What steel to make a Draw knife

[2treks]

I want to make(or have made for me) a special draw knife.
My question is this, what steel will work for this and what about rockwell?
I am thinking to have the blade milled out for me at a friends shop and then get it heat treated.
What do you think?
Thanks,
Chuck

(I edited my title.)

[kansas stik man]

well chuck if it were me i would not do anything to my draw knife, id keep it in the form that its in and if not useable fix it up but to make a knife out of it i just dont know, seems like a waist to me.  if you are a bow builder put that draw knife back into working order and honor that way or on a shelf.  to cut it up and make a knife well thers just no turning back.  not my decision but those are my thoughts on the matter.  good luck buddy.

[Ragnarok Forge]

A draw knife needs to hold a good edge and be able to flex.  I would look at 1075 or 1084.   If you are willing to send it out for heat treating or have a kiln O1 or 52100 would work.   5160 with the right heat teat would work too.  It all depends on how complex of a heat treat you are willing to perform on the steel.

[2treks]

JD, I am not looking to make a knife from a draw knife, I want to make a draw knife. Thank you just the same for your reply.

Thanks Clay, I will have all of the work done for me as I don't know about such things as heat treat and all that jazz.
That being the case, a steel of the 1075/1084 is going to work with a professional heat treat?
I should add that I will need to purchase the material from a local steel supplier,so is this a steel that is readily available?

Chuck

[Ragnarok Forge]

Both of those steels are readily available.  Look up Aldo the New Jersey Steel Baron.   Do not buy it from Admiral Steel their product is lousy.

[2treks]

Thanks again Clay,
Any other advice?

Chuck

[Roughcountry]

Chuck
I've made 3 or 4 drawknives for my work building saddle trees. I've also used the same knives on a few yew bows. They have been in use over 30 years now and have worked out great.
The knives that are avalible today just won't cut it for my work so I had to make them. I also use my dads old knife that is about 60 years old and still going strong.

I'll try to get you some pictures today.

[2treks]

I look forward to your pictures.
Thank you,

Chuck

[Lin Rhea]

Robin, could you post the pics here? I am very interested in seeing them myself. I've been watching this thread to see what I might learn. Thanks

[Roughcountry]

Here's three of the knives, I have two more on lone to a brother. The center one is my dads and the oldest. The handles remove and makes it easy to freshen the hollowgrind. The handles are also angled down which is way easyer on your wrists after hours of use.

All are made stock removal and top and bottom are discarded planner blades from a sawmill. Dads knife was custom made and he said the steel was called silver steel at the time.

I have some other homemade wood removal tools that I've also used for bow building, I'll try to get a picture up this weekend.
 

[2treks]

Robin, Thanks for showing your knives. They look good. I know what you mean about the angled handles. I flip mine "upsidedown" and ride the bevel on my staves and this will put the handles on a downward angle. Feels better to me and seems to work better for me. Win/win.

Chuck

[Lin Rhea]

Silver Steel was often the name used on Sheffield made cutlry. I dont know if it was a trademark name or not and am not sure what the significance of that name is other than a name. I'm very interested in this subject and your knives Robin.

[2treks]

That center draw Knife has a great look of quality to it.It really stood out when I saw the picture Not to degrade your other two but that knife looks great for having been used by your Father and now you.The maker was skilled at his craft I would say. You obviously know how to care for them all.How old is that knife?
Thanks again Robin

Chuck

[Roughcountry]

Lin, I've noticed that Dads knife has never had even a spot of rust on it when my planer blade knives will discolor from being in a cold shop then warmed. Nothing a little use will polish off though.

Chuck. Dads knife would be around 60 years old.
Makes me feel good to use it and it may well last thru another tree maker after me.
The thing that I notice about it is that it's the perfect width for a full draw with your arms.
You start at one side of the  blade and finish at the other side and that travel of your arms gives about the perfect cutting angle.

It's the right weight and width for heavy wood removal. For lighter shavings and more control I use the bottom drawknife. The narrow blade also will let you work on smaller inside radius cuts.

Don't worry about the top and bottom knives Chuck, can't offend me. I was pretty desperate for tools when I made them. Those handles are dark from sweat and they have been really great tools.

If you need close up pictures of any feature's on these just let me know. Robin

[2treks]

It sounds like you have had plenty of use from the knives Robin. I have made a few tools for my bow making and this is an attempt to step it up abit.
Your comment about the rust is curious to me. I have seen tools that rust over night and some that never rust even when left in a can of water. I have a friend that used an old file as a tool for glass blowing,it was stuck in a can of water always.never a spec of rust. Strange. Would anybody have some insight as to the why of this??
I would be interested in a peek at your other bow making tools.
Thanks again Robin.

Chuck

[Roughcountry]

Chuck, Here's my tool rack from the treeshop. These have done double duty when I make a bow. The bottom small heel shave and spokeshave I made specialy for bows and the leathershop, they have 01 toolsteel blades and I heat treated them with some hunting knives.

Lin, I set the axe in cause I owe you a pic    
 

[2treks]

That is very cool Robin. What are the two small tools? Scrapers? And what looks to be a vintage Plumb ax? I just remembered I have a fasination with well made,well used and well cared for tools. Your fit in just fine and I thank you yet again. I was in the shop today and cleaned off my bench. In the corner was a small handful of planer blades and some kind of new "tool steel" all wrapped up in fancy paper. I almost went after making a draw knife or scraper. This is cool stuff.

CTT

[Roughcountry]

Chuck, The small tools are just a smaller version of the larger ones. Think of it as stock removal. Start with the big drawknife, then smaller drawknife, next would be a spokeshave or heelshave (depends on the shape of the wood which you'd use) Then finish with the rasps.

The spockshave will make square stock round and heelshave will make stock dish shaped. They work like a plane only your hands guide the way they cut.
It's like learning to use the drawknife, once you master the use you can make nice big shavings or nice even small ones. Your hands determine which.

No thanks needed for me Chuck, the guys here on this site and others have helped me make better tools and knives than I can buy at the hardware store. I'm the one that owes a big thanks to those who give so freely what has taken years for them to learn.
Thanks for a great thread, hope I didn't stray to far from knives and trad archery topics.
Robin

[Kevin Evans]

Thats cool Stuff!!   Robin

Could use a couple of days in your shop,
Just Listening to you talk

[osageo]

i have built a bunch of small drawknives , mine are only 7 inches long , a piece of 1095 an inch or so wide with a couple of osage handles , heatreat just like my knife blades. i've built over 400 osage bows  , been building knives ,and tomahawks for 14 years now. the reason for short blade is to keep your hands close together for better control and power.