Knife Made From A File

[jmh58]

smoke.. Those are way cool!! I really like them alot!! WOW!! NEAT!! John

[philco]

I do believe ole Smoke has been holding out on us.

I was impressed before; now I'm amazed!

[smokepole]

Thanks John and Phil, I appreciate the compliments! I think that a very large part of the reward for making knives is other people's appreciation of what you try to achieve - I know it holds true for me, and it inspires me to try and do better every time.

[vikingdog]

I do believe ole Smoke has been holding out on us.

I was impressed before; now I'm amazed!

What Phil said. More than I'd hoped for when I started this thread, that's for sure. Thank you Willem! I'm going to have to look at those photos a few more times for it all to sink in.

[Old Hunter]

I have an old buddy who has been my gun collecting and reloading mentor for many years - he is 83 now and during a visit yesterday we talked knives. He is a handy fellow who's family owned a planing mill years ago, he spent his career working there. He showed me some knives he made from wood chipper blades (1/4" thick) years ago. He made them for himself and he made others which he gave away, all are very practical and stout, but not finely finished. I took some pictures, this one is his version of a standard hunting knife of the 50's/60's.

[Old Hunter]

This is his skinning knife, reminds me a bit of the Buck 103.

[Old Hunter]

This is his Bowie, getting a bit heavy now.

[Old Hunter]

This big guy is a bush knife, the blade is about 12", and I imagine you could fell small trees with no problems. He made the scabbard from a cloth drive belt that ran machinery in the mill, he impregnated it with paint and it has maintained itself for 50 years in that condition! I love the practical nature of his handiwork - fuse blades from the big saw mill fuses were used to make the guards, and copper water tubing was used to make the handle rivets.

[tank]

You're very talented Smoke. That pukko is brilliant

[smokepole]

Thanks Tank, it means a lot to me, especially coming from you.

Old Hunter, I love your buddy's knives - honest working tools, with a style all of their own. Great work.

[vikingdog]

Old Hunter, those knives are very cool, thanks for showing them. Your friend must be an interesting person.

[Old Hunter]

Yeah, the old Colonel is a very interesting guy. When he was a company commander my Dad served as his First Sergeant - I have known him for years, since I was a teenager. He has always taken an interest in me and guided me in my earlier reloading adventures and gave me much valuable advice when I was a 2LT and he was a LTC. I was pretty much self taught in reloading until I learned that he knew a LOT more than I did - then I started asking questions. He is a practical sort of man who can find a way to accomplish most any task by using his brain and his mechanical ability - I think you guys would like him just fine. He always acts like he is delighted to see me when I drop by - really enjoy his company and he is still sharp as a tack at 83.

[smokepole]

Old Hunter, visit him often and write his stories down...My one great regret is that I never wrote down the stuff my one great grandmother told us - she lived with us for a few years before she died and she was an amazing person - she was born in 1894 and died in 1988 - she literally went from ox wagons to space shuttles in her life time, and had a very unique way of looking at life.

[vikingdog]

A nice video of knives being made from old files:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... wim9QxGozA

[AREMINGTONSEDGE]

Thanks for the video, way cool!

[vikingdog]

You're welcome. He makes some cool knives and can be found on facebook.

[ironmage]

I picked this one up at a knife show today. Does anyone else have any knives made from files?

ya that knife is not made from a file.It is made to look like it is made from a file.
Sawmill Cutlery™ Heavy Duty Skinner with Brown Wood Handle can be had for $15.00 new SMKW

[vikingdog]

I'm glad I got it cheap!

[ironmage]

I'm glad I got it cheap!

I have heard they are OK blades.Good knife for the price.

[ironmage]

Thank you guys, I am truly flattered that you enjoy my work!!

Vikingdog, I have done a few more from files but I'd have to look for the pics, and they are much in the same vein as the ones I have shown before.
On the other hand, I have done some very different work from files, where I don't leave a part of the file like I did on the skinners. It is mostly more "rustic" stuff that I make for historical re-en-actors.

This one was made as a traditional American "Long hunter" - the type of knife a trapper may have used. I used a rather large file as if it was a piece of bar stock and did stock removal - this whole knife was built using a hand dril, two files and some sand paper. It was the 3rd knife I ever made:





The following one is a historically correct copy of a knife of the type used by our Pioneers in the 1800's. It was basically a pruning knife, built by inhabitants of a German Mission - the missionaries had taught the locals the art of knife making. I forged this one from an old Nicholson file - in the back ground on the computer screen is the picture of an original from a museum that I had to work from:



And then for Phil and Vikingdog - I do a lot of work from old circular saw blades too - normally excellent quality high carbon steels.
Let's start off with a little skinner, African Black wood handle and warthog tusk bolster:




Then a set of big hunter/skinners I did for two brothers, who are my neighbors, using the same materials:



A little utility with African Black Wood handle, brass trim and push tang:



Then a whole bunch of utility skinners, a hunting knife, a skinner and a couple of bird and trout knives all made for "traditional" hunters using muzzle loaders:



OK, here's a couple more from files - two long hunters I did for guys over here that like to re-enact the trapper era:




A puukko with an African flavor - black wood and warthog tusk, made from HSS 18 steel from an old table plane/thicknesser blade:






Large friction folder from an old circular saw blade:







And lastly, for now at least, a utility from circular saw blade, Paduak handle, in forge finish:





Thanks for asking and thanks for looking!

You are good guy.Loved them all and wish I had half that talent.

[smokepole]

Ironmage, thank you my friend, for the kind words. I truly appreciate them!

[Colonel26]

I don't have any made from files, but here are a couple made from saw blades. The sin in-law of a former church member made these for me after I preached his father-in law's funeral. The small one had antler handles and the larger one leather washers for handles

[ironmage]

Ironmage, thank you my friend, for the kind words. I truly appreciate them!

All no prob, I love your knives keep it up and thanks for the pic's.

[tank]

Here is my brother's current project. A co-worker wanted a bushcraft pattern made from a Nicholson file. It will have buffalo horn scales with matching sheath and firesteel. I'll post pics when it's done.

[ironmage]

Here is my brother's current project. A co-worker wanted a bushcraft pattern made from a Nicholson file. It will have buffalo horn scales with matching sheath and firesteel. I'll post pics when it's done.

Nice shape,will be looking for the pic's.