- 1). Print out the design as directed, using cardstock instead of normal printing paper. Card stock is heavier than printer paper and will hold its shape. Cut out the template carefully, leaving none of the outline visible.
- 2). Trace the outline onto the steel piece using a fine-tipped permanent marker.
- 3). Clamp the steel in a bench vice, then cut out the knife blank using a rotary tool with a cutting wheel. Leave a little bit of room for error by cutting along the line or just outside it.
- 4). Sand down the edges with a rotary tool's drum sander to remove burrs, and adjust the profile of the knife.
- 5). Use the rotary sanding disk to put a blunt edge on the blade of the knife. The edge should be ground inward an eighth of an inch, and there should be a ridge between the top and bottom grinds so that the blade cannot cut you if you run a finger down it. Grind the tip to a needle point; this is the only place where the edges should meet.
- 6). Use the drum sander attachment to finish the knife. Round off all edges with a fine-grain drum and remove stock so that the balance point of the whole knife is as close to the middle as possible. Weigh the knife to make sure it's in the 200-250 gram range. Lighter is OK for shorter distances, but heavier knives are harder to control.
- 7). Polish the knife using a fine sanding drum and a felt wheel with polishing compound.
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