Making a Dagger From Found Materials! *UPDATE*

UPDATE: So... I have been getting better at this and have since made a machete and a new knife.  The new knife is made from a lawnmower blade and block of wood.  It was pretty easy, and came out with fantastic results.
All of my knives cost $0 to make.

Wow. It has been a while since I have posted an 'ible hasn't it? Well, I decided to post this: a guide on making a dagger from scrap materials. It was fairly easy for me, and experienced builders should have little difficulty making one using my method.

This dagger is made from a tent peg, bike inner tube, and scrap wood. Sadly, the tent peg is made from aluminum and not something such as steel, so it will not hold a sharp edge for a long time, but the dagger is still a great decorative product that can be given as a gift, used for a costume, or for actually cutting stuff.

Why a dagger? Well, I have seen many, many knife Instructables and sword 'ibles as well. I wanted a dagger! A large knife, but still not a sword.
So this is how I made my dagger! Enjoy, have fun, rate and comment! (Subscribe if you want to see me build a sword sometime in the future :D)

Step 1: What Do I Need?

Well, I made up the process as I went along, but it still came out great. Here is what I used:

Tools

*Angle Grinder
*Ball-peen Hammer (sp?)
*A Large File
*Assorted Small Files
*Wood Saw
*Clamps
*Scissors
*Permanent marker
*Ruler
*Dremel w/ sanding wheel and cutting wheel
*Dental Pick - Can be substituted with a nail or other small pointy object
*Mechanical Pencil
*Rag

Materials

*Hardwood
*Bike Inner Tube
*Cheap Cardboard (found on cereal boxes, oatmeal, etc.)
*Tent Peg
*Wood Stain
*Polyurethane
*Epoxy/ JB Weld
*Paint Thinner/ Nail Polish Remover/ Alchohol

Step 2: The Tent Peg (part 1)

If you have a regular tent peg, it should be bent at at 90degree angle. We will be flattening this out. To do so, you will need a hammer, anvil, and safety equipment.
I do not own an anvil. The easiest thing to do is use the end of a sledge hammer to flatten the metal against. The hammer I used is a ball-peen hammer, used for bending metal.
For safety, you should wear safety glasses and ear protection. I made my ears rings by whacking the tent peg repeatedly.
After flattening out the bend, your tent peg might be curved. Just hit it a few more times to straighten it.
~~!!Be Careful Not To Split The Metal!!~~

Step 3: The Tent Peg (part 2)

Now we use power tools! *gasp*
My dad actually let me use his angle grinder. This is the first time I used it, and it works wonders on metal. Clamp the blank onto a table or put in a vice, then grind it to shape, as seen in the pictures.
For cuttin small nubs, I used a dremel with a cutting wheel.

Step 4: The Tent Peg (part 3)

Now we have to finish up the blade. File the blade to give it a nice edge. Using low grit then high grit sand paper, sand off most of the paint and smooth the metal some.
Oh, and if there was a small hole in the metal like on my blades, use a file/ drill and make a hole on the other side to make the blade symmetrical.

Step 5: The Hardwood (part 1)

Using the cheap cardboard, draw a template for your handle and trace it onto a piece of hardwood. I think mine is 1/2" wide. If you have a band saw... USE IT! The hack saw took forever to use, made a big mess, and I had to keep re-clamping it to the desk.
After cutting out the handle, I used a dremel to plane the wood narrower at the tip. I also used it to round the edges, then went back with sandpaper to smooth it. Using some kind of saw, cut a notch where the blade will fit. My handle actually broke while trying to make the gap wider, so I used wood glue and sanded it smooth again.
Test fit the handle onto the blade, and clean your work area. That saw dust is a pain when in the way...

Step 6: The Hardwood (part 2)

Now we engrave the handle! It would be best to use something such as a wood burner, but my method was really easy. First, draw the pattern. Next, use a blade and score the pattern. Using a dental pic, go over the scores and make a wider engraving. Erase all pencil marks and use a thin lead mechanical pencil to draw inside the engraving. This makes the engraving darker and gives it a faux wood burned look.

After you finish the handle, cut a bike inner tube into fourths lengthwise. You can use leather, but the rubber is easier for me to come by. We will be wrapping the handle in this.

Step 7: The Hardwood (part 3)

To finish up, we stain the handle, coat in a protective layer, and wrap the handle.
I used Red Mahogany stain, and a coat of polyurethane.
The wrapping part was invented by me. I came up with it while trying to find a neat way to wrap the handle without having to tack down the rubber. It is hard to explain in text, so please look at the pictures.

Step 8: Tent Peg + Hardwood = ?

Now we get to finally put the two parts together that we have been working on. I have to admit that I cheated... Instead of using rivets or something similar to that, I used JB Weld. I don't have a dril bit that can drill through metal, so I had to settle with this. You can use whatever method you wish. Remember to allow to dry 15 hours!

Step 9: Finished Dagger!

Congratulations! You just recycled some unused materials into a pretty rad dagger! (or you just completed reading this Instructable :D ). I plan to finish the second one the next time my sister has a chance to give me the handle back with finished design. I will update when that dagger is finished.
If you see grammar mistakes, misspellings, or something I can change, please tell me! Constructive criticism is a must!

Don't forget to rate and comment, and subscribe if you want to see me post a sword later (may be a while, but I will do it)!
(I hope I get featured! :P)