Forging a Kukri KNIFE From a RUSTED BOLT

Today we're forging out a beautiful kukri knife out of a rusty bolt! I found this rusted bolt a while ago when I was hiking, and thought it would make a cool knife! It was a blast to hand forge this blade, and it was fun to experiment with a new blade type! Hope you guys enjoy this knife making video, and let me know what style of blade you would like to see in the future!

[@DylanDonigan]

Love waking up to a new Todd Koch Video!! YAYAYAYAYAYAY

[@ToddKoch]

😘

[@michaeltaylor1895]

You know, after learning some of the blacksmithing skills (and boy do I mean like some) I can appreciate the work and effort that you have put into your work. Please keep up the good work and stay safe.

[@ToddKoch]

There’s a ton to learn, and the best way to get good at these skills is by repetition in my opinion! Thank you for the kind words it appreciate the support!

[@nick39]

Beautiful build! You sir, are a true craftsman!

[@SWA_316]

I love the Kukri style knife and I'm glad to see you making one.

[@ToddKoch]

I’ve wanted to make one forever, it’s such a cool style!

[@Whitecrocs51]

I love watching your knife vids pls do more

[@ToddKoch]

I’ll try my best! Knife videos are really time intensive but they’re my favorite videos to make!

[@adamsoffgridadventure]

Excellent work!

[@sedulousdabbler5468]

Mate, hats off to you. That is a pearler.

[@ToddKoch]

I appreciate it! I love how this one turned out!

[@ValhallaViking]

It's great seeing different minds in action the handle looks awesome

[@ToddKoch]

Thanks I’m super happy with how the handle turned out too!

[@Koralik0_0]

Nice knife👍

[@maxpayne3779]

Great knife project the end result looks great. You know your stuff about forging and metal work and the handle wood finish and shape looks good. As far as I can tell you've just started bulding up your workshop and your tools and with every project you can learn to get better. One or two things thoug I noticed about the handle that I wouldn't have done this way and I like to explain why. Just to give you some tips what you can do better next time. Sorry if this sounds harsh I'm no expert and I'm no knife maker but more like a hobby woodworker watching different knife maker videos. In other words I'm just a nitpicky nerd with too much time. I've allready build my workshop over the years and accuiered new mashines and inherited used tools for woodworking. I'm not so much a blacksmith. But maybe I should start my idea of building a machete out of some lawnmooer blades I've collected instead of still watching others how they do knifes. First as one mentioned before the short tang is not the best and most robust solution. Maybe a peened bolt sideways throug the handle would have helped, but then again the hole for the bolt in the wooden handle is just another point of failure for splitting, pros and cons but I would have considered maybe a smale diamenter bolt. Better jet I've seen people welding threaded rods at short tangs and bolting them tight with a recessed nut. I've seen others chissel witherspoons in the sides of the tang, cut some edges in the tang with an angle grinder and/or rougth sanding the metal surface of the tang. This would give the tang better grip because two comonent epoxy glue doesn't like to stick to polished metal. Sooner or later and this is my theory, the metal and the wood contracts and expandes just slightly in different rates with the temperature changes and the epoxy glue could crack and peal of the metal surface of the tang. Therfore I understand why some knife makres don't rely on simply sticking glue on smooth metal. Well some methods like bolts and glue and then even boring holes in the full tang just to rougthen the survace is a bit overkill for my understanding, A rougth sanded metal on also rougth wood surface should stick together with glue. And now I feel the need to mention the thing that bothers me to see as a woodworker is the unstable wood grain direction in the handle not in the same direction as the blade. Maybe you choose the grain direction intentionaly for the looks or it was a mistake but this is definitely not a good combination with the short tang, you could do this grain on a full tang where the wood is just there to give the handle some thickness. I understand you had your doubts about the wood stability while you applied the wood stabilizer but I doubt once the knive is in heavy use while chopping the point of failure could be a wood crack in the grain direction exactly in the middle of the handle where the tang ends or the glue will fail sooner or later. I didn't see what you did to fill the cracks in your handle. But I've seen people doing all kinds of wood preperation for their knive handles. Such as soaking the wood in epoxy glue with a self build underpressure tank. This would give the wood more stability and durablility. Well sorry for the long post I just wanted to mention the wood grain issue and now I'm getting more and more ideas and maybe there is something usefull to consider. Anyway I wish you the best for your youtube channel and your blacksmithing workshop.

[@reinaldorodriguez7512]

Se ve muy bueno, me gustaría comprar un. Soy de NJ

[@michaelmosley254]

Young man you are doing some nice looking work and free handing the blade looks great

[@ToddKoch]

Thanks I appreciate it!!

