Knife Forging Introduction: Making a Scandinavian Knife

[@ozarked2363]

Walter Sorrells, the Bob Ross of knifemaking. It's your knife, you can do what you want, maybe a happy little brass pin lives right here.

[@SBG420]

i love how you push hand tools, even though im sure you have everything, really inspirational to us new smiths , thank you so much!

[@sttonep242]

Great looking knife. Loving your videos as always. Here's some tips for a better Scandinavian authenticity: 1) Blade is forged by first forming the tang, then the blade part. Tang is also quite thin, narrow and longer than the handle. 2) Leuku usually has a big belly and the angle of the tip is very steep for better tip strenght. 3) Handle is made of one or multiple blocks of wood or antler by drilling tang sized hole/slot all the way through. End of the tang is then peened, securing the handle. Sometime you don't even need glue. 4) Looking at the knife tip pointing down, the fattest part of the handle should be a bit above the center of the handle. Unless it has a strong flaring towards the end like Leukus often have.

[@SugarMapleForge]

Possibly the most helpful video to a beginner at hidden tangs and forging blades on KZbin. Thanks Walter.

[@arrzfr]

Love your sense of humour!

[@getsmart3701]

Hey Walter, that was a tour de force of an instructional man. I loved it. You are an inspiration to us new smiths...I'm sure most of your commentors on here will tell you the same thing. Thank you again mate.

[@kameelelian6044]

Scandinavia Nordic style knife making is my passion . I make traditional fully exposed tang knives of many styles but nothing excites me more than a hidden tang puukko or leuku. All that being said I've never seen a hidden tang knife handle made that way and I can't wait to try it. Love this channel, thanks Walter.

[@multidimensionalexploratio3985]

The very birthplace of some of my most choice words came from filing out tang slots! Really like the tip for hidden-tang handle! Certainly a person could use that very method for the sheath as well. Great video!

[@FilipHuzjak]

Hello Walter! This situation happend 3 or 4 times - I was planning to start some new project but didn't know much about it, and Your new video shows up, explaining exactly what I was planning to do. :) I want to thank you for your work, I really learned a lot from you!

[@danwerkman]

Always a pleasure to watch... honest and dry with no bells and whistles. Just the way I like it.

[@Irishhellion420]

Always grateful for helpful tips n tricks as an aspiring Smith I can't absorb enough information fast enough. Love watching this beautiful trade and learning as much as I can. Biggest regret in life is not pursuing this when I was younger as I was told there is no money to be had making knives as a blacksmith. I loved watching the blacksmith during pioneer days in my youth. Never too late to start.

[@TheTradesmanChannel]

Hey Walter, as a KZbinr and beginner blacksmith I really appreciate your explanations as well as your camera work. Keep up the good work.

[@MrActiveDown]

I'm so glad to hear the humor in this video. Thanks Walter!

[@peacemaker-du4hz]

its nice to know that you don't need hundreds of expensive tools to make a knife.great that you showed both ways,ive been enjoying your vids for about a year now and its great to see both ways of doing it.The hard way with hand tools and the easy way once you gain more experience and get the money to pay for the toys

[@Uncle_Buzz]

I tend to swell dramatically toward the butt too, so I can relate. Awesome video Walter! Cheers, Chris.

[@wallaroo1295]

Great video Mr. Sorrells! Thank you!

[@jamesg4987]

Most useful intro video I've seen

[@nml5536]

Love the dry humor! Thanks for the video Walter!

[@jimjones6355]

I really like how you made the handle

[@jonanylund541]

This was as entertaining as it was educational. Thank you👍

[@jmarth523]

Hey Walter! Really glad you have been putting out a lot of content lately. You are the person that got me into knifemaking, thank you for what you do. I plan on buying a blade from you soon.

[@koorbloh]

Thanks for always showing how us regular home-gamers can do this, while still acknowledging that the bigger tools are more helpful.

[@MrMarsBlades]

Thanks for that Walter, having made a few knife making video's I really appreciate the effort it takes to make a simple knife with lots of time used in filming and editing, cheers mate

[@ddrod8128]

Been a fan of yours for many years.. You got me wanting to make blades.. Thank you sir for sharing your mad skills and intelligence.. 👌

[@jonkwilloughby]

I love you teaching method and your dry humor just cracks me up! Great job and thank you! Heading to Patreon soon! :)

[@bsenalaska]

Beautiful craftsmanship!👍🏻👏🏻

[@MrZetor]

'Lapinleuku' actually translates to 'leuku of Lapland', where 'Lapland' is a vaguely defined as the northern Finland, Sweden, and Norway, and 'leuku' implies the shape and design of the knife, i.e., a long and widening blade that can be used also in light chopping tasks. 'Puukko', on the other hand, literally translates just to 'a knife', and does not imply the traditional 'Tommi-puukko' design, of which Finnish knives are probably most known for.

