Amateur knife making tips

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Knifek

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Hello , I am only 12 but i take knifes and knife making very seriously , I've been collecting knife for about a year and this summer i am going to attempt to start making knives , it would be helpful if a could give me some tips on how to start making knives on a VERY LOW budget which includes not having a grinder , once again thank you for your help!
 
There's nothing wrong with the replies i got in that thread i just need more tips since i literally just got interested in knife making , and there's no reason for kicking me because im 1 month to young
 
Knifek-

I was 12 when I got started on my first knife. I couldn't find very many guys that took me seriously back then. I'm 35 now (you'll be there faster than you think! :eek: LOL ;)) so I would say that 23 years later I proved a lot of those old stick in the muds wrong about me sticking with it. :D

So I'm sure you have the potential to someday be a full time knife maker if you really want to be.

Now with that said, I gotta tell you, patience is an ABSOLUTE NECESSITY when it comes to learning how to make knives. Back when I was your age, we didn't have the internet, and all the knife making books that the library was supposed to have were stolen. Most of my learning came from buying BLADE and Knives Illustrated and trying to copy what I saw in the pictures.

You, on the other hand... have an entire world of information--- right at your fingertips!!!:cool: :thumbup:

The stuff that Sam (member 12345678910) posted, has enough information to keep you busy for weeks, if not months. So just TRY to slow down a little, and spend some time looking through that stuff. Right now, you haven't been exposed to enough of this to know just how much you don't know yet.... :confused: ;)

And trust me kid, if you show some patience and consistency, it will get you much further with these guys. :)


Best of luck to 'ya! :)
 
I want to add to what both these guys said, I'm 60 and I have been a knife nut since I was 5, got into making blades 1 1/2 years ago, I got w a-a-a-a y to much information to take in from these forums. The stickies in shoptalk and what these guys are telling you is priceless information. As Nick said, patience is key. Slow down, breathe and take it all in.

Good luck.

Pat
 
I would start out with reading all the threads in this section. Sticky Threads - All The Good Info You Want In One Place
There are already posts there telling how to do everything you can imagine in regards to knife making.
After you have read and re-read everything there, then I would ask specific questions about anything you did not completely understand.
This also proves that you are willing to put forth the effort to learn.
Then maybe some of the makers will put forth the effort to help you learn.
and.....when someone takes the time to help, say thank you.
When you prove you are willing to put forth the effort and that you are grateful, the guys here will be generous sharing what they have learned over years of knifemaking.
 
Thank you both for the tips and i do realize patients
Is key

Nick , thank you for the inspiration and i can imagine how hard it would be making knifes back then since i would know anything about knives without the Internet , i would love it if you could tell me about your first work from you were my age
 
Find a local maker or just a local smith/toolmaker etc. See if you can hang around the shop and offer to do the routine chores in return for some hands on teaching. (With your parents permission of course.) And there is nothing wrong with making knife shaped objects out of anything workable you can find. Wood is excellent, other craftish media is great too.
I am teaching my 4 and 7 year old kids about tools, carpentry, metal work etc. They both spend a lot of time working on wooden models of stuff that will someday be made of steel. I even let them grab a file and a piece of steel from time to time.
Its so far lead to my seven year old building and painting his second place receiving pinewood derby car this year. Youll be surprised how fast you learn. And at this age chances are you haven't developed bad habits that need to be overcome. So you will develop properly and quickly.
Like Nick said, slow down. Patience is the #1 thing needed in making things by hand. And in learning to make them as well.
As for the age thing, the reason there is an age limit is there are several guys here who are professionals, and a lot of us hobbyists can't spare much extra time and patience either not to add a lot of us shelled out a chunk of money to use this forum in a certain way. No offense, but youngsters like yourself have a habit of asking repetitive questions and starting needless threads. As Sam pointed out if you have already asked a similar question in a thread, try to refrain from starting another thread to ask the same thing.
Cheers.
 
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My advice is to begin by making a SMALL knife from 1/8" thick steel. You will spend a lot of time figuring out how to do things and learn a LOT. After doing this you will have taken a giant step forward and you will find a lot of help here is pictures are included. The Absolute Cheapskate Way to Start Making Knives - The Cheap Knife Tutorial, mentioned earlier, is very similar to the way I made my first knife like object.

- Paul Meske, AKA Lonepine
 
I am really sorry to do this, but it is the law.

You are an underage person who has falsely joined this forum. You meant no harm, but the COPPA laws are strict. You have to be 13 to join....period. Have your dad help you for the time being.

I encourage you to read some books and online tutorials and learn all that you can before starting. We look forward to seeing you back in a year.
Stacy - Moderator
 
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