Bevel Jigs

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lanternnate said:
I'll need to try this. My struggle freehand grinding is when the blade has any real length to it. I can do ok at short blades, but longer blades my biggest challenge is keeping the belt from pulling the tip down. It becomes this game of tip dropping, overcompensating and flipping the tip up, backing off the pressure to try to avoid the issue and mucking it up that way. Your approach sounds like it makes a lot of sense, but it's something I'd never even thought to try.
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I do a bracing method on chef's knives basically use my off hand fingers on the back of the platen tang riding on my offhand index finger close to the knuckle with my off hand thumb providing pressure control as I move towards the tip. It's a little daunting when I first did it, but it's second nature now. You need to have clear access on both sides of the platen to do this. It's easy, especially when it is getting thin to leave the tip too thick as it bends away from the platen and doesn't have the same amount of pressure on it as it does towards the butt.
 
Another thing that can be done on large blades is to treat it as two seperate ones. On big hollow ground Bowie's I'll generally do the straight section first, and be leaning into the grinder as hard as I can. Once all that metal is out I'll do the curved part towards the tip with slightly lighter pressure, and treat it as a seperate knife. Then blend the two together. It's not for every knife, but it can make it far easier and cut grinding time in half on the right pieces
 
I don't know if it's faster for me, but it certainly helps not dorking things up. That's something I forgot to mention. Learning that not every pass has to be perfect from ricasso to tip led to a reduction in screwing up and screwing around.
 
kuraki said:
I don't know if it's faster for me, but it certainly helps not dorking things up. That's something I forgot to mention. Learning that not every pass has to be perfect from ricasso to tip led to a reduction in screwing up and screwing around.
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I learned that by watching Steve Johsons video on making a Big Bear Fighter. He makes a light short pass and checks the grind, again, again, again and so on.

This technique really help the start of problems and focuses in on what needs to be ground on the next pass. Much better then the "Hail Marry" full length pass crossing your fingers it turns out ok .
 
Adam, You used a good model in Steve Johnson. Everyone should watch his lengthy video " Making the sub-hilt fighter". He shows every nuance of his way of blade grinding and I think it is a massive head start for any knife maker. I watched it years ago and again a few months ago. He has developed a method for grinding that many would do well to emulate in my opinion. I have seen many knife makers use absolutely no rests when grinding a nice bevel and equally many who use a small or larger rest. I say do what works for you to produce a professional looking knife. I personally use a small 2x3" rest to grind most of my blades because it helps steady my old fingers. That doesn't mean that using a rest is only for old guys. I think it is good practice and many professional knife makers agree. Nick Wheeler comes to mind on this subject. Practice is what makes great knife makers in my opinion...we may never get enough and as my father said many times " Do not get a big head because there will always be somebody better at your craft than you" But he also said "Be proud of your work if you have done your best." Larry
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I know that many knifemakers view using jigs as "cheating", but I really have no choice. With a paralyzed arm/hand, I'm stuck doing everything with ONE! So I need a little extra support for things. I use an adjustable rest and make jigs from aluminum angle stock for each blade. Set the table angle with a digi angle cube, and go to town.
 
One clever man said: "It is not important how long You do work but how it is done." So, I sometimes use jig and sometimes not, it is not important for me. :-)
 
Jesenius said:
One clever man said: "It is not important how long You do work but how it is done." So, I sometimes use jig and sometimes not, it is not important for me. :)
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Well said.:thumbsup::) It's about having even bevels in the end! It doesn't matter how you get there!
 
DavidHoback said:
I know that many knifemakers view using jigs as "cheating", but I really have no choice. With a paralyzed arm/hand, I'm stuck doing everything with ONE! So I need a little extra support for things. I use an adjustable rest and make jigs from aluminum angle stock for each blade. Set the table angle with a digi angle cube, and go to town.
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So why they not write with laser on the blade . . . . This knife is grind free hand :D
I do it the same way as you ........... Something I noticed is that if I grind hardened steel less likely to overheat tip is if I start grinding from tip to ricasso .
 
Natlek said:
So why they not write with laser on the blade . . . . This knife is grind free hand :D
I do it the same way as you ........... Something I noticed is that if I grind hardened steel less likely to overheat tip is if I start grinding from tip to ricasso .
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LOL! :D That's the beauty of knife making. There are so many ways to grind the bevels. And none are "incorrect". Only different! I grind opposite. I start with a plunge cut and continue to the tip. I keep from overheating, by not not allowing the tip to all the way to the edge of belt.
 
I always hear that there are people that have problems with knifemakers that use jigs from people who use jigs, but I've never heard someone actually have a problem with someone using a jig.
 
DavidHoback said:
I KNOW that many knifemakers view using jigs as "cheating", QUOTE]

Really you KNOW for a Fact These Particular Knifemakers you're talking about what there views are or are you Speculating...Because I'm a Knife Maker and I sure don't want others to think that is MY VIEW about jigs as "CHEATING". I'm not sure that throwing a blanket statement like that around is appropriate for this forum.
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Exactly my point! So as I said... I Know of many who feel like this!
 
JG Custom Metal Works said:
Tomato tomaato. I say using 2x72 grinders is cheating. If you aren't forging to 90% and then finishing with files, then you're no bladesmith. ;)
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A "knife maker" is someone who makes knives and a "bladesmith" is someone who forges Blades. if grinders are cheating then so is sand paper and you should use stones like the Japanese.
 
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