Making a Cord-Wrapped Tactical Knife - Simple Knife for Beginning Knife Makers

[@joshrandal6982]

I always respect craftsmen who share their knowledge as opposed to those who will not tell you a thing. Great video, clear, concise, articulate and easy to follow.

[@Shawn-rq4py]

Thank you for taking time out of your day to show us newbies how to do this for free. I appreciate your videos!

[@tristy-popstheman7622]

G23 lol not for free he makes money ever vid

[@bash6555]

Not for free buddy, he makes money off of sponsors, ads, his website, his store etc...

[@Adam-ii7pv]

@@tristy-popstheman7622 did u pay him to watch it, no, therfore its free

[@denniscotey8182]

@@bash6555indeed but we, the viewers get the info for free.

[@OLSCVideos]

Hey Walter, wanted to throw you a huge thank you and say how inspired I was by this video, the cord wrapped tactical knife. For the record, I am a chef, 35 years so, as well, I have been brewing my own beer as an award winning home brewer for the past 6 years. I am not tooting my horn here, but for anyone who is reading this I wanted to say your tutorials on how to make this knife, as well as some of your past ones on equipment have yielded me the perfect birthday present for my daughter who is turning 21 this 22nd of May. She is an avid outdoors woman, hiker, climber etc. and since I cant be there to protect her, I figured this would be a great time to try my hand at knife making and give her a gift that will keep on giving. Would love to send you the finished work in a really short clip so I can get your personal critique as I think this could be something I want to pursue more and more. I will say however I am not making anymore knives until my thumbs heal form the sanding, grinding, wet sanding, etc. etc. Again Walter, thank you, the channel is fricking awesome!!!

[@jinxjones5497]

When I heard you say"beginer using tools that don't cost the world OR more experienced users with more expensive tools" made me watch the whole video. Great content brother

[@rondavis191]

i hate a dam know it all, but MR Sorrels, i tip my hat, you evidently do. Keep up the good work, Ron

[@ajginther1281]

Walter. Your videos are some of the best out there in any genre . They really stand out. An expert bladesmith willing to take the mystery out of knife making for beginners and is effective of a teacher as you are is a precious commodity. 100% no B.S., usable information. Thank You.

[@mikafoxx2717]

Thank you. Awesome to see videos for absolute beginner's itching to do something without a full setup already.

[@aussiebloke559]

Walt, I could listen to that accent all day, definitely the best instructional videos on the tube!

[@andrewsewell2279]

A buddy of mine got me into this hobby. Me and him worked on a couple knives together. Im pretty knew and havent started my own knife just yet but i plan on making a tanto blade or hunters knife with a black and green paracord wrap. Not a big blade maybe 3-4 inches max. Cant wait though. And i almoat forgot, i live in souther alabama. And its summer. The average temperature is 95 degrees, we were in jeans, boots, welding jackts, masks, and gloves. We both took welding so we cut stuff that way, unless its too small to cut. So its hot in the shed with humidity the heat index is usually in the 100's. We were out there sweating, hot, getting cut and getting minor burns. Felt miserable due to the heat but we loved making the knives. Best feeling ever was when people asked us where we got em and tell them that they're handmade

[@craftedworkshop]

Walter, awesome work. Love the high production value and clear information. Will be making my first knife very soon.

[@robertruggiano748]

Woah it’s John I found you from seths channel a while back im finishing my first knife now how did yours go

[@craftedworkshop]

@@robertruggiano748 nice! I never actually got around to making one, still on my to do list!

[@JoshuaC0rbit]

Walter I appreciate these videos more than you'll ever know. I'm working on my third knife today and thanks to you I've learned the basics of everything I need to know.

[@matthewjackson9615]

Me too, now I know where to purchase a tactical knife so that I can protect myself from all the hazards of life. Oh hell yeah.

[@ricksolari9570]

You're a good teacher; very encouraging and humorous.

[@alfadawg44]

Walter, Love your videos. I am an avid knife maker from way back and admire your skills. I would be ashamed to show you the best of my work but they are tough and effective. I never buy knives, I just study the design and make a copy for my own enjoyment. If it breaks, and that is rare, I can make another. On another note, I think you got a raw deal on "Forged in Fire." Had they tried less to make the challenge look silly, you would have had the chance to showcase your work. You would have likely won the title. Nevertheless, your fans know who is the real champion. It is rare that I send out a kudos in knife-making videos but felt compelled to share my appreciation for your work and willingness to share your knowledge with your fan base. Great work, keep it up. Much respect.

