Forged by bladesmiths; hand forged, handmade & hand-finished by blacksmiths in a traditional way
time tested making methods.. & man over machine...
KHHI follows the time-tested traditional method of forging knives. All our knives are partially heat-treated, hand-forged, and completely handmade using basic machines for grinding and polishing. The complete knife set (a blade, handle, & sheath) is made by hand. All the making is done by our Blacksmiths carrying the genie of bladesmithing passed down by their ancestors. These bladesmiths commonly known as Kamis have the inborn genetic skill to craft the blades.
Furthermore, Blacksmiths are backed up by designers, finishers, quality testers to make the best quality knives at KHHI. We are open in all our making activities for achieving the best quality products making us one of the best custom handmade knife makers in the world.
The below video shows the complete knife making process at KHHI. The steel is heat-treated in a charcoal fire, then forged and hammered to perfect shape and size. The handle is later added by the kami. Finishing, polishing, and testing are done further. We have explained the making in step-by-step detail below.
The traditional way of making knives
Making a knife mainly includes making 3 major parts of the knife, Blade, Handle, and Sheath/Scabbard. KHHI follows this method to make the all our products
Making the blade
Here we have explained the process of making blade in steps.
01. Weighing/Choosing/ Measuring /Cutting Steel
Surplus Indian truck steel (suspension leaf spring; HC 5160) or HC 52100 EN31 industrial steel are bought from local scrap shops/dealers after carefully observing for any cracks or puncture and then transported to KHHI. It is stored with other raw materials in the warehouse. The steel is then weighed to make the required type of knife. The weight of the steel should be slightly heavier than the actual (final) weight of knife as weight is lost in grinding process when shaping it.
The steel is measured depending on the total length required for the knife. Normally around 1/2 of the required size is measured on the steel. But this depends on the thickness of the steel; longer if thinner and shorter if thicker. The measured steel is cut and split from the main body using grinders/cutters.
02. Beating and Hammering (forging)/ Shaping
This is the most important stage of the making process. Here the knife gets a rough initial shape and size and also the tang is forged out from the steel.
At first, the steel is red heated around 800-900*C in a charcoal oven, “Chula”, the forging (this stage) is all about the master craftsman who rolls around the steel side-by-side, up and down and back and forth while being beaten by two 3 kg hammers simultaneously by his associates. The steel is red heated regularly and hammered countless times to bring into the required size, shape, and structure of the knife. During the process, the steel gets the shape of a knife and the tang is created where the handle will be fixed at later stages. This heavy-duty work takes about an hour for the 3 men's team/set. Along with shaping this stage self-cleanse the impurities in the steel during the forging and hammering process.
The rough shape formed at the earlier stage at forging is now given the actual shape. The master craftsman uses a 1.5 kg hammer to bring the rough shape to reality. The still is regularly heated, beaten all around the surface over and over to get the required shape. This is a very time-consuming stage and requires a lot of skill and years of experience.
03. Quenching/ hardening (heat treatment)
KHHI follows the time-tested traditional method of heat treating the blade. This is the most crucial stage where the blade is given hardness and strength as it is the make-it or break-it point of the blade. The craftsman carefully spills water (at room temperature) onto the edge/bevel of the carefully heated blade. It requires great skill to be able to judge the right temperature by the sheer color of the blade in order to get the best quench (hardness). The blade’s bevel must be equally heated at the same temperature just before the quenching. Over/underdoing it will result in inferior quality either resulting in cracks or subtle (weak) edge. Also, the amount of water spilled should be well balanced on all parts and should not be done on the panel of the blade. Any blacksmiths successfully passing this stage are often called Masters.
4. Grinding (preparing) the edge
During this traditional sharpening process the edge of the blade is repeatedly checked over and over in order to get required sharpness. The craftsman regularly deeps the blade into water and also spills fine sand particles over the edge and again grinds in the sharpening wheel. Here water controls the heat generated from grinding and makes sure hardness is not withdrawn from the edge where as fine san particles helps to trim down the edge smoothly.