[@Theblacksmithe87]

I have that same bolt. I’m gonna have to try that. Great video by the way.

[@ToddKoch]

Thanks! It takes a while to flatten it out but it’s a fun project!

[@Nokittaja7]

I love watch your videos

[@ToddKoch]

Glad to hear it!!

[@cassidypeters4150]

Im obsessed with your videos 😻😻

[@ToddKoch]

Alr cass

[@valeharperx]

Excellent job! The handle looks really sexy, I love the textures on it.

[@ToddKoch]

Yeah I really love how the handle turned out on this one!

[@AA-nt1hk]

super cool video, knife looks great

[@ToddKoch]

Thanks!!

[@billwoehl3051]

You remind me of Alec Steele with your hammering technique, you been watching his old tutorials?

[@ToddKoch]

Yeah I watched a lot of him when I was getting started with blacksmithing! Him and black bear forge were where I got a lot my tutorials

[@kuzniakarkonosze715]

Hello mate, quite a nice blade you have here. Next time I’d advice you to make the tang longer, peened over through tang idealy if you don’t want to make it full tang. This size of tang (part of it in wood) is something I use for neck knives or something delicate like smaller kitchen knife / filet knife. Aways be mindfull that ppl WILL use the knife based on blade and abuse it a bit more than they should. This is a great chopping blade shape, I like how it looks but would be a shame if handle split in use.

[@ToddKoch]

I agree, and eventually I want to be able to do through-tang knives! I don’t really have the equipment to fully get through and entire handle right now and properly shape/ fit it up, but once I get a drill press or something similar I want to try out more sturdy constructions

[@kuzniakarkonosze715]

@@ToddKochI think you have all you really nead man, start drilling from one side, then go to the other. So long the holes meet you are golden. You take out wood for the nandle with a broche / burn it anyway( I used to do that for ~ year). Other option is to start with two planks and chisel out shape of tang. Glued together will work well, especially with wrapped in leather. That’s how swords were made for a long time. Third option is stacked leather/ birch bark/ smaller pieces of wood, bone, antler and brass. Believe in yourself, if you can grind nice flat then you can hold a drill well enough.

[@ToddKoch]

@kuzniakarkonosze715 I appreciate all this!! I will be sure to try some of these techniques out, I just gotta figure out how to accurately drill from both sides it sounds like!!

[@AmyFinney-qm1yr]

I love watching your videos, they are so inspirational!!!!😀

[@J3ironworks]

Nice to see that you’re doing different styles. Great job👍🏻 what wood did you use for the handle

[@ToddKoch]

Yeah I wanted to try something different! I’m not sure in the wood type, I got it in a bunch of scrap from a local wood shop, but I have been trying to figure it out

[@Sjdemarcosr]

What sandpaper grit do you use when putting an edge on the knife, and what grit do you use when polishing it?

[@ToddKoch]

I use a 220 grit belt to start the edge, and then I use sharpening tools to refine the edge. I want to get a better sharpening process down though! I hand sand up to 800 grit to finish the blade.

[@billwoehl3051]

About 7 minutes, why harden the handle before you get it shaped? Wouldn't it sand faster/easier soft?

[@ToddKoch]

It would sand better, the wood was just a bit looser than I was comfortable with and didn’t want to risk it breaking when I was sanding and shaping it. More of a preference reason than anything!

[@jesse73772]

Hey Todd, love the videos. FYI, that 136lb track bolt was still good! Jk 😂

[@ToddKoch]

Hahaha!

[@johnathanbanner3841]

I was wondering, does your hand that you use to grip the material with your tongs ever tire out? I’ve seen a lot of people weld a piece of rebar to their billet but I haven’t done any smithing yet so I’m curious if it’s really necessary

[@AmyFinney-qm1yr]

how long do you leave the knife in the forge before taking it out to work on?

[@RileyPorter]

odd question but are you left handed ?

[@ToddKoch]

Yup I am that’s why I hammer opposite of everyone!

[@RileyPorter]

@@ToddKoch I am not. But wrist surgery on my right hand has me thinking I might have to learn to use my left. I was just curious :)

[@ToddKoch]

@RileyPorter gotcha! Well it’s definitely doable, just might take some time to develop the hammer accuracy for your non-dominant!

[@WhyIsAaron]

Is 14 years old too young to forge? Opinion?

[@elias3584]

Not if you do it right and have someone teach you and supervise your work. Good luck!