Making a Leatherworker’s Rounding Knife (Head Knife) from Scrap

Описание: In this episode, I take a scrap piece of 15N20 steel and turn it into a fully functional leatherworking rounding knife (also known as a head knife). This is a complete start-to-finish knife build, perfect for leather crafters, bladesmiths, and DIY tool makers who want to see every step of the process. I begin by making a clean and accurate template, then cut out and profile the blade shape. After profiling, the blade goes through heat treatment and tempering to bring out the best performance from the 15N20 steel. Once hardened, I remove scale and flat grind the bevel using a wheel—yes, a flat grind on a wheel! Next, I move into the details: hand sanding the blade, etching my maker’s mark, drilling and fitting the handle scales, and preparing everything for glue-up. After the epoxy sets, I finish the handles on the 2x72 belt grinder, then buff everything to a smooth, professional finish. To wrap it up, I sharpen the blade to a razor edge and test it on paper and leather to check its cutting performance and control. Finally, I share my thoughts on what worked well and what I would do differently next time.
If you enjoy knife making, leatherwork, tool restoration, or DIY metalworking projects, this build is packed with tips and techniques you can use in your own workshop.

🔧 Tools & Materials:
15N20 steel
2x72 belt grinder
Grinding wheel for flat bevels
Drill press
Etching setup
Leather for test cuts

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YesWelder welding machines https://yeswelder.com/?ref=qkvl6voq
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Framelock building playlist: https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/P...
Knifemaking Playlist    • Knife Making  
Damascus making Playlist    • Making Damascus Steel  

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Reading and Instruction:
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BUILD YOUR OWN HYDRAULIC FORGING PRESS by Dr. James Baston: https://amzn.to/3fV86L1

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