MAKING A HEAD KNIFE | Round Knife for Leather Work | Knife Making
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- Опубліковано 5 лют 2025
- Cut your leather like a pro! This video outlines everything I've learned about making head knives through countless hours of research. A head knife, or round knife, is used by leather crafters to cut out their patterns and skive down pieces of leather. Today we make one!
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Aussie saddlemaker here. Good to see craftsmen such as Red Beard making saddlers tools. Keep up your good work. My own observations, smoothing the edge of the finished leather product as shown in this vid - I remember the old time saddlers I knew didn't use grit paper on the edge. They used the gum oozing from trees (type which congeals on the branch). They would put lumps of this gum in a saucepan of hot water (not boiling) and simmer it for say a couple of hours, The water became infused with gum then the whole liquid was strained through course cloth to remove lumps and twigs. When applied to the leather edge sparingly with a brush or wound up tight wool cloth on a rod, or small piece of felt, then rubbed with canvas held in the palm of the hand and the strap pulled through it, provides a lovely smooth edge. If doing this, make sure you have the canvas doubled over cos with a single layer, it can get hot! If edge dye is needed, it is usually added before the gum application process. I used this natural gum method for years, but these days it is easier to use commercial products with dye and gum combined.
I learned my saddle making trade in the 1980s when there were old time saddlers still working who learned their trade when working horses were still plentiful (1930s - 50s). These old timers had lots of interesting tricks such as the one mentioned above. Texan Al Stohlman in his book on hand stitching (Tandy leather) shows how the Americans used hog bristles for needles! Never tried this myself as I have always used John James needles, but it would be interesting to try!
BTW, as far as I know, no sewing machine has ever been invented with can duplicate two needles style hand stitching. Getting the stitch under a leather keeper is one obstacle for a sewing machine. Another is the half knot created with each stitch. That's my two cents worth. Thank you for reading my comment.
Thanks for the comment very cool stuff!
Hi mate, where's a good place for quality leather working tools and leather in Oz? (I'm in Brissy), TIA
@@LockBits-ts6eo Try Mac Lace in QLD, never dealt with them, but know of them. Ask at Syd Hill saddlery as well. Think they are in Brissy. Perhaps try Top Hand, and Kent Saddlery both in QLD. Also try Birdsalls in Sydney. If no luck, let me know. Depending on the application if you are making leather items where you don't want the leather to stretch, ask for vegetable tan leather, cow hide. The leather suppliers will advise you of the type of leather best for your project.
If you want quality tools, stay away from Chinese, I buy US brand, C S Osborne. and French brand Blanchard, both have been around forever!. I used to by British brand Joseph Dixon, but the last generation ran the business into the ground and the quality suffered then they folded. Sad, cos they produced top quality at least until the 1990s. Went to buy some new Dixon tools in 2012, and did buy them, but regretted it. Heard they closed soon after. So swapped to Blanchard and Osborne. Both at least twice the price as the chinese/taiwanese tools, but every time I am holding one of these tools in my hand, i am reminded why I spent the extra money. You can buy direct from Blanchard in France which I now do. Haven't bought direct from Osborne yet.
Having said all that, if you are doing this for a hobby, and not looking at getting into leather as a business, even a hobby business, but making a few items for yourself, perhaps Ivan brand (taiwanese), I am guessing MacLace sell them. Tandy leather Texas USA also sell Ivan as far as I am aware.
With learning how to make leather items, You are on the right track, there are numerous vids on UA-cam from which to learn. Some are outstanding.
@@RedBeardOps I use a small diamond bit in my Dremel at medium RPM. I was using a PCB bit, but they are too brittle. There is really no reason to get fancy with the bit, I just as well could take a piece of .050" stainless wire and grind the tip at 45 degrees. An actual tiny little HSS drill bit can be purchased, but there is no real reason to.
It's refreshing to see a clearly talented person do great work while remaining humble. I've learned a lot from your videos, and look forward to your future projects.