[@goldskula]

I think part of Russia is also defined as Lapland. Puukko does not actually mean knife in finnish. This is a mistake that many native speakers make. Puukko means a specific kind of knife. There is a lot of variation between different kind of puukkos for exampple a(traditional) Kauhavas puukko has a relatively large ricasso, a fuller and a bevel that is usually over 50% of the width of the blade. Many puukkos don't have a ricasso or a fuller (Toijalas puukko for example) and many modern puukkos have a scandi grind which creates a smaller bevel than any traditional puukko that I've sseen. In summary the finnish word for knife is veitsi not puukko even though many native speakers use puukko when they are talking about knives in general.

[@nikomartti2701]

Leuku is the big knife used almost exclusivily for chopping light trees when making camp or fire. Puukko is the smaller knife used for carving and other finer tasks. Sami word for leuku is "stuorraniibi" and it translates to "big knife". In finnish it's called leuku or lapinleuku (leuku of lapland). The word puukko is commonly used for any knife that is meant for work but can also refer to the specific shape of traditionanal scandinavian knife. Veitsi can refer to any knife but is mostly used for kichen knives. Finland also has many dialects and someone from some other part of the country might not agree with what i said.

[@goldskula]

@@nikomartti2701 originally veitsi was defined by the grind. If it had a full flat grind, it was a veitsi. Now when there are more kinds of knives+grinds veitsi has become the general term. In the end it's just a matter of definition what do you think a puukko is. I personally think that main aspects that make a knife a puukko are a grind that isn't a full flat grind or a chizel grind, a blade that is between 7-13cm, hidden tang, a profile taper, the blade must be the same width before the taper begins and a one handed handle. edit:the sami people use a smaller knife that isn't a puukko called unna niibas.

[@nikomartti2701]

@@goldskula I pretty much agree with your specifications. Also i don't see a secondary bevel in what i think as a puukko or a leuku.

[@jakesamayabreathwork]

You're my all American hero!

[@kenglass1980]

Thanks for this. Just got my forge repaired and gonna get stuck in. Love your tips and tricks!

[@spudhut2246]

great video, Thanks for keeping it simple.

[@MrSIXGUNZ]

your blessed with amazing talent sir !! thanks so much for sharing and helping us all !! blessings !!

[@geometrycutz9167]

As always a fantastic and incredibly informative video!! Great work sir!!

[@firstmkb]

Loved the video - great project! The finished edge looked phenomenal. At about 21:52, it looked like a Minecraft knife.

[@codybates2419]

The dry delivery on swearing optional but recommend was perfect.

[@mackdog3270]

Yup, one of the difficulties for a beginning knife maker is there are so many steps, all of them pretty important. It's easy to make mistakes anywhere along the line, gotta pay attention! :) I started with a piece of rail and that kinda sucked. I went to a machine shop and bought a ninty(ish) pound chunk of 4"x4"x12" for $80 and welded a three inch round bar section for a horn. Works pretty good and wasn't terribly expensive.

[@ghill1010]

I do recall dimes fondly. lol. Awesome stuff. Thanks so much!!!!

[@randallsummers6551]

Nice job. Enjoyed the video. Thanks

[@larrybair8074]

Good job Walter.

[@jensdavidsen4557]

Outstanding video! Your content never gets old! Thank you and Happy New year!

[@willbagley2409]

I made my first puukko today. That's actually really freaky😂 awsome video mr. Sorrells

[@gozer87]

That's a neat trick to make the hidden tang.

[@kennethcaine3402]

Great video and a beautiful knife so much great information, thanks for sharing. I have never seen a video from you that wasn't first class I don't know how you do it but you do it well.

[@gundanium3126]

If you do not have a mill instead of a file you can take the seen Jewlers saw to cut out the points between the drilled sections of the bolster(and save the excess brass for Resmelting later on) I use this method to make my own guards. then I heat the material in my forge if I am using wrought iron or a propane torch if brass to hot fit it to my blade. note: for newbies Always use either furnace cooled or vermiculite cooled steel if you're going to cut out the slot on your blade. to do a furnace cool you heat the steel up in your forge then turn it off and allow it to slowly cool in your forge. a for vermiculite cool you use a steel tub or bucket filled with vermiculite and let it cool a cheap temperature gun is great to have when doing this annealing technique as after about 30 min you can check if its below about 300 F and then water cool it and start drilling your holes.

