Woodworking knife

I usually use a kitchen knife that's been laying around my workshop forever. I use it mostly for marking fine cuts. Does it pay to get a really good woodworking knife? If so, any recommendations?

Thanks.

Reply to
Michael
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it depends on how the kitchen knife works now is it not cutting it

Reply to
Electric Comet

Lee Valley has this one - 12 - 13 bucks. Perhaps worth a try ?

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They sell a few other pricy ones also. Called marking knife and / or striking knife ? - not sure of the difference .. John T.

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Reply to
hubops

I use either a carving knife or a box knife. I sometimes use a single edge razor mounted on a dedicated handle.

Make your own with a saw blade. Or sharpen the end of an old screw driver.

Sonny

Reply to
Sonny

Reading between the lines, I gather you chose a blade from the kitchen collection and are using it to mark wood. There are round scribes (probably one in your try-square) for marking, and single-bevel knives (both follow a straight edge well), as well as skew chisels, utility knives, pen knives, and Xacto knives, in my shop, and all get significant use for marking.

I'd suggest lots of experimentation, before you consider a spendy rosewood specialty item. My kitchen knives are double-beveled, so i don't like them for following a straightedge; long blades don't work, you want something with just enough length to keep your handle from shadowing the mark.

Reply to
whit3rd

.

if you reshaped it, then it's probably fine. I took a knife and broke the blade off, then reshaped it like a chip carving knife. I can't see using a long blade to mark, but if that's what your used to ...

I also have some spear point blades, what I like is they are one sided, and can be flipped from side to side.

I also use a regular utility knife.. so whatever works

Reply to
woodchucker

----------------------------------------- An X-ACTO knife maybe.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

I use one of those utility knives that has a blade that can be renewed

10 times by breaking of the point and forming a new sharp point.
Reply to
Leon

One like this. You can also buy replacement blades.

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Reply to
Leon

Michael wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

As other folks have mentioned, for marking you want a knife that's only beveled on one side (so the flat side can set tight against your rule, or the dovetail you're marking from, or whatever).

That said, as long as you can get the knife tight against the edge, I don't see that a fancy knife has any advantage other than aesthetics.

Mine came from Patrick Leach, but I dunno if he's still making them.

John

Reply to
John McCoy

Why isn't it green?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Mine is. ;~)

Reply to
Leon

some of the straight carving knives are a cut above can find them sold separately from the entire carving kits

Reply to
Electric Comet

I really like the idea of making one out of a saw blade. I don't know if I have a metal cutting blade for the band saw but I'm going to check. Could be a fun project.

Reply to
Michael

I have a number of knives in my shop and use then as appropriate.

Left and Right marking knives Used exclusively for layout work

A retractable blade utility knife Used for opening boxes, cutting roll and soft sheet goods, insulation, felt paper, nylon binding straps, etc.

A hacking knife Used for rough work where I hit it with a mallet or hammer to split wood. A Google image search on Hacking Knife brings up examples.

Reply to
John Grossbohlin

edge razor mounted on a dedicated handle.

I have a metal cutting blade for the band saw but I'm going to check. Could be a fun project.

I have seen more than a few guys use Exacto knives as mentioned by Lew as w ell as those that use other disposable blade types. I thought the Exacto w as a great solution as they sell a holder that is a bit thicker than a penc il and holds and angled chisel cut blade you can buy at just about any hobb y store.

If you use a screwdriver, it will not be tempered and will not hold a razor edge. Saw blades are differentially tempered, which allows the teeth to b e very hard and the spine to flex. By the time you cut the teeth off to ma ke your desired blade shape, you are in untempered, soft metal.

I made a simple one with a sawzall bi metal blade and it works like a champ . Can't put my hands on it as I think I was using it to trim molding and i t walked off a job. Nonetheless, it is an easy and fun project. I didn't make the double point model. Plenty of good examples of marking knives pro jects/instructions here:

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Robert

Reply to
nailshooter41

I have one made from a band saw blade the blade was 1 1/4 inch, my dad made it he worked at JI Case (formerly IH) prototype pattern shop. The band saw was for sawing stuff in half for cut away displays you could literaly drive a tractor and cut it down the middle.

Reply to
Markem

On Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at 4:12:33 PM UTC-5, snipped-for-privacy@aol.com wrote :

e edge razor mounted on a dedicated handle.

f I have a metal cutting blade for the band saw but I'm going to check. Cou ld be a fun project.

well as those that use other disposable blade types. I thought the Exacto was a great solution as they sell a holder that is a bit thicker than a pe ncil and holds and angled chisel cut blade you can buy at just about any ho bby store.

or edge. Saw blades are differentially tempered, which allows the teeth to be very hard and the spine to flex. By the time you cut the teeth off to make your desired blade shape, you are in untempered, soft metal.

mp. Can't put my hands on it as I think I was using it to trim molding and it walked off a job. Nonetheless, it is an easy and fun project. I didn' t make the double point model. Plenty of good examples of marking knives p rojects/instructions here:

I've never tempered steel. The video makes it look like even a weekender li ke me can handle it.

Reply to
Michael

so you won't be able to cut the saw blade on your band saw with a metal blade. It will burn the blade, as the speed of a wood working saw is really way too fast. That said, it's still possible, since it can be done with a friction cut.

Reply to
woodchucker

Michael wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:

Lots of home shop guys and weekenders do it. There are plenty of resources on the Internet about it. Hardening is fairly easy, getting the proper temper not as much.

One thing to note is that the composition of the steel is as important as the hardening process. Some steel will never be suitable for some projects. (Just like you wouldn't use basswood for a hand plane sole.)

Play around with what you have if you want to play, then buy proper material when it comes to make some real ones. I made a few knives with hacksaw blades, and they work but are really too flexible to be good as a knife blade. (I never did mess with the temper, though. It might help.)

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

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