Deadly objects crafted by and from molten metal are nothing new here on Solidsmack, but it isn’t every day you see an old hardware material get repurposed into a Southeast Asian curved knife.
This is precisely what Australian knifemaker Steve has done with an old drill bit he found in one of his drawers. With lots of cutting, filing, and hammering, he transforms it into a karambit – a curved knife with origins in Indonesia resembling a claw.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vsi4FDZ0tk
Steve begins by firing up the kiln and heating the tip of the drill bit. Though this used to be the most dangerous point of the object, he hammers it down flat to provide a holding ring for the karambit.
After cutting out a massive chunk of the other side, he hammers it to make a large flat portion which serves as the knife’s blade. You’ll notice he keeps some of the drillbit’s drilling curves, possibly as a reminder of the object’s previous life.
He then cuts out a diagonal portion of the edge to form the blade’s curve; then it’s back to hammering both sides of the blade to create the karambit’s unique shape.
After working on the blade, Steve then forms the holding ring which allows a user to spin the deadly weapon like an overzealous Southeast Asian ninja. He also bends the drilling curves a little to create a more curved shape.
A bit more cutting, polishing, and sharpening and this thing is fit to slice open even the most stubborn envelopes.
As with all karambits, you can hold this baby either with the blade extending from your forefinger or your pinky. No matter which way you choose, you can be pretty sure no one will want to ambush you in a dark alley.
For more obscure knife making videos, head to Steve’s YouTube channel, Miller Knives.
