Knife Making: Making a Generational Knife from a File

[@mikepretorius2526]

Good job, you gave your Grandad's file a new life. Thanks for sharing and giving some valuable tips and for being open about your mistakes, it makes the rest of us that are also not perfect feel better and more hopeful for our own projects 😉. Don't worry about the structural integrity of the handle, it will hold up perfectly. Thank you.

[@joshuawhite8256]

Grinding of the guard was very satisfying, another great video brother!

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks bro. We need to finish up shooting that footage

[@joshuawhite8256]

@@Wengelsworkshop Absolutely, so many more shots I want to get

[@moody634]

dude for such a small channel with less than 20k subs you made content worth millions of subs

[@Wengelsworkshop]

I truly appreciate the kind words Moody!

[@charlesroman9163]

Thank you for walking me through what you are doing. I got a couple of good tips.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

No problem Charles. I'm glad it was helpful

[@123gonow]

Nice build its neat repurposing a family tool into an heirloom !

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Steven!

[@eddy6711]

Well done. This was my first visit. You do a very nice job on your video and I appreciate your mistakes too. We all make them and learn from them. I learned from yours, hopefully 😊 Thanks

[@John-yt5zr]

What a beautiful job, great looking knife, but more importantly to me is your narration, I.e , explaining the process!

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you John!

[@theriversexperience9383]

I dig it man, making an heirloom knife is always a special thing.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks man! I cant wait to see the finished product of the 2 knives you are working on now!

[@michaelsteinmann529]

Yep, also taking the grinders guard off, is also very special.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Unfortunately it was given to me without a guard, but yeah go ahead and make assumptions.

[@michaelsteinmann529]

@@Wengelsworkshop so? why use it? just because it was a gift? you realize that young folk is watching your vids and learning from them, do you?

[@Wengelsworkshop]

My videos are the story of my build not a how too. Using all of these tools comes with extreme danger and I label it as such under KZbin guidelines. My video get uploaded as "not for kid" as well. Using a grinder without a guard is not the most unsafe thing in this. The buffing wheel can be far more dangerous but I don't see you bjtching about that. But you seem like the type that needs to bjtch, so bjtch away. I don't mind.

[@mainewoods1862]

BEAUTIFUL knife ! That is the exact blade shape I LOVE !!

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Maine woods!

[@oveson88]

I have a huge file my dad wants made into a bowie knife, this video gave me a bit more confidence in doing it. Great video.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Stephen! I am not an expert but if you have any question i would be more than happy to help.

[@hdrider2071]

Beautiful knife, just Beautiful .

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you!

[@wolfman011000]

Good looking knife i admire the skills you have developed and applied to making a like from your grandfather to yourself and future generations of youe family. Take care, God bless one and all.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you wolfman!

[@tonycabrini5488]

Good job brother. Good luck with rest of your projects

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Tony!

[@opcruiser5436]

Great video and I totally dig the knife.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you!

[@timbow50]

👍👍 an excellent design. A quality leather sheath appeals to me more.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

For sure!

[@rickzauner]

Great job, it's beautiful

[@Take_And_Make]

Good job, brother! Glad to see you got 2x72 and new forge! That will change your game for sure!

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks man! they have definitely been awesome!

[@TheHeavyduck]

Nice ... I made my first knife a couple of weeks back.. literally by hand, i had 1 file an 18v grinder and an oil stone.. I used a brass arm from an old ball valve and part of an old sledge hammer stale for the handle.. ended up in hospital with a really bad cut.. too eager to sharpen, but completed. Absolutely over the moon. New project starts this weekend, deer antler handle. My wife is already bored with me lol

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Man thats awesome! it really is a great feeling to make a knife, especially with very minimal tools. Obviously be careful and take your time in the shop.

[@HouseMadeUS]

Thanks for the shout out! Great knife! ⚡️⚡️⚡️

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Of course man! I appreciate what you do for the community

[@ItsJustMeMcKee]

Beautiful knife!

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you!

[@boemarshall1]

You, sir, are brilliant.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks you Boe!

