glue, everything rests on a pin, which is very precisely adjusted to its location. Thanks to this design, the handle can be quickly disassembled and polished or replaced. If you use brass instead of honey, you can assemble everything with glue, because brass is much more resistant to oxidation.
That's all, now the knife is ready, it remains to sharpen it to the state of a blade and put it in a sheath on a chic stand made of horns. Everything looks amazing. That's all, the project is over, I hope you liked it. Good luck and creative inspiration if you want to repeat. Don't forget to share your
Differences in them - in form and purpose.
What are Tanto combat knives
The original tanto (短刀= tan "short" + too "sword") is a traditional Japanese short knife available to civilians (as opposed to the long katana). National Treasure of Japan. Tanto combat knives are considered edged weapons in all countries. In a safe form (made of plastic, wood, rubber, etc.) it is used in oriental martial arts.
Traditional samurai set - tanto, wakizashi and katana In the European tanto classification:
- in size - a dagger;
- for sharpening - a knife.
In the classical sense, Tanto knives are exactly a sword.
Tanto knife in Japanese is hamono (刃 "blade, blade" + 物 "product, thing"). Despite the fact that both "hamono" and "tanto" have two hieroglyphs, the first is perceived as one word "knife", the second - as a phrase with the keyword "sword".
The second meaning of tanto is a special blade shape for modern knives:
- combat;
- tactical;
- folding, etc.
The thick tip of the tanto is the key to the durability of the knife even with inappropriate use This form has little in common with the classic tanto, but is popular and widely used due to its strength.
Description of the Japanese sword Tanto
Classic tanto should be done like this:
| Parameter | Meaning | Japanese designation |
| Blade shape | slightly curved tip |
 The correct shape of the tanto blade is flat with a slight curvature. |
| flat | ||
| sharpening | unilateral | |
| Blade length | no more than 30.3 cm, otherwise it will turn out wakizashi |
A standard school 30 cm ruler is just 1 exemplary Japanese shaku |
| total length | 35-50 cm | |
| Material | Japanese Sponge Iron Ingot Steel |
 Tanto is made from "diamond steel" - tamahagane |
| Handle | Removable | |
| Bamboo pin |
 If you make mekugi from metal or horn, the sword will be decorative, not combat |
|
| Garda* | Round |
 By tsuba, you can recognize the owner of the blade. The samurai code forbade them jewelry, so they decorated the tsuba. Simple "guards" - the lot of commoners |
*Tsuba was never used by the Japanese to block weapons - only to stop the brush during a stabbing blow.
Parameters of a short knife Tanto
Modern tanto knives differ from the canon in almost all respects:
| Parameter | Traditional tanto sword
|
Modern tanto knife
This kind of American tanto resembles a kitchen knife, but costs 10 times more. |
| Blade shape | slightly curved tip | Straight bevel under 45 o |
| flat | With stiffener | |
| Type of sharpening | unilateral | Single sided or double sided |
| blade length | 17-30.3 cm | 10-30 cm |
| total length | 35-50 cm | 22-50 cm |
| thickness | 5-7 mm | 2,5-7 |
| material | sponge iron steel | A variety of steels, including Damascus |
| Handle | Removable | fixed |
| Attaching the handle to the shank | Bamboo pin | No bamboo studs at all |
| Garda* | Round | Flat, round or none |
The sketch is so detailed that at least take it and make a real Tanto sword yourself
The American tanto took over the sharpening from the katana and added chopped forms. In pursuit of a spectacular appearance, modern knives have acquired serious drawbacks:
However, the point strength of modern tantoids is very high, so sticking them into something hard is much safer - and it will turn out much better than other knives.
Tanto blades in Japanese culture
Tanto blades historically are not a knife, but a sword, therefore, they were most often worn in a sheath:
- for warriors - behind the belt, on the right;
- for women - in a sleeve, a fan or behind an obi belt.
Samurai before the 14th century armed with a pair of swords - daisho ("big-small"):
- Daito ("big tanto sword") - the main one, more than 66 cm.
- Shoto ("small sword") - additional, 33-66 cm.
Sometimes the Japanese tanto sword was used instead of the seto.
A couple of things that distinguished the samurai from ordinary people - a large and small sword. Guess what tanto came from In the 14th century the weapons of the samurai have changed:
- instead of daito - tati, then - katana;
- instead of seto - wakizashi, sometimes - tanto.
The difference between tati and katana is that the first was worn on a leash to the belt, and the second was thrust into the belt Over time, tanto entered the military recruitment on an ongoing basis, the third item. It was regarded precisely as a military weapon, and therefore was used accordingly:
- to finish off the enemy;
- for battle in a cramped room;
- for cutting off heads;
- for suicide (male warriors, women, children);
- for self-defense (merchants, artisans, monks and other travelers).
Now tanto is a cultural heritage.
The only permitted uses:
- wedding ceremonies of the imperial family;
- oriental martial arts.
