It's been talked about frequently, but I found an interesting site on making gouges from hacksaw blades. I tried once, but couldn't get an even curve. Might give this a try once I get caught up.

http://www.scavm.com/gouges.htm

[mikeg]

Interesting article. I scanned it and bookmarked it for in depth study later. Thanks for sharing.

mikeg

[Captain_Bandaid]

I am always amused at what people try to make carving tools out of. Some high carbon steels can be very servicable but other steels are just not hard enough. If you want to make your own knife, take time to learn how to make a good one. There are lots of tutorials on the internet. Making tools out of hacksaw blades is like repairing your own shoes with the skin that forms on chocolate pudding!

[quote author=Captain Bandaid link=board=GeneralC;num=1095982255;start=0#2 date=09/26/04 at 18:59:00]Â*Making tools out of hacksaw blades is like repairing your own shoes with the skin that forms on chocolate pudding![/quote]

Since a few of us have made perfectly good knives from used saw blades I don't see why small gouges wouldn't work just as well. I tested my saw blade knife at work for an earlier discussion and it was well within the hardness range used by most commercial carving tool makers.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

It was 'within' the hardness range? ??? Boy that surprises me...my neighbor made several knives out of hacksaw blades and they are so hard and takes to long to get an edge, I was sure they would be brittle? Live and learn I guess (especially when I seem to knock the teeth off my hacksaw blades all the time! ummm...loose nut on the handle?)

[Kenny_S]

If it does the job, should it matter what a knife blade is made of, Hacksaw blade or what. Just as long as it is in the range of hardness, Go for it.