[@Oz710]

Nice video. It allows the viewer to understand your thinking while watching your progress. Also, a beautiful knife in the end.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

thanks mike! glad you enjoyed it

[@upland90254]

Really nice video. Well done!

[@johnrizzato9192]

Well dude you've got my vote. Finally there is a knife making a video that is near rated!

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you John!

[@gameslayer5810]

That knife is Beautiful

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you!

[@hallur7523]

Really nice knife

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you!

[@PE1JAS]

Very well made! Chapeau!

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you!

[@hoperestoration5595]

wonderful workshop

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks agian A1!

[@jamesleary1405]

Turned out to be a beautiful knife great work.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you James!

[@MrLnorber]

Extraordinario trabajo, felicitaciones! Gracias por compartirlo!!! Saludos desde Colombia!

[@Wengelsworkshop]

¡Gracias!

[@StreetKingz4Life]

This was really nice, it turned wayyyy super cooler in appearance than i thought great vid sir.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Glad you liked it!

[@Jekudo]

It's not flawless, but that's what makes it unique! Good job.

[@mroz7129]

Awesome job.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks Mr. Oz!

[@falanhio531]

really nice work! thank you for inspiration, I was thinking about using a file as material so I was happy when I saw this video )))

[@spencerbass7142]

Beautiful.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Spencer!

[@jdroyalty9749]

Beautiful work. And a great video all together. Talking us through it helps more than you realize. I’ve been wondering if those Amazon forge’s work and haven’t been able to find anyone that will talk about it… question answered! Thank you!👏🏻🤜🏻💥

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you for the kind words JD!

[@jameshoffman1842]

Mine also...

[@ralphvaccaro2638]

Nice Good Job

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks Ralph!

[@frederikmare9002]

Beautiful knife!!! 👌👌👌👍👍👍

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks Again!

[@giacopara]

Good job!! Sorry,is it possibile to have a magnet link??

[@Wengelsworkshop]

amzn.to/3FwI8pc thank you

[@jameshoffman1842]

Beautiful blade...it is hard but how easy is it to resharpen ...?

[@heatherlubrano1874]

My absolute favoriteeeee

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks babe!

[@richardschneider4775]

Beauty and I would use it daily

[@mgutekunst1]

Nice build. Did you every think about doing a leather sheath?

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Mark! and yes but i taken the time to learn how to make one yet.

[@robertomazzoni1955]

Bello completi. Bravo.

[@kimsouza2671]

Parabéns pela bela e linda faca vc e um gênio

[@Wengelsworkshop]

obrigada

[@ISMACGREYSUB]

Love this Knife

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Reysub!

[@kreasiumum]

Knife from file,.. amazing

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Kreasi!

[@michaelprue9024]

Nice knife 👍 I like it. Actually had plans to build that exact 2x72 also, but have way too many irons in the fire right now. Maybe next year lol

[@nobackhands]

I was showing my rasp file dagger to a machinist. Before grinding, I thought I did a good annealing. He did a file test and said I should anneal it and not quench it. The file is already so hard, quenching it will only make it brittle…Thanks for any input

[@Wengelsworkshop]

A file comes very hard. Too hard to be a knife. So there are 2 ways to go about this. You could simply temper the file which would give it the proper quality for a knife. However you still could not drill holes in it and when you grind your bevels you have to be careful not to overheat it bc the file already has a good heat treat at this point. Or you could fully anneal the knife or fully soften the metal so that you can drill holes and grind away without worrying about heat. And then quench and temper then knife. (Fully reheat treat). Either way is fine based on your goals. If you aren't confident in heat treating the first one makes it simple bc you can just temper it in the oven and the heat treatment is done

[@nobackhands]

@@Wengelsworkshop Thanks for the reply. I must have annealed it satisfactorily because I was able to drill the handle holes with no problem. Just to be sure - What do you think if it is anneal, let set and then quench?

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Yes. If it is fully annealed then heat it to non magnetic and quench. Then temper for 2 cycles for 2 hours at 400°f. You could also do some normalization cycles before you quench.

