Homemade Brass Utility Knife

[@PaskMakes]

It's just an ordinary knife in function and it would be much easier to buy one with better features but I liked the idea of making a unique utility knife that I'll enjoy using. I enjoyed both designing it and making it. I know I'll get comments saying it isn't homemade but I made it at home and I didn't buy it so I reckon that makes it homemade. :)

[@Whisperblade]

home made is relative, I would call this homemade, I don't think anyone would expect you to forge blades, especially not the Stanley knife type blades you are using.

I would like to know a little bit more about you since you seem to have a lot of experience in different things. Maybe you can make a video and tell us about you and your maker life? You are one of my favourite youtuber - a perfect mix of Jimmy Diresta and Matthias Wandel 😉

[@TheIdeasGuy]

Konstantin Köhler I agree!

[@forestlampcraft472]

COOL!

[@justinator1010]

I reckon that would look great in copper with brass inlays untreated so it gets a nice patina

[@tharemyhopkins5873]

Awesome! Far more enjoyable to use things you've made yourself. I really like the double inlays.

[@PaskMakes]

Thanks Tharemy - I absolutely agree! :)

[@AronGreen]

I really like it but it'd be nice to have some flush screws instead of those sticking up.

[@schlomoshekelstein908]

or big hex head thumbscrews so u can open it without tools

[@twowheelsclubseals]

Good chance to make one yourself

[@tobiassolas8042]

maby some nice TI screws?

[@DanKoning777]

Its not always just how *perfect* something is; its is a great example of *hand made/unique/useful/one of a kind all-in-one* which you can't buy! Well done.

[@PaskMakes]

Absolutely Dan - I agree! :)

[@Phoeff99]

Milling brass with a Trim router. This opens up so many options. Awesome idea and product!

[@PaskMakes]

I was confident it would do it but I was surprised quite how well it worked. :)

[@JoesWorkbench]

Brass and aluminium are fine with router bits, take it slow and look out for the shavings they tend to get everywhere. Some people say once you use a bit on metal it’s no good for wood but I haven’t found that to be the case. 👍🏻

[@HenryPiffpaff]

@@JoesWorkbench Regular HSS steel? Not carbide bits?

[@JoesWorkbench]

Kai E. Both will work, I tend to use cheaper hss just incase a trash them 🤞

[@bushratbeachbum]

If you do ali, wax your cutter to stop swarf sticking to it, same goes for saw blades and files etc

[@ryandetzel6530]

SIMPLE BUT ELEGANT FOR A UTILITY KNIFE ... WELL DONE AGAIN!!! Nice to have something enjoyable to watch on a screen, thanks bro!

[@sanankynaston9925]

What I really like about your videos is that you always explain what you are doing, and why you are doing it. Great!

[@carnright]

So beautiful an heirloom for sure! And thank you for showing that woodworking tools are enough for brass when care is taken!

[@tommyvega7948]

As always Pask, you're showing wonderful taste and design on top of your skills. More than anyone else!

[@alanmuddypaws3865]

Lovely knife! The brass looks very classy. If I were to make one like that I might sweat the two halves together with solder. It would still need care not to overheat and melt the solder, but you could get it hotter than an epoxy glued assembly. Not meant as a criticism, just an observation.

[@PaskMakes]

Thanks Alan! I did think of solder as a possibility but never doing anything like that, I wasn't sure! I just went with what I knew. :)

[@carnright]

TIG maybe?

[@scroungasworkshop4663]

Alan Muddypaws. Hey Allen, it’s funny how many ideas / improvements you can come up with once you see an idea. My first thought was to solder as well, then I thought instead of machining out the blade rebate why not get a strip of stainless steel the same thickness as the blade and solder all three pieces together. That would look awesome I think and I would use S/S countersink screws. It’s all good in hindsight but I would never have thought to make a utility knife in the first place so full credit to Pask in the first place. Cheers Stuart 🇦🇺

[@al145]

This was pretty fascinating, thanks algorithm for leading me here, gonna have to look at more of your stuff. The bladeless wooden fan was the first one I watched.

[@scottsimpey2965]

Now to make a nice sheath for it so it would be a little bit better to carry around if you wanted/needed to. Very nice looking design.

[@DugMcClure]

You did just,fine, Neil. No doubt!

[@mattylarkspur9858]

i still LOVE this design. i feel like it wouldn't be hard to adapt it to be retractable. if you ever felt like revisiting it, that would be worth seeing!

[@updownstate]

Nothing better than something you make yourself.

[@johnscott8592]

Apart from the fact that it’s a lovely thing to look at, and I’m sure it will be excellent in the hand, what a fantastic little hand me down to keep in the family! Lots of memories to be had with a great little shop knife well done man. Js

[@henryworkswoodandmetal]

That's a pretty sweet looking knife .... well done! Always enjoy watching your builds...

