Hock's Chef's Knife Kit - More Than A Great Gift Idea!

Hock tools has an awesome Chef's Knife Kit that allows you to make your own custom-handled 5" long kitchen knife. Anyone with some basic tools can tackle this project and the end result will really amaze you. In just a few hours you'll make a custom high-quality knife while finally using those small pieces of scrap stock you've been collecting for just this occasion. Did we mention this knife kit also makes one of the best gifts for anyone that enjoys cooking?

Hock is a California company that has long been known for their premium quality plane irons and wood plane kits. This Hock Knife kit follows their tradition of quality by using the same O1 tool steel that we appreciate for it's incredibly sharp edge and lasting durability. This is not your run-of-the-mill stainless steel kitchen knife, over time its O1 steel will develop a blue-grey patina that will separate this knife from your average blades. All that is needed to keep this knife looking its best is a quick rinse and dry after each use. If your knife does become rusted you can easily clean it with some steel wool and mild cleaner. The instructions for the kit also include tips to keep your knife looking and cutting perfectly for years to come.

How hard is this kit to put together? It's easy! I took the time to follow the step-by-step directions that come with the kit and make one for myself. It took only basic tools and was straightforward and easy with the included directions. Let's get started.

Step 1 - Careful, That Blade Is Sharp!

I know we've all heard that tools come sharp but when we check them they are only sharp compared to a beach ball. Hock is not kidding when he says the blade is sharp. I took the knife blank out of the package and was able to slice a piece of paper into ribbons. While working on the knife the directions say to wrap the blade with a few layers of masking tape, making sure to put an extra layer or two over the cutting edge. This protects both you and the nicely finished blade while making the handle.

Step 2 - Select Your Material

There are tons of materials out there for handle making, but most of us will want to take advantage of what we already have. A dense and well-seasoned piece of hardwood is preferred, I chose a scrap of Cocobolo from my stash, but any piece that is big enough to get two 1/4" x 1-1/4" x 5" pieces will work perfectly.

Step 3 - Fitting The Scales To The Knife

Your handle needs three holes, one for each of the pins that hold it in place. To drill the holes, tape both scales (handle pieces) together and tape the tang of the knife on top. Using a 1/4" drill bit, preferably in a drill press, drill through the holes in the tang and all the way through both scales. Drop the included pins into each hole as you go to keep everything aligned. Now trace the outline of the handle onto the wooden scales and using a bandsaw, scroll saw, or coping saw, cut away the waste. Leave yourself a little breathing room, you'll be able to fine-tune the fit later.

Step 4 - Shaping The Scales

This is the part of the knife where the blade and handle meet. You need to shape and sand this part now because it will be difficult to get at once the handle is glued together. I shaped mine with a little bevel and a slight angle. This is the part where you can really get creative. Take your time and make it your own. An easy way to shape these pieces is with a belt sander. If you are not "one" with the belt sander you want to practice on a scrap piece first. The directions say to sand to 220 grit or more, that may work for some, but on a project this small I choose to take the sanding a bit further... I went to 2000 grit.

Step 5 - Dry Fit The Scales To The Tang

If everything looks the way you want it to, use some more masking tape and mask right up to the edge of the scale, this will make cleaning up the epoxy a lot easier.

Step 6 - Scuff The Tang

Scuffing the metal tang with 120 grit sandpaper will help the epoxy grip. I also lightly sanded the inside of the scales with 120 grit by laying the paper on a flat table and sanding back and forth, just to ensure a flat and even surface for gluing. Don't forget to scuff the pins, we want the epoxy to stick to them as well. Now is the time to clean off any oils. Use some thinner or alcohol and give all the metal parts a good wipe down.

Step 7 - Gluing Up The Handle

The kit recommends using a slow-setting epoxy, I would agree with this. Five-minute epoxy sets too quickly, use epoxy that gives you plenty of open time. Apply the epoxy to the tang and first scale, then apply epoxy to the pins and push them through the scale from the front, this will ensure proper gluing. Slide the tang over the pins and spread epoxy onto the other side of the tang and the other scale. Put a little more epoxy on the pins while you're at it. Press all pieces together and clamp, making sure that the pins protrude equally from either side of the handle. With some thinner and a rag, I cleaned up as much squeeze-out as I could. This made final clean-up easier later on. A good trick is to wrap the jaws of your clamps with packing tape, the epoxy won't stick to this particular kind of tape and you don't have to worry about cleaning epoxy off later or figure out how to remove the clamps that have been glued to the knife.

Step 8 - Shaping And Sanding

Now the fun part, shaping the handle. You can do this many different ways, but the belt sander is the easiest. First thing to do is grind down the pins, go slow and stop if the pins start getting too hot to hold. Overheating the pins can cause issues with the steel and cause the epoxy to lose its holding power.  Sanding the scales flush with the tang is easy on the belt sander as well. Once everything is flush. it's time to shape handle. This can be done with files, rasps, and sandpaper. I actually rounded the edges of my scales on the router table with an 1/8" radius round-over router bit, be careful and go slow.  My sanding process began with 120 grit and I worked all the way to 2000 grit. Cocobolo takes a very nice polish and I wanted to show that off. Take you time, especially with the course grits, be careful not to round over any edges you may want to keep sharp.

Step 9 - Finish-Up With Your Favorite Finish

I used my favorite finish, Odie's Oil. It works perfectly on exotic woods and will be easy to renew if It ever needs it in the future. Odie's Oil is also a food-safe finish, what could be better suited for a kitchen knife? After applying the finish all that remains is to remove the masking tape and enjoy your knife. Building your very own custom Hock Chef's Knife is really that simple!