“Roughing out” the blade, shaping the blade, or whatever you want to call it, is nothing more than cutting out the blade from a design you have created. The limits here are endless. Grab a pencil and piece of paper and draw out some designs or grab a sharpie and draw something directly onto the steel. However you go about getting a shape, just getting one is the end goal. If this is your first one I recommend to keep it simple.
Next you need to get that shape out of the metal. This is the hard part. There are tons of options so if don’t have fancy tools don’t be discouraged. If you have a hand held disc grinder then it won’t take you long. However if you have a hack saw you might be there a little longer. As I’ve said before this is a game of patience. However you go about it just follow the outlines of the design you have created and before you know it you will have a blade blank. The only thing hard about this part is the labor that can go into cutting and filing.
After you’ve got the shape of your knife, it will need to be further refined. Again, you do not need fancy tools for this. If you have a belt sander be careful. You can easily take off more metal than you meant, and possibly a finger. A file is perfect for beginners and it allows for more control. Once you’ve ground or filed the blank to a comfortable fit and it looks decent, grab a beer. Trust me, you have earned it after this process.
There you have it. A simple explanation of getting started. Nothing to it. Look up some simple knife designs or go crazy with it. With that being said, Again, I recommend to keep it simple. Remember, you are going to have to cut out what you have designed, and cutting out blade is hard enough as it is. The only difference between power tools is time really. Well I guess manual labor is a factor, but who doesn’t like that.