[@sttonep242]

I use that jewellers saw technique too, works great

[@MultiMarty100]

Thanx👍! Really cool and informative video👌

[@DawahTrucker2024]

Walter that's a beautiful finished knife, I love the handle, I would love to learn how to make blades as a personal trade.

[@lekaprburaak]

Thank you. (from Czech Republic)

[@terryb2389]

Great video, thank you. I'm just starting to make knives and I learned a lot from this video.

[@mgreene1409]

Walter: Swearing is optional but recomended. Me: 😂😂😂

[@danmurphy9304]

I love your dry humor!! :)

[@stevieworley1216]

love the knife 🔪 bro

[@fredrichl]

Nice knife, but as someone pointed out, we usually dont make them out of wood scales, we drill, file stick the tang in and peen it.

[@ShopDog1021]

When you "complete normalization three times" do you let it air cool? If so to What temp before reheat....love your videos

[@thomasarussellsr]

"Swearing is optional", really? I was taught that any craftsman who doesn't swear at their work on a regular basis just isn't putting forth the effort to do their best work. Having settled that bit... Nice video with enough detail for the average mechanically talented person to follow through to a functional tool. Thanks. I have saved it to my "tool builds" file for quicker reference in the future.

[@stevezwemer1262]

Great instructional. Entertaining wit.

[@allanlavallee7171]

Good video. Just wondering why you didn’t anneal prior to filing as opposed to normalizing.

[@GONE2VT802]

Awesome video! Thank you!

[@hwgunner2143]

How thick do you leave the edge before heat treat? Love your vids. Never get old.

[@jamieofalltrades536]

I know this is an older video, but I thought it was a helpful point to make that you can make the slot in the tang a hell of a lot easier using and end mill bit on the drill press ;)

[@Keith_the_knife_freak]

Thanks for sharing 👍🏼

[@tom3natorvmeerten348]

I have made me one knive thx for showing how to do😇😇

[@apostolosfilippos]

I was looking at you r 18 minute video about handle oils. This one said it all : "a little tung oil".

[@monkpato]

Another great video!

[@BoneBGone]

"2 hours of painstaking work" *laughs in silversmith* :D

[@mikejake6360]

Is the tang easy to drill through because it's not hardened the same as the blade?

[@Friedeggshells]

Awesome!!! Thanks for the info!!! Now I just have to google your dime reference.

[@johnkennedyswenja]

railroad in concrete, excellent..saw u on F.I.F. last night

[@hojjatahangarikiasari7670]

Man, you make it looks that easy. Believe me, t’s way harder than it looks for an amateur like me😂

[@williampeterson6458]

What is anhydrous sodium silicate used for? A glue for Ceramic insulation?

[@Akira_203]

good stuff walter!

[@bennyhill3642]

Anyone can make a knife. But how many people can tell and show you how to make a knife while at the same time making you laugh so hard you feel the need to stop the video so you can Breath!!!! ROFL Thank you for a Great Video and many Many MANY LAUGHS!!!

[@Mrplacedcookie]

Thank you!

[@Smallathe]

Err... How Scandinavian is it? not at all as it is US made! - LOL. Seriously, this is an awesome and beautifully made demonstration on knife making (the good, the bad, and the LOOOOONG sanding process). VERY impressive and flowing. I really enjoyed it. Oh - and a LOVELY knife, of course!!! I like the black iron oxide layer contrast with the sanded blade beveled areas. Thank you for the demo! :)

[@historicalmilitaria7599]

Would a 1x30 belt sander be good for a beginning knife maker?

[@jacobbenns6090]

Hey Michael, as an intermediate hobbyist smith, yes, they are awesome, I picked up one from Harbor freight, and it's wonderful, even after I upgraded to a belt grinder, I still find I use my 1x30 inch. Hope my exp was helpful. Forge on Mate!

[@larrybud]

As someone who used to me a beginning wood worker, if you think you're going to pursue this as a longtime hobby, recommend saving up and getting the better tool. I don't think I have any of my "beginning tools" because, frankly, they were junk. Thankfully I bought a really good table saw which is still with me 20 years later.

[@nikolaingressingress501]

Walter one question:How thick was the starting stock?

[@johnkotlarchick4191]

Can u please show the final grind and sharpen

[@Tome4kkkk]

7:40 Does normalizing reset the material completely to the initial billet state?

[@paulstafforduk]

Any thoughts on using a spokeshave to get the rough shape?

[@sethjones5078]

Paul Stafford they can work well based on material used!

[@amgaga689]

Hello sir, I am interested in purchasing a knife like the one I made in this video, and I want to buy one. How much does it cost? Greetings.

[@matthewcollins4254]

Where can I get the blacksmith forge at

[@kaizoebara]

Leuku with a (modified) tanto tang? Works for me.

