I made a knife
Intro
On a November weekend, I participated in a knife-making workshop. This experience was a gift from my wonderful wife. The workshop took place in Warsaw and was conducted by Kłosy.
Getting Started
We began on Saturday at 9:00 AM by choosing the material for the knife handle and the size of the knife. The options included a small kitchen knife, a forest mushroom knife, and a chef’s knife. I chose cherry wood stabilized with colorful resin and opted for the small kitchen knife. The steel we used was N690.
Before starting the actual work on the knife, we received a brief theoretical introduction about different types of steel, blade shapes, and safety guidelines. Then, we learned how to operate belt grinders and change their belts. Following this introduction, we started working on the knife blade. Initially, we practiced on a softer piece of steel to gain confidence with the grinder. Once we mastered the technique and achieved the desired blade shape on the practice steel, we moved on to the actual blade.
Working on the Blade
The first step in working on the actual blade was shaping its profile. This took significantly longer (about 2-3 hours) than the practice steel, as the final steel was hardened. After the first hour, I felt much more comfortable with the grinder. Gradually refining the blade’s shape became a pleasant experience—precise, repetitive movements requiring focus. It was quite zen-like.
Once the profile was completed, it was time to choose the blade’s shape. There were plenty of templates to choose from, and we could also design our own. Shaping this part of the blade went relatively quickly.
At this stage, the blade tip was left unsharpened to avoid potential injuries during further work on the knife.
By around 1:00 PM, the blade was ready:
Initial Work on the Handle
After a quick lunch break, we began working on the handle. First, we roughly cut the handle’s shape and drilled holes for the pins:
Once the pin holes were drilled and the handle roughly shaped, we worked on the part of the handle closest to the blade. This involved some grinding with the belt grinder, hand-sanding with sandpaper, and polishing with a polishing compound. This step was crucial, as once the handle was glued to the blade, this area would become almost inaccessible.
The final step of the first day was gluing the handle to the blade.
Day Two
The knives were clamped overnight to ensure the adhesive securely bonded the blade and handle. The main goal of the second day was to refine the handle’s shape and finish it. The final steps included sharpening the blade tip and honing the blade.
We started by shaping the handle’s profile. Like with the blade, we outlined the desired shape and used the grinder to remove excess material.
Next, we worked on refining the handle’s contours. At this stage, I decided to make the handle slightly asymmetrical for a more ergonomic fit in my right hand. This involved using the grinder with various techniques, such as a loosely tensioned belt or a small cylinder as support.
We then sanded the handle with various grades of sandpaper and polished it with a polishing compound until we achieved the desired finish.
At this point, the handle was complete and was soaked in oil for about half an hour to enhance the wood’s color and protect it.
Finishing Touches
After the oil bath, the knife was almost ready. We removed the protective tape from the blade and carefully used the belt grinder to sharpen the blade tip. This step required extra caution, as the steel at the tip was very thin.
The final step of the workshop was sharpening the blade. At home, I usually sharpen my knives using Japanese water stones. At the workshop, we used diamond-coated sharpening stones. This was a new experience for me, and I found it faster and slightly easier. After about 10 minutes, the knife was sharp and ready to use.
Conclusion
The workshop was a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. It was conducted professionally, and everyone received guidance and support as needed. In total, it involved over 13 hours of manual work, resulting in a tangible, practical object tailored to my needs and aesthetically pleasing.
I highly recommend this type of workshop to anyone, even those who might not initially be interested in knives.