My first bushcraft file knife "Valhalla Blade"

[allancormier]

nice work, at what temp and for how long did you soak the blade to soften it.

[mirkosrndovic]

@allancormier thx, I annealed the blade in my wood oven, so I don't know exactly what temperature was but you can go with 200 degrees Celsius in two turns each for an hour. So put the blade in the oven at 200 for an hour, then let it cool down at room temperature, then repeat that once more.

[cyclist01222]

Many a dude took many a day to make themself a really ugly knife... but this one's a beauty!

[XSwingGolf]

very nice

[pooh1234567890]

Hi just a question about the forge, did you make it yourself? If so how?

[mirkosrndovic]

@pooh1234567890 Yes, I made forge my self. It is just 13 fire brick arranged to make a casing for metal pipe over which I set fire. Metal pipe is about 10 cm in diameter, one end is sealed with beer can and face of pipe is drilled with about 10 5 mm holes so the air from hair dryer from the other side can blow into the fire.Tell me if you understood, if not I can make some pictures. But really it is very very simple forge and I use just plain oak wood as fuel.

[Romanlegionnaire77]

Very nice looking blade...love the craftsmanship! Subscribed!

[AndreaGanora]

Beutifull knife, very good work especially since it was your first blade, my compliments

[MrRichinil]

Great job......  and good music too my man !!

[Dizzyish]

wow two loosers..... on the brighter side, 148 that appreciates craftsmanship!

[mirkosrndovic]

@Dizzyish LOL I don't take them as losers, maybe just jealous, which is just fine with me :) Cheers!

[superairsoftdude98]

Nice

[ryanrrx]

Nice job man!

[MegaSteidl]

great song, perfect job

[LiamMitts]

Jethro Tull

[AndreaGanora]

nice work, my compliments

[BahtPannerMan]

Great job! This is very cool, I've got to try this.

[colt45y]

Good job liked ur knife , I want

[luvu2luvme]

fant6astic knife, i really like it,talented man,great skill, please tell me how you got the mirror finish on the blade,

[mirkosrndovic]

@luvu2luvme thank you very, very much! Mirror finish is not too complicated, you must have a fine sandpaper, start with 100, then 200, then 500, then 1000, 1200, and finish with 2000, that will give you mirror polish, but you must be patient and work 2 whole days.

Cheers mate!

[RAMBOKIDx7]

@mirkosrndovic Do you need any polishing compound for the nice blade finih, or just really fine sandpaper?

Thanks,

Btw, one of the most beautiful knives I have ever seen.

[RAMBOKIDx7]

@RAMBOKIDx7 *Finish*

[mirkosrndovic]

@RAMBOKIDx7 Thank you very much! I don't have finishing compounds, I don't even know where to find it in my country, but 2000 grit sand paper does a good job for polishing.

[RAMBOKIDx7]

@mirkosrndovic Ok, thank you.

[stefannikolicns]

Svaka cast, lep noz! Interesuje me da li je kvalitet celika turpija dovoljno dobar za kvalitetan noz? Tek nedavno sam video ovaj postupak, i jako mi se svidelo, pa cu mozda jednom kad ugrabim vremena da i ja probam tako nesto.

[mirkosrndovic]

@stefannikolicns Hvala, kvalitet celika turpije jeste dovoljno dobar za dobar noz, e sada mozda je moja turpija bila neka kineska, a mozda (verovatno) nisam dobro uradio postupak kaljenja pa mi nije celik ispao zadovoljavajuci. Pogledaj moj drugi video, ispod, u opisu, imas pravilan postupak kaljenja.

[quintin636]

LOVE IT!!!! real cool!

ps: are you from sweden?? (Är du från Sverige?) <-- google translator...XD

[mirkosrndovic]

@quintin636 Thx, I'm from Serbia, not Sweden :)

[717sport]

You made a beautiful knife and if thats your first time,maybe you should do more adn sell them.I would buy that one.

[razorsharpness4]

Just wonderingwhere do you live?

[Wiegieboard]

looks like a cracking tool! Good job on the shaping

[mirkosrndovic]

@CountyRedNeck The plum wood I've used has natural red color, which as time passes becomes darker and darker. And for this shiny-ness :) I used just plain linseed oil.

[bramovitz]

I have the same jacket you have

[Daninja42]

Nice knife, be carful not to breath the aluminum dust.

[seihaz]

nice music too...



[chieffy35]

beauteful simplicity is bliss

[chinasnydrome]

Nice man! Good looking knife.

[MrBandogs]

good job

[manexplor99]

congratulations it´s a great video and a beatifull knife, specially the wood in the handle, great job.

i make the handle for a kife bot don´t can find wood of brown color...

succes my friend... 

[mirkosrndovic]

@manexplor99 thank you very much. Wood in this handle is plain European plum, it has from light red to dark red - brownish color. I don't know much (anything) of Guatemala woods, but I bet you can find some very nice and exotic wood. Mayan culture sure had a good solution for the handles. I would be thrilled to explore those woods. Inform me please what wood you have chosen and how it behaves. Cheers!

