Paring Knife

Tools you'll need

• Forge (propane or charcoal - any heat source)
• Tongs
• Anvil
• Hammer (hand or power - both work)
• Water bucket (for quenching)
• Sharpening stone or bench grinder (for the edge)
• Optional: file for finishing

Build steps

1. Start with 9 inches of 1/2 inch flat bar. For a knife that holds an edge, a higher-carbon bar or tool steel is best, but mild bar will work for a paring knife. Any recycled steel can be used - old rail, plate, or bar stock. If the edges are ragged, trim them roughly square with a hacksaw or a grinder. A knife cuts, so you want a bar that can take an edge.
2. Heat the whole bar in the forge until it glows bright yellow-white - a near welding heat. The steel should glow evenly along the entire length, not just at the ends. If only part of it glows, move it in the fire so the heat spreads. This is the step that makes everything else possible; without full heat, the steel will crack when you hit it.
3. Mark the bar into two sections: about 3 inches for the handle and 6 inches for the blade. The handle stays full-width and 1/2 inch thick - you grip it. The blade tapers to a point and comes to a sharp edge. Keep the handle strong; it takes the full pull of the grip.
4. Draw out the blade. Heat the blade section and use the hammer to draw out and taper it along the anvil, thinning and elongating the metal toward the tip. Work from the handle end toward the point, so the taper is even. Keep reheating as you go - drawing a taper in cold steel cracks it. The blade should come to a fine point at the end.
5. Forge the cutting edge. This is the step that turns a bar into a knife. Heat the edge of the blade and use the hammer (or a fine file) to shave a thin, uniform cutting edge along the full length of the blade. A paring knife needs a fine, even edge - work slowly and reheat often. The edge must be thin enough to slice, but not so thin that it breaks.
6. Sharpen and hone the edge. Once forged, pass the edge over a sharpening stone or a bench grinder to put a true, keen edge on it. Alternate sides evenly so the edge stays centered. This is the difference between a knife that cuts and one that just pushes. A few careful passes is all you need for a paring knife.
7. Form the handle. Heat the handle end and, if you like, draw it slightly or leave it full-width. You can leave the handle a simple rectangle, or bend the end up to form a small tang or a hook for hanging on a rack. A few hammer blows set the shape. Keep the handle strong - it takes the full pull of the grip.
8. Quench the finished knife in water to harden the blade. Hold it in the water until it stops glowing, then pull it out. The blade is now hard enough to hold an edge. Then temper it by heating to a dark cherry-red for about 20 minutes and letting it air cool. A knife needs a hard edge but a tough spine - the temper is what keeps the blade from chipping and cracking when you use it.
9. Finish the surface. Pass over the rough spots with a file or a grinding stone, or leave it rough - the hand-textured forged look is part of the character. A light pass with the hammer over the whole piece adds the authentic forged texture. A hand-forged paring knife is done.