Blacksmithing
and Cutlery
by Gérard HEUTTE Home
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File work
The file work is a simple, easy technique which easily make possible to embellish a knife. It consists in notching the back of a blade or a spring to create a pattern. But as for everything, it is necessary to work with delicacy! You do not need several things besides a bit of training. Material
You will need a set of files needles like that presented opposite (a flat, triangular, a round). Take good quality files. A small vice is also quite useful. Think working under a good light.
To locate the positioning of the various notches, you can use fine point indelible felt (to write on CDs).
Principle
Check that the angles of the back of the blade are quite sharp. The principle consists in tackling with the file this angle to carry out a patter on the back of the blade. You can make out various basic patterns:
- Half-circle with the round file
- Crossing line (more or less) with the triangular file
- Triangle with the flat file inclined in two directions

Then, there is only to combine these patterns with imagination! For a regular spacing, one needs the glance or then to mark the back of the blade with the indelible fine felt.

Here is the result:



Some basic examples
The sketches show (1) the sight of top (in top) and (2) the sight of profile (in bottom)

(A) Triangular file, horizontal. Dig a small gorge.
(B) Flat file, tilted towards the back and the point of the future arrow. The smooth edge must be on the gorge side.
(C) Round file, not too tilted.

(A) Round file, not too tilted.

(A) Triangular file, horizontal. Dig a small gorge at 45°. Preferably, start by tracing a guide-line.
(B) Triangular file, slightly tilted.

(A) Triangular file, horizontal. Dig a small gorge at 45°. Here also, trace a guide-line.
(B) Samething but in the other direction. Take care to cross the two lines in the center.

(A) Triangular file, horizontal. Dig a small gorge.
(B) and (C) Triangular file, slightly tilted.

(A) and (C) Round file, tilted at 45°.
(B) Round file, larger than the preceding one, not too tilted.
Some samples in image