Types of tanto
In addition to the tanto itself, the short sword at different times had dozens of varieties:
| Title and photo | Difference and purpose |
 The tanto fan has a well-camouflaged scabbard |
Sheath for tanto in the form of a folded fan. Concealed carry:
|
 The most despised tanto by samurai is firearms. |
When sheathed, it looks like a normal tanto. Outside the scabbard is a single-shot pistol. In the 17-18 centuries - as a weapon of self-defense;
|
 Like a spear - but no, yari-tanto |
The blade is exactly like a yari spear:
For armor penetration. It could be worn on a shaft like a spear. Like a second hand weapon |
 Perhaps the hasiwari is the prototype of the Japanese sai weapon. |
|
 Tanto saw not only cuts, but also saws |
On the concave part - saw teeth. Supposedly the ninja made holes in the walls to get into the house. |
 This is what yoroi doshi tanto looked like |
|
 Aikuti ("fitted mouth") was not considered a sword |
Without a guard, without a handle braid, various sizes of tanto, more often short ones. "Civilian version", for finishing off the enemy, (you cannot finish off the lying one with a sword, a. aikutti, unlike tanto, was not considered a sword) |
 Kubikiri literally means "head cutter" |
More curved, sometimes without a point (or with a weakly pronounced one), the cutting edge is on the inside or on both sides.
|
 Tanto-kens were forged especially for monasteries |
Double-edged blade like a dagger two parallel cutting edges.
|
 Hamidashi feature in the handle, more precisely, in the guard-tsuba of modest size |
The specific form of the guard-tsuba is very small, barely protruding beyond the edge.
|
 Kusungobu - a shortened version of the tanto for hara-kiri |
Ritual, the size of the tanto knife is 29.7 cm. Seppuku or hara-kiri |
 Too crowded for wakizashi? Use the kaiken! |
|
 A kind of tanto with additional sharpening on the concave part |
Double-edged, curved tanto blade for close combat |
 Unokubi is a refined Japanese tanto in the literal sense, as it becomes thinner along the entire length of the percussive part and only the tip and base remain thick |
The back of the blade becomes thinner in the middle, but thickens again towards the tip. End difference:
Perhaps the stronger tip was used for stabbing. Plus, such a weapon is lighter than usual, monolithically thick along the entire length |
 A short Japanese tanto knife with a stiffener is already more like an American tanto |
Stiffener (approximately in the middle) |
Rarer performances of tanto (as well as wakizashi, katana and naginata) are shown in the figure below.
Photo tanto. Different geometries of Japanese bladesHistory of the tanto sword
In Japan, tanto has a long history - up to the present day:
| Production eras | Period | Event |
| Koto, "old swords" | Heian (794 - 1185) | The emergence of tanto. Rough, not artistic |
| war genpei (War of Minamoto and Tairo) |
Tanto was included in the armament of the war:
|
|
| Kamakura | High quality, very artistic, mostly for samurai. The most famous tanto master is Yoshimitsu |
|
| Muromachi | peak production | |
| Mamoyama (1573-1599) | ||
| Shinto, "new swords" | Edo (1600-1868) | At first, production decreased, but Japanese daggers became popular. Then production increased, but the quality dropped. Gradually began to go out of use, turning into a tribute to tradition |
| Shin-Shinto, "new new swords") | ||
| Meiji dynasty (1868-1912) | The second birth is among aristocrats, ninjas and yakuza. Weapons are manufactured industrially |
|
| Gendai, "modern" (1876 - 1945) | Edict of Haytori (1876) | Samurai eliminated The carrying of weapons is prohibited. Tanto is falling into disuse |
| 1940-1945 | Mass production of steel tanta for military purposes | |
| Shinshaku, "The Newest" (after 1945 ) | 1950 - law "On cultural heritage" | Tanto entered the list of traditional weapons that need to be protected and preserved. Exception: steel tantos of the Second World War, forged in haste. They are not considered cultural value and are destroyed so as not to dishonor the national treasure. |
| 1954 | It is allowed to manufacture weapons according to ancient technologies - but only to licensed blacksmiths. Currently, out of 650+ such manufacturers, about half are working |
After the 1950s, nothing interesting about tanto happened in Japan. But thirty years later, the tanto was reincarnated - in America, in the form of a combat knife.
Manufacturing history
In the USA, there was just a mass passion for Japanese martial arts, and knife masters took advantage of this.
| Year | Event | Advertising | Image |
| 1978 | American Chinese Bob Lam creates a knife that looks like a miniature samurai sword, with the Japanese name - tanto. |  |
|
| 1979 | Individual blacksmiths picked up the style. Due to the high demand, the production of tanto has been put on stream. | Increase in tanto models on the market. | |
| 1980 | Phil Hutsfield promotes a simplified version of the tanto - with a rough chisel sharpening and a simple handle (sometimes the shank was simply wrapped with long laces soaked in epoxy). | Master swordsman Obata Toshiro cuts rice straw mats (tatami omote). Navy SEALs order tantos from Phil Hutsfield (and get them for half price). |
 |
| 1981 | Ernest Emerson designs and mass-produces folding tantos. | Again, for the SEALs. On the knife - a lot of trendy attributes, including a retainer and a clip. |
 |
| 1982 | Lynn Thompson of Cold Steel is mass-producing tantos, both regular and folding. | Punches several times in a row a car door, aircraft skin, metal barrels. Experiencing lethality on a Mexican pig farm. Forms a myth about special strength and penetration. |
 |
Hello knife lovers. In this tutorial, we will look at how you can easily make a small tanto knife. This design of the knife was invented by the Japanese, and initially it was a combat sword. But experience shows that such a knife profile is great for a regular knife. It is convenient, it is easy for them to plan something, cut and so on.
