Knife Making Tutorial: Plunge Lines

[@xFalconFixer]

Walter, I'm a HUGE FAN. As always, I greatly APPRECIATE you sharing your experience, knowledge, and SKILLS. Thank You!

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

Embrace the errors is right.

[@RB-xc9vh]

Thank you, Walter! Love your dry sense of humor and your very informative and very well produced videos.

[@andrewmcknight956]

amazing advice. I'm getting ready to start making knives and your videos are becoming some of the best research I have found.

[@joemmams5785]

gotta tell ya,started blacksmithing a little more than a year ago and folks all seemed to want knives.I just liked to make tools,but did start forging knives...that being said,I've found this particular video perhaps the most useful thing yet...thanks so much,you've made a huge difference!!!

[@donaldneill4419]

Thanks for this! Just getting into knife-making and I was finding plunge lines a real challenge. This was really helpful!

[@sunflyr]

I've just recently started trying deliberate plunge lines and was having the expected difficulties. This little video just answered the questions I had. Thank you for making it. I appreciate your, straight in the face, way of presenting it. I'm looking forward to more.

[@Severyn26]

Thanks Mr. Sorrells. You're my one stop shop to fucking up less.

[@megamannen7347]

Your'e among the most informative and showing kniemakers i have seen and you made me start with knife making and I want to get as good as you

[@bearriver685]

Thank you Walter. I am a getting started as a hobby knife maker and have been enjoying your channel immensely.

[@gavinbrown38]

Very descriptive and don't sugar coat. I find your videos really informative! Thank you

[@schande]

i find this one of the hardest parts of grinding. thank you again for your knowledge and effort.

[@jdtremblay2331]

You got me knife making, I aspire to be as good as you :D

[@Thatdadthang]

This is a great video for beginners like me. Just wanted to say thank you for sharing your experience. I am learning a ton just by watching. Very grateful.

[@Vuhlositee]

Great video, thanks. Plunge lines are my nemesis and this video is sure to lessen the pain.

[@TheWtfnonamez]

Thank you for a great video. Made me realise there is a tonne of stuff going on when you use a belt sander that I didnt even realise was an issue. Lots of food for thought and very helpful. Thank you.

[@knifejigs333]

Good job Walter in explaining this tricky part of knife grinding!

[@lukasbleifu6476]

My grandfather built a 50mm x 1250mm (thats about 2" x 48") belt grinder. It had no tracking. The plate was a bit smaller than the belt, so you could only grind soft plunge lines with this. Recently i built myself a 50mm x 2000 mm (thats about 2" x 72") belt grinder with tracking, matching plate, 2,2kW motor (thats about 3 horse power), a 20mm and a 40mm contact wheel. Material cost for this was about 200€. Building time about 3 weeks. Most of the material for this i got from the scrap yard. Now i can grind soft plunge lines with the small grinder and hard plunge lines with my bigger grinder. Just need more practice when grinding. And need to know when to stop grinding, so the blade wont get too thin and overheat. I like your tutorials. Even if it can be very confusing for someone who lives in metric country. Greetings from Germany.

[@carsdad02]

these tips are great. I learned & continue to learn the art of making knives. never thought I would be making my own knifes. Just trying to find a style I like to duplicate. friends & family are enjoying my experimental stage. keeping them well stocked. lol

[@rockfireforge3879]

Thank you for sharing your hard earned knowledge with us

[@TractorsNStuff]

Thank you Walter! You are truly a master

[@ravenrock67]

Mr. Sorrells, thank you for the video.

[@scottlandmcc]

Great video Walt, thanks again for the help!

[@stefanwolf88]

i like the sharpening choil of the green micarta scales example knife - makes sharpening easier and better near the handle. a short video on choils will be much appreciated cheers

[@Sonicexpres]

this guy exudes manliness

[@wincharter1]

Thanks for the video and the time it took you to put it together and upload, great info, Capt'n, oh and Happy New Year

[@damionlowther78]

Hello Walter. thank you so much for your time. I have been having a problem with washing out my grinder lines when finishing. Have you covered this in any of your videos. If not could you maybe touch on this in one of them in the future. Thanks again another inspired amateur.

[@loreacat]

Thank you for this. Really helps me. More like this would be great, if its not too much to ask

[@Augcliffe]

This is exactly what I needed

[@skyme01]

Great info! Cut my time learning way down!

