Good resources for learning about knives?

HikingMano

HikingMano

Joined
Sep 2, 2008
Messages
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I only realized in the past couple of years that there's so much more to knives than a piece of metal you hold in your hand. I'd like to learn more about all aspects of knives (history, steel, design, locks, heat treatment, manufacturers, future trends); I know many of you are uber experienced and know a crapload of stuff, so can anyone point me to some good resources (books, the web, magazines, people, whatever)? I thought I knew a good deal about knives, but it's becoming painfully apparent that I know next to nothing :o So I want to actually learn a thing or two to before spouting random crap :D

Alternatively, feel free to point at me and laugh :p:D


Thanks!
 
rksoon said:
I only realized in the past couple of years that there's so much more to knives than a piece of metal you hold in your hand. I'd like to learn more about all aspects of knives (history, steel, design, locks, heat treatment, manufacturers, future trends); I know many of you are uber experienced and know a crapload of stuff, so can anyone point me to some good resources (books, the web, magazines, people, whatever)? I thought I knew a good deal about knives, but it's becoming painfully apparent that I know next to nothing :o So I want to actually learn a thing or two to before spouting random crap :D

Alternatively, feel free to point at me and laugh :p:D


Thanks!
Click to expand...

Here are a few websites to get you started... (I have them bookmarked of course!):
http://www.agrussell.com/Articles/a/4/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grind
http://www.cutleryscience.com/reviews/blade_materials.html
http://www.zknives.com/knives/articles/knifesteelfaq.shtml
http://www.knifeart.com/steelfaqbyjo.html
 
rksoon, at the risk of breaking taboos, I enjoy the knife discussion right here, but also at the "other forum" http://www.knifeforums.com

The crew over at JerzeeDevil http://jerzeedevil.com/ seems a little rough at first but it is actually a great and welcoming group. They are all very passionate about knives, and some very thoughtful discussion goes on there. You'll recognize many of the regulars here over there too.

http://customknivesandguns.com/ is newer, but has a lot of good knowledge. Like here, many under-the-radar but respected makers are around, willing to discuss the nuts-and-bolts topics.

There are tons of maker-specific forums too, that range from active to crickets. For example, I like the forums at http://spyderco.com/forums/ and http://dozierknives.com/forum/

Finally, like JD and here, there are a lot of good discussions over at USN http://usualsuspect.net/forums/, but registration is required.

I really think that you can gain a lot of knowledge from reading these forums and actively participating. Retail knife counters (like gun counters) can be either a great place to learn or a great place to hear all the BS you can handle.

This is a minority view, but I haven't been too impressed with the knife-related print resources available. The knife mags mostly strike me as thin, poorly written, and expensive, but Tactical Knives magazine is one of the better ones (even if you're not especially into tacticals).

Knife shows (not "gun and knife shows", aka "gun shows with a few tables of Maxams") can be a great place to chat up a huge variety of experienced makers and collectors. I highly recommend making the effort to get to a good knife show.

When I was first getting back into knives, I ended up making a few "knife friends" here and elsewhere, and ended up getting together a few times for hikes or just a long afternoon in the garage looking at knives. I've met some really great guys. Look in the Community section here for local get-togethers.

But for the specific topics you mention (history, steel, design, locks, heat treatment, manufacturers, future trends), I think good ol' BF is the place to go.
 
Stick around right here on Bladeforums for awhile, and you'll find your knife knowledge steadly increasing. When I first joined in 2006, I knew next to nothing about knives (I thought the M7 bayonet was the best thing since sliced bread, if that tells you anything:o:D), and believed a lot of the BS that I'd heard about them as well. Two years later, and I'm infinitely more knowledgeble about the topic than I was before, although my knowledge is still extremely limited compared to many of the people here. I still usually learn something new every week. The longer you stick around, the more you'll learn! Also, if you have a question, don't be afraid to ask.
 
Great! Thanks guys for the tips and sites to check out. I've definitely been learning an incredible amount over these past couple of months just through perusing the various threads on bladeforums. I'll have to make more use though of that google search, i've been trying to use the search function on BF and it drives me nuts sometimes.

Trajda, thanks again for the advice :) Your comment about knife shows reminded me that I've never been to one yet, I'll be keeping my ears open from now on for the next one that rolls into town. :)

And orthogonal1, which one of Levine's books is a good read?


Thanks guys, have a great Sunday! :D
 
"Levine's Guide to Knives and Their Values, 4th Edition" is the one to look for. Used only, now.

The book is sort of an intro into older knives and helps put things in perspective when you look at knives in general. A bit dated, though, which isn't neccessarily bad.

Also: http://www.knife-expert.com/

There are other books, but I have kept Levine's while others have come and gone (should have kept the others, but room is limited).

BTW - I wish Sal of Spyderco would take the time to write a book, since he has been "poking around" the knife scene for a couple of decades as an enthusiast/maker, often on the "cutting edge" of the technology. That experience would make for an interesting perspective.
 
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