[@ianvicedomini2648]

I like it mate. The beauty of making one is you design it how you like to your own specifications. Great video chap. Be well

[@deeranfoxworthy6069]

I don't have access to the most fancy tools and I really appreciate this project and I'd love to give it a shot! It looks quite feasible with hand tools. Thank you for the inspiration! I could always use a good utility knife!

[@PaskMakes]

It really could be done entirely with hand tools. I did think about making it that way but the belt grinder saves time and I never seem to have much of that. :)

[@deeranfoxworthy6069]

@@PaskMakes time is a tight commodity! I totally understand. I look forward to some hours of hand sanding though :P

[@GenoLoma]

@@deeranfoxworthy6069 "look forward to some hours of hand sanding".. Hahaha.. I'm sure @Stelter_Will over at @AlecSteeleSteel used to think that too.. 😆

[@GenoLoma]

@@PaskMakes great looking knife Neil.. 🙂👌👍

[@deeranfoxworthy6069]

@@GenoLoma hahah but he makes it looks so effortless though! Lol

[@jeffdutton1910]

brass gives class...even a utility knife can be a beautifully crafted instrument. Splendid piece of work as always sir!

[@PaskMakes]

Thanks very much Jeff! :)

[@coledouglas8915]

Your vidios are so good because of how you explain everything and the projects allways end up good

[@frankherring6253]

That’s pretty cool Neil! Just a thought I had; if you left the two have separate and a mirror image of each other , you could make them scissor together. Open to extend or retract the blade and close to lock the blade in or store the knife. Thanks Man!

[@frankherring6253]

Halves not have, GD autocorrect!

[@BudgetBuiltDiesel]

That knife is what I need. I used one everyday at work and this would work perfect with a sheath. It gets annoying flicking it open and putting it back in my pocket. Nice work. I’ll probably end up making one.

[@philipwarren7335]

Interesting build, I love the Diresta style table stabs

[@timothyball3144]

Nice job there for a working knife. My first thought when I saw the thumbnail was Clickspring. I can only imagine what he would have done to make this, but I don't think that you would have wanted to use it because it was too pretty. He does incredible show work with brass, but for us mortals Neil, your work is great.

[@atariks1475]

And again a nice peice of craftmanship. Thanks for that and I'm going to make one of these one day.

[@robshamel3210]

Love the copper\oak accents.. Nice work!

[@LyndonBontrager]

I always love your creativity, sir. There's nothing like a good utility knife and now you've gone and made your own. Beautiful work!

[@garagemonkeysan]

Beautiful design. Great video, dolly zoom was cool. Plumber's tape for masking was genius. Mahalo for sharing! : )

[@torinhalsey6313]

Well done. Good looking knife. I liked the zoom move near the end.

[@DustyFixes]

It's really refreshing to see someone who knows how to use a 'Ball-Peen' hammer the way it's intended to be used. :)

[@jimpearson9151]

Great job, mate. custom made hand tools are a pleasure to use. The combo of brass, copper and Silky Oak is a good one. I'll borrow the copper/Silky idea for decorative pegs (covering screws!) on the next furniture project. We were in your neck of the woods in Sept on a long van trip... Cheers from Shoalhaven NSW

[@striker851]

Glad to see the fires haven't stopped you

[@martendavies]

Beautiful work sir!

[@sapelesteve]

Nicely done Pask! I'd recommend making a cover for that blade & on the next one, make the blade retractable & inset the heads of those screws.......... 👍👍

[@PaskMakes]

Thanks Steve! I did think about making the blade retractable, but when I thought about it, I didn't really need that for a knife that's going to be used just in the workshop. The screws are out of the way of your grip so they are fine but if they had have been in the way I would've used inset ones. :)

[@shihan1809]

Another great make. So nice to hear an English accent on a maker video. We Brits seem to be under represented :)

[@JDeWittDIY]

He's from down under, mate. :)

[@shihan1809]

@@JDeWittDIY omg! Not listening properly am I 😀

[@JDeWittDIY]

@@shihan1809 I get the accents mixed up because I'm from neither place. :)

[@Gilyarth]

Really nice little project, and the knife turned out beautiful!

[@SparrowStockwell]

That’s a good-looking utility knife.

[@zvonibab]

Well done Mr Pask wish I have space you got1 AND YOUR WELDING IS GREAT!

[@karl_alan]

Damn. I'd pay for one of those. That thing looks great!

[@PaskMakes]

Glad you like it Karl! :)

[@stevenA44]

Nice! Always like your projects and this is no exception. You're a true craftsman. Good job.