[@gokartsminibikesandmore9925]

Hey thanks for making this video I didn't think you would take my suggestion

[@henryshoots]

Incredible channel, thank you for all the info.

[@kennethrutledge9222]

Thanks !! Great tutorial!!!

[@Poipounda007]

As always, another get video. The thing that you spoke about in are thing you should learn off the first couple knives that you make, at least I know I did. thanks for the video Walter!!

[@moldycheesedisease]

"The knifey part of the knife." I like how he can simplify things for idiots like me lol

[@devonyusuf6336]

i guess im asking randomly but does any of you know a way to log back into an instagram account? I somehow forgot my login password. I would appreciate any assistance you can give me

[@everettcody9336]

@Devon Yusuf Instablaster ;)

[@kentaylor3087]

Walter,if you get a hot spot on a knife blade when cutting the bevel, does it really matter since you are going to heat treat it any way, LOVE your videos

[@BernieFromTheInternet]

Video Suggesion - all about grinding jigs, for example flat and hollow grinding jigs, hollow grinding on a bench grinder, the math behind choosing an angle for beveling and how high the bevel will be etc.

[@shaolinfox30]

Thank you for this sir Sorrells :)

[@OrionsAnvil]

Great explanation thanks for sharing this.

[@MUKnives]

Awesome tips Walter! Thank you! Keep grinding!

[@mattbrown5511]

Great information, thank you.

[@aarondickenson7146]

Thanks for the tips I'm going to go and use them right now. :)

[@ESCAGEDOWOODWORKING]

awesome channel, lot of great info, thank you!

[@NeilGraham.I.M.F]

Great video

[@shaunm2208]

Thanks for sharing

[@FrankDeLalla]

Very helpful! Thanks.

[@wellhattedgent4253]

Thanks for the vid very helpful

[@smcockrell]

any plans on doing a video on how to do different finishes and polishes?

[@jemtheymondfrans2525]

thank you I was having a problem with that this should help a bet

[@tooterr101oldgeezer4]

I always enjoy your videos, you explain things so well. going to get some 1084 and start filing. So get a beer kick back and start laughing at me. Lol Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@sylvestresanchez4848]

Thank you.

[@davidscadlock5569]

Thank you - Good info!!

[@samknapp5829]

I just tried my first plunge line, before seeing this video. It looked like I chewed it into the blade. Mild success, little happiness. The next will be better..

[@blackswanprepping8827]

Great video, well explained :)

[@nickwoo2]

Thanks for making this video, I have been grinding for a couple years and still haven't gotten the trick of nice plunge lines.

[@ManiacInTheShed]

Good tips here 😃 thanks

[@Taunus-Tim]

Hello Walter. Greetings from Germany! I Appreciate your work very much! And thanks for all your knife maker tipps! I'm a beginning (part time) knife maker myself and I learned very much from you. So i wanted to ask, cause im curious, why are you doing so much for your viewers? 35.000 views wouldn't make enough money to be profitable. Am i right to think that youtube is a hobby for you and your are doing all this just because you are a very nice guy? However thanks again!

[@joarflesja1516]

thanks for a new good video. Maby you can make a video of the how you fit scals and screws. Ther is noe annet good videos, and you always make good ones. thanks

[@makingstuffwithdan]

People disliked this? Wow

[@Butterflyknifes1]

how do you make really good interesting file work on your blades and what are the types of file work that are easy but beautiful

[@likeamike]

Great videos Walter, I've been a subscriber for a few years,but I do have to questions, before heat treatment is there a general rule of thumb how thick we want to leave out actual edge of the blade so there's enough meat left after heat treat. Also hand Sanding,is it better to go all the way up to 400 or higher to get scratches out before heat treat. I'm always fighting with myself trying to figure out how far is to far so that mt edge isn't too thin. Thank you walter.

[@ashwinamanna2465]

Hi, at 2:00 when you make your initial plunge cut, it looks like the edge it still 90 degrees square. Do you typically perform an initial grind at 45 degrees u to your desired pre-heat treat edge thickness first on a worn belt? And then go to more shallow angle on a fresher belt?Was that step just skipped here?

