We will make them from old files, not for lack of funds or material but for a certain reason. As many of you know a knife made from a file when done properly makes one heck of a knife. Between some sage advice from some 80 plus year-old tool makers and in one case a 91 year-old metal-worker/blacksmith, we have a process of preparing the file for the work to be done. I'd also like to mention Youtube for some inspiration. I'll cover more of that as we get into the process.
The choice for the file comes from my daughters family history on all four sides. Myself my father and his father and brothers, My mothers father and his father, as well as my father-in-law. We all/are or have made a living, providing for our families and helping our community with hand tools, a file being near the top of the list for the machinist and welders. Sara's (my daughter) knife will be made from a hand me down file from her great grandfather passed onto he grandfather with a total of 65 plus years of use. My knife and my F.I.L. will both come from my great uncle, both with 60 plus years of use all local, with my daughters file was used locally and also used in Manhattan Illinois where my wifes side of the family came from.
The Black Walnut handles are local aged wood that has come from my great uncles kiln. We hope to inlay a coyote canine into each handle that we extracted from a dead yote we had found while scouting for our hunting spot.
We have worked out our designs and hopefully will start the annealing process tomorrow night on half a dozen plus large files and a few smaller ones.
If there is interest I will take plenty of pictures and make follow up post.
Regardless I am excited for the outcome and history that will be in these knives.