Making a knife is not difficult, the most difficult thing will be to make bevels, but if you have a belt grinder, then this should not be any problem. The most important thing is to choose high-quality steel for the knife. The author used good grade 01 steel. This steel is good because it is very easy to harden, and it can be hardened with a torch and a container of oil. And steel can be tempered in a household oven. This steel has a whole 1% carbon, which means that the metal becomes quite strong after hardening. In addition, this steel grade also contains manganese (1.2%), silicon (0.75%), chromium (0.5%), vanadium (0.20%) and tungsten (0.5%).
Thanks to this composition, the steel is hardened to a hardness of 60 HRC. And due to the presence of chromium, the steel is resistant to rust. So, let's take a closer look at how to make such a knife!
Materials and tools that the author needed:
List of materials:
- steel 01 or other similar;
- plastic or wood for overlays;
- steel or brass tubes (for pins);
- epoxy adhesive.
List of tools:
- belt sander;
- drilling machine;
- means for polishing;
- vice and clamps;
- blacksmith's furnace, household oven, hardening oil;
- band saw blade.
Knife making process:
Step one. Preparing and cutting the main profile
First you need to come up with or find a profile of a knife or tanto sword ready on the Internet. On the computer, it can be reduced to the desired size, and then printed on the printer. The resulting template is cut out with scissors and a clerical knife. We glue the paper template to the workpiece, in our case it is steel 01. Immediately mark the places for the holes on the metal so that you can center the template in which case.
Step two. Grinding
So, we have a rough profile ready, now we need to process it along the contour to get what we need. A belt sander is very well suited for this purpose. We grind the remaining corners and get the finished blade profile.
Step three. We form bevels
This is the most crucial moment in the manufacture of a knife. The bevels of these types of knives are quite wide, the blade is gradually gaining thickness. Thanks to this profile, the blade is very sharp, like a razor. First we need to mark everything, take a black marker and paint over the place where the blade will be. Next, we take a drill of exactly the same thickness as our workpiece and draw a center line on a flat plane. Now we will have a shiny line in the center, and all the black that remains, we need to grind.
To form bevels, the author has a special clamp that allows you to form the desired profile. First, we work with a tape with a large grain, remove the base metal, and then go through a smaller tape. Before grinding, the author weighed the workpiece, its weight was 232 grams.
Step four. We prepare the overlays
For overlays, you can use various materials, most often it is wood. But our author prefers to use synthetic materials such as plastic. They are good because they do not require subsequent impregnation, are durable, are not afraid of moisture, and so on. Attach the shank to the material and cut out two overlays.
Step five. Drilling holes
Next, take the blade and drill two holes for the pins. The author has a rather large diameter pins, he used tubes. First, we drill holes of small diameter, and then ream them to the desired one.
In addition, the author drills another 10 holes of a smaller diameter. These holes are needed in order to lighten the handle, and even better to stick lining. The peculiarity of this knife is that its blade itself should be heavier than the handle, this will allow you to apply the right effort when cutting. Before such work, it is better to wrap the blade with electrical tape so as not to get hurt.
Step six. Hardening and tempering
When the blade is completely ready, we harden it. To do this, use a forge furnace or a gas burner. We bring the blade to a yellowish glow; in this state, a magnet should not be attracted to it. Well, then we cool the blade in oil, this is how steel 01 is hardened. After hardening, the blade should not be taken with a file.
But hardening is still half the battle, after it the blade will be very strong, but at the same time very fragile. We need to make it a little more elastic so that it springs. Thanks to these properties, steel will no longer shatter when it falls on concrete, and so on. For these purposes, we send the knife to the household oven for an hour or so. The temperature should be around 200 degrees Celsius. Then turn off the oven and let it cool down with the knife closed. All of us now let go of the steel, and we got a blade of excellent quality.
Step seven. Cleaning and polishing
After hardening, the steel will darken, this coating can be cleaned off and the steel polished. However, steel 01 is resistant to rust, and if you use another steel, then this coating can be left, it will not allow the metal to rust. First, we process the blade on a belt grinder with a fine-grained belt. And then you can proceed to manual processing. We clamp the shank with a clamp and grind the blade with fine sandpaper, using a special tool or plain water. Then we polish the blade to a mirror finish if necessary. When everything is ready, we wrap the blade again with electrical tape so as not to hurt our hands and not scratch the knife itself.
Step eight. We glue the handle
We use epoxy glue to glue the handle. We put it on the lining, install the pins, and then we squeeze the whole thing in a vice and clamps. We leave the glue to dry for a day, usually this is enough. We wipe off the remaining glue immediately, so that later we have less grinding.