Beginner needs HELP!

M

Martin Jr

Joined
Apr 3, 2007
Messages
22
As the title says I need help and I'm new to bladesmithing, right now I'm just trying to price things. I was hoping somebody could tell me were I can get the steel I need to start and what kind of steel I should get. Thanks.
Martin Jr.
 
to help the more expirienced makers answer your quesions better they would want to know what you plan on using the knife for and what tools you have or plan to get to assist you in making the knife. im also new to making knives and have only made one so far and am working on my second one and i use 1080 which is high cabon steel. i get mine from Admiral Steel. www.admiralsteel.com do you have a forge or plan on building one? also have you picked up the book called $50 Knife Shop by Wayne Goddard? if you dont have that book yet i would suggest getting that book and reading it from cover to cover. also fill in your location so the guys can possibly help you find stuff locally.
 
I'll be using the knife for cutting. I don't have any tools yet I just got interested in bladesmithing 2 days ago, but I plane on getting: Anvil, ball pein hammer, cross pein hammer, sledge hammer, single jack hammer, flatter (I think that's what it is), tongs, files, vice, buffer, chisels, and grinder. And as for the forge I'll only be able to work outside so I was thinking about the portable coal forge from centaurforge.com but I'm still thinking about that. I don't have that book but I will get it soon. Thanks for the help.
 
Always good to see another person in TN. I found a really good source for O1 tool steel, which is excellent steel for user knives and will take a nice hamon, at Southern Steel in Chattanooga. I got 1/4" x 3" x 36" and 3/16" x 1 1/2" x 36" for $64.46 total. I bet they could ship it to you for not much more. Also try Knoxville and Nashville. Bet either one of those would have a steel supplier.

As for what steels, as others have mentioned a lot depends on what you're going to do with it. 1080, 1084, O1 are all good knife steels that you can forge and heat treat yourself. I'm dong stock removal on the O1 and it's going great so far.

Southern Steel's phone number is 423-870-7888. Ask for Dana.

Thanks,

Charles
 
Thanks for the help I'll check them out, might not be too soon since I don't have any tools yet.

And another question. What size Anvil should I get right now I'm planning on getting a 35lb. anvil from centaurforge.

Thanks again guys.
 
Martin Jr said:
As the title says I need help and I'm new to bladesmithing,.
Click to expand...
The advice I received from this forum when I also was new to bladesmithing was to just start out with 5160 steel.

Because it's used in car and truck leaf springs you can find it for cheap at a junk yard.

And because of the shape of such a leaf spring, a lot of the forge work is already done. This is really handy for new guys .
 
Greetings,

While I am glad to see another taking an interest in forging, I feel you should be warned. learning to forge at the same time you are learning to grind and fit will slow you down. I jumped in and found many hassles, one being getting all of the equipment at once.

While it may sound backwards to learn the final steps first, it helps. While you are getting books, and reading through them, try putting together a kit knife or two. That will get you familiar with fitting and finishing a blade. then try stock removal. it can be difficult enough to get even grind lines and a straight edge on flat straight barstock, forging errors will add to that learning curve. Stock removal can also give you a chance to start heat treating your blades, without the worry of "did I overheat while I was forging, will the grains be too large?"

While you are doing all of this, try forging some items out of mild steel, get to learn your hammer and forge before you drop High carbon steel in there. When you do start forging knives, get barstock, don't go to the scrap yard. What may be 5160 on one spring may be 6150, or 9260, or some sort on another. Getting a known steel will help you learn faster, and eliminate the guessing game. Good barstock costs about $1 or less for what is used on a utility or hunter (3/16"x1" 1095). it will cost less than your time.

Again, I am not trying to discourage you, I am just saying there is a lot to learn, trying to absorb it all at once is difficult. Cut it into bite sized pieces, and you will learn the whole process faster, and have more useable knives along the way.

Good Luck
Ken Nelson
 
one of our favorite suppliers for quench oils, forge building supplies and forges, and a few other things lives in knoxville. his name is Darren Ellis. http://refractory.elliscustomknifeworks.com/ hes a great guy with excellent prices and probably the best reputation out there. he will work with you on amounts of stuff you need. you could place your order with him and when its ready you can always go pick it up from him so that you dont have to pay for shipping. as for the anvil you can make one out of alot of things. im using a piece of a railroad track. i have heard of guys using things like I-beams and H-beams. you can make your own coal forge using a brake drum, piece of pipe, and a hair dryer. in the book i mentioned he shows you how to make a forge out of a soft fire brick and a propane or mapp gas torch like you would use in plumbing. also how much experience do you have with metal working and stuff? for the tongs i made mine for about $6 using my forge and mine are 25" long. im just giving you some ideas to help you save money and get experience with the craft. another thing i would suggest is get with the local blacksmiths association and knife makers in your area. you can learn alot from them by watching them and asking them some questions about knife making and about the steps they are showing you. i know its helped me out alot. i learned more in 2 months talking to other knife makers in person and from bladeforums and from reading books than i have in my whole life. you can soend alot of money or a little bit of money and still make a knife. start simple and work your way up. the motto around here for your first knife is K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, slick). :D hope that this has helped you along with what the other members are saying.
 
