# A little old file



## Tclem (Dec 19, 2015)

Here is one of the two files I'm working on. Afraid to anneal them as I may not get them back right. Been spending an hour each night the past week and just taking my time. Yes it is taking a while but I'm hoping it goes well. The bigger one was the one that tapered to an edge. Just pretty much put a bevel and sharpened. It is slicing paper well. The smaller one is down to a dime size edge finally. Lol

Reactions: Like 7 | Way Cool 5


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## Kevin (Dec 19, 2015)

Those ought to be cool. That long one especially looks like it'll be a nice color and shape. Too thick for a filet knife though eh. Can files be heated in such a way they can be made into filet knives or are they just too brittle even after treating? I know nothing of metallurgy.


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## Tclem (Dec 19, 2015)

Man I don't know that. lol @robert flynt makes fillet knives. Or @Molokai any input


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## Molokai (Dec 19, 2015)

Make ricasso smaller

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


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## NYWoodturner (Dec 19, 2015)

Tony - great job man  It looks like slowing down on the grind is serving you well. Me thinks there is a lesson there

Reactions: Agree 3 | Informative 1


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## robert flynt (Dec 19, 2015)

Kevin said:


> Those ought to be cool. That long one especially looks like it'll be a nice color and shape. Too thick for a filet knife though eh. Can files be heated in such a way they can be made into filet knives or are they just too brittle even after treating? I know nothing of metallurgy.


Yes, you can make a file into a fillet knife by either annealing it to the hardness of spring steel, edge quenching it or drawing the the spine back to spring steel but only if it is not over 3/32" thick but most files arn't if their long enough. It would be better to use an old saw mill bandsaw blade.

Reactions: Informative 1


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## robert flynt (Dec 19, 2015)

I agree with Tom, you need to make the ricasso shorter by either grinding the plunge farther back or making the tang longer. Usually 1/2" is plenty.


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## manbuckwal (Dec 19, 2015)

Making great progress

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Tclem (Dec 19, 2015)

thansk @robert flynt @Molokai after looking at it again i started on the other side with my plunge line and the files go back the other way than they do on the side shown. i started the plunge at the edge of the files on the other side which pushed it farther up on this side but i will go back and fix it. thanks guys


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## robert flynt (Dec 19, 2015)

Tclem said:


> thansk @robert flynt @Molokai after looking at it again i started on the other side with my plunge line and the files go back the other way than they do on the side shown. i started the plunge at the edge of the files on the other side which pushed it farther up on this side but i will go back and fix it. thanks guys


You could probably use a longer tang.


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## Tclem (Dec 19, 2015)

robert flynt said:


> You could probably use a longer tang.


thanks. i tried drilling some holes in a piece of antler for the longer one and man did i screw it up big time. lol. threw that piece away but i was suprised how sharp i got it just by putting an edge on it. ive chopped it on wood and cut oranges and apples and paper and it is still sharp. lol guess im kinda proud of one for a change.

Reactions: Like 3


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## El Guapo (Dec 19, 2015)

The blade in the top picture is freaking cool!


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## Tclem (Dec 19, 2015)

El Guapo said:


> The blade in the top picture is freaking cool!


Duhhhhh that's because I'm a master knife masker. Well I'm a master something anyway. That long one is the one I was slicing up stuff with.


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## Molokai (Dec 20, 2015)

Files in current state are too brittle if you ask me. Some go as high as 66 hrc. They need to be annealed and then properly ht-ed. This is a fact, not me making stuff up. But I have been there in my first months, everything was a mistery. Nobody wanted to help in details......
I made knife from a old chisel also. Lol. 
Loris @Strider can write more on file ht.


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## ripjack13 (Dec 20, 2015)

robert flynt said:


> You could probably use a longer tang.



He's used to hearing that....