[@nobackhands]

@@Wengelsworkshop Thanks

[@CreativeDailyWorks]

Beautiful knife bro 👍 thank you very much for sharing a great educational video.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

No problem! Thanks for watching

[@Muansangamsx]

Nice one. 👍

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Msa!

[@garybittinger9733]

Beautiful work . You definitely brought new life to your grandfather’s old file .

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Gary!

[@peter2814]

Looks very similar to a Bark River Aurora. Just wondering why you didn’t make it a full tang knife since you had a big enough file to begin with. Lovely looking knife though and nicely made.

[@sgnsibande4606]

Beautiful knife, what material is your sheath

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you! my current sheath set up is to make kydex sheaths. i plan on starting to make leather and hybrid sheaths soon though.

[@nizardargham]

Great Job! I wish you made a bigger tanto out of that file.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Nizar! I had a hard time cutting off the end. however i wanted it to be a knife i would use all the time. and a large Tanto is not that. however i have another large file that is going to be a tanto so look out for that in the future!

[@nizardargham]

@@Wengelsworkshop I will Sir. I’m supporting your channel and great craftsmanship. Respect from Beirut! 🙂

[@hernanlopez9786]

EXCELENTE TRABAJO 👍😃SALUDOS DESDE COLOMBIA

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Herman!

[@vidgeoable]

Your mistake adds character to this lovely family creation. Well done

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Vidgeoable!

[@danunger3240]

No normalizing cycles first, before the quench?

[@Wengelsworkshop]

I usually do 2-3 but I forgot to mention it in this video.

[@danunger3240]

@@Wengelsworkshop good to hear. It does make a difference.

[@ironmountainblades582]

Impressed 👍

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you!

[@grs5252]

Great job,beautiful knife. I make file knives also but I do not aneal them first. I do a temper cycle at 400f for 2 hours and then grind them being careful to keep the metal cool. Since the object of the heat treating process is to make the blade as hard as a file and then bring that hardness down by tempering and I'm starting with a file I see no need in annealing it. It is a little rougher on your belts. I have subd

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you George! and yeah that makes sense just tempering the blade.

[@robertokpo6761]

Excelente maestro

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Gracias Roberto!

[@craigcook1571]

I’ve made the same mistake of grinding into the tang channel so don’t feel alone. Another trick you might try, (before hardening and tempering) is to drill small holes into your handle, grind the end of your tang to an edge, and using a torch, heat the end of your tang up to red and burning your tang into your handle stock.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Lol thanks man. And yeah I have seen people do burn through tang, but it seems sooo sketchy. However I know Great knife makers that do it so maybe I will try it sometime.

[@craigcook1571]

@@Wengelsworkshop I’ve done on a couple of knives with no problems, but the majority of my knives are full tang as I try to make knives that are hunting, but strong enough to use as a survival knife should the need arise

[@primitivelife6896]

Bellissimo, complimenti e saluti dall'Italia!

[@tworighthands]

What a Beautiful knive. I love the handle 😲. Keep going 👍🏻 You deserve more views!

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you two right hands!

[@Brittbrothers2]

Beautiful knife! Will it rust easy?

[@JesusLopez-fc7bd]

Nice job. How can y get one like that.?

[@Wengelsworkshop]

That you! this one is staying in the family.

[@nequea.5539]

Looks amazing. But how you keep it safe from rust? I did one and it's rusting like crazy

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you! you have to keep the blade oiled or waxed and you always have to dry the knife after wet use.

[@NCMilVet]

Great video. Do you have a link for the 2x72?

[@jaxsenmoore-mv9xy]

When you were useing that grinder with no gard gave me flashbacks to when I cut my knee open

[@carlsartor1423]

Nice Job! A question about your grinder, I see that it says AC motor control in the video, will that controller work on a 220v motor?

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you and yes it will!

[@mirorico9863]

Nice work :)

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you!

[@brunopelletier8613]

what the produc you take for the case of your nif

[@Aleeknives]

Dude congrats on this video taking off! Awesome build man! Ken's custom iron sells tong blanks that are super fun to build.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you man! I will definitely check out Kens customs

[@Zero_8347]

I love your belt grinder setup. Did you build that or is that something I can order?