[@19JEFFRO67]

Love this guy. Full of knowledge yet in layman's terms with a bit of comedy injected. You the man Walter :)

[@familyfaithfight]

Whoever hit thumbs down must like spoons more than knives. This is one of the best videos on youtube! Thank you!!!

[@SherwoodSchwartz123]

Great video, and a well-illustrated lesson on, "the more you know, the less you need."

[@TheWtfnonamez]

Ok Im 10mins into this video and im subbed and +1. You are extremely well educated and you can make a knife out any piece of metal you find within walking distance of your house. Colour me officially impressed.

[@jimbaileyme]

My initial impression of you was that you really seem to know your stuff inside and out and you're a stand up guy for giving up so much of your free time to pass along these lessons to new knife makers like myself.Well, after hearing your suggestion for acvtivities during tempering, I now know I was correct. Go Tighers!! Big thanks and thumbs up to you from the upstate. Still have a few weeks before kickoff so while i'm tempering in the oven for now I'll just start pracricing saying DJ's last name. With a little luck it will be rolling off the tounge by the time we line up against jawja. And maybe I'll even have a few new knives. Thanks again and Go Tigers!!

[@angelosilva342]

At 14:04 Sweet! Amazing how the right steel/quenchant allows for differential hardening with no need for claying or anything, just because the thinner edge area cools quicker. Really cool stuff!

[@zumbazumba1]

Angelo Silva You dont need a clay,you can simply harden everything and then put a knife half way in the water so only edge stays submerged and heat the spine with a blow torch to release the hardness.

[@angelosilva342]

+zumbazumba1 Actually, here this was achieved simply through the cooling rate and edge thickness as the blade was plunged vertically into the oil rather than edge quenched as you mentioned but edge quenching with the blow torch seems to be the trick for steels that are supposed to through harden like D2. 1095 just seems to be in that sweet spot where you can quench it whole but if the heat and bevels are just right you can end up with a hamon. Might be annoying when you want it through hardened now t that I think about it...

[@HonestDoubter]

This one is one of my favorites. Simple and tells the basic story of how to make a knife for those who think it will be too difficult.

[@BillyHandsome]

Thanks for the video....i really appreciate you not only showing the various methods but also pointing out reasons why you have to do things like heat treating and tempering

[@randysweet7474]

Walter Sorrells Your videos are amazing, and my son and daughter are inspired by them just as I am. Keep the work up.

[@Crackhouts]

I made this knife on Saturday. No special tools. I did some of the cutting with a cutoff disk on my dremel tool. The rest was filing with my double cut bastard. Heat treating in chiminea with blow dryer pumping through guttering and quenched in used motor oil. It was my first knife, and I'm happy with the outcome! Kenny can suck it.

[@homer92234]

Hi Walter, greetings from Czech Republic (central europe region). You are probably the man who changed my mind from just collecting knives to make knives on my own. Thank you very much so far I've made one throwing knife no scales - shape like dagger from springsteel using file jig from Gough. In about a month I'll start with grinding on custom and powerfull belt grinder. Keep a good work!

[@circuscase]

I also really like the train horn @18:47. It gave the presentation a bit of American flavor.

[@daltonhallett3679]

some poor kid is gonna go to the store looking for elbow grease

[@Psycosmurf43]

Probably at the same time he gets some blinker fluid for his car, lol

[@Telliria]

+Dalton Hallett +Walter Sorrells Also for us non-native speakers that would be an easy mistake to make. But what oil did he use? It says "3-in-one all purpose oil" on the bottle, but what is that more specifically? Any recommendations?

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

+Telliria It's just a general purpose oil lubricant, the most common of its type in the US.

[@Telliria]

Walter Sorrells Thanks for getting back to me. I ordered some knife steel and will try this project soon. It might take time (being a busy father and all) but I'll get back with my progress. Thanks for sharing these great tutorials. I admire your professional and humble attitude.

[@noraschoots3167]

could you go fetch me some grid squares?

[@scottlandmcc]

As always, great video. Like to say your videos got my nose out of the phone and off the couch to the garage and started filing. Your videos are just a tap away if I need help. Thank you for your time and knowledge.

[@circuscase]

@2:58, - NJ Steel Baron. You are buying real product from a real person and I was completely impressed with this man at the Blade Show. It was like I was talking to a guy I knew for years when I met him. But then again I grew up in Jersey.

[@stephencanas8798]

Walt does a great wrap for a handle! I use a strait lash method because it's quick ! 30 minutes and thats if I take a long coffee break!