[@Garryck-1]

Beautiful work, and came out looking quite classy!

[@philnash1643]

Nicely done mate

[@yannkitson116]

Replace the wood with magnets and you can stick it to the metal anywhere in your work van... (if you have one). I might take your idea and run with it to suit my job. Thanks for sharing!

[@TheIdeasGuy]

That really is beautiful mate. I’ve done some projects with brass in my videos too, it’s such a lovely metal to work with. I think I might just have to do something like this as well! Cheers from down South 😁👍🏻

[@PaskMakes]

Glad you liked it mate! :)

Congratulations to 500,000 subscribers! 😊

[@RobinLewisMakes]

Awesome job Neil! Never seen a brass utility knife before

[@PaskMakes]

Thanks Rob - glad you like it mate! :)

[@BensWorkshop]

Cheers for the tip on milling brass with a router.

[@zhookeeper]

Spade bit tip for reamed taper is genius.

[@TheGrantAlexander]

That is super cool! Awesome job 👍👍

[@Frostfly]

that's an amazing anvil. I love it. a big anvil is always better, there is little purpose (not no purpose however) to a smaller second anvil

[@Frostfly]

also, you don't need to heat that brass to stamp the logo. it's soft stuff(as you've already said). Rounding over your rivets is to prevent a problem that is better fixed by not having rivets that are too long. (clickspring shows how to do it really well)

[@PaskMakes]

@@Frostfly Thanks Robert! I love the anvil and can't wait to get it set up properly. I did a test without heating the brass up and I couldn't get the mark deep enough. I'll be using my fly press for this task when I eventually get that set up. :)

[@chaosreigns7386]

Beautifully done brother...such a simple and handsome peice of equipment...can't wait to make one myself Thanks!!

[@PaskMakes]

Thanks very much! Glad you're interested in making one! :)

[@marleycharkwick]

A really pretty knife. Lovely.

[@stefanpries638]

I liked the video and the project. One thing I wish you would have done is choosing a lighter wood so the cooper stands more out. But that’s of course a personal preference. I like how you executed the idea. 👍🏼

[@budlloyd3127]

lol that anvil is worth more than my car, love the knife!

[@cfh8]

Great job with this one! It really looks good and the video has given me the inspiration to try it myself. Thank you and please keep doing what you are doing.

[@cameronchicken8439]

i have a fixed utility knife which i really like it’s the “shark knife”. this project is awesome

[@paulregner5335]

An excellent project. As creative as you are, I'm surprised you didn't go for a more decorative mosaic in your inserts.

[@BruceAUlrich]

Love the knife! The copper accents are a nice subtle touch. I think you accomplished what you wanted with the peened pins. They’re not very noticeable.

[@PaskMakes]

Thanks Bruce! Yeah the pins came out well, you can just see them at certain angles but you have to look extremely close for them! :)

[@martinwolf5957]

Very good work Nil wauuuuuuuuuuu 👍👍👍🙋‍♂️

[@nanoreaper5002]

I love how simple your plans are, and practical good luck on the chicken coop, I made a very similar knife except with thumb screws too make blade changes easier

[@wileycoyotesr8623]

Great concept and a fun project to make.

[@UnoriginalElephant]

Nice zolly shot there near the end 😊

[@FredMcIntyre]

Awesome work Neil! 😃👍🏻👊🏻

[@Smashachu]

Pask, i'd pay money to see you star in a a movie that takes place in a post apocalyptic world where you become a mad genius making and creating these really crazy gadgets out of scavenged parts around the city.

[@threeque]

Such a craftsman .

[@dominikzastrau7198]

One more reason to build myself a Beltsander 😅. Nice knife, I think I give it a try

[@BobBlarneystone]

Since a utility knife is used by drawing a stroke or scraping, and should not be used with a heavy hand to stab or pry, I think I'll make one from ebony, and maybe with purpleheart trim, and if needed a thin brass bolster. I think I'll countersink flathead screws too. Incidentally, a utility knife blade fits in the small slots of Incra-Jig t-rules. That can be handy for incising marks.

[@diycreative9590]

Great idea I need to make one for my workshop

[@x1teDota]

Great design be proud of it

[@manasalymkulov1081]

Thank you very for a such interesting video. O think that it's the vest self-made knife for woodworking. It inspired me very much. Your job is very useful and encouraging for me. With warm regards and respect from Bishkek. Sincerely, Manas.

[@jerryjohnsonii4181]

Awesome utility knife !!!!!!!!!!!!

[@boryscholewinski4370]

Woo hoo hoo! This is going to a good one! Lets get comfy and watch.

