Belt Sander vs Bench Grinder?

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A bench grinder, the kind with stone wheels, 6 inch or so, is just about worthless for knife making. Belt grinders are the way to go.
 
Ahh, thanks. A decent belt sander forces you to pay out your arse, so I may just need to file. Do you know how long filing takes?
 
I don't know exactly how much you're willing to spend, but a Craftsman 2x42 is ~$160 new, and you can get great deals on Craigslist etc. There's certainly nothing wrong with filing, in fact I would say that's the best place to begin, but you're better off not concerning yourself with time if you pursue that route. Your only worry should be perfection, not speed. You should check out the stickies.
 
ConneA98 said:
.......... Do you know how long filing takes?
Click to expand...

At age 15, everything seems to take too long.

Take your time and file the bevels dead flat and then sand them to a smooth and scratch free surface. This can take from an hour to a week. It all depends on the steel, the blade size, and your proficiency.
This tutorial has helped a lot of new makers get started for not much money:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/694673-How-to-instructions-for-making-a-knife

I would save up your money for when you get good enough and make enough knives to need a belt sander. At that point, a 2X42 is a good starter step. If you get one before you have learned how to make the bevels and shapes properly, all a belt sander will do is make bad/ugly blades faster.
 
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