Wow, thank you very much for your comment sir! Glad you're enjoying these videos! Cheers
I really like that design.
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you! Cheers!
Great video man. I need to make more time to attend Red Beard Ops University. I love this build and how much research you put into stuff and especially how you honor the people who share knowledge with you.
Thank you very much! I'm just standing on the shoulders of giants over here. Glad you enjoyed this one!
Very nicely done sir! I have a high quality commercially made full size head knife and I do like it but I will be making a more compact stylized version such as yours. I also like your protective sheath.
Glad you like it! Good luck with your build!
Hi James, For the material for your power awl consider a discarded two-way radio antenna. They taper from about an eighth of an inch at the base to one-sixteenth of an inch at the top. Cut out a couple of inches that have the diameter you want. You could also put a small drill bit into your drill press upside down after grinding a point on the shank end.
Nice ideas Bill! Cheers sir
I really like this, James. There’s something cool about making a knife that you’ll use to make another knife package.
Your videos are always really clearly voiced, and all the shots make sense. That’s quite a skill you have there, mate.
Looking forward to the next one!
Take care, sir 🤜🏻⚡️🤛🏻
Thank you very much sir! Glad you liked this one. I tell you what... head knives are challenging ... I need some practice for sure! Cheers man!
Well done James! Both the knife and it's sheath look really nice. Great job! Ya know you are your own worst critic. I'm am the same way with the knives I make. People tell me there great and flawless and I can always find at least 9 or 10 things wrong. Seriously I think you may have a winner there. I really like it.
Thank you very much Jim! I agree about the "own worst critic" thing, but I think most knife makers are... like you mentioned. I think that's what makes good knife makers!
The sheath looks great.
Thanks Dominick!
Amazing video - thank you for taking the time to document the project. Can't wait to make mine!
Glad it was helpful! Good luck with your build!
thank you so much for showing the needle in the drill press! this was a trick I needed to see.
Glad it was helpful!
Aussie saddlemaker here. Can I suggest a wood handle which is turned on a lathe with a wide shallow end for the palm of hand and very smooth. The reason, when cutting a straight line through a side of leather such as creating a straight edge prior to using a plow gauge to cut uniform width straps, saddlers have their shoulder directly over the knife and apply pressure with the shoulder and pressure via the palm of the hand which ensures a true vertical and accurate cut. The palm needs a wide shallow curve wood handgrip to apply the pressure to spread the pressure otherwise the cutting is very hard on the hand. Been a saddler since the 1980s and use a Joseph Dixon head knife which has above features. Pity Dixon has closed. Dixon quality slipped towards the end close, which was disappointing.
Your knives are really amazing you've came a long way from your first videos.I watched since the beginning and still enjoy them very much.Thank you for your time and great videos.
Thanks Jeremy! Glad you're enjoying them!
Love the channel brother. I've a built a little shop in the garage and have a couple builds in progress. I've learned a lot from watching your videos. I appreciate the content you provide.
Heck yeah, that's awesome! Thanks for your comment man!
Thank you for producing a great instructional video. I have added this to a future project.
Glad it was helpful!
James, Very skillful work bro!! I love the Craftsmanship You can be very proud of this Knife!!
Thank you!
Absolutely awesomeness! Can’t wait to try to make one myself. You have inspired me! I’m new to both crafts and excited about everything. Thank you sir again.
You can do it! Good luck!
Nice work James! She's a beaut 👍
Thanks Wayne! Much appreciated, sir!
If you use a awl blade in the drill press it works great. Thanks for the wonderful video
Thanks for the tip Rick!
I liked the design of your knife so I made one from an old saw blade and also a sheath for myself. It came out good. Good video !
Heck yeah Glen!
Beautiful round Knife.sheath came out cool. 👍👍👍
Thank you! Cheers!
You are a professional
Thank you, cheers!
Kewl build, looks good for what you want to use it for.
Thank you!
Great build! I could watch your build videos and instructionals for hours!