[@vegetakijohnson4792]

good info

[@WallaceAndersonOfficial]

Would you consider doing a live broadcast for a Q and A?

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

+Wallace Anderson Been meaning to look into what's involved in doing that...but there are only so many hours in the day. I'd like to do it eventually, though...

[@mdirtydogg]

Thank you!

[@clementlinder7342]

nice work. could you please do a folding knife tutorial?

[@toycarr7158]

can u use a old wood flooring belt sander for grinding knives

[@Keith_the_knife_freak]

nice lines

[@brinjetson8420]

Just getting into Knife making at the moment and was curious as to whether or not I can do the same with a file?

[@denniswilliams8747]

Hi Great vids. Please mention grind belt details, Grit, grade, suppliers? Thanks Dennis

[@craigholman4365]

Hey Walt!, where can I get a nice fancy chunk of that 091S steel?... ;)

[@garrett9697]

how do you put the edge on after the bevels do you use a lansky, wet stones, or a worksharp.

[@watermain48]

Thanks.

[@johnlord8337]

Walter, you and Canterbury have vertical grinding systems with an open belt. Always feel this is danger waiting to happen. What about 2 side arms for holding hands and knife safely? Able to safely grind and slide knife blank sideways back and forth.

[@fdtguru6673]

+John Lord High end grinders like that come with a work rest, but experienced blade makers often remove it for free-hand grinding. Some guys suggest wearing a baseball cap while grinding, because if the belt breaks, it will slap across the brim of the hat and protect your face instead of putting a divot right between your eyes.

[@loganhoy2265]

+FDT GURU Broken belt slaps do hurt, but if you wear eye protection you won't be really injured

[@sea9984]

+Logan Hoy But dayum are they scary LOL

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

+John Lord Belt grinders are far less dangerous than they seem. They can chew you up a little (and they do!), but I don't know anybody who's been hurt by a grinder in any serious way. Not saying it doesn't happen, but virtually all the knife makers I know use them set up this way. That's just how the Bader is made. Lots of far more dangerous machines in the metalworking shop. Unlike lathes, mills, drills, etc., if a grinder bogs down because something gets tangled up in it, the belt breaks. Which is exciting, but not terribly dangerous.

[@MrJohn714]

+John Lord It'll scare the snot out of you when a belt breaks and I've had it happen quite a few times in my thirty years of knife making and I've never been hurt when it happens. I always wear a respirator, safety glasses and a ball cap and they will protect your face. The tool that you NEED to respect and be very careful of is the buffer!

[@mortentaasen6466]

I am just getting started with knife making, but i never get them as sharp as i want, is that because the bevel i have grinded is too thick? am i failing the heat treating? or can i blame the steel? I have only been using the mystical steel you referred to in another video, as getting the steel i want/need is close to impossible as i cant find any shops for it where i live(Norway) really love your videos by the way, and i am learning alot. keep em coming ;D

[@Kurogane_666]

I'm trying to make a aggressive, and a soft curve plunge line, could you show an example of it?

[@misteragb7558]

Hard plunge-lines can make weak spots/breaking points right? probably only important to think about with large blades

[@CrackSt0neTV]

how can I get a matte finish on a knive ?

[@polishavenger1]

+CrackSt0neTV Bead blasting, sand blasting, or tumbling with abrasive media are good ways to get 'non-directional' finishes.

[@joshuabettiol6986]

you can also finish sand to a lower finish.. 220-400 grit will give you a more satin finish

[@CrackSt0neTV]

thanks guys, you really helped me out :)

[@jgbullen]

I like these videos but what are the grits of the belts? It is something earier to understand.

[@chancekiki8488]

Walter how long does a del last for.

[@kkid189]

what is a thickness you recommend to bring a knife before heat treating?

[@fdtguru6673]

+Mathieu Zanti (mat189) Most knife makers try not to go thinner than 0.010 inches (ten thousandths).

[@paintballnsk]

Hey, love the videos! I'm a beginner knife maker and I've been trying to do both stock removal and forging. Do you often combine the two or do you stick to stock removal?

[@Juozapa]

walter can you make more viedos ''knife making with simple tools''

[@Juozapa]

+Juzė Voinickienė my english is bad im lithuanien

[@donoday8101]

What grit are you staring with?

[@langtangwang]

do you have to have a plunge line?

