How to Make Cold Steel

Draw the shape of the knife blade on a piece of cardboard by using the pencil. Cut this shape out of the cardboard to use as a template.

Place the template on the piece of carbon steel. Trace the shape of your knife onto the steel with the felt tip marker. Cut the shape from the steel by using a band saw. A jig saw also can be used if a band saw is not available. This will be your knife blank.

Smooth the back edge of the knife blank using a medium metal file. This will remove any rough edges left on the blank.

Attach a 2-by-4 board that is 18 inches long to the edge of your workbench with a clamp. Clamp the knife blank onto the end of the 2-by-4. Place the trash can under the 2-by-4 board.

Create a bevel on the edge of the knife blank with a coarse metal file. Place the file at a 30-degree angle and begin beveling the blank. Use a protractor to obtain a 30-degree angle for the file. Complete at least 85 to 90 percent of the work with the coarse file. Finish the bevel with the medium file and a fine file.

Put the finished blade into a charcoal grill. Cover the grill and allow the metal to heat until it appears a medium-red color. Remove the blade from the grill and place it into a pan of motor oil. Put the tip of the blade in the oil first and then insert the remainder of the blade. This will heat treat the blade to make it hard.