Awesome, thank you! Glad you're enjoying them!
Awesome leather work man!
Glad you like it! THanks!
Great video! For punching holes in leather for stitching, on my metal lathe I took a 3/16" steel rod about 5" long and turned the last inch or so to the desired diameter for the stitching hole. Then chucked it up in the drill press.
Good idea Will!
Turned out exceptionaly well! Might have to make one myself. As for the needles, look up john james needles. Fantastic tough needles, made over 35 sheaths now and only broke one because of my own carelessness. You could use an awl afterwards to widen the holes if need be. Or since you have a lathe make your own power awl for the drill.
Good idea Fran! I have some John James and they're awesome!
The best cutting surface by far is delrin/Acetal. It is very hard and doesn’t scratch easily (you can use a bone folder to smooth over any scratches or marks) yet sallows your knife to glide through without damaging the edge or affecting edge retention. A board the size a workbench is quite pricey depending on thickness but you could also just get a smaller board.
Try using a 1 1/2 inch 4d finishing nail as your hole punch for the sheathe. I find that it is the perfect size.
Thanks mike!
Nice prototype. Consider polishing the blade to a mirror finish. It will glide better through the leather.
Thanks!
i have an old round knife with two tips, i use since 1990, called in france demi-lune ( half moon), i think i will mod it like yours, with only one tip , which i find more usefull.
Cheers Karl!
I am interested to hear later if you like this style better than using a razor blade. I have always wondered if I would like the round knife. Great video
I like how it matches your small round knife!
Thanks man! Yeah, the little one was ok for straight cuts, but I found it challenging in the curves. Having the tip more pronounced on these "more tritonal" head knives makes curves easier to achieve. Seems like the legendary, old timers love the head knife and swear by them. Takes some practice though!
Just a little info that you might want to be aware of, It is not advisable to use oil tan or chrome tan leather where it touches metal, It will cause rusting. line your holsters or sheaths with a veg tan only. awesome info in your video.
Yes sir! Cheers Frodo
Once again. Awesome video. My question is would you ever consider trying to forge out one of these knives? You could use a thicker piece of whatever metal you wanted that way
Hey Corwin, I actually did think about at the onset of this project to get some more width, but decided to go the stock removal direction to take out a layer of complexity. I think you're right though, you should be able to get the width you want when forging it out!
Use old circular saw blades for the steel. Not the old old ones like one from home depo that’s worn out. You can make head knives quite easily even working round the hole in the middle. Nice work, thanks for sharing
Thanks for the tip!
Nice build, I need one of these! When is the heat treating kiln coming for stainless? 😜
LOL, man, not soon enough... Thanks for the comment. Cheers sir!
@@RedBeardOps IF you're planning getting one, definitely get one that is 220v You won't regret that. It's the difference between waiting 10 mins and waiting 60 minutes for it to heat up.
@@TyrellKnifeworks Holy Cow! That's a massive difference.
Your channel is awesome and succinctly informative if not instructive narration. May I ask why not flatten your hand made mag base’s proud “teeth” by grinding them down to close to the magnetic surfaces?
Doable for sure! You could also pour some epoxy in there to make it all flat like "Black Beard Projects" did in a recent video! Cheers Eddie
@@RedBeardOps Yup, exactly. either way. Very nice set up.
Want to see more leather work of yours
Hey, looks like you retrofitted a PID onto a toaster oven for tempering. Could you talk a little about how to do that?
Hey Cody, check this out - ua-cam.com/video/PuoiD9mwmUQ/v-deo.html
Nice work..
Thank you! Cheers!
Try weaver leather. Only need most on thick stitching is 5x
I've been getting my leather from wicket and craig. Love the stuff!
That turned out AWESOME! I've been meaning to ask you how long do you leave a blade in your straightening jig, I love that setup!
Hey Mark, I just leave it in there till it's cool. Probably 4-5 min
@@RedBeardOps thank you sir
Great video, thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching!