[@ianmoore2850]

any tricks on getting good lines with a 4in grinder

[@whistlepign]

+Ian Moore lots of practice on mild steel and a steady hand. light passes from the plunge to the tip of the blade seem to work better for me. maintaining a consistent angle/hold is the trick to a better looking edge. I file the bevel with a jig I made when I'm close.

[@geoffflato6065]

Have you got any tips for avoiding 2 inch marks? Over the last couple years I have gotten to be quite good behind the grinder, everything freehand both flat and hollow grinds. Probably 99% of the time everything is perfect. But every 20-30 knives (and usually a big chefs knife) I have the dreaded 2" mark show up in the final finishing..... Been trying different finishing techniques (greaseless on the buffer, cork belts with green compound, ect) and I'm definitely figuring out how to eliminate them. Just wondering if you might have any other tricks. Part of it is just that I'm very picky about fit and finish..... To the extent of jumping between the grinder and the buffer for a total of 8 finishing steps to get the absolutely flawless glass mirror look. Probably took me close to 40 knives to perfect the polishing process.... The downside is that it reveals the slightest imperfection.... These two inch marks I'm facing aren't even a thou deep....

[@abefroman9565]

Geoff Flato Sand them out?

[@rookyandb]

I'm just curious, I have a buddy that's been making knifes for a few years and he told me to start ahead of the plunge line and move back to it instead of starting right on it. Wouldn't that be easier then starting right at the plunge line so you don't screw up the line you're going for or is there something that could be an issue later by doing it this way?

[@polishavenger1]

+rookyandb With practice and pressure/angle control, you can start and end your grind wherever you feel like. It's the same way that some grind edge up, some edge down, some grind with the blade horizontal to the running of the belt....whatever actually WORKS for you is what you should do! You can even grind in most of the bevel and then use a file and file guide to get your perfect plunge line....lotsa ways to skin this cat!

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

+rookyandb I like to establish the line at the beginning. But once that's done, there's really no one way to do it. I'm sure every knife maker has their pet approach. I always tell people: "Here's the way I do it. Try it, and if it doesn't work for you, try something different." The reason I like doing it from the plunge line out is that it keeps you working the blade in a systematic manner, which helps you maintain regularity.

[@joostwientjes7701]

Could I use a claybaking (if thats a word) oven that goes up to 850 °C to heat treat the steel? Love your videos :)

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

+YoozT WientjeZ Sure.

[@EarCat]

YoozT WientjeZ you mean a Kiln?

[@lyndonhartz3158]

Not hot enough, need 1400 plus degrees

[@SatanSupimpa]

I watch these videos as I would actually make a knife someday.

[@naadarvebb7697]

Walter how can you make deep bevels(flat grinds, scandi grinds) with a file?

[@atvar8]

Can this be done with an angle grinder?

[@alpha_nerd_yensid]

what's the different between a plunge line and a ricasso?

[@fdtguru6673]

+Joe Johnson The ricasso is just the flat, un-sharpened area between the grip and the cutting edge. The plunge line is the transition between the bevel and the ricasso. Like the name suggests, it is the region where the ricasso ends and "plunges" down into a bevel.

[@stizan24]

pain in the nuts lol

[@realtempo1]

Thanks for sharing ;)

[@scottecooke]

I should probably do this on mild steel till I get the hang of it. So I don't screw up any good steel.

[@iamrodo]

Isn't the motion a little bit different when you have a knife with a point and you want an even bevel all the way from the plunge line???

[@fdtguru6673]

+iamrodo Yes. Walter was doing what is known as a "flat grind", so he draws it straight across the belt, but with other grind types like Scandi, you would follow the contour of the blade.

[@aaronkolatch5211]

Why do some Knives have plunge lines? What is the purpose of a plunge line?

[@DragonsinGenesisPodcast]

Plain steel flat bar from Home Depot. You can buy a 72" piece for $10. It allows you to practice without spending real money on blade steel.

[@oathkeeper926]

Unless you KNOW FOR SURE that your not going to screw up your plunge lines...I would recommend using a jig..until you get pretty darn good or dang near professional at using a grinder....especially if you spent serious money on your steel. If you got the steel for free...then yeah go for it..practice makes perfect

[@hookembass7238]

Having a hard time finding a jig for grinding the angles on belt grinder ???