5 Making/ Joining blade to handle
Here the blade is joined/fixed to the handle. A hole is first drilled into the solid handle material by a 10mm drill machine. Then the tang is red heated and inserted into the same hole which burns the handle material and leaves a trail of smoke. Traditional laha glue is pressed and squeezed inside the hole and filled up. Then the tang is inserted into the hole and secured to the handle.
6. Finishing - Shining / Polishing / Sharpening
This is the last stage of the making in which the knife is finished and polished (shinned) skillfully. The blade and handle both are finished by applying various grits of sand blasters and papers (lower to higher). The finisher uses a 2-3 HP Buff Machine and does 4-5 sets of various steps to get the fine finishing. He has to be very cautious not to overdo the job as overheating may ruin the hardness of the blade making it soft and fragile.
Making Handle
Handle Materials - Rosewood/ Horn/ Micarta/ G10
Water buffalo horns are sourced locally and from India and transported to our factory in large numbers. They all go through the selection phase and bad quality horns are rejected. The hollow area of the horn is cut off from the main body and only the solid part is used to make the handle.
Wood is sourced locally from the supplier of the community forest, and micarta is made in-house at KHHI. G10 and other modern handle materials are imported from the USA and China mostly.
Making the handle - Shaping/ Shining /joining/ Polishing Handle
Now the making of a handle starts. Handle material is then measured to fit the size of a required knife. It is now brought into the shape of a knife handle. The craftsman uses another sharp knife and modifies the material into a curve, oval, or round shape to fit the handle of a knife. A rough shape is created by chopping off the handle bars. Grinders are used to give them a perfect shape and finish. They are further glued using rivets and industrial adhesives. Finishers give them a desired finish using grinders and polishers.
Making Traditional, Western Leather, and Kydex Sheath
Traditionally sheath was a part of knife making but at KHHI sheaths are made by expert sheath makers to ease the work process and make things faster. This allows craftsmen to develop expertise in a particular process.
Western Leather and Kydex Sheath are made in a modern style but still are handmade, each sheath is made for individual fit and measurements. Watch Video below
Below is the process explaining and showing how traditional sheath scabbard (wood over leather style) is made at KHHI.
Scratching Off Hide
The water buffalo hide is submerged into water for some time until it becomes completely wet and fairly soft. It is then scratched with a sharp slicker to remove all the remaining waste attached to the hide. Later, it is cut into the size required for a knife scabbard.
Cutting/ Sizing / Digging /Filing Wood
A wood called 'Sisau' or 'Karma' in English is used to make knife scabbard. The wood is roughly cut to give a pointed and curved shape as in the picture. The craftsman is careful not to cut the wood too deep to avoid from becoming thin and weak, as a result.
Now the roughly cut wood is resized to make the exact size of a knife sheath/scabbard. A knife is used to measure the size needed for its own scabbard. During the process, the craftsman cuts ¼ inch wider than actual size so that it becomes easier to tuck in and out the blade from the wood.
During this process, the wood is scrapped and made hallow for the blade to fit in. Inside of the wood are sliced off from the main body so that a room is created for the blade. It is important not to over do it so that the blade does not wiggle around when tucked in. While scrapping the wood inside, rough wall (obstruction) like structure is made around the outer portion so that the blade stays firmly when kept inside.
Now the wooden frame is filed from outside and made smoother. The rough surface of the wood is scratched off to make it smooth and to level its surface. This will later help the hide to stay in balance and firmly with the wood.
Wrapping Wood/ Sewing Hide
The completed wooden scabbard frame is now wrapped with the earlier treated hide. Two rounded belt leather stripes are also attached at the top of the frame. A different kind of hard leather is used for this purpose in order to fit other backup knives (if any).
Now the wrapped hide is strongly sewn using a needle and thread. The craftsman uses both his hands and feet to stitch the hide around the frame. Note that in the picture, feet are used to press the hide against the wood and hands are used to sew the hide. The process is repeated back and fourth for much better grip.
For more making videos of different knives do check out our Youtube Channel.
KHHI knife making, how to make handforged knives, process of knife making, traditional knife making, forging blades Complete Step-by-step Knife making process at KHHI by our expert bladesmiths. fully functional blades, handcrafted by blacksmiths in Nepal