$50 knife shop?

Yes. It's worth buying. Read it cover to cover. But it was written a while ago and there are better answers to some questions now. For instance, Wayne's recipe for his quench medium he calls Goop is not the best solution. There are more reliable engineered quench oils that are readily available these days. Still, there is lots of good information there. You can supplement that reading with lots of other great texts. They can be found in the stickies at the top of this section. Read as much as you can on your own then ask for answers you can't find or need clarification about here. The knowledgeable folks around here will appreciate the fact that you did some research first and will be more likely to help you. And fill out your profile including where you are from. You will get more specific help that way.
 
My personal favorite is the book by Bob Loveless.

There are also a lot of great video tutorials by folks like Nick Wheeler. I am old school and like holding a book, but watching a video is tough to beat.
 
Wayne is writing about like a $50 knife and 1963, how the hell many of the makers today
were even alive in 1963? I'm quessing any that were won't be bashing wayne.
Ken.
 
I enjoyed the book. But, it does have limitations. I'd buy it again just to get a wide range of perspectives on knife making.
 
ABSOLUTELY NOT. You can do things the right way or the cheap way. You pick. Stuff has changed A LOT since his days.

Check out the sticky called "How to make a knife" or something similar. Then take whatever money you would have spent on an outdated book and buy real steel, not junkyard "guess the alloy" steel.
 
yES! I have it.. Lots of good stuff. You don't need to copy Wayne but use his ideas to create your own.
 
I would not suggest purchasing the book. I own a copy and consider it useless.

You would be better off simply reading posts and asking questions here.
 
I have it and a lot of the info is outdated, and some even incorrect really. I just picked up Bladesmithing with Murray Carter and found it to be a lot more useful for the knowledge I was after. It's geared more towards a Japanese forging style, but still good info. I hate to say not to buy anyone's book, but by doing some reading here, in the counts post, and watching Nick wheelers videos, you will be farther ahead than from any one book.
 
I was alive in 1963...and making knives.

I have the book, and have no problem with Wayne Goddard. The book was written at a time when there were no knife books or info available. No internet, no you-tube....nothing. His info was basically the way it was done back then.

I don't think the book is nearly as relevant today. If you get a used copy for $10 with free shipping on Ebay to read through and put on the shelf with the other knife books, OK, but I wouldn't buy it to find out how to make knives today.
 
I agree with Stacy. Check it out, but it's not gospel. I own it and like it because it's encouraging. You can make a knife for $50! I wouldn't mess around rigging up a brake drum forge, though. I'd build an Aaron Gough style filing jig and go to town.
 
Stacy, yet again you've found the right words. That's exactly how I feel about that particular book. Principals he's espoused in it were taken as bond early in my knifemaking, and unfortunately this set me back by years. There are better tomes available on this subject, Barney and Loveless's "How to Make Knives" having been mentioned here being one of them. David Boye's book was great, as well. the Count's standard reply to beginning knifemakers has more information in it than ANY knifemaking book you're going to find, and Nick Wheeler has selflessly done more for the custom knifemaking world with his work-in-progress threads and extremely well made videos than any of us have any right to view.

And this is all free!!!!

Thank the Count, thank Nick, and get yur learn on. You'll be further ahead of the curve than I was by miles.
 
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