This is a short instructable showing you the steps to make a survival ax knife. I intended to make this knife to enter into the metalworking contest. Please vote for me if you enjoy this instructable, thanks! To check out my gut hook hunting knife click HERE

Step 1: The Materials and Tools

Materials

Blade - Steel 3/16" - I've seen people use lawn mower blades or you can purchase the steel off eBay and temper it yourself. The steel came off an 5000lb piece of switchgear and the hole was used as an anchor point for a crane to hook up.

Handle - Wood of your choice

Handle pins - nail - brass or soft metal is preferred for the pins but I didn't have any

Metal polish - Brasso

Tools

Sharpie and pencil

Metal saw such as a hack saw or metal band saw. To check out my metal band saw table click HERE

Metal file

Sand paper: 60-6000 grit

Belt sander, grinder, dremel

Hammer

Vice

CA glue

Drill press with bits

Step 2: Designing and Cutting

- Choose a design and start by drawing onto the steel with a pencil.

- Once you have your final design drawn in with sharpie,you may change your design later by sanding off the sharpie.

- Cut the steel using a metal saw such as a band saw. If your design requires holes in the blade, drill them now.

- I made the small teeth by drawing small triangles with a pencil. I then used my bandsaw to cut the triangles and sanded them down on both sides. This makes them pointy and appear like shark teeth.

Step 3: Shaping and Sharpening

- Place the knife in a vice and grind/Sand the blade to desired shape. I used various tools to shape the blade such as the belt sander, grinder and file. Don't make the blade to thin or the metal will start to fold on itself.

- Sand the blade from 60-6000 grit

Step 4: The Handle

- Trace the handle using a pencil on the desired wood.

- Cut the wood a little bigger than the metal handle so you can sand it flush later.

- Once cut, drill holes the size of the pin into the metal. When drilling the pin holes into the wood, use a the next drill size up to allow for flaring of the pin.

- Cut the pin 1/8" bigger than the wood and metal put together.

- Glue the wood onto the metal using CA glue.

- Hammer the Nail on an anvil or hard surface. Be careful not to crack handle! This makes the nail/pin flare on both sides to fasten the handles to the metal.