Wow, thanks to everyone on here all of the information is very helpful. I'm 17 years old so right now I'm learning how to drive and when I get my drivers license I'll go around talking to any blade/blacksmith that I can and I'll even try to find a place to teach me. Now as for the metal working my experience is 0 I'm working with wood right now, but I don't think it has anything to do with metal, except for making knife/sword handles and sheaths. I'm going to order two books on bladesmithing tomorrow, the 1st one of course is $50 knife shop and the second one is called The complete bladesmith. Well thanks again guys, you have all been really helpful.
 
It great to see another knife maker come on in. Just to get you started. Just go to my website and look around in the knifemakers supplies there you can get almost all you will need to make knives. Hope this was of help to you. Need more help just call. And have a great day my friend. ---------:thumbup:
 
Welcome,
I'll give you the same advise I give every new maker.
Read at least three knife making books before you spend one dollar on tools and steel. Then find a maker within your area and go see him/her. If possible go to a hammer in and or a knife show.
The Blade show ( the biggest one in the world) is in Atlanta this June. You will se every steel supplier, parts supplier, blade supplier,wood and handle suppliers, and ten thousand finished knives. Talking to the makers and attending the seminars and demos will be invaluable. If at all possible you should go. Once you have learned the basics from books and such, start by assembling a kit knife. The Blade Show will have everything you need, or go to www.knifekits.com .
Then you are ready to start putting together a shop. A secure and weather sheltered area is necessary. I had a 10X20 canopy tent ( they are only about $100) for several years over the smithy. A garage is a good place to store the stuff between knifemaking sessions.Puit everything on wheels, if it will work that way.
Start acquiring equipment slowly. First get the hand tools - files hammers, filing jigs, sandpaper,drill bits, etc. Then a drill press and a belt grinder. You don't need to start with a KMG unless you have a lot of expendable cash. ( If you do have a lot of expendable cash you definitely should start by attending the ABS School of Bladesmithing in Old Washington ,Arkansas.)
After you have these tools you can get an anvil and forging supplies. By then you may have decided on a gas forge, or be ready to build one (It is surprisingly easy). I say take a year to progress from thinking about being a knifemaker to becoming a new maker who is just realy starting.

You didn't fill out some of the info in your profile, so I will assume you are a student and young (could be wrong). That info would help with advise that needs to know your position in life and experience. A 65 year old retired welder gets a very different answer than a 16 year old 10th grade student.

Learn to use the search function on this forum and on Google. It is your friend.
Visit www.knifehow.com for a lot of tutorials and info.
There are many tutorial sites such as Don Fogg's and other makers on this forum.
Read the getting started sticky at the top of this forum page.
Welcome again, Stacy
 
Take to heart what Stacy has just said, take your time, go slow. I've been taking my time with blacksmithing, slowly aquiring the tools over the last two and a half years, and have taken from last summer when my dad tossed me a copy of the wonder of knifemaking (wayne goddard) untill now to aquire tools to assist in knife making. I'm a total raw beginner, and Iv'e been looking at making knives for a good 8 months. In that time i've made a grand total of one blade (and quite a few blade shaped rail road spike knives, but those arent really blades =P )
 
Wow, thanks Stacy and Justin. Good thing I started on this forum, otherwise I would be completely lost. Yes, my apologies for not having all of my account info filled out. I'm in 11th grade so I don't have a lot of expendable cash, so I'll be happy to have all of the equipment I need in one and a half to two years. I'm going to order two books next week and after that I'll start on some knife kits. Thanks for everything everyone.
 
Way to go. Keep learning, and keep reading this forum. You will go a long way by the time graduation rolls around. If you really show your parents/grandparents that you are serious, maybe a two week session at the ABS school could be in for your graduation present. It might just be the best thing they ever gave you.
http://www.americanbladesmith.com/

Join the ABS under their student rate and the newsletter alone will be a good deal.

If you get several books and really study them, and still want to learn more, let me know. I lend out books and videos to serious students. First hook up with a local smith. He/she may have a lot of material to lend you.
Stacy
 
Thanks Stacy, two weeks at the ABS school would be the greatest thing ever, but knowing my parents I don't think it will happen, well happen then, eventually I will go. Thanks for you offer on the books, I can't wait to get mine ordered, tomorrow I'm going to a book store in town to see if they have anything. I've been reading so much stuff on bladesmithing over the Internet the past few days my brain needs to be reorganized. Thanks again.
 
have you looked up any local bladesmiths in the area? if not just make a post saying ANY MAKERS IN THE MONTEREY, TENNESSEE AREA? that will help you out too.
 
I have been looking up bladesmiths but haven't found any yet so I'm going to make a new post. I had forgotten my town had a library, I'll go tomorrow and see what they have. Well I'll be on later tonight, I have to go to the dentist now:grumpy: Thanks everybody.
 
sweet. let us know if you have any questions about what he is talking about in the book. happy reading!!!!!!!
 
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