[samstterhamstteer]

@mirkosrndovic thats wicked man i have a rampless bark river and it looks almost identical

[Trollskyy]

great knife and great work !! please take a look - my version of bushcraft watch?v=ji17YnYRJDE

[blackbat1339]

very nice knife, and hand made

[JDCubed789]

more specifically, water creates steam which envelopes the steel. Since steam cant draw out heat as quickly as water, because its a gas not a liquid, the cooling time is increased. Oil has a much higher vaporization temperature point, and minimizes this effect. Ultimately, it might not matter because sometimes its best not to overharden the metal, due too cooling too fast. I usually try to dip the edge side in only, horizontally , so that back is out of the water; then remove it, & quench.

[mirkosrndovic]

@JDCubed789 thanks very much mate!

[VandMco]

well done

[Adywqm]

Nice blade, and I love that handle. Good work ! Is a really nice knife !

[goranDbest]

noz je stvarno super ispao svaka cast.... zanima me kako si napravio drsku? da li si mozda stavljao neki lepak i gde si nabavio te aluminijumske klinove?

[mirkosrndovic]

@goranDbest Hvala! Dršku sam napravio od šljivovog drveta. Uzeo sam nekoliko cepanica sa sela, odabrao najlepšu, obradio i zalepio dvokomponentnim epoksi lepkom. Što se tiče aluminijumskih klinova, našao sam ih u prodavnici šrafovske robe, a lepak ima u skoro svim farbarama, marka je Bison.

Nadam se da sam pomogao da se napravi još jedan nož :) Pozzz

[spr00sem00se]

nice work



[JamesH657]

how did you mirror polish it, and did you make a sheath?

[mirkosrndovic]

@JamesH657 Thanks for asking. I mirror polished the blade with a water sand paper. On 2:12 there is a picture of those papers cut to fit that red plastic holder which has soft sponge face. I've put paper in it and polish the blade starting with 300 (through 500, 800, 1000, 1200) and finishing with 2000 gradation. Paper must be wet and clean (I wiped it very often from sanded metal). That took 2-3 days, but result is more than satisfying, no need to talk about sharpness. Didn't make sheath...yet.

[aflatminor]

Very nice knife- Well done!!

[MrGodOfWarful]

can some one tell me whats the difference between "hardening" blade in oil and water, i use water and i comes out pretty good

[ArtistBlade1972]

@MrGodOfWarful Quench speed is slower with oil. There is also more even cooling as it has a higher boiling point which reduces the vapor jacket around the hot steel...

[mirkosrndovic]

@stefancobra Hehe, nemoj biti ljut, na svaku isečenu staru sadim 5 novih rodnih mladih šljiva :)

A šta je "nokce"?

[goldenscales]

Well done, mate! You have a rare talent. Use it well.

[althedirtbag]

Svaka cast pajdo!

[Erikspearo111]

thats one hardcore file verry nice craftsmanship

[DLeRoyKing]

Nice handle, looks very good.

[picawawa]

Nicely done. Obvious talent.

[T4EVER1000]

DAMN! that was an awsome blade man. you are the man

[MrAdamAndreasen]

Cool knife!

[jpw9000]

good song, knife looks good. too bad it didn't hold the edge.

[3112aRCHER]

I like the song. Tell mi the song title.

[najicigor]

samo mi neide prvi korak u glavu dali turpiju otkalis pa turpijas alatom ili brusilicom ???

[mirkosrndovic]

@najicigor

Prvo turpiju stavim u vatru do crvenog usijanja i pustim da se lagano (što sporije) ohladi. Ostavim je tu u vatri, u pepelu do sutra, dok vatra polako izgori i ugasi se.

Zatim očistim malo zube turpije brusilicom.

Potom ide kovanje - formiram ivice oštrice i vrh, ali prilično ugrubo.

Onda formiram oblik i brusim oštricu na onoj narandžastoj brusilici za drvo koju okrenem ka gore (naopako).

Nadam se da sam uspeo malo da razjasnim moj postupak.

[tuatahi]

awesome knife, cool skillz... =) i wish i could learn more about metal, how to trat it right and stuff!!!

greetz from gemany

[megaturbogiga]

Mirko, noz je do jaja!

Pravi noz za sumu, zavidim ti :)

Daj nabaci jos koji viodeo ako imas

Poz

[crazyroosterfist]

it has nice form and a really good finish for your first knife! it also raises my respect for you that you show humility. i hope you keep making knives.if i can give you some friendly advice- use the hammer more than the grinder.can't wait to see more!!

[Ducanasty]

can you make one without softening the metal

[mirkosrndovic]

@Ducanasty No, You can not make a good knife out of file (or car spring) without softening it (annealing).

[mirkosrndovic]

@Ducanasty No, You can not make a knife out of file (or car spring) without softening it (annealing).

