Karl

well i think this is a topic of much discussion, the steel itself in files is a high carbon steel, which is great for knives, however i think the main problem with forging files (and rasps) is that the grooves, or furrows i suppose one could call them create weaknesses in the metal and can cause it to break especially in the process of hardening the steel. this is actually how the file my knife was made from was broken. im not sure how accurate my information is and i dont know if im the best to give advice, im not exactly a very experinced blacksmith, but i think the best way to avoid breaking a file is to either remove the grooves by forging it smooth or by stock removal. otherwise you just have to be really careful when hardening the steel. but yes files are excellent for making blades and fairly easy to forge happy forging

hey Greg, yeah the blade and tang are forged, i prefer to forge a knife than grind it, i feel it gives the knife more life and character. thanks greg

For this knife all i did was drill a hole through the brass for the tang to fit through, and then i peened the end of the tang in the hole and soldered it on for extra strength. i hope that answers your question duckpond.

i love it, this isnt just a knife its a work of art honestly you are a role model for us aspiring blacksmiths it's a stunning piece of work

thanks again for all the feedback im blown away, really and now i know what to call the little thing cheers guys

hi all, this knife is made from the first blade i ever forged. the blade is 5160 steel and 140mm long. it has a deer antler handle and polished brass fittings. the total length is about 275mm my original plan for this knife was to make a simple handle out of the same timber used in the sheath (Australian red gum) but at the last minute i decided to use deer antler. i would really like to know your thoughts on this knife, and i will try and put some better photo's up soon

i love the knife it is a very elegant shape for a blade i'd love to make a cable knife myself one day ...when i have the skills

thanks for the comments, everyone and yes it is a very functional knife, it only has a single bevel like a mora so it's very sharp and it works amazingly well as a skinning knife. i'd love to get some more feedback and i'll have more photo's as well as other knives up soon, thanks guys

Hey, this is my first post and i would really appreciate feedback, good and bad. i made this knife from an old broken file, all the fittings are solid brass and the handle material is ironbark (Australian Gum Tree). the overall knife is 130mm or about 5" in length. thanks.