[@Mwwright79]

Brother, your humor takes a great video and makes it awesome!

[@danrasmussen4125]

at 8:15 I noticed discoloration at the tip I'm glad to see you left it there because it shows the side affects at the belt sander and heat possibly hardening that spot

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

+dan rasmussen Any belt grinder heat prior to heat treating won't bother the final product in any significant way. You could turn the whole thing red hot...if you hold onto it! -- and it wouldn't hurt anything. After heat treating, though, you have to be much more careful about your heat build-up from grinding. If the heat builds up high enough to cause blue discoloration like this, it's a sign that you've decreased the hardness of the knife in that spot.

[@rcmakingtracks18]

Lovin your video's Walter. Thanks for sharing. I think it's finally time to make my first knife. John

[@bossdelgado6835]

It's truly an art you do I'm such a big fan

[@staaldak]

At around 17:15, when you start the paracord wrap process, you have your blade horizontally in the vice. Wouldn't it be easier if you had the blade vertically so you just needed to move from side to side yourself instead of having to keep flipping the blade? If I'm wrong please correct me. Otherwise thank you for taking the time to make the video.

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

It's easier to do that way...but it's also harder to see whether you're doing it evenly that way.

[@staaldak]

That makes sense. Thank you.

[@staaldak]

Camden Collington ?

[@a_rabid_raccoon]

don't mind him. He just discovered 'memes'.

[@Reploidx9]

@Camden Collington I'm gonna necro and say you don't know what that means.

[@Zedoutdoors]

Such a fantastic tutorial, many thanks for taking the time to share this ~Peace~

[@bigkennyl3]

This is the first video of your I have watched and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will be checking your other vids. Thank you!!

[@Iron-Simon]

really good video! you explain it understandable and quite easy even for people without english as first language. will try it the old fashioned way soon.

[@nathantonning]

Impressive presentation. I greatly enjoy your clear and witty commentary. Keep it up!

[@boodahspliff6482]

nice work

[@Hunter30394]

Very nice video. Great concept of showing both approaches.

[@nathanriley7370]

As a beginner blacksmith/bladesmith I find videos like this incredibly helpful. As a historical weapons enthusiast, I have to disagree with what you said about how bevells were done in the darkages and prior, in those days they were actually forged in, by getting the metal red to yellow hot and while holding it at a write angle to the anvil and string with the near side of the hammer to force the metal into the appropriate shape then flipping it and repeating to make it even.

[@ThePirateburke86]

How dope would it be to have Mastadon or Mamoth ivory handles on a knife

[@warpath8089]

+Beardsley McBeard there are allot of blades out there with thos ekinds of handles,i dont really like the look of it,regular goat or buck horns look allot better on blades especially if their are going to be hunting or chopping blades show pieces are another topic altogether but thats were most mastadon and mammoth ivory comes into play

[@ThePirateburke86]

+WarPath 808 I think you missed my point

[@bna4526]

Illegally dope. ;)

[@ThePirateburke86]

B N/a It would still be awesome tho lol

[@alwaysblessed3133]

great video! i cant get enough of your videos! Because of you ive started making my own knives.

[@hustlinghard8081]

fellow Clemson fan here, love your work!

[@MADRN911]

Best knife making video on KZbin at this time. I enjoyed the commentary. Well done sir. However I will be supporting the Buckeyes during my down time.

[@ScoutPilfer]

Really sweet videos. Going to start up with my brother soon.

[@ScaleCrawler383]

Thanks for posting this now to decide what I want my blade to look like

[@no_handle_required]

Awesome video and not boring like some similar ones.

[@williamt1083]

When quenching, (13:30), do NOT move the blade from side to side like he is doing in the video. Move it backwards and forwards in a slicing motion or upwards and downwards. This will keep the blade from being cooled differently on either side, and should reduce chance of warping

[@supertrampk8154]

You sir are a legend.

[@trentwilson2071]

I just started bladesmithing in metalwork and I love it. Thanks for showing me how to make a paracord handle.

[@17hmr243]

thanks for show the two approaches was good way to motivate new people

[@wreid4995]

Excellent video. I may have to try my hand at knife making..Well, if the garden this spring allows the time for it.

[@derekcooley9345]

I personally prefer to polish my knives for rust prevention. Glad you mention hard Arkansas stones. Been using those for gunsmithing for about 5 years now; it polishes/smoothes the surface while removing very little material.