[seihaz]

that's a beautiful knife....a kind of neat looking one...

[pinetar100]

great job!

[PiPphiltitley]

that has to one of the best looking file knifes i have seen on here mate!

are you pleased with the hardness of the blade for edge retention and also flexibility (not brittle) ? love the wood.

nice work mate!

stay safe pip

[mirkosrndovic]

@PiPphiltitley thanks for the support! Nobody asked, and I didn't 'brag', but blade, unfortunately, didn't pass my tests. It was too soft, and non-elastic. It can't hold a good edge neighter. I guess I didn't quench (harden) it properly. But, it is very nice, and I'm very proud of my first project, next one (from a car spring) is being made these days.

Cheers mate!

[CodyOebel]

@PiPphiltitley

Yeah I was wondering that too. tempering is a skill, and sets us blade smiths apart.

Check my video channel out. I just completed a big texas bowie. 4" thick, 18" long. I did both the paper test, and chop abuse test. Check it out if you get a chance. Y ou tube Cody Oebel

[CodyOebel]

Just a suggestion since I read below you use an oven to temper your blade. You might want to start getting in the habbit of staying away from technology a bit :). I follow the neo-tribal metal smithing protocols, but I'm not going to knock the fact you used tools. You did nice work, but I read your edge test failed. My advice. Temper the blade on coals, and watch with your eyes the color bands. Blue being softest, light straw the hardest. Find out what color the edge is best for the metal. -con

[CodyOebel]

-continued.

For example if you check my youtube channel. You will see a tempering video. Where I temper a Bowie I just finished today for example. I know with this particular steel exactly what the best tempering procedures to take, but for a file D2\W2 steel it will be different. You will want to temper 3 times on coals. Put the spine down edge up on grey-coals. Watch the blue rise.. let the edge get maybe straw color. Take out, cool to room temp. Do it again. Hack a 2x4. -continued

[CodyOebel]

-continued

Look at the edge with with a magnifying glass. If the edge chips. It's still to hard. If it rolls it's too soft. If it rolls you have to re-normalize. Re-harden, re-temper. However youll know what color bands to watch for on the edge, and thus know the steel. Example. Say getting the edge blue on first temp. Do it again second temp. Hack 2x4, and no roll, and no chip. Then BOOM .. you got it perfectly! Do it again for that steel each time and it should be the same or about. Continued

[CodyOebel]

- Check my Texas bowie abuse video. It's exactly what you want from tempering the blade before you install the handle.

I got the edge tempered just right. Used a 60x magnifying glass to check for edge chipping\rolling. Once the edge didnt chip, or roll. I sharpened it to razor. Cut paper to show the paper cut test (razor sharp), and then hacked a 2x4 in half 3 times, and then shaved my leg with it. THATS WHAT YOUR AFTER!

If u need advice or help let me know. You have most of it down it looks

[johnnyLikeVideo]

Thank you for the video. Did you sand it with an upside down belt sander on the wood (that is what it looked like)? What kind of wood did you use?

[mirkosrndovic]

@johnnyLikeVideo Yes, Johnny, I sanded it with an upside-down belt sander (for wood). Handle material is plum wood. See the reply on Makermook's comment down below.

[knivesfishwild]

nice! great job! looks like a kephart companion knife

[243snake]

Is the blade hard enough without having to harden or quench it?

[mirkosrndovic]

@243snake the file material is too brittle. When I softened it first time to smith it, it became too soft. Without hardening it, it will stay soft and wouldn't keep the edge good, and it won't be elastic. So, it is essential to harden it, and after the hardening/quenching process, an one hour in the kitchen oven at 120 C would be enough to soften it enough not to be too brittle, and still hard enough to keep sharp blade.

[HvinnyTheViking]

excellent video, excellent knife, and especially excellent song choice

[ninjandn]

nice... looks good

[bassfuryvi]

A great knife, nicely done..the plum scales were a lovely colour!!

[nedeljkomostar]

Beautiful knife and excellent song choice. jethro tull valhalla rules!

[shampoovta]

Bushcraft knife making and Jethro Tull music. There are not enough green thumbs for me to click on to show how cool that is. :)

*****!

[Makermook]

Very nicely done! I couldn't tell: is your anvil a piece of railroad track? And I really like the look of the plum wood. I've never seen any of that wood before...very nice.

[mirkosrndovic]

@Makermook Thanks Mook. Right now I'm enjoying your videos and like them all very much!

My anvil is a weight from some old Russian washing machine. It's really soft and annoying, but until I found a piece of railroad track, that is the best I got.

Plum tree is like a tradition in Bosnian knife making. That is a tree from which fruit we make very nice brandy :-) and it is really hard, water resistant and have a nice natural dark red color. I collect a few logs of it every time I go to Bosnia.

[meatloafzombie]

Nice work. Just made my first bushcraft knife from an old file. Scandi grind. Tons of fun making

[318laki]

Bravo majstore!!!

Svaka cast za noz!!!