[@MR-ub6sq]

Hi Neil. 1) Do you know why commercial knives are not only 6 ... 9 mm thick of their body (only two brass plates facing each other), but MUCH more? The reason is this: When you have to cut something that requires more squeezing and pressing from the hand, it is much more hand-friendly to the skin when the body is rounded-edged and about 18mm strong. It does not apply too much pressure per square millimeter to the skin of the palm. It's pleasant and enjoyable to use! 2) It is true that if I have the right car factory in my home, then all the cars I make for sale are then "homemade cars". However, there is some contradiction in that. I leave the matter to smarter people than I am...

[@Rouverius]

Functional with great aesthetics; what more could you ask for!

[@billy19461]

I have got to try this. And yes it is homemade.

[@JoeDavis82]

Best Maker knife ever!

[@AJB2K3]

Looks very nice, now I want to make one!

[@JNDCreations]

That looks awesome mate! Beautiful job!

[@Smallathe]

WONDERFUL build. My two cents - Margarine works wonderfully as a preventive and mold release for resin/epoxy. I've tried many many types of resin with that. I've seen resins that cured natural and synthetic oils - but never margarine... :)

[@Zogg1281]

Very nice!! So much more useful then an ice pick!😁 I'm now thinking about my utility knives and the just don't feel adequate any more lol Time to make a utility knife handle....... for a Stanley blade 😁👍

[@mountainviews5025]

Great knife awesome way better than all the new ones you can purchase thumbs up my friend

[@maryannrurup353]

Beautifully done

[@rodriguesbob100]

So awesome. I love it. Love your work.

[@bobbonham4823]

Thanks! Nice knife. Added to my list of things to make.

[@PaskMakes]

Great to hear Bob! :)

[@Whisperblade]

As a Suggestion for the next one you make, or to improve this one if you can split the glued sections apart, instead of glueing the two handle pieces together, you could add holes + threads on the outer edges of the scales and bolt them together, then you could mill out a blade size cavity on the inside of the handle scale(s) (where you glued these two), if you do that on both the inside scales you could create a internal recess for 2 or more spare blades (only 1 spare? if just one scale had the cavity). This would make it so you could always have spare blades securely within the handle. This would make it more convenient for blade changes without having to move far from your work when you need to change the blade. Also for your own safety you may want to create some kind of end cap to cover the blade when not in use, seeing all your wood working video's I'm sure you are more than talented enough to turn, or make a suitable blade cover from wood, also adding a nicely turned cover to the handle scales would make it look even better :)

[@PaskMakes]

Thanks for the ideas! I wasn't worried about the blade being covered as I'll be using this just in the workshop. It'll be hung on the tool wall when not in use. :)

[@TheE9climber]

you never fail to amaze me! love it :)

[@terencecharlesworth1499]

Really cool little knife

[@craigtate5930]

Neary nice. Love the look of it

[@Papa_D]

What a sweet knife you have made ... I would be thrilled to have the first one you made ! Wishful thinking !!! Love your video's and projects Pask !!! :-) Dennis in western Canada

[@andresilva8444]

That is so nice! I reckon I could do it using my dremel only taking very shallow passes.

[@CraftAndu]

Absolutely stunning knife!

[@hassanal-mosawi6049]

Thanks for sharing that, well done!

[@kellycunningham4230]

Great looking knife. Thank you for the video.

[@aaaaaaaaaa697]

Lovely knife, don’t be so hard on yourself. I enjoy your videos and appreciate your content. Panama City, Florida USA

[@BeaverCraftTools]

Thanks for the interesting video! It's great to use the tools made by yourself.

[@DaveJHarry]

Pretty knife. I was enjoying watching then suddenly, THAT ANVIL! Coyotes everywhere will be green with envy! Your little video tricks [Edit: i.e. the cool creative zoom] are not going unnoticed either.

[@joevalencic5275]

The only thing I would have recommended would be to have a blade installed when you sanded the screw ends flush with the body. Other than that, very nice build. I enjoy your channel.

[@GenoLoma]

Perhaps the blade plate could have had a mild dovetail taper so it would slide on and lock the blade down, thereby not needing any screws at all.. Using the same idea, it probably would not be too hard to design a sliding cover for the blade too.. Quick, call Stanley, I think we're on to something..! haha..

[@xX_Skraith_Xx]

Far too pretty for a shop tool. Ah, perhaps I'm just jealous I don't have such a beautiful utility knife in my shop! While you said you didn't want the brass pins to be noticeable, I feel something like that that you don't notice at first, but maybe with a second or third use gives the tool more character. Love it!

[@backyardblacksmiable]

Chamfer the holes where the pipe goes throgh and rivet them with a tapered punch.copper work hardens very easily and makes a decent rivet