About to start making my first knife - seeking advice

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Yayo_Blades

Joined
Aug 6, 2015
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Hello Blade Masters,

I've been a lurker for a while now.

After researching and reading a lot on knife making, types, style, materials, type of metal...etc. I am planning to undertake my first knife project within this month. Just have a few questions where my resources contradict themselves.

I bought all my tools: Bench vise, skilsaw, sander, sharpener (electric filer) and a regular angle grinder. (Only thing missing is a drill press)

My questions are targeted toward a bushcraft fixed blade style:

1) What type of cutting discs do you recommend for cutting stainless steel and buffing it? (I know it may vary depending on thickness)
2) What do you guys use as a liquid for cooling the metal so it doesn't over heat during buffing either with a grinder or sander? Water? oil (what type)?
3) Can you cut stainless steel (to make the shape of the knife) without annealing it?
4) Quenching, what is the proper way? Some say to heat the blade, use a magnet to test it until it's non-magnetized and then quench it right away (motor oil?) and some say to leave it cool in room temperature.
5) Engraving: I would like to start engraving my name/brand and designs in the future and I know it's a skill that takes years to master. However, there are so many options/ways to engrave (pen graph, dremel with graph bit, electricity, stencils, lasers..etc.) it's overwhelming such a What is the best recommended method?

I'll be making my workstation bench this weekend and hopefully, will start the process of making my first knife the following week.
 
You might want to check out Wayne Goddards book titled $50 Knife Shop. You also might want to post this over in the Knifemakers forum I think you will get more replies there.
 
Hello Blade Masters,

I've been a lurker for a while now.

After researching and reading a lot on knife making, types, style, materials, type of metal...etc. I am planning to undertake my first knife project within this month. Just have a few questions where my resources contradict themselves.

I bought all my tools: Bench vise, skilsaw, sander, sharpener (electric filer) and a regular angle grinder. (Only thing missing is a drill press)

My questions are targeted toward a bushcraft fixed blade style:

1) What type of cutting discs do you recommend for cutting stainless steel and buffing it? (I know it may vary depending on thickness)
2) What do you guys use as a liquid for cooling the metal so it doesn't over heat during buffing either with a grinder or sander? Water? oil (what type)?
3) Can you cut stainless steel (to make the shape of the knife) without annealing it?
4) Quenching, what is the proper way? Some say to heat the blade, use a magnet to test it until it's non-magnetized and then quench it right away (motor oil?) and some say to leave it cool in room temperature.
6) is Heat treating a must? If not, do we skip this process and continue on?
7) Engraving: I would like to start engraving my name/brand and designs in the future and I know it's a skill that takes years to master. However, there are so many options/ways to engrave (pen graph, dremel with graph bit, electricity, stencils, lasers..etc.) it's overwhelming such a What is the best recommended method?

I'll be making my workstation bench this weekend and hopefully, will start the process of making my first knife the following week.
 
Welcome! My first question is what steel do you plan on using and where are you getting it from? If you are buying your steel from a knife making supply place, the steel is already annealed. I don't use stainless steels, so I don't know much a bout them, but if you plan to heat treat at home...1084 carbon steel is the way to go. And for that you use canola oil, no motor oil. Each steel has an oil it is best to be quenched in.
For the angle grinder, I use the thinnest cutting discs I can find. They don't last long, but it's the quickest and easiest way to go that I've found for using an angle grinder. While grinding, I just use water to cool it so I don't burn the crap out of my hand.
Have you read the stickies at the top of the page? Lots of great info there to help you. Good luck!
 
I think you just jumped ahead three steps in your thinking. You can start your knife making at different point of the knife making process.

1) Start with getting a knife kit that has a pre-tempered blade and pre-shaped scales and you put the parts together and make them pretty.
2) Start with buying a pre-shaped and tempered blade and buy a chunk of scale material and shape your own scale and make them pretty.
3) Start with a chunk of metal and start making your own blade. Heat the blade and do your own tempering.

It is a lot easier to work with softer metal and then temper afterwards. You can beat your head against the wall and try to cut a piece of tempered steel and sharpen it. Then you have to worry about overheating and need to temper the steel anyway.

With the tools you mentioned working with metal can be a big challenge. Tempering is even a bigger challenge. Also you don't engrave a tempered steel knife. You have to etch the design with acid or laser.

If you plan to do your own tempering start by looking for a good kiln. Depending on the type of angle grinder you have it may not be the best tool to work a knife. Lots of different parts of the grinder will get in the way when you start grinding. The tool of choice is a specific type of belt sander. Also when you work with grinding and sanding you need a damn good dust collection system or your workshop will be cover with fine particles really fast. I am not sure what you can do with a Skilsaw in knife making. You don't really need a drill press if you are getting pre-tempered blades. If you start off with annealed metal you will need a kiln.
 