Im 13 and i am gonna make my own knife in a few days. My grandfather are gonna help me with it. We dont have any of the "advanced" tools you have, we only got a angle grinder, sandpaper and some basic tools you always have in your garage. Can you maybe try to make a knife in that way too? i would love to see how you would do it. Thanks.
Hey man, check out both of these videos. They are both me making knives with basic tools. Good luck!! Video 1 - ua-cam.com/video/nk7vu2RYxvI/v-deo.html Video 2 - ua-cam.com/video/cxRWIvanzls/v-deo.html
Wow that turned out amazing! Nice job bud!!! (Also do you remember me from when you were only at 15k subs?)
For sure Zylo! Thanks man! Glad you liked this one!
No problem it turned out beautifully! Well done sir! I’ve always been a fan of your knives!!
Great job.
Thank you! Cheers!
Dude thanks for sharing!! That turned out amazing! Have you done one on how to set up your needle & thread and the different types of stitching you can do yet?
Man, not yet. I touched on stitching and how to set up the needle and thread in my sheath video ("sheath learnings")... but the saddle stitch is all I do.
@@RedBeardOps cool I'll check that out! Thanks man
That is a great thread. I have studied it in the past. Honestly I found an alternative design that is best for cutting out sheaths and tight curves. I will message you on Instagram to show you. This design is really made for straight push cuts.
Thanks Dmitry!
And another great job! Love your work. A couple questions for you. Why 1075 steel? I would have thought steel with better edge retention. And, I take it you didn't feel heat treat or tempering was needed? For some reason, I though bar stock might have needed a temper.
1.) it was available in the size and thickness I wanted 2.) I could heat treat it myself - - - - A better steel would be AEB-L. I did temper this blade and think that it is needed since there will be some flex.
Nice build. I really like that design. Can't find any like it online...they are all two points. Are you going to make them for sale?
Hey Glen, sorry sir. I don't plan on it.
@@RedBeardOps Too bad because I'd buy one like the one you made. Can't find one like it online. Do you know of any? I'm just getting into knife making and leathercraft. Made one knife from a rusty file and it turned out pretty good. Now I'm making a sheath for it and frankly that is harder to do than the knife..lol. Your sheath work is great, I hope I can do near as good some day. You're in Texas I see...whereabouts? I'm just south of Houston in Pearland.
@@glenpaul3606 Dave Ferry probably makes the best head knife in the world... I bet he can make you a custom one - www.horsewright.com/In-Stock-Goods_c_48.html
You (and everyone else) always put a narrow secondary bevel on a knife.
That is good and bad - The good is that it is a very small area to keep sharp.
The bad is that it is very narrow for leather work.
I've changed mine to about 3/16" wide not 1/16" like yours.
Makes a big difference in cutting as it is a very narrow cut all the way through most leathers, instead of a wedge cut.
This really only works on 2 types of knives - Leather and Kitchen (my Japanese knives have a "long/wide" bevel - about 15 deg.).
Try it - you'll like it. If not sure then draw out the cutting-edge shape on paper to a Large Scale and visually understand it. (blade shape then cutting bevel).
What do you using for burning edges oil? Or what?
"Quik-Slick" works pretty well - Or beeswax
Great video again, can leave a link for the respirator your using 👍
Hey Raymond, thanks. This is the one I use; It goes in and out of stock since the COVID - Resp-O-Rator - amzn.to/2M6PMN7
Awesome video as always. Great tutorial brother. I need some help, new knofe maker here! Could we talk?
You can always ask specific questions in the comments, cheers.
It is nice knife
Thank you!
very nice
Thanks!
Great video. As I am a starting knife maker this is one of the tools I need. Any suggestions how to make a head knife with only heat treating since I don’t have an oven Thanks for sharing looking forward to your reaction 👍
Thanks Cooper! I'm not sure I 100% understand your question here so correct me if my answer is off. If you have a forge or torch you can get a really good heat treat on 1084 or 1075 at home. Good luck with your build!
