Whether as either a knifemaker or knife user, we always want our knives made from good material. Since drill bits are commonly found in workshops, many people use it to make a blade out of. The question is, how good are these knives?
Drill bits typically makes decent quality knives. Depending on the steel that drill bit is made of, some knives made from them are better than the others. For example, a drill bit made from high carbon steel will produce a high-quality knife whereas low-carbon steel won’t. Also, avoid using drill bits made from tungsten carbide as it will be extremely hard to forge them.
Next, we will learn more about what steel is drill bit actually made from and show you how to make a knife out of it.
Let’s get started.
What Are Drill Bits?
Drill bits are some of the widely used versatile parts of any workshop. They can drill into wood, porcelain, metal, and even glass. With that many uses, there are also various types of drill bits where each of them is made for a particular use. You cant expect to drill metal with a wood drill bit and vice versa. It is crucial to match the material of the drill bit to the material you want to drill.
In knife making, drill bits are primarily used for drilling holes in the blade. However, I see a lot of people online making knives out of it. The greatest benefit of using drill bits is that they are cheap and also very easily available. Chances are, if you have a knife-making workshop, you have some old drill bits laying around somewhere.
What Steel Are Drill Bits Made From?
When choosing a material to produce a good-quality knife, you should always observe the carbon content. Namely, carbon is by far the most important element in the composition of the steel. It is crucial for the formation of pearlite, cementite, and martensite, all of them being very important microstructures.
Basically, carbon is what allows you to heat treat the steel. The more carbon content steel has, the harder the steel and therefore a more quality knife. You don’t want a soft knife which cannot cut anything.
The good news is that drill bits are typically made from carbon steel. The bad news is that some of them are made from low-carbon steel which is not recommended for knife making purposes. Typically, drill bits made from low carbon steel are much cheaper than those made from nice high-carbon steel.
On the other side, a knife made of high carbon steel is harder and can also hold the edge much more effectively. It requires less maintenance and makes better cuts. So, look for drill bits made of high carbon.
Another type of steel commonly found in drill bits is High-speed steel (HSS). It is known for its ability to withstand extremely high temperatures while maintaining its hardness. These steels can also function at normal temperatures as long as it matches the temperature of standard carbon steel. HSS are also known to be tricky to forge.
The most commonly used HSS are M2 and M4, so if you decide to go with these, here a few tricks:
- Stop forging before steel turns to cherry red
- Straight it only when it is cherry red
- Coat it in a thin anti-oxidation layer during heating
These steels are good material to make a nice blade and both can reach the hardness of 65 HRC. It is also possible to simply take an angle grinder and cut it without ruining the temper.
Also, if you decide to make a knife out of drill bits, I recommend choosing the ones used for drilling metal instead of those for drilling wood. Metal drill bits are usually much harder and therefore a better choice to make a blade from. Here is how you can quickly see the difference.
Wood drill bits usually have two distinguishing features: a lip and a spar. The lip serves as a chisel that cuts through the wood whereas a spar keeps the bit centered. They are also black and silvery in color.
Just don’t expect to produce knives made from drill bits and try selling them around. As much as they are a good material they are not THAT good. What I mean by that is that if you are planning of selling knives, always use tested steel. There is nothing more frustrating than forging a blade just to find a crack in the end.
On the other hand, if you are a beginner who just wants to excel in your skills, then by all means go for it. When I was starting, I used every material I could find, and then after some time of developing my skills, I decided to start selling my work.
How to Make a Knife Out of Drill Bit?
Now after you know that drill bit is worth trying, let’s see how to actually make a knife out of it. Before you start make sure you have:
- Drill bit
- Anvil
- Hammer
- Tongs
- Forge
- Belt grinder
- Sandpaper
- File
- Oven
The first step in making a knife is designing. If you make anything, not just knives, you have to see it in your before you put it into action. Sit down, take a pen, paper, and make a sketch. Remember, it is better to make adjustments on paper than later on hard steel.
Now, heat it up to the forging temperature. After you took it out from the forge, place the material on the anvil and flatten it out. Draw the material until it reaches the desired length of your blade. After that, let it cool and cut the material into the desired shape preferably using a belt grinder.
Next, heat it up again until the material becomes non-magnetic. Take it out from the forge and quench it. After all that, your knife is hard but unfortunately also brittle. This is why the tempering process is required. Tempering is used to slightly soften the blade and making it tough and therefore more durable. To temper your knife simply put it in the oven at 200 degrees for two hours.
Here are video instructions.