[@geraldtakala1721]

Blade tip looks like Saami style vs puuko,tang should be long and skinny tapered down

[@MrZetor]

If you make a brass/copper bolster, especially a thick one (more than, say, 3mm), by hand and/or with limited tools, this is the process I recommend: 1) Measure the blade/tang intersection (max. tang height & width), and draw it on the bolster stock. 2) Drill TWO* holes that cover the max. tang height _and_ do not exceed the max. tang width. 3) On the back side, drill several 'blind' (not through) relief holes between the two (through) holes to get rid of material that makes the next steps unnecessarily time-consuming. Use e.g. 6-10mm drill bit. Leave min. ca. 1.5-2mm of material. 4) Use a jeweler's saw to cut the tang hole (between the two through holes) open. 5) Heat the bolster and 'quench' it in water to make it softer. 6) Hammer the bolster onto the tang, and remove it if/when it does not relatively easily go all the way down. (It is supposed to be "tight as a man's anus") 7) See the marks (on the bolster) where the tang has scraped the surface and use files of (different shapes) to remove material from these spots. 8) Repeat 6) and 7) until you achieve a perfect fit**. Repeat 5) whenever the metal becomes too hard to work with. *) Drilling multiple holes, with limited tools, is dangerous, since it is _very_ easy to not get all the holes perfectly aligned in a straight line. Drilling only two holes _guarantees_ that they are in line (duh). **) Proper masters do this with _one_ iteration, which is always rather annoying, though also awe-inspiring to watch. BTW, Any and all sharp edges are a weak point in blades. I would _never_ make 90-degree angles onto the blade-tang interface, or anywhere else, for that matter. Sure, fitting the bolster (or the guard in swords) takes significantly more time and effort when using rounded lines, but the added strength surely justifies it.

[@maelmissier3378]

Was the pin in the handle necessary or would the handle stay on fine without it?

[@MrZetor]

Missier Bladeworks The pin is there only as an extra safety feature and/or a legal precaution for the overly panicky Americans. If you use proper epoxy, you _CANNOT_ separate the blade from the handle without destroying one or both. And yes, i (unfortunately) _can_ post photographic evidence... :(

[@billmccaffrey1977]

Have you ever used an end-mill in a drill press to finish the slot?

[@xj9779]

The knife looks great only the wood you used in the middle don't fit for me, and I love that thongs I have to made one of these they look like a very solid grip for smithing.

[@vladimirkovacevic1656]

awesome pukko knife

[@josterlundaren29]

Hi. I am as usual very picky but since im of Finnish origin. I must notify you that the tangs are way smaller than the one you did.

[@quake9191]

Walter did/do you wrestle or do jiu jitsu? Maybe both?

[@Gottrekk1]

as far as i was aware quenching in motor oil is not a good idea because of inferior thermal transfer rate, flareup, toxic fumes. canola oil is cheap and you can buy it everywhere

[@daviddowning8480]

He didn't say it was good, he said it would work. It works well enough that you'd never know the difference.

[@thereallevel27]

Customizing the files. Genius. Still sad you didn't go through till the end on FIF. That contest was designed for you. Too much of a coincidence that the final round was a Japanese weapon

[@goldskula]

Lapin leuku translates from finnish as Laplands leuku. Leuku is a sami knife so I think it's quite incorrect to call it a brother to the puukko, because it literally has nothing else in common besides that both can be find in nordic countries. The sami name for the leuku is Stuorra-niibi which to my knowledge means large knife. The sami people have their own kind of small blade which is called unna niibas. It's shorter than a puukko and the handle shape is (traditionally at least) quite different when compared to a puukko.

[@sjvche7675]

why not acid dip to remove scale?

[@hawk5148]

Not related to this video but when I temper my knife in the regular house oven it doesn't turn color like I feel it should. Is that normal?

[@jasonmcmahon6003]

I love your comment about the dime being 47 I just about pissed myself laughing

[@sonitourret1374]

why do you not use coal forge ?

[@sarahlacy5056]

Do any of you think a 4x36 belt/disc sander would work instead of the 2x72. I cant afford a 2x72.

[@colehecker8418]

I want to start making knifes

[@skipsargent]

That Cherry looked familiar. :-)

[@ianheyman2682]

7:35 increases grain size I think?

[@Qrunch]

Negative. He said it right 8)

[@Leightr]

Not gonna lie; first time I tried to make a slot in brass, having had much success in drifting holes in steel, I though I would try the same with a completely different metal which, I learned, has completely different responses to being heated and pounded on. If anyone would like to simulate this with out spending money on a bar of brass, just take a cold chisel and tap it through a bit of dried out hard cheese.