2 Pieces of Advice.....

[J. Doyle]

....for newer makers or those wanting to start out in knifemaking.

This is not pointed at anyone in particular but rather a seemingly large group of people in general based on my personal experiences/various readings on the forums and similar experiences of some of my peers.

These two points cause people more headache and grief than almost any other issues I can think of. They are a MUST to understand if you want to be successful as a knifemaker, whether full time or hobby maker.

1: Learn how to make stuff FLAT and STRAIGHT!!! I don't care what material or stage in the process you are working on, you will need to make it flat and/or straight in some way. Don't expect that others should provide you materials already in this state or that it will stay that way if they do. Learn to do this yourself or you will most likely struggle as a knifemaker.

2: Master the basic fundamentals of making a knife before moving on to more complex methods and embellishments. I can't begin to count all the times I see someone attempt complicated build methods and fancy embellishments and they don't have a clue as to nice proportions, good flow, pleasing lines, clean grinds and well done finishes. If you don't have a decent handle on those things, no amount of Damascus, filework, hamon or exotic materials is going to mean much of anything. Get a good grasp of the basics THEN move on to the other stuff.

That is all.

 

[12345678910]

Yes

I know when I started, I was all enthused about filework.

It seems like every new maker is.

 

[Willie71]

Yes

I know when I started, I was all enthused about filework.

It seems like every new maker is.

I was in the same boat. I still do it occasionally, but not very often.

 

[Jesse Latham]

Master the basic fundamentals of making a knife

The most often ignored advice in knife making. For most this will be a very long process but is achievable.

 

[jdm61]

3. Go SLOW.
My corollary to go slow was
3a. Stop trying to "fix" knives that you screwed up because you didn't go slow. Forcing yourself to throw away your "babies" will teach you to go slow.

 

[Hazmatt fabrication]

Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. It's cheaper to learn from other people's mistakes than make them yourself. Saves alot of time.

 

[Sharpe5097]

This sounds like 2 things i should be doing.

 

[kuraki]

J. Doyle you could have just text me.

 

[Justin Schmidt]

Going slow is my issue while on the grinder. Every other process I take my sweet time. But when I'm grinding bevels I just wanna crank my VFD up to 80hz and shove my body into it. Thanks for the tips man

 

[Sprayman]

When I first started out about 5 years ago, I actually made some decent knives. I didn't know what I was doing, so I made some blades that weren't much more than shanks with wooden handles. They actually cut pretty well. Along the way I decided to get fancier, and made some pretty sorry blades. I went back to basics about two years ago and am actually doing much better now. That's how I've always been--gotta fu## things up first to learn my lessons.

 

[Kentucky]

Using fancy dyed burls and enormous ammouts of filework to cover up bad grinding and bladework always puzzled me?

 

[golfer1]

Thought you weren't talking to anyone in general. You advice is great and timely. They are coming out pretty good, but the process has been interesting to say the least. Some of my knives have gotten smaller or different shaped but I have persevered and finished them all. Coming from the likes of you Mr. Doyle I appreciate the advice.

 

[jdm61]

Fancy dyed burls on ugly, clunky knives are proof that, contrary to the old adage, you can, in fact, polish a turd. But in the end, you still end up with a shiny blue turd.

Using fancy dyed burls and enormous ammouts of filework to cover up bad grinding and bladework always puzzled me?

 

[jdm61]

Here are a couple of weird pointers for the newbie.
1. Hidden tang knives may seem tougher, but the one thing about them is that things don't have to be quite as perfectly flat with them as with a full tang blade or especially a folder. The hardest part is slotting the guard.
2. With most common handle materials like synthetics, wood, etc, you make the handle to fit the knife. When you get into some natural materials like stag carvers,rolls and even some scales, walrus tusk, mammoth ivory bark slabs, whole rounds of horn, etc, you have to start thinking about making the knife to fit the handle. Stag carvers and walrus tusk more so than some others.

 

[jdm61]

3. You can get things flatter than you might think on the "poor man's surface grinder" aka a good grinding magnet and flat platen.

 

[Brock Cutlery]

3. Go SLOW.
My corollary to go slow was
3a. Stop trying to "fix" knives that you screwed up because you didn't go slow. Forcing yourself to throw away your "babies" will teach you to go slow.

This is good advice. I must have ground 20 blades when I started that never got handles. The results: my first finished knife was decent.
I've heard some folks say learn on mild steel or some other throw away. I don't agree with this bit. I used AEBL or 440 starting out.
It was good because while I was learning to grind, I was also learning how good steel handles on the grinder, and that matters quite a bit.
Also try raw stock AND heat treated steels. I started out grinding raw, and just this last year I started grinding post HT.
There is a big difference in how these two handle on the grinder.

If I have anything significant to add, it is this: Don't shy away from pushing yourself with some more difficult pieces once you get the basic grinds down.
You will learn more on these than if you just keep to the same style. And as has been said above a few times, take your time.
Grinding out 100 crappy blades won't teach you much. Push yourself to make each one perfect and you'll get there quicker. Slow is fast eh?

 

[navman]

absolutely true! I started making knives with a file...not a file jig, draw filing. Then a Craftsman 2x42, which forced me to learn patience. You can absolutely make nice knives on a 2x42, just be careful of the speed and pay attention.

I just tapered my first handle on a neck knife in s110v....on a 10" disc sander and granite surface plate. Built a jig to hold the blade level to drill holes in the handle scales. Because I decided to do something outside my personal comfort zone I have at least 5 more blades profiled that will be getting tapered tangs once my Pheer gets here and set up.

Read, learn, absorb and dive in. A knife maker told me once that knife making is easy...take a piece of material and remove everything that doesn't look like a knife. Then do it again, and again.....and again.

 

[Bladegunner]

Good advice, I really appreciate the the time and information you veteran makers pass on to the newbs.
Now if we will just listen and learn!

 

[jdm61]

A Sears 2 x 42 will force you to learn the patience to save up for a 2 x 72.

absolutely true! I started making knives with a file...not a file jig, draw filing. Then a Craftsman 2x42, which forced me to learn patience. You can absolutely make nice knives on a 2x42, just be careful of the speed and pay attention.

I just tapered my first handle on a neck knife in s110v....on a 10" disc sander and granite surface plate. Built a jig to hold the blade level to drill holes in the handle scales. Because I decided to do something outside my personal comfort zone I have at least 5 more blades profiled that will be getting tapered tangs once my Pheer gets here and set up.

Read, learn, absorb and dive in. A knife maker told me once that knife making is easy...take a piece of material and remove everything that doesn't look like a knife. Then do it again, and again.....and again.

 

[milkbaby]

3. Go SLOW.
My corollary to go slow was
3a. Stop trying to "fix" knives that you screwed up because you didn't go slow. Forcing yourself to throw away your "babies" will teach you to go slow.

"Slow is fast" is the best advice that I ever read here which is saying a lot since there is so much great knowledge offered by the participants of this forum.

On 3a, my hurry mistakes tend to be ones that I "fixed" by making the knife smaller than originally intended...