[@reaper106]

Hi there Mr. Sorrels, I have a question about this video. and how you wrapped the tang with paracord. Do you think you could do a video of wrapping a bare naked handle with paracord as well? I have a custom molded knife from my grandfather. and instead of dipping the handle into plasti dip, would like to know if paracord could be possible be wrapped around a bare naked handle of a knife.

[@TheMNBlackBear]

Paracord is the #1 knife handle material. Period. It requires no tools, no chemicals, no glues, sanding, pins; has a rapid learning curve (you can learn a Whip Knot in about five minutes that can put a handle on just about anything); lasts for decades or a lifetime if you take care of it; myriad of colors; inexpensive; good grip; creative; solid; tough (I broke the wood handle on my Green River Hunter while camping in 2008, wood-glued and Whip-Knotted it back together. That same knot of black 550 Paracord has been through hell and hasn't budged. Still performs 100% in late 2023. Many of my house knives and outdoor knives are paracord for more than a decade now. Needs no replacing or fixing. I even put mine through the dishwasher. All the pretty, expensive collector knife stuff is cool, but knives are only as good as their edge, as far as I'm concerned. I put mine through a lot of hard use. I build them and sheath them. I keep it simple, practical and handy. Paracord works, every time.

[@duckmaskgaming2021]

thank you so much for this video I am set on making a knife but everywhere I look all I see is tutorials which require expensive equipment this is the only one which only requires simple tools

[@ralphblach2952]

you have great videos. I'll probably never make a knife but watching is fun

[@TheMauriice]

Very good and easy to understand instructions. I subscribed.

[@centaurtaur4342]

you are very inspiring and you encouraged me to make my first knife

[@knifemakingcfdraperknives9577]

OMG!!!! I built a knife with hand tools from Lowes. You really have to be committed and ready to sweat. Awesome video as usual Walter. Thank you!

[@chriswalport2979]

Have you ever made a video on making a double handle fleshing knife for the prepper?

[@jizburg]

one nice "rough coat" i use sometimes is to leave some of the rapeseed oil from hardening on there to get a black (cind of rust resistant) coating on the blade that can look kind of cool after a while. just go over it a bit with some scotch brite to get the biggest particles of the blade and leave the rest.

[@nognog7167]

im half way through my first knife at the moment and this video really helped me with the baisics

[@stephendelius1232]

In the machete video you left the black from the quench on for durability, iirc. Would leaving that layer on under the wrap inhibit rust well, or might it cause other problems?

[@elzorro9987]

I have a couple of small sheets of steel that I picked up at a metal scrapyard. Is there a good way to test them to find out if they are suitable for making blades? Thanks. I really enjoy your videos.

[@andrewmeans49]

Something else I’m curious about is the grit of sandpaper. What grit do you in use when your making the shape instead of filing it down. And what other grits do you use later on? Thank you

[@twistedstix4277]

I've wanted to get into blacksmithing, This video is awesome I learned a lot in 20 montes, but roll tide

[@rudyduran4694]

also do you think you can show you making a rebarb machete if that's possible please thanks and I'm a big fan

[@thedude_underyourbed]

i feel like there has to be some deep buried childhood story about you and cousin kenny... haha

[@minecraftyou4me]

I'm thinking about making a decoration knife. Do you have to add heat then or is it fine if you just belt grind it to what you want it to be?

[@jagerfromgsg945]

What would be your advice for forging a knife rather than stock removal?

[@michaelcarswell8789]

I was thinking about making a basic knife like this but I do not have a belt sander. But I do have a orbiter and a vibrating portable sander. Would these work to make the bevel?

[@agustinvenegas5238]

Great video!, just one question though, is there any problem if i let the blue-ish pattern that forms after heat-treat? Like, is there any reason, appart from its look, to remove that colour?

[@silveradocanman2516]

Love your videos Walter!

[@stoneslash]

Quick question on tempering....1095 looks like it suggests between 400-600 for the temper depending on how hard you want the steel. Which end of the spectrum will be harder and what are the benefits if any to using one temp over another?

[@WalterSorrellsBlades]

+David Gardiner The lower the temp the harder the steel. But the harder it is, the more brittle it is. That's pretty much always the basic equation with steel. 600 degrees, with a simple carbon steel like 1050 will yield a spring rather than a knife. 400 to 450 is probably about right for 1050.

[@stoneslash]

thanks. much appreciated. I'll keep that in mind for a fillet knife I wanna work out too, sounds like going a little higher on the temp might make for a good flexible edge.

