Knife Pattern and Handles

thingiverse

I have a fascination with knives that I just can't explain. They're incredible tools when you need one, and nothing else will do. A few months ago, I decided to combine two of my hobbies: 3D printing and knife making. I wanted to see if I could print handles for a fixed blade knife on my 3D printer. And the answer is yes. The attached file includes my first attempt at merging these two interests. The file contains three objects to be printed: two handles and a pattern for the knife blade. The blade, of course, needs to be made from steel, which requires some skill in knife making. I used an old bandsaw's leftover metal for my blade. After a few minutes with a grinder, a belt sander, and a drill, I had a knife blank created from the pattern. Heat treating took the longest part of the build process. Once heat treated, I attached the handles using epoxy, two 1/8 inch brass pins, and a 1/4 inch brass tube for a lanyard hole/third pin. After some time with a whetstone, I had a reasonable general-purpose blade. Important Notes: 1. Sharp knives are sharp. Use them responsibly, as improper use can result in injury or death. 2. The pattern is designed for a knife with a 3 1/4 inch blade and a 4 3/8 inch handle. The total length is 7 5/8 inches. 3. The built knife ends up as a standard shape for a general-purpose/camp knife. The blade has plenty of belly for slicing, making it suitable for general tasks and food preparation. The blade shape combines elements of a "flat back" and "drop point" design. The flat blade back descends slightly toward the tip of the blade. You can modify the blade shape as long as the full tang through the handle remains unchanged.