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Its the Revolution by Brian House or house/work youtube. it is a kit that you have to build but it is a great and affordable grinder.

[@andrewneilson227]

Time to invest in some tongs, brother. Solid build! I haven’t looked at your other content yet, but a video on that belt clip would be useful. I’m sick of paying $12 a pop for ulticlips

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Lol My tongs came in the mail like 2 days after I heat treated it. I will try and remember to include the clip in the next video or 2. Or maybe make a short of it?.. Thanks for checking out the channel though Andrew

[@fives645]

You can also make tongs out of rebar btw 🤙

[@jasonwilliams2546]

Quick question... My kydex sheaths tend to scratch my knives when inserting and removing knife. Have you had this problem? How do you keep it from happening? Thanks for the video, beautiful knife!

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Jason. This is just general wear of fixed blade knife. When i press the sheath i use 3 layers of tape on the blade to give some extra room. And i clean the sheath out the best i possibly can before removing the tape from the blade. However any debris, dust, sand, dirt will eventually get in the sheath and scratch your blade. wiping off the blade before putting it back in the sheath can also help. It is my understanding that this is a problem with all sheaths including leather.

[@alfiesnell9892]

love it lad

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Alfie!

[@franscois7780]

What do you call this blue type of belt grinder. I've been trying to get one for ages but always give up after searching for a while and forget about it until I need one. And the process repeats itself.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Lol. It is a 2x72 belt grinder. I have one linked in my description but it's a kit you have to build yourself. Thanks for watching!

[@franscois7780]

@@Wengelsworkshop build it myself? Even better. Thanks

[@repairrestore3293]

good job 👍

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you!

[@ivelinslavov]

what did you use to mark center of the edge does it need to be same size as steel?

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Just a drill bit. Really you want to have 2 center lines bc you don't want the edge ground to 0 thickness bc it will be too thin to heat treat. If after heat treat you are doing a scandi grind then you would grind to 0 thickness. But normally you would leave the edge maybe half or a third the thickness of a dime before applying the secondary bevel post heat treat when the knife is done. To achieve 2 line you would use a drill bit slightly thicker than the steel or slightly thinner. Pre heat treat the edge should probably be at least as thick as a penny.

[@ivelinslavov]

@@Wengelsworkshop so if i had 3mm steel what drill should be used or any other method to do 2 lines?

[@Wengelsworkshop]

I just take my set of drill bits out and test mark until it marks roughly where I'm looking for. I would imagine a 2mm or 4mm would work to give 2 center lines leaving enough thickness for heat treat

[@ivelinslavov]

@@Wengelsworkshop thank you for answer!

[@nakwaideshields974]

This is excellent. I have an old file from my grandfather as well. Do you take orders. I’d love to send you mind and have this done.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you Nakwai! I hadn't really thought of this, but I would definitely consider it. Message me on Instagram and we could discuss it

[@hallur7523]

What is the hrc of the knife ?

[@Wengelsworkshop]

dude i wish i had hrc tester. all i can do is performance tests. chopping 2x4 a bunch of times and then seeing if the knife can still shave

[@АлександрФандорин-р6б]

Super

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you!

[@joeudesbatistadasilvasilva6269]

Ficou excelente 👏👏👏👏

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Obrigado Joeudes!

[@WillPatagonia]

The end look of the blade is really well made! however considering you were trying to honor that file, I would have liked to see some file texture on the blade. Overall I found this video super cool !

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank You Will! I made another file knife a few knives back and left some texture on it, but i really just wanted to make a clean knife.

[@1967doudou]

magnifique j adore

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Merci!

[@jbowerman50]

When making the slot, I have what I call an X-Y VISE, you can use a milling bit (small) in your drill press, providing there is minimal slop in the spindle itself, otherwise the bit will chatter. But the X-Y VISE allows you to travel your part like a milling machine and for small jobs works just fine.

