Making your own hunting knife can be a very satisfying project, but few of us have the ability nor the desire to forge a blade. An alternative then is to start with a hunting knife blade blank, customizing it with the perfect handle to compliment your intended use and your aesthetic ideal.
We’ve assembled a number of hunting knife blanks in different designs and compositions to give you an idea of the variety that is out there. The only thing left for you to do is choose the perfect design and composition type for your perfect DIY hunting knife and get to work creating a handle to match your vision.
Depending upon the complexity of your design and the material you choose for the handle, this is a project that you can complete in less than a week -including the time necessary for all epoxy to dry. Our top pick is the Tracker Blade Blank in Damascus Steel, which we’ll explain right away.
Winner – Damascus Tracker Blade Blank by Whole Earth Supply
This is a tracker style blade that serves as a great all-purpose hunting knife and survival knife. The Damascus Tracker knives are designed to cut, chop, split, carve, engrave, hammer, and saw. Basically, any task that you could need a sharp blade for while out in the bush, a tracker blade is exactly that blade and more.
This blade design has a straight spine with serration that is used for notching and sawing. Behind the serration is a concave blade that can be used in the same way you would use a drawing knife. The deep belly adds extra length to your strokes, making it great for skinning and caping. However, that deep belly also works well for chopping wood. Behind the belly is a straight carving blade that can be used for carving or splitting wood.
The blade is made of Damascus steel which is renowned for its strength and distinctive patter. This particular blade features a Damascus ladder pattern, which is a longer and more drawn out appearance of the ripple like pattern. This type of steel is also quite strong, with a hardness comparable to that of hardened steel.
The full tang features a unique design that allows it to be gripped in different ways in order to use the varying blades and apply different amounts of force when chopping. Finger grooves are complemented by a dropped heel that better fits the natural anatomy of the hand, providing a sure grip. It also features a lanyard hole at the end of the tang to allow you to thread leather cording through the handle.
The overall blade length is approximately 4 ½ inches, with the full tang being roughly the same length. This gives a total length of about 9 ½ inches.
Damascus Hunting Blade Blank by Whole Earth Supply
This is a great all-purpose hunting knife blade blank design that will more than meet any requirements you have while out in the woods.
The Damascus Hunting Blade Blank features a 4-inch long blade with a drop point that allows for fast and easy sheathing and unsheathing of the finished knife. This may not seem like that big of a deal, but it makes a difference if you could retrieve the knife quickly and not risk damaging the sheath when trying to sheathe it with your eyes somewhere else. This is a small but overlooked detail that also contributes to your overall satisfaction of your finished knife. It has a slight belly to it, which allows this knife to be functionally used for skinning.
This hunting knife blank features a full tang with gentle grooving to provide a surer grip. The handle length is 3 ¾ inches long, giving you a nimble knife that is easy to maneuver. Overall length is approximately 8 inches which is a great standard length for an everyday knife.
This hunting knife blade blank is made of Damascus steel. It’s often likened to high carbon steel with a hardness generally between 53 and 62 on the Rockwell hardness scale. This type of steel is able to hold a razor-sharp edge but will need to be honed from time to time. It has a raindrop Damascus pattern which gives this blade blank a very appealing and one of a kind look that compliments a variety of handle designs and materials.
Condor Kephart Silver Blade Blank
This hunting blade blank is designed for general hunting needs, with a straight edge and drop point. This is a simple yet highly functional design as it lends itself well to a variety of uses. This utilitarian design can be used for skinning (with patient hands) would be great for quartering and butchering, and would adequately meet any needs while rambling about your homestead or out in the bush.
The Condor Kephart Silver blade length is 4 ½ inches long and 3 mm thick. It has a full tang of roughly the same length as the blade to give it a very balanced look and feel. With the right material chosen for the handle, this knife blade blank could be used to produce a very well-balanced knife that has a great hand feel.
It’s made of 1095 carbon steel, making it an affordable choice for a first-time knife-making project, yet providing years of performance. This type of steel is also easy to sharpen so it would be a good choice for younger hands wanting a DIY hunting project. It comes pre-sharpened with a flat grind that may need a final honing to meet your personal preference. The pin holes in the tang are 3/16 of an inch in size.
Chippewa Gut Hook Skinning Knife Blade Blank by Premium S Series
The Chippewa Gut Hook Skinning Knife is a hammered knife blade blank with a gut hook just behind the drop point. This style of blade is great for field dressing game as it is specifically designed to cut through the hide and fascia in order to remove the internal organs. The blade is also slightly upswept to produce a longer cutting surface on the 3 ½ inch blade. This will give you a very functional finished blade that you can use for a variety of hunting needs, including skinning and quartering in order to more easily bring in that deer or elk.
