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first off anything can be used for an athame so long as it is charged and used only for the purpose of an athame. Making Your Athame
Written By Raymond Buckland from his book, Complete Book of Witchcraft
If you can't buy a suitable piece of steel, use an old file or chisel and work with that. Whatever steel you have, it is going to be hard so your first job will be to soften it for working. Heat the steel till it is a dull red. If you have no other way of doing it, lay it on the burner of a gas or electric stove. You may have to leave it there, with the control turned fully on, for several hours but it will eventually heat up to a dull red. Once it has reached that color, turn off the heat and let it cool down naturally. That's all there is to it. It will now be softened and easier to work.
1 Mark on the metal, with a pencil, the shape you want it to be . With a power handsaw (if you have one), or a simple hacksaw, cut out the profile and file off any rough edges Then start shaping the blade for sharpness. A grinding wheel could come in handy here, though you can work with rough and smooth files. The blade is going to be double-edged, so you are aiming for a diamond shaped cross-section . Finish off the blade with 2 grades of wet and dry paper.
Now your blade will need to be hardened and tempered. Heat it up again, this time until it is red hot. Then take hold of it with a pair of pliers and plunge it into a bowl of tepid (not cold, or the blade will crack) water or oil. Allow it to cool off then clean it with wet and dry paper.
Next, to temper it, reheat the blade to a dull red. Again, plunge it, point downwards, into tepid water or oil, moving it up and down in the liquid. Clean it with wet and dry paper, then heat it again. Watch the blade carefully this time as it changes color. It will go to a bright, light, straw color, then to a medium straw color. Immediately plunge the blade into the water and let it cool off (don't let it get past the straw color; it would go to blue, then purple and green.) Watch the point as that will change color first, At the first sign of "blueing" on the point, plunge the blade into the water. NOTE: The colors appear quickly. Keep the point the farthest from the heat.
Once the blade is cold take it outside and plunge it into the ground a couple of times. Now you have moved the blade through the Air, Heated it with Fire, Plunged it into Water, and Showed it to the Earth.
For the handle, take 2 pieces of wood. Draw around the tang (the handle part of the blade) on each of the pieces of wood. Then chisel out the marked sections, each one to ~21 the thickness of the tang. When finished, the 2 pieces of wood should lay together perfectly with the tang inserted between them. When you are satisfied they fit well, slightly roughen the inside wood and then spread a good epoxy resin glue all over. Put the tang in place, press the 2 wooden handle halves together and clamp. When clamping, put on the pressure slowly so as to give a better "spread" to the glue. Leave clamped for at least 3 days.
When removed from the clamp, draw a profile of the handle you want on the wood and start cutting/carving it to shape.
Some traditions call for certain signs to be carved on the handle. Even if your does not, you may wish to add some decoration. I would certainly recommend at least putting your Craft Name or monogram on it. You might also like to etch something on the blade, this isn't difficult to do.
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What is an athame?
An athame is a ceremonial dagger used in "Wicca" religious or magical rites.
How do you pronounce Athame?
An athame is a short knife, used especially by practitioners of the Wiccan religion, that is used to direct energy. The word athame is pronounced, "ath-uh-may."
Which element is associated with the athame?
The athame or witch's dagger in tradition represents fire but after Rider-Waite tarot some people choose to use the athame for air. So basically a witch can choose whether to use the athame to represent Fire or Air and can be used interchangeably with the wand. I personally choose the element to be Fire.
Can a pocket knife be used as an athame?
An Athame is supposed to be a knife reserved for magical workings, but yes, this could include a pocket knife.
What type of metal is used in the Godric Gryffindor sword at the Athame?
celestial bronze
Can an atheme be used as a weapon?
An Athame is a ritual tool. It is a Magical Weapon used inside the circle. But it is not a weapon per-se in the real world. It is not used as an assault weapon on human or animals. It is not intended to be used as a weapon in the context of a weapon outside the circle. An Athame is not used to cut or pierce any physical thing.An Athame by definition is a ritual double edged blade which culminates in a point and traditionally has a black handle. It is not sharpened on either edge, but is sharp at the end.
What weapon did many demons use to kill witches on Charmed?
Many demons on Charmed used an athame (which is a dagger)to kill witches.
What are the knifes used for in a Wicca weeding?
The Athame is used for creating the ceremonial circle, and the joining of male and female. The Ceremonial knife is used to cut the wedding cake.
Where can you get a magic knife?
I'm assuming you are referring to an athame or majickal knife; the type that is used in ritual... What sets everyday tools apart from majickal tools is state of mind. An athame can be a very expensive, jewel-encrusted, fancy blade, or your finger-and anything in between. I use either my finger or a simple wand (yes, my wand and my athame are the same thing) that is just a piece of a rose bush that I pruned. If you really want it to be a knife, it can be as simple as a kitchen knife. Remember, most things in majick are symbolic. You can use whatever you want, whatever is easy to come by. The tool isn't majick, you are. You endow that tool with the majick that you wish it to have. Personally, I think the simpler, the better. But that's just me.
Where can you find an athame?
In Modern There 2 types of Athame a Black Handle for cutting herbs and so on and White for energy Work. (Simply get one you Like) in ancient times there was one made of copper in semi ancient(burning times) times you picked any knife you liked. In Ritual Magic orders like the Golden Dawn there very complex ways to make one and semi complex ways in the The Complete Witches' Handbook [Stewart Farrar, Janet Farrar] but realistically just pick a knife you like. I looked once for a copper historical Museum Reconstructionist but no one makes them. And DO NOT shop on Ebay you got no idea how it was made or prepared..
Can nonwitches perform spells?
yes. anybody can cast a spell. you don't even need ritual supplies. Witches use ritual supplies such as an athame or wand to help them direct their energies, but they are not needed to do a spell. What you do need is will power.
Is it okay to repair a broken athame and use it in magic and rituals?
Yes. In-fact building your own atheme is better then a purchased one, so by fixing one you purchased and or repairing one you made, you are establishing a closer connection between you and the atheme.