[@killeinorgio]

Awesome video as always, but I have to point out that when you quench steel you convert austenite to martensite, not ferrite and pearlite to martensite like you said at 13:39. Anyway enough with the bitching, a handle from paracord wrap is definitely a cheap and easy alternative, but it can look very cool if done properly.

[@asd7959]

hey Walter what is the easiest stainless steel to heat treat in the propane gas forge?

[@renanjung9205]

Nice hair cut Mr. Sorrells. Looking forward to see the coatings!

[@EliteGuardGTS]

Question does it matter how col the oil, water is when hardening the steel, like does it hard better when u almost freeze the oil or so?

[@webbyjr.7935]

I noticed you talked about the scale from the hot roll steel, so do you suggest a hot roll steel over a cold roll steel? Is this because of the lack of stress in the steel or another reason?

[@pranayjha5754]

Where do you buy your wet or dry sandpaper? Home Depot doesn't seem to have the lower grit wet or dry sandpaper, like 60-220 grit.

[@jasonc2111]

I also have a question. If you run a file across the blade to test the heat treat and it digs in, can you just reheat it up to 1500? I know that after heat treat the knife is hard and brittle. Not sure if reheating will ruin it but I had that happen and started over so I still have a hardened knife shaped object!!!!

[@00LTCharles00]

+Jason C Best to get in done in the first round, but unless you heated it up like crazy and drove all the carbon out I'd guess you could still have a go at it. No expert here, though - I's just a noob.

[@jasonc2111]

+The Danneskjold lol... I have that same feeling, but I don't want to get it done just to throw it away. I'v made 5 knives now. The last 4 were given away. The first one I kept. The knives get better each time, so that means that I have the worst one!!!

[@00LTCharles00]

Yeah, I've got several near-complete ones, but only two completely finished. Just not enough equipment anymore - fell on hard times.

[@mccabelowe4783]

What grit sandpaper do you use to take the black off the knife after heat treat. And what oil also?

[@educatorul]

thanks for your knowledge and time, walter.

[@spencerwarren9219]

Sec vol Nation here. Sec just got tuffer with Texas and sooners coming.

[@douglasflores1462]

Did you take out the internal strands (core) for just the first wrap, or for the final wrap too?

[@andrewmeans49]

When he is beveling on the belt sander is the entire knife in contact or is it just the sharp side making contact ?

[@deathofkindness]

excellent video sir...thank you

[@mrmidnight32]

Can you please make a video on tips how to shape and draw up a handle/finger grooves like in the Cold Steel Recon 1 and alike handle knives. I'm having a hell of a time making a finger friendly finger and hand handle shapes. Thanks

[@jimmiller8601]

+NoOneImportant556 Start by making a comfortable handle from clay. That should be a fast way to get a model that works. Use that model as a reference when making the actual handle.

[@1337BlueBird]

Btw for the finish, i know you cant do in the same day but why not just use a good wax like Renaissance or just dip in good oil like Hoppe's 9 before the wrap ?

[@budove58]

So I just checked out Admiral Steel. Thanks! Just purchased a good bit of 1095 for some upcoming projects, and such a good price!

[@MrSunshine1206]

Excellent knife tutorial! Thanks Walter!

[@rodneybeharry4993]

I like what you are trying to do

[@rigman031977]

What are your thoughts on saturating the handle in a two part resin epoxy, normally used with carbon fiber/kevlar to seal the handle from the elements.

[@johnr.williams2830]

Thank you very much, this has been very interesting and informative to the point in the near future I'd like to make my own knife. Looking forward to also watch and learn more about this art.thank you again Walter.

[@unclebob1959]

Walter you're hired!

[@andrewmcdonald3701]

when you are doing the bevel how much material should u leave for heat treating?

[@arjen4120]

i dont have steel but i do have some old files that my dad used 10 years ago. are they strong enough to make a knife out of? and how long do you have to hold the blade in a charcoal fire for it to become unmagnetic?

[@coreyshier7526]

+Arjen Hartink I believe that Mill files or Bastard cut files and the like are made out of Very High carbon content steel; it may be O1 tool steel. They would make a great knife, but you must heat them up to some specific temp, then let them cool down slowly a couple of times to soften them enough to work on it; Otherwise, they are too hard. Maybe someone else here has more details.

[@Iron_spider99]

this is just a suggestion but you could use a forge an anvil and a hammer to make the basic shape first and then you could sharpen, harden, then temper but other than that I don't know much else you could do

[@krzysztofdembowski4557]

Walter! Thanks for this video. This knife is realy simple. I very like yours tutorials. Greetings from Poland!