This is a knife I done from a 1/2" dump truck leaf spring, if you don't mind a thick handle (you can use a drill to cut most of that weight out) and the taste of cutoff wheel in your mouth then you don't need a bunch of expensive flashy tools, I made this knife with a belt sander from Harbor freight, my Dewalt grinder, a bunch of sand paper, elbow grease and a lot of determination https://photos.app.goo.gl/pPGbWrfKAbXok2x38