[@TheMotownPhilly]

Cool video. Can I ask what you paid for the new grinder. I'm in the market and am doing comparisons

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks Philip. $1350 1.5hp variable speed motor that can do reverse. and it came with a work rest for the vertical and horizontal position. Pheer and origin were the budget machines i was looking at and ameribrade was the one i was gonna get if i said F it. lol

[@TheMotownPhilly]

@@Wengelsworkshop lol that's funny cause you basically just described my thoughts. I'm stuck between an origin and building a revolution gen 4 right now. Too be honest if someone would sell me the same one you have at that price id buy it. Does your guy ship? Might be worth it if shipping doesn't push me too far over.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

@@TheMotownPhilly Man lol... it sounds like we were literally in the exact same boat. I dont believe he ships. he mostly biulds them for a hobby. He was telling me he probably wasnt gonna build any more bc its not worth it. I found him on fb market place. If you want hit me up on instagram and i could reach out to him just to ask. he is in the tampa florida area

[@daviddahl9269]

Nice. For sale?

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks and no this one is staying in the family

[@المنصة-خ7ق]

Good knife 🔪 What name am amatrial in 11:36 minutes

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks. At 11:36 I use an electric griddle to heat the kydex to make the sheath.

[@trezx7155]

Isnt a knife from file fragile? It will break easily ?

[@Wengelsworkshop]

I explained this in the video. The entire heat treat had to be redone with a temper to give the knife the toughness necessary to be a good knife.

[@augustolima1731]

Parabéns ficou linda 👏🏻❤

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Obrigada Augusto!

[@GMaker0507]

When are you gonna start a shop?

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Hey Larry. It is tough to justify it bc I only make between 2-4 knives a month. So if someone asks me to make them a knife I can give them a price and make it, But i wouldnt have much inventory in a store. I probably should make one though to list the stuff that is available and display my work that is sold or that im not selling.

[@GMaker0507]

@@Wengelsworkshop Makes sense. The heirloom aspect is cool. Here's three separate ideas i think would be cool : 1) A knife with a carbon fiber handle. 2) a knife with maybe a secret slot in the handle that could fit like some money, or a USB drive, or something smallish. 3) Adding maybe a gold engraving on the handle.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks for the ideas. A carbon fiber knife will probably be in the works soon. And the slot idea is cool but I'm not sure how I would pull that off while keeping the handle durable. Gold engraved would probably be way off in the future. If you look up Kyle Royer he is one of the best makers in the world and he does some amazing gold engraved stuff.

[@johnhoward7298]

Great video ! I would love to have a knife made with a file that belonged to My Grandfather ! ( but He died before I was born ) He was several things in His lifetime , one of which was a Blacksmith .

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks for watching John!

[@johnhoward7298]

@@Wengelsworkshop I wouldn't work one bit about any mistakes in that knife ! It's a knife I'd be proud of !

[@oneshotpete6.591]

in the future your grandkids are gonna say : “ wonder why grandpa made the tang hole so big “ 🤣 kidding , great build 👍

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Lol I can assure you it is quite durable

[@blacksmithideas8554]

nice video

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thank you!

[@nukepizzaa]

Tremendous

[@rodneymiddleton1044]

Very sweet knife and yes it helps immensely owning a belt grinder . I own a 60 " but should have bought a 72" as the belts are more easily obtainable compared to the 60" lol.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Thanks again! And yeah I could see it being hard to find 60" belts for sure

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Do you Prefer Hidden Tang knives or Full Tang Knives?

[@heatherlubrano1874]

hidden tang!! :)

[@AnthonyWilliams-pj5nl]

Definitely depends on the use of the knife but I do love how hidden tangs look. Especially when you think about how perfect everything has to line up.

[@Wengelsworkshop]

I really love hidden tangs, but if you can only have one it would be hard not to go with the durability of a full Tang. But there is something about the feel of a hidden tang knife it the hand.

[@hartinilaila7924]

Kalau di jual harganya berapa itu bang.?🙏

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Yang ini tidak untuk dijual. Terima kasih atas minatnya

[@hartinilaila7924]

Ok. Trima kasih banyak bang. Semoga tambah sukses & sehat selalu.