questions about old files

[Lin Rhea]

Start the blade bevels and drill handle bolt holes.

Note: If you are having a hard time deciding whether you like the design, it means you aren't drawing the knife first. Please draw it and know before hand if you like it. A drawing pad and a big eraser will save lots of work.

[tippit]

Kevin,
Maybe it will take a JS stamp for me to use some of my pre-ban elephant ivory   :rolleyes:

[Cyclic-Rivers]

Looking good so far Adam.  

[macapple]

Adam,

I'LL be watching carefully as I have two files annealed ready to go and I'm on vacation this week. Your example has encouraged me.

Macapple

[GrayRhino]

I saw the website for anza knives and watched a little video clip of their knife making process.  All their knives are made from Nicholson files.

[adam]

Well guys it will probably be after thr 1st before i have any updated pics. With the holidays coming up i'm going to have limited shop time this week and next but i will keep this thread going as i make progress. Thanks for all the help so far!

[GrayRhino]

Adam, I don't mean to hijack your thread, but since it is about old files.... I wanted to ask the experts out there (forgive my ignorance, but this is my first attempt at turning a file into a knife) - is it normal for the file to emerg warped after the annealing process?  I've heated three files to red hot/non-magnetic and when I've taken them from the ashes the next day they are warped.

I'm using el cheapo' generic brand files since I'm just starting, would a higher quality file such as a Nicholson not be prone to warping?

[Ragnarok Forge]

Cheap files will not work.  They are case hardened mild steel.  Use Nicholson files.

[GrayRhino]

Thanks Lowell, I will do that.  Nicholsen files are hard to find here, but I will track one down!

[MTArrowLauncher]

if you find old files, how do you tell what brand they are, is it marked on there? Where do you guys find is the best place to try and track down proper files?

[David Yukon]

usually, the brand is stamped just above the tang... just like a knife. Nicholson is the most known brand, but there is a bunch i guess. As long s they are american made they are supposed to be good.

[GrayRhino]

The junkers I tried were made in India.     :rolleyes:    Others had no stamp.

Out of curiosity I checked on fleabay and saw heaps of used files.  Lots of used Nicholson brand too.

[Roconman]

The best place to find good quality used files is pawn shops,usually about a buck each around here for made in USA files

[Pac'em out]

Originally posted by Roconman:
The best place to find good quality used files is pawn shops,usually about a buck each around here for made in USA files

I second this.  I just picked up two Nicholson's at a local pawn shop for $2.  Very timely topic.  I just started my first file knife last week.  

Question:  I annealed by heating with a torch to red hot, then quenched in motor oil.  It is soft enough to file and sand now.  How to I harden it once I have my bevels cut?

[akaboomer]

If you heated then quenched you hardened it. It has to cool slow to soften.

[Pac'em out]

I thought that was the way it worked, but another site said to do it that way.  Either way, I couldn't file it before, but after the HT and quench, I can.  If I reheat and let it cool slow, will that make it even softer?  Thanks for the help.

[Lin Rhea]

Pac'em out,
            As akaboomer said, if you actually heated to red hot and immediately quenched in water or oil, the steel would be so hard that you could not file it. It would ruin another file. If you did something close to that it is still not as soft as I would want it to be filing on it.

As Karl pointed out in another thread, heat treating is the whole process, while you are at the stage in the process of softening (annealing) the stock, which in this case a used file. I would recommend that, after getting all of your equipment prepared, heat the old file (blade stock) to a dull red and cool it slowly. This might be where the confusion is. Slowly, in this case, means hours of slow cooling.

[Pac'em out]

Thank you, gentlemen.  That makes sense now.

[GrayRhino]

Are Swiss made files of sufficient quality to make into a knife?  I'm having difficulty finding a Nicholsen file over here.

[akaboomer]

Perhaps you could get the steel type from the maker of the files. That's where I would start. You may have to send an email or two but it may be what is needed.

Chris