How To Getting Into Knife-Making

I posted before on a grinding jig using an angle grinder. You can find it easily on YouTube. I would do the bulk removal on angle grinder and clean it up with files.

There is also a huge variety of discs for the grinder, those flat disks in the 120-180 grit are great for clean up. I would go for a 60 grit flap disk for removal.
 
If I was starting today from scratch, this is the advise I would give myself
-make decision for the first few to send it out to professional heat treat. JTknives is a good one for send one at a time
-pick a steel that can be filed to final thickness before heat treating. Buy from a reputable source like Alpha Knife Supply, New Jersey Steel Barron, Pops, etc. I'd even get the precision ground variety that Alpha can do for many of their stock. Starting with something very flat makes things easier.
-pick design from an existing template, like a drop point or paring knife. Something that is known. Not too big, not too thick
-get some good high tension hack saw blades, hack saw for rough cutting profile
-get some good files in coarse, medium and fine.
-make a Gough style jig for hand filing
-don't bother with a 1" grinder from Home Depot.
-get some good sandpaper designed for metal at the 120, 220-400 or 600 level (Rhynowet), and good sandpaper designed for wood for the handle
-don't watch too many you tube videos. Either pick one and follow it all the way through or better yet, get a book and follow that. "How to Make Knives" by Barney and Loveless is a favorite because they show hand filing method.
-get some good drill bits in one 'size' bigger than the pin stock you pick. So if you have a 1/4" pin or Thong hole, buy a nice quality F drill bit
-buy or go to a friend's who has a decent drill press. This is the one power tool I think is worth having initially.
-get a good respirator, and safety glasses
-Use basic handle material like Micarta
-strive for some basic quality - symmetry, getting rid of deep scratches, but don't get obsessed with trying to be as good as others.
-finish it. all the way to sharpening, no matter what.
-if it is anything other than a kitchen knife, make a sheath too
 
ashwinearl said:
If I was starting today from scratch, this is the advise I would give myself
-make decision for the first few to send it out to professional heat treat. JTknives is a good one for send one at a time
-pick a steel that can be filed to final thickness before heat treating. Buy from a reputable source like Alpha Knife Supply, New Jersey Steel Barron, Pops, etc. I'd even get the precision ground variety that Alpha can do for many of their stock. Starting with something very flat makes things easier.
-pick design from an existing template, like a drop point or paring knife. Something that is known. Not too big, not too thick
-get some good high tension hack saw blades, hack saw for rough cutting profile
-get some good files in coarse, medium and fine.
-make a Gough style jig for hand filing
-don't bother with a 1" grinder from Home Depot.
-get some good sandpaper designed for metal at the 120, 220-400 or 600 level (Rhynowet), and good sandpaper designed for wood for the handle
-don't watch too many you tube videos. Either pick one and follow it all the way through or better yet, get a book and follow that. "How to Make Knives" by Barney and Loveless is a favorite because they show hand filing method.
-get some good drill bits in one 'size' bigger than the pin stock you pick. So if you have a 1/4" pin or Thong hole, buy a nice quality F drill bit
-buy or go to a friend's who has a decent drill press. This is the one power tool I think is worth having initially.
-get a good respirator, and safety glasses
-Use basic handle material like Micarta
-strive for some basic quality - symmetry, getting rid of deep scratches, but don't get obsessed with trying to be as good as others.
-finish it. all the way to sharpening, no matter what.
-if it is anything other than a kitchen knife, make a sheath too
Click to expand...
Wow, that is definitely the amount of advice I need!
I've got 2 drill presses, so that won't be a huge problem.
I'll start to check out some of the sandpaper and such.
Thank you for the info!
God bless,
- Wyatt
 
Wyatt Flora said:
I wasn't going to forge a knife at all.
I guess I should have been more clear, my fault.
I thought that to do heat treat you should heat the blade up in the forge, then heat treat them in oil.
Maybe that's incorrect.

I would like to use Cru-Wear eventually, but that would be after I get the hang of things. (Wouldn't want to start with such expensive steel.)

As for cutting tools, I've got an angle grinder, which is what I read, not ideal, but a lot of people start out like that.

God bless,
- Wyatt
Click to expand...
Wyatt Flora said:
I wasn't going to forge a knife at all.
I guess I should have been more clear, my fault.
I thought that to do heat treat you should heat the blade up in the forge, then heat treat them in oil.
Maybe that's incorrect.

I would like to use Cru-Wear eventually, but that would be after I get the hang of things. (Wouldn't want to start with such expensive steel.)

As for cutting tools, I've got an angle grinder, which is what I read, not ideal, but a lot of people start out like that.

God bless,
- Wyatt
Click to expand...
Many people who are starting are wanting to do some forging but if you can budget a little bit you can send your knife out for heat treatment you can have a knife that gives you great performance, better than off the shelf knives even. Most steels come in a soft form and can be drilled ground and filed in that form. If you are wanting to use higher performance steels they cannot be heat treated in a forge anyway so you can skip that step. Walter Sorells did a video about using a angel grinder to make a knife and it would be a great place to start. If you are really careful with all your layout and grinding you can hog off most of the excess with your angle grinder and the use a file jig to get it flat and true you can make a great knife its just going to take longer. Aaron Gough has a great video on how to make a file jig. A lot of newer makers will still use the file jig to true up their knife after they use the grinder anyway. A drop point is a great place to start. I might still recommend the 8670 from Pops just because of the price. Its one of the toughest steels out there and can be done nice and hard. Once you can make a blade that you like go get your preferred steel.
I'm not the best knife maker out there but you can call or text me if you like. 360.305.6225
 
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Storm W said:
Many people who are starting are wanting to do some forging but if you can budget a little bit you can send your knife out for heat treatment you can have a knife that gives you great performance, better than off the shelf knives even. Most steels come in a soft form and can be drilled ground and filed in that form. If you are wanting to use higher performance steels they cannot be heat treated in a forge anyway so you can skip that step. Walter Sorells did a video about using a angel grinder to make a knife and it would be a great place to start. If you are really careful with all your layout and grinding you can hog off most of the excess with your angle grinder and the use a file jig to get it flat and true you can make a great knife its just going to take longer. Aaron Gough has a great video on how to make a file jig. A lot of newer makers will still use the file jig to true up their knife after they use the grinder anyway. A drop point is a great place to start. I might still recommend the 8670 from Pops just because of the price. Its one of the toughest steels out there and can be done nice and hard. Once you can make a blade that you like go get your preferred steel.
I'm not the best knife maker out there but you can call or text me if you like. 360.305.6225
Click to expand...
I'll look into that file jig by Aaron Gough.
It might be better for me to start off sending them off for heat-treat.
I'll also look into that 8670.
Thanks for the help!
Merry Christmas!
God bless,
- Wyatt
 
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