It has a distinctive pattern of textured indents along the spine of the blade that give this hunting blade blank a unique look that would pair well with a more rustic handle design. This blade blank would look great paired with crown antler or layered woods.
It has a hidden tang which allows you to also use this blade to produce a more one of a kind knife, perhaps using a deer hoof or bone. It also has a large brass guard.
The overall length of this blank is 5 ½ inches which should give you a finished overall knife length of about 7 or 8 inches -depending upon personal preference.
Damascus Gut Hook Skinning Knife Blade Blank by Whole Earth Supply
This Gut Hook Skinning Knife blade blank is made of distinctive Damascus steel. It has a very eye catching raindrop pattern that produces a wavelike pattern along the blade edge. This type of steel is made by layering different types of steel and heat treating them in order to bind them to each other. This is what produces the distinctive patterns and what contributes to the variances in hardness between different Damascus steel products. Generally, though, the hardness will fall between 53 and 62 on the Rockwell hardness scale. This means you have a very sturdy material that will hold an edge and can be made razor-sharp.
The upswept point on this hunting knife blank produces a deep and clean belly that is perfect for skinning or caping large game. The blade is approximately 3 ½ inches long and measures 2 inches at the widest part of the blade. This means that this knife may easily meet the legal requirements as an everyday carry knife in your area.
It has a full tang that provides extra durability and strength to the finished knife, and there are two different sized pin holes. The handle is approximately 5 inches long and features a forefinger groove for more accurate and confident use of the gut hook. The handle also features a dropped heel that better fits the natural contours of the human hand and will allow your finished knife to fit comfortably in your hand.
Bowie Knife Blade Blank by Knife Blanks
When it comes to bowie knives, the only way to increase their badass appeal is by being able to say that you made that knife yourself. And with this bowie knife blade blank you’ll be able to do just that. This is a slightly smaller bowie knife blank with a 6-inch long stainless steel blade.
This blade is plain silver, with no mark. This allows you a lot of versatility in choosing just the right handle for your finished handmade bowie knife. On par with most bowie blade designs, it has a swaged clipped point that produces a sharp point perfect for piercing.
The Bowie Knife Blade Blank knife has an overall length of 9 1/8 inches with a large brass guard and quillion. It has a hidden tang that really allows you to go all out and design the perfect handle for your bowie knife. A hidden tang is especially well suited should you want to make a bowie knife with a crown or knob antler handle or produce a highly unique bowie knife with an elk hoof for a handle. There really are a lot of options with a hidden tang, and with a bowie knife, nothing is too extreme.
There is a larger version of this hunting knife blade blank if you think this bowie knife may be a bit small to your liking. The larger version has a 10 inches long blade with an overall length of 15 ¼ inches.
Hunting Knife Blade Blank by Szco
This is a great choice among hunting knife blade blanks if you’re looking for something versatile and highly functional. The Clip Point Hunting Knife Blade Blank knife features a swaged clipped point, common to bowie knives, yet has a blade length of just 3 ½ inches -allowing it to meet everyday carry requirements in most locations. The blade has a slight sweep to it, producing a longer cutting surface and greater functionality. Also improving upon that functionality is the fact that entire spine has been clipped and swaged, producing a strong and sharp point with a blade that has essentially two cutting edges.
It has a brass guard and a full tang handle measuring 4 ¼ inches long. That gives this blade blank a total length of 7 ¾ inches. The handle has finger grooves for a sure grip and a dropped heel to fit comfortably in your hand. There is also a lanyard hole on the end of the handle.
This is a simple, no-nonsense hunting knife blank that will give you a great quality all-purpose hunting knife that you’ll be proud to carry on you. As it is also highly affordable, this is a great choice for a first time knife making project.
Final thoughts on Hunting Knife Blade Blanks
This is just a sampling of the variety of hunting knife blade blanks that are available. Each needs only to be fitted with scales to make a handle.
Our favorite is the Damascus Tracker Blade Blank by Whole Earth Supply. It has a highly versatile design that lends itself well to general hunting as well as bushcraft. Plus, we’d be amiss not to admit that we’ve got a soft spot for Damascus steel. It has great durability, holds an edge, and has an amazing look for a great one-of-a-kind knife.
As far as handles go, you could use bone, antler, wood, or even stone to create a unique handle that fits your hand perfectly. Making your own hunting knife is a great way to pass the time while you wait for the next hunting season to come around. It can also make a great gift or side income if you’re looking for ways to make further support your wilderness lifestyle.
Reference and Resources
- Whole Earth Supply, Official Brand Website.
- Condor Tool & Knife, Official Brand Website.
- Premium S Series, Official Brand Website.
- Knifemaking, Official Brand Website.
- SZCO Supplies, Official Brand Website.
- Advantages & Disadvantages of High Carbon Steel Kitchen Knives, Hunker.