Best Resouce Material for aspiring Maker?

Barrabas

Barrabas

Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
1,135
Hi,

I'd like to make a Fixed blade - but have no clue where to begin in order to do it right.
I don't want to buy a blade and build around it - want to do it right (yep repeating myself on purpose :).
Is there a Book / Web resource that has consensus as being the best foundational resource for a novice to begin preparation towards making a Great knife from scratch?

Good news is, I may have access to an old Blacksmith Shop - a Family member bought it in an auction - and it is just collecting dust at the present time.

Thanks so much for your help.

sp
 
newbie link that is stickied at the top of this subforum, and wayne goddard's 50 dollar knife shop ( a book). the 50 dollar knife shop is a nice toilet read because TBH i learned more reading around here then anywhere else. His book tends to focus more on the home forgers but is well worth the purchase
 
I've been scouring the web for a solid week in preparations to make my first blade. So far I find that if you have an anvil and fire your option for steel are a lot more open. I see people making them out of farm equipment blades and tines. Steel ball bearings. Old leaf springs. Worn out files (pawn shop maybe?) Lawn mower blades. Wire rope (Cable). And I'm sure I haven't even begun to name the sources.

I have a couple of rusty old bastards that I'll be making my first two out of. I think all I need is fire and new files for my first. Hopefully I can scrounge an anvil up from somewhere and with my job we often change cables and trash the old one. Not any more!

EDIT: I also found this in my searching which has made my mind up that I would like to forge knives as soon as possible.
http://home.flash.net/~dwwilson/ntba/archive/junkyard.jpg
 
The Goddard book has pretty much become the standard.

www.engnath.com is the website I suggest most often for folks starting out.

For what it's worth, I suggest reading everything you can until you think you understand it and then spending an afternoon in a knifemaker's shop. That is what made things just start "clicking" for me. You're bound to be able to find someone near you who'll give you a couple hours of their time.
 
People make knives from many good used things and from many bad used things. Since "you want to do it right" from the start, get some 1084 from Aldo Bruno (on the Knifemaking Supplies For Sale sub-forum) It is one of the best steels to start with.
If you want an in depth book on making knives, get "The Complete Bladesmith", by Jim Hrisoulas. It is not cheap, but is a most excellent reference. Another good book is, "Step-by-Step Knifemaking", by David Boye. Others are listed in the newbies stickie.
Stacy
 
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