A piece of 01 steel will work great for this. Always wear eye protection and work gloves when you’re working with hot metal.
Use forging tongs whenever you remove the metal from the flames since it will be very hot.
Use a ruler to measure the end of the metal, then hammer a small indent where the tang will start so you have a reference. [5] X Research source
Most knives have a distal taper, which means the blade gets thinner the closer you get to the point. [7] X Research source
The bevels are the slight inclines on each side of the blade that run to the cutting edge.
If you notice the metal folding over itself when you hammer along the cutting edge or spine, lay the blade flat on the anvil and hammer the edges back down so they’re flat again.
Leave the steel in the oil for 30-60 seconds.
Dipping the blade in motor oil makes it harder but also more brittle, which is why it’s important to temper the blade afterward. Tempering will make the blade tougher and less brittle.
Start with the coarse-grit side of your whetstone. Hold the cutting edge of the knife against the whetstone at a 22-degree angle and run the blade forward across the whetstone 10 times on each side. Then, repeat on the fine-grit side of the whetstone.
