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How to make one
Most people use a store bought dagger and replace the handle. This is not too difficult and is a great way to personalize your Athame.
The more work you put into your tools, the more a part of you they will be and feel.
You can bypass one or more of these steps if you wish, do what feels right.
 
Tools for making your Athame
hack saw
belt grinder (this is the same as a belt sander)
drill press
files
pliers
Blow torch
Vise
Clamps
Sand paper
Materials
A flat piece of steel for the blade. It should be about 1/4 in to 1/8 in thick, at least 8 in long and at least 4 in wide
 
Wood, bone or antler for the handle (I used antler for my athame)
 
A piece of brass for the guard
 
Epoxy glue
 
Screws or rivets (they should be brass or copper)
Please! Work outside and wear safety glasses, gloves and a breathing mask
Start by annealing the steel that you are going to use for the blade.
Annealing is the process by which you soften the metal so it can be worked with more easily. Start by heating up the metal with your blow torch. Heat it until it is red hot and let it cool slowly.
 
Next, cut out a blank.
A blank  is roughly the shape of a blade with a thin handle. The handle part is called the tang. Draw an outline of a double edged blade with a tang. The blade part should be about 60 percent of the overall length. Next place the annealed metal in a vise and cut along the line with the hack saw.
 
Draw a line along the edge of the blade exactly in the middle.
Use the belt grinder to finish shaping the blade. Next, grind evenly along the edge to the center line. Turn blank over and grind an edge on the other side.
 
Now you'll want to harden the blade.
Heat the blade up until it is red hot, and use the pliers to pick up and plunge the blade into a bucket of warm water. Do not use cold water or the blade could crack.
 
When it cools, sand the blade clean.
 
Now you need to make a handle.
Select a piece of seasoned wood or antler and carve the shape you want your handle. It should  be a couple of inches longer than the tang. You can carve magical symbols into the handle. Finish with sand paper. You can stain, paint and or oil your handle. I gave mine a coat of polyeurothane.
Drill a hole down the center of your handle large enough to fit the tang all the way down to the blade. It's all right if the tang fits a little loose.
 
You can make a guard if you like. A guard is the part that keeps your hand from slipping forward onto the blade.
Use a piece of 1/4 inch brass about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. Shape it the way you want. The picture above gives an idea. Drill holes just wide enough to fit the tang and file the drill holes so you have an even rectangular hole for the tang.
 
Make sure all the pieces fit together then fill the handle about half way with epoxy. Fit tang through guard and into the handle. Clamp your athame together. When the epoxy hardens (usually about 24 hours, check the package) place the handle in the vise and drill one or more rivet holes straight through the handle and tang. Rivet through the holes.
Now you can polish your and sharpen your blade.
Dedicate and consecrate your new Athame!