Many people want to build their own unique custom knife. You can do this using such a method as casting. Some people have such a silly question, “why create something with your own hands, when stores are filled to the brim with products for every taste and purse?”. The answer is simple – a thing made on your own is unique, and the notion that you did it by yourself adds extra shine to it.
What is knife casting
It is very difficult to find answers to this question on the Internet. Casting for a knife is the creation of additional parts of the knife, in addition to the blade, and their decoration and adjustment to their individual requirements.
Now, this technology is used for smaller purposes, including the manufacture of jewelry and accessories for various items. The following components of knives are made by casting:
- Guard — prevents the palm from slipping on the blade, is a spectacular decoration, allows you to feel more confident, and strengthens the blow.
- Backplate — performs the functions of a fastener masking a screed or nut bolt.
- Bolsters — fix the blade, preventing its movement, preventing the penetration of liquid inside.
- The head is the closing part, used for a more reliable fixation of the handle on the blade, which can become an original decoration.
- The heels are the junction of the blade and the handle.
- The handle is an important detail on which ergonomics depends. They are a place of attachment for shanks, this happens in two ways — mounted and riveted. The handles are made of different materials: dense wood, horn, and synthetic materials.
- The pommel is a structurally independent part that is used as a percussion instrument, is used to adjust the balance of the product, is a spectacular decoration.
- Overlays — make the weapon more convenient to use, and give it originality.
What materials are used for casting
For casting the components of an art knife, two types of materials are mainly used: brass and nickel silver.
Brass is an alloy based on metals: copper and zinc. The zinc content in the alloy can be from 5 to 45%. Zinc is cheaper compared to copper, for this reason, its introduction into the alloy not only improves mechanical, antifriction, and technological properties but also reduces the cost of brass.
Brass lends itself well to pressure treatment. Mechanical properties are relatively high, and corrosion resistance is satisfactory. If we compare brass with bronze, then their strength, corrosion resistance, and anti-friction properties are less.
They are not very stable in air, in salty sea water, in carbon dioxide solutions, and in solutions of many organic acids. Brass has a beautiful color and, in comparison with copper, has better corrosion resistance.
Nickel silver is corrosion—a resistant copper-nickel alloy. The main components are copper and nickel, and manganese and iron may be present in small amounts.
It has high corrosion resistance and good ductility. This material is used in shipbuilding, medical, as well as in hardware engineering, and the production of tableware and coins.
The main practically useful property is its high corrosion resistance in the sea and fresh water, an atmosphere of dry gases. Among the mechanical properties of the alloy, it is worth noting the high strength, which is provided by the presence of nickel in its composition.