When you see a newbie posting in the wrong forum, please don't direct him to post in the right forum. He will end up with 2 threads and answers in both.

Click on Report Post -- the triangle icon in the lower left corner of his post -- and ask the moderators to move it.
 
Yayo_Blades said:
Hello Blade Masters,

I've been a lurker for a while now.

After researching and reading a lot on knife making, types, style, materials, type of metal...etc. I am planning to undertake my first knife project within this month. Just have a few questions where my resources contradict themselves.

I bought all my tools: Bench vise, skilsaw, sander, sharpener (electric filer) and a regular angle grinder. (Only thing missing is a drill press)

My questions are targeted toward a bushcraft fixed blade style:

1) What type of cutting discs do you recommend for cutting stainless steel and buffing it? (I know it may vary depending on thickness)
2) What do you guys use as a liquid for cooling the metal so it doesn't over heat during buffing either with a grinder or sander? Water? oil (what type)?
3) Can you cut stainless steel (to make the shape of the knife) without annealing it?
4) Quenching, what is the proper way? Some say to heat the blade, use a magnet to test it until it's non-magnetized and then quench it right away (motor oil?) and some say to leave it cool in room temperature.
5) Engraving: I would like to start engraving my name/brand and designs in the future and I know it's a skill that takes years to master. However, there are so many options/ways to engrave (pen graph, dremel with graph bit, electricity, stencils, lasers..etc.) it's overwhelming such a What is the best recommended method?

I'll be making my workstation bench this weekend and hopefully, will start the process of making my first knife the following week.
Click to expand...


1
Cut with a good hacksaw with HSS bimetal blades and 18 teeth per inch

2
It shouldn't get hot while buffing.
You shouldn't have the balde in contact with the buff long enough for it to get hot.
Forget buffing, high polish is not that attractive.
Just hand sand a nice usable finish.

3
No
Buy annealed steel

4
No
Forget about motor oil
I can't even begin to set you straight on all of this.

Send it out to a pro for perfect results.

5
Any cheap freehand way will look like a toddler scribbled on the wall.
If you just do one or two, find a local trophy engraving shop that does laser engraving on steel - NOT all of them do
It's perfect for $10 or so


http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1311624-Forge-For-Beginers?p=15044083#post15044083



http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1311624-Forge-For-Beginers?p=15044083#post15044083
 
Alright,

First, I would like to apologize for not posting my content in the appropriate thread. Happens to everyone but thanks for pointing me to the right directions. I know I may sound "noob'ish" at this but I'm not clueless. Just new. I had the answers for my question beforehand but just wanted to have it validated (compare) from actual interactive members from this community. So thank you for those who replied!

@Nic. I have looked briefly for a local supplier of metal here. The fastest I found, was online (ebay included) for annealed 440c stainless steel. I'll keep looking for someone local. I'll also be experimenting with different types of steel.

@SeismicCWave, thanks for the response! I have looked on ebay for a kiln and found one new for $200. I also thought about buying "pre-made" knife or "pre-shaped" knife and make it pretty and make my own handle. Question tho, is there an online site that I can buy from?
I think, I'll do just that. I'll do the 3 steps you posted to get familiar and experience. Just need to find a place where I can buy pre-shaped handle/knife online.

@12345678910, thanks for answering brut but truthfully. For heat treating, rather do it myself. I want to make mistakes (overheat/under-heat) and learn from it with a kiln. With engraving, I'll have go to a trophy engraver for lazer (acid method looks un-professional).

I will take a read on the links I have been provided.

Sorry couldn't reply sooner or delete the first thread, was at work and posted this during my lunch time.

Thanks again!!
 
Somebody smarter than me could probably tell you if a pottery kiln will work for heat treating a blade. Something new for 200 bucks seems like it may or may not work to me.

Consider posting a link to what you plan on getting and the experts here can tell you if it will work or not. It probably would work for tempering my concern would be that it wouldn't work for the hardening phase.
 
There are quite a few online shops that sells different knife making supplies and tools. I am not sure about the forum policies on providing external links. I am sure others will chime in. I started off by buying pre-tempered blades and add my own scales and did my own sharpening. I am sure a kiln can be a lot of fun. The success of using a kiln is in the temperature control. I think the raw material is probably the least of your issue right now. You can probably use an old file or some old leaf spring from a car and make them into knife blades. As long as you have a kiln to anneal and temper the steel.

Start with some carbon steel and as you get better at it then move to the more expensive and exotic super steel.
 
Start by filling out your profile. Age, location, hobbies, occupation all will help with our answers.
 