@@RedBeardOps thanks for you prompt answer. I will buy a torch soon and build a small forge. Step by step I will get there. Once again you amongst others inspired me. And I do what I can with the things I have. I will keep on watching, keep on doing what you do. Cheers from The Netherlands 🇳🇱
@@cooperwelsh3471 Heck yeah man, cheers from Texas!
If you look on Instagram b.meijer you can see what I have made. As a kid I learned a lot from my father. Although I am not a craftsman from profession. Cheers 🥂
@@cooperwelsh3471 Very cool, I like the liners on your file knife1
WILDERNESS COOKING
Have a great day!
What compound u use on your buff?
I've used the green... but want to try the white
You and your jimping, dude. LOL. Great video! What program do you use to create your templates again? Thanks again for your excellent content.
I know right?... not sure why I put it on there. I use NanoCad
Awesome knife man. I’m going to be making this with some thin O1 I have. What type of thread are you using to stitch the sheath? P.S. I love the power awl trick. I usually drill it out with a 1/16 drill bit but the holes always end up looking pretty beat up afterwards. With that power awl trick they opened up but still looked very clean. Thanks for sharing bro.
NIce! all my leather work methods and links are in this video:
ua-cam.com/video/MhVWVc_rdKA/v-deo.html
Hi there, wondering if you sell your knives, if so where, and are you available for custom builds? Thanks in advance. Love the content!
Hey Sam, I'm not taking custom orders right now. When I do have one finished up I put them on Instagram for sale. Sorry about that!
Nice job man! I hope to pick up a leather set so I can make leather sheaths within the next few months. Also where do you purchase all your knife scale material?
Man it's hard for sure! I get the scale material from all over... Pop's, Alpha, Jantz, USA Knife Maker, etc.
Always make a double sided knife, rather than a single edge. In other words, a proper Round Knife. It takes the same time to strop a single edge as the double, so it is far more time efficient to have that extra side. I have always used a full knife, but doing a course in the UK, I was given a half knife. I soon found out how slow it is.
At the time I made it this way due to the size of stock I had on hand. It works pretty good!
Are his knives for sale?
Hey Omar, I'm not taking custom orders. When I do have one finished up I put them on Instagram for sale. Sorry about that!
@@RedBeardOps thanks for getting back to me, and I wasn't looking for custom knives - just wanted to see if the knives you make were up for purchase! Love your channel by the way.
@@omartantawy5473 Awesome man! Thank you!
Are you still doing 9 times the length of the stitch in thread?
That sounds about right.
This is my best sheath tutorial - ua-cam.com/video/MhVWVc_rdKA/v-deo.html
@@RedBeardOps whatever works. ive always used 5.
fwiw and to do random experiments, I used some high carbon "music wire" to make some saddle stitch needles, since I ended up breaking a bunch. the one I used is: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VYKPNC/
Very cool!
dude, that looks like quite the harrrowing grinding experience. that's scary just to watch, i'm always afraid when the edge gets super thin and i'm putting pressure towards the edge that it'll grab -- excellent work, me thinks i would have ground (tried) to do it all edge down. i work scared and jumpy... and check out Don Gonzales on youtube for excellent leather instruction.
Hey Jack it was scary! I took my time though. With such an aggressive angle, I wasn't too worried about catching the belt. Wasn't fun to be sure. Thanks for the tip!
Another great video. I do enjoy watching your channel. I would like to invite you to a meet and greet in Pyor Oklahoma on May 22, 2021. It is called the 1st Annual UA-cam Family Reunion. We had a small meet and greet back in October and it was fun. You love to meet. If you can. Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas Grady! I'm not sure if I could make it, but it sounds like fun! Have a great week!
How can I get in touch with you about buying a knife. My e-mail is oldredneck101@gmail.com.
wanna make me one?
I'm not taking orders but Mr Dave Ferry is! Tell him I sent you!
www.horsewright.com/
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Doreen, I think you're confused.