Cost Question

C

CauseforAlarm

Joined
Oct 18, 2004
Messages
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I'm sure you guys are flooded with early interest related questions, but I couldn't find any info on the search function. From your experience, what is the cost of equipment and materials capable of producing respectable fixed blade knives out of lower end carbon steel? Any information or advice is appreciated.
 
My best advice would be to first read Wayne Goddard's book "The $50 knife shop". Then you spending will be revolving around which method you will be using to produce the blades , forging or stock removal.
 
Crappy Belt Grinder like I use: $110
Belts: $1.50 each x 25, or so
Drill Press: $100
Assorted Drill Bits: ~$25
Band Saw: $200
Bench Vice: $30
Dremmel Tool: $50
Tons of Sand Paper: $30

You can substitute the Belt Grinder for a $20 file but it'll take you about 10 times longer. If you want to do cord wrapped handles, you can take away the drill press and use a hand drill. You can substitute the Band Saw for a $10 hack saw, but you'll pay for the rest in elbow grease and therapy.

- Chris
 
Thanks guys, this is really interesting. Is there anyplace you can purchase steel online? I looked at the Home Depot website to see what they carried but was unable to locate anything. Also, I have read over the steel guide in the past but am unable to remember the specifics. What steels would be good choices for learning to make knives, with relative ease of work and heat treat, as well as later performance? Thanks again.

Edit: Also, for those of you who've attempted the file job depicted in the hossom link, how long should I expect to spend hours-wise? Aside from lengthening the time, are the any other downfalls to forming a knife in this fashion?
 
Do yourself a favor and check out the online catalogs from Sheffield Knifemakers Suppy, Koval, Texas Knife Supply, Jantz, and K&G. Paying for print copies will give you a good hardcopy resource intro to the materials commonly used. here are some links:

http://www.knifeandgun.com/
http://www.jantzsupply.com/
http://www.kovalknives.com/home.htm
http://www.texasknife.com/
http://www.sheffieldsupply.com/

There are other places some folks may give links for, but that will get you started.

Home Depot has no decent steel for you make a blade from, unless you regrind something like a saw blade.

Two good high carbon steels to start with and do home heat treat with simple torch, etc, are O-1 and 1084.

Hope that helps some.
 
"Are you wanting to get by cheap or just curious about initial start up cost?"

A little of both, I am interested in the costs of knifemaking, and if I do go forward with it I will almost certainly have a strict budget.
 
A good place to buy O1 is Tool and Die although someone much more observant than I recently noted that their "secure" ordering layer, wasn't. I don't know whether they've fixed that yet.

Also, I'd seriously consider buying a better grinder, expect to spend $400 minimum. Otherwise you'll require much patience and suffer many unnessesary setbacks grinding. You want 2X72 and at least 1 HP. The best situation would be 2 HP variable speed but you'd have to be pretty dedicated to go that far - it gets pricey. Many people have set up a fine KMG with an inexpensive motor/controller to get the best of all worlds. Others have built their own grinders with excellent results.

Welcome to Shop Talk! A veritable trove of friendly assistance resides here everyday.
 
CauseforAlarm said:
Thanks guys, this is really interesting. Is there anyplace you can purchase steel online? I looked at the Home Depot website to see what they carried but was unable to locate anything. Also, I have read over the steel guide in the past but am unable to remember the specifics. What steels would be good choices for learning to make knives, with relative ease of work and heat treat, as well as later performance? Thanks again.
Click to expand...



I just looked at a website someone else posted
http://rwwilsonknives.com he has bargan basement prices for ats34 and 440c stainless. Those are nice to grind and everybody heat treats them.

I buy my precision ground tool steel (A2 & D2) from a supplier I found on Ebay http://lowcostmetals.com in Misouri. They may not always have the exact size you are looking for but they have good prices and every time I have bought tool steel from them it came in the sealed manufacturer's wrapper. I have also bought brass from them.


Drew
 
I think I'm going to give it a shot. I will be drilling and cutting the profile with a hacksaw as depicted in the hossom link, and going at it via the file route. I understand that this will be difficult and time consuming, but I have a low budget and occasionally have plenty of free time. I apologize in advance for the simplistic questions I'll have in the future.

For instance, in the link here and in other sites, it will have bar stock listed by thickness and length, as in some cases the width of the flat bar. In the instance below, how can I tell what I'm looking at without a complete size description of width? Thanks for your time.
http://www.lowcostmetals.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=502
 
CauseforAlarm said:
For instance, in the link here and in other sites, it will have bar stock listed by thickness and length, as in some cases the width of the flat bar. In the instance below, how can I tell what I'm looking at without a complete size description of width? Thanks for your time.
http://www.lowcostmetals.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=502
Click to expand...

{This is from the page Look below "choose size"}

O-1 Tool Steel Flat Bar .1875" (3/16) thicknessO-1 Oil Hardening
Qty In Stock Price Qty*2 $7.99

Choose Size: *

{there is a grey tool bar you click and it shows the sizes available)

Detailed Description O-1 Oil Hardening Tool Steel
3/16 inch thickness
O/S - denotes Oversized
***
 
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