Reactions: Funny 3


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## Strider (Dec 20, 2015)

Great work! This one may as well go to Tx as a pigsticker ha! Great work! How thick is the spine? Just to count how sharp it will get, by knowing the angle. 
Temper it! It's a must! Since it's long, and, intended as a big camp knife or whatnot, you should do it at a higher temperature, 220C or so, just to gain some springness. Or less, if you want to keep it's edge retention, but as senior said- draw back the spine. That's it! Great looking knife, Rob!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Strider (Dec 20, 2015)

A file as a fillet knife? Of course! Any better steel will do, if the HT is good. But it has to be thin and long enough, performance wise, but that's a world of it's own, and I've just started exploring it. @gman2431 might help you regarding this topic. And the HT is more on the spring side, for that matter- less HRCs, more toughness.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Sidecar (Dec 20, 2015)

Well hang'n in a room of giants is cool !
Seen a word twice now in this chat...
Riccasso....?

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Woodman (Dec 20, 2015)

That's the part of the blade that is between the handle and the sharpened edge.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## Strider (Dec 20, 2015)

The dull part- beggining of the edge and the slope. May contain a choil or a finger groove

Reactions: Like 1


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## gman2431 (Dec 20, 2015)

Strider said:


> A file as a fillet knife? Of course! Any better steel will do, if the HT is good. But it has to be thin and long enough, performance wise, but that's a world of it's own, and I've just started exploring it. @gman2431 might help you regarding this topic. And the HT is more on the spring side, for that matter- less HRCs, more toughness.



I've been hoping you have been exploring the filet knives Loris!!

To me there is a certain sweet spot for them. Not to springy and not to tough. 

If I can take a fillet knife horizontal and bend the handle up at least 15 degrees they are the ones I like.


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## Tclem (Dec 20, 2015)

Molokai said:


> Files in current state are too brittle if you ask me. Some go as high as 66 hrc. They need to be annealed and then properly ht-ed. This is a fact, not me making stuff up. But I have been there in my first months, everything was a mistery. Nobody wanted to help in details......
> I made knife from a old chisel also. Lol.
> Loris @Strider can write more on file ht.


thanks tom


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## Tclem (Dec 20, 2015)

Strider said:


> Great work! This one may as well go to Tx as a pigsticker ha! Great work! How thick is the spine? Just to count how sharp it will get, by knowing the angle.
> Temper it! It's a must! Since it's long, and, intended as a big camp knife or whatnot, you should do it at a higher temperature, 220C or so, just to gain some springness. Or less, if you want to keep it's edge retention, but as senior said- draw back the spine. That's it! Great looking knife, Rob!


Spine is 1/8" maybe


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## Sidecar (Dec 20, 2015)

Woodman said:


> That's the part of the blade that is between the handle and the sharpened edge.


I looked it up.......says it goes clear back to the bronze age.......thought they'd still be grunt'n at that time


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## robert flynt (Dec 20, 2015)

Tclem said:


> thanks. i tried drilling some holes in a piece of antler for the longer one and man did i screw it up big time. lol. threw that piece away but i was suprised how sharp i got it just by putting an edge on it. ive chopped it on wood and cut oranges and apples and paper and it is still sharp. lol guess im kinda proud of one for a change.


Probably need to put it in the oven at 375 degrees or more to draw it back to where it is not brittle or chippy. Get the book, by Wayne Goddard, I told you about and it will show you how to to test the blade to see if it is chippy.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## robert flynt (Dec 20, 2015)

Molokai said:


> Files in current state are too brittle if you ask me. Some go as high as 66 hrc. They need to be annealed and then properly ht-ed. This is a fact, not me making stuff up. But I have been there in my first months, everything was a mistery. Nobody wanted to help in details......
> I made knife from a old chisel also. Lol.
> Loris @Strider can write more on file ht.


A knife making friend, who also has a doctor degree in physics, told me you didn't have to anneal a file, just draw it back to the proper hardness. He said it had already gone to through the best heat treat it could get. Haven't tried it yet but it make sense.


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## Tclem (Dec 20, 2015)

robert flynt said:


> Probably need to put it in the oven at 375 degrees or more to draw it back to where it is not brittle or chippy. Get the book, by Wayne Goddard, I told you about and it will show you how to to test the blade to see if it is chippy.


Got his name wrote down. Plan to buy all I can. Lol


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## robert flynt (Dec 20, 2015)

Woodman said:


> That's the part of the blade that is between the handle and the sharpened edge.[/QUOTE
> It would probably confuse if I said the flat between the plunge and the guard or handle. Your explanation is better.


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