After filling oput your profile, the next step is to forget all the nonsense you learned from YouTube or other sites that have no real understanding of the correct way to do things. I say this based on the number of common (but incorrect) ideas in your base post. I don't mean to be insulting, but you really need to forget the nonsense and learn the right methods to avoid frustration and unsafe practices.

Lots of ways to do this, but most of the ways people think are "common" just aren't very smart.

For example, the list of tools to mention is anything but complete or correct. Sure, you can try to use them... but they aren't the right tools, and can be much more dangerous than the right tools. About the only one you mentioned that is useful is the sander, and it is mainly useful in shaping the handles. Some folks use angle grinders, but you really better know what you're doing. You might as well throw away that "sharpener", unless you have a pair of scissors you want to revive. It has nothing at all to do with making good knives.

The thing to remember about cutting or drilling into steel... slower is better and safer. So you want a variable speed band saw that can go dead slow, and as the count noted, it should be fitted with bimetallic blades with high tooth per inch count. Likewise, the drill press ought to be able to run real slow too. This will avoid the problem of work hardening that can be SO frustrating.

Also, I'm noticing you didn't mention anything about having a lot of really good files of all shapes and sizes, and a stash of sandpaper of varying grits (36 - 2500) as high as you are tall. Both are essential.

It is also nice to have a nice hand sanding tool. Most folks make their own once they know what is needed. The ones you buy at hardware stores are useless for metal work. I saw nothing in your list about safety equipment (respirator, goggles) or other shop essentials (clamps, hammers, punches, etc).

So the upshot is you really aren't as far along as you think. Take a few days to read the stickies and learn what you need to do things right. Abandon all the bad advice others have given you. Avoid trying to make knives from unknown steel, and especially avoid trying to source your steel from big box hardware stores. Learn the safe and proper way to do things and have a good time!
 
Last edited:
@Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith, I just updated my profile minus my profile pic (currently at work).

@Tryppyr, thanks for the reply. Sorry, I should of mentioned more clearly in my OP.
I currently work for the Federal Government of Canada (Parliament Hill) and support trade persons in their line of work. So I know a bit about tools, safe practices but making knives is a bit different :)
I have bought goggles, gloves, 5" x 360degrees bench vise, clamps, powered hand sander tool with sanding paper ranging from 100 to 3000, angle grinder, bandsaw gun (had it already). I will be making my workstation bench this weekend. I understand that I am missing a "ventilation" system (not like I really needed), a drill press with different RPM ( I understand slower is better to avoid heating/crooked drills) and a forge/kiln with oils...etc.

I understand there's many different methods and I like that. People find a method that best works for them. I've seend videos of people using a dremel for cutting/buffing/grinding and the blade turned out really nicely even tho a dremel is crap. I think it's all about finding your style, what works best and safe practices.

Here is a Kiln for $250 http://www.ottawaguildofpotters.ca/shop/classifieds/equipment-for-sale/duncan-ceramic-kiln-for-sale
A forge for $250 http://www.ebay.ca/itm/DFSW-Gas-Pro...nace-Burner-/251332853500?hash=item3a849afefc

I'll admit, I don't know much about Kiln's yet except good ones are really expensive.

I'll be reading a lot of the resources posted on this site over the weekend but always welcome people's opinions and advices.
 
tryppyr said:
.....forget all the nonsense you learned from YouTube or other sites that have no real understanding of the correct way to do things.
Click to expand...

Actually Youtube has some of the most famous and most proficient bladesmith and knifemaking videos. It is a great resource on how to do things correctly.

The caution is like any other resource you must look for the good information and there is plenty of it on Youtube.
 
AVigil said:
Actually Youtube has some of the most famous and most proficient bladesmith and knifemaking videos. It is a great resource on how to do things correctly.

The caution is like any other resource you must look for the good information and there is plenty of it on Youtube.
Click to expand...

What you say is true. However, you can usually tell when someone comes here with good advice versus misinformation.
 
I recommend you pick up a book or two to get an idea of the tools and techniques used from start to finish to create a nice knife. All that is contained here, on youtube and other places but it is not organized and as user friendly for someone starting out as a good book is. A few I recommend:

David Boye's Knife Making
Jim Hrisoulas Guide to Bladesmithing
Murray Carter's Bladesmithing

I may have butchered the book names a little but the authors should be right and I've found them to be good starter books. Some of the tools are dated in the books mentioned or in Murray's case not available outside Japan. But you can then come here and find out which grinders, bandsaws, etc everyone likes as those questions have been asked many times.

Second you might think about changing your user name if that is what you want to call your knives. Not sure about Canada but here in the states "Yayo" is slang for an illicit drug. That may be why you choose it but I personally don't think it reflects well on the industry.

Good Luck

-Clint
 
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