Grinders Info (Yes, again)

TheOTBalisong said:
Hmmm, That Grizzly is interesting, how does it stack up to a KMG?

Obviously it's single speed, but that's not too much of a problem.
Click to expand...

The Grizzly is for someone who absolutely can not afford anything else!

I had one many years ago and would never buy another.


Bader BIII and KMG is what I use. Burr King is also a very good grinder...
 
To start off on a budget I'd consider filing your plunges/final handle lines (after grinding) and buying the cheapest grinder you can find. You can use the grinder to rough away stock and then hand finish. Wally Hayes has a good video on this approach.

I bought a used Craftsman 4x36 at the flea market and made a bunch of knives on it. I literally ran it until I wore everything out. At that point I knew I needed a KMG so it was an easy decision, lol credit card. The 4x36 was great and it took me a few knives to get used to the KMG. I think I actually bought my kiln before the nice grinder.

You can always compromise with an in between priced grinder but I am happy I did it the way I did. After a few $200 belt orders a nice grinder makes more sense.

If I only wanted to make knives as a hobby I think a cheap grinder/files is an enjoyable approach. I had a lot of fun filing away with my clamp on vice on the porch.
 
Last edited:
Buy a KMG to begin with and you will never regret it. If you go the cheap route, you will be kicking yourself in less than a month.

With the basic KMG set-up you can do just about everything you want. Later, you can add small wheels, rotary platens, and other trinkets. You can't do that with a Grizzly or some of the others mentioned.

Robert
 
Tough choices. On the one hand we hear over and over that it is a waste of time to buy anything but a KMG or higher end machine, and yet it seems that many folks have made or continue to make knives on the craftsman or grizzly. The craftsman sounds like it was an intermediate step for many knifemakers. So the beginner reading these threads might ask why not me, too? I guess it's a matter of just how broke someone is, how long it would take to save the KMG funds, and how long they want to wait to start grinding. Because during that wait one can make knives with an angle grinder, files and such.
 
Basically my options are save up for a KMG/Burr King/Badar.

Next step down would be a Grizzly.

Then a Craftsman.

I can buy a craftsman now, and I don't need to save much for a Grizzly.

KMG is another story, but, we'll see.
Thanks for all the support guys.

Now, One last thing.
I'm just a hobbyist knife maker with no intention of selling the knives I make.
Would a Grizzly really leave me feeling like I need more?
And how much is the Grizzly better then the Craftsman?

Thanks,
And sorry for the numerous questions.
 
The grizzly will undoubtedly leave you wanting more. It runs really fast and is hard to learn how to grind a bevel on it. Flat grinds are even harder because you can't look down the belt at your edge.
I have a grizzly, a nwg, and a kmg and I'm glad I have all three and use all three, but knowing what I know now I would have started with a kmg. The kmg is the only one that I can do every step of a knife build on. The nwg can be used for everything if you are into fabricating your own attachments and tools. Also, it's best to know how to weld in spite of the name.
 
Alright.
I've been thinking, and it seems the KMG is the only option were I won't end up selling the grinder and buying a better one later.

Thanks for all the great responses.
 
sounds like you guys have talked me into the KMG. is there any others that can compare or is this the "caddilac" of grinders?
 
Depending on how much do-it-yourself you want to do...

http://www.wilmontgrinders.com/Pages/LBGrinder.aspx

javand here on the forums did a build thread a while back which inspired me to order my own. Awesome grinder, got it built for just about $900 I think with a used 2HP and pulleys. Granted, probably $150 of that was shipping costs since I got it from across the border, you should be able to do it cheaper!
 
If you are hooked on making knives,Don't fool around with anything less than the real deal. Get a KMG and add accessories as you can afford it, you will be glad you did. If you are in for the long haul a VFD will be in your future. The single most benificial thing I did to improve my grinding was to add a VFD, the added control was well worth its cost.
 
I now have a Bader and am so glad that I finally have a great grinder with VFD. However, I have 3 other grinders in my garage. I started with a Chinese 1x42 with the idea just to sharpen. Wasn't long before I was grinding knives. Wore that machine out and got a Craftsman 2x42. That was a step up from where I started. I used it for about a year and made a lot of knives with it. Several knifemakers in my area were amazed at the knives and flat grinds I was making from such "awful equipment". I saved up and got a Grizzly. I felt this was a great investment. I was so used to the super speed of the Craftsman I did not like the slower speed of the Grizzly at first, but then I realized the increased power made up for the difference. I only used the Grizzly for about six months and then I got the Bader at the Knifemakers Guild Show. It is an amazing step up from all the others. VFD is definitely the way to go. I am very grateful for the grinder progression I have made. Starting with the craftsman I had to work on my placement of the blade to the platen cause if you missed you would destroy your flat you worked so hard on. I say get what you can afford and enjoy doing it. Now saying that, there is no way I would go back to grinding knives on the craftsman, and it is doubtful the Griz will be used for anything other than to run buffing wheels.

Chris
 
Let me say first off that I am a happy and satisfied KMG owner/user. That said, I am very impressed with the TW-90 grinder. I've seen it in acton up close and personal and spoken with it's developer, Travis Wuertz. It is pricey though. You have to keep in mind when looking at the TW, that you are actually purchasing two or three machines in one. A 2 x 72 upright grinder, at 2 x 72 horizontal grinder and if you really go for it, a surface grinder. I guess if you ran the numbers, purchasing them separately along with motors and VFD's, the TW would actually save some $. Just thought I would throw in my $0.02 to confuse you even more.

Bob
 
rscoffey said:
Let me say first off that I am a happy and satisfied KMG owner/user. That said, I am very impressed with the TW-90 grinder. I've seen it in acton up close and personal and spoken with it's developer, Travis Wuertz. It is pricey though. You have to keep in mind when looking at the TW, that you are actually purchasing two or three machines in one. A 2 x 72 upright grinder, at 2 x 72 horizontal grinder and if you really go for it, a surface grinder. I guess if you ran the numbers, purchasing them separately along with motors and VFD's, the TW would actually save some $. Just thought I would throw in my $0.02 to confuse you even more.

Bob
Click to expand...

The kmg can be flipped to be a horizontal with a little creative thinking and quite cheaply. Not taking away from the tw90. The tw also used different diameter tooling arm if i'm not mistaken and in aluminum. Just a few of the finer details between the 2.
 
rustyrazor said:
sounds like you guys have talked me into the KMG. is there any others that can compare or is this the "caddilac" of grinders?
Click to expand...

Like has been said, Bader, Burr King and KMG are the top three.

KMG is the econo, but built like a tank. All three are excellent grinders!

Bader and Burr King have been around a long, long time.

Edit to add; tw90 is the new kid on the block and I know nothing about them...
 
I recently found a great deal on a used KMG but unfortunately have yet to get it to work. However, prior to this I was all set to plunk down a few bucks for the Craftsman with the understanding that some immediate modifications were in order. If you do go the Craftsman route you should check out the $500knifeshop on Youtube. They run you through some cheap mods that, at least from my very limited perspective, seem to vastly improve the out-of-the-box product.
 
i started on a 4x36 then "upgraded" (i guess) to a 1x42 boy o boy when i got that KMG the cost hurt but the grinder was a dream (i fully plan on getting a 2nd one after the new shop is built )
 
rscoffey said:
I guess if you ran the numbers, purchasing them separately along with motors and VFD's, the TW would actually save some $. Just thought I would throw in my $0.02 to confuse you even more.

Bob
Click to expand...

Actually, that is not true. I ran the numbers a while back, and for what a TW-90 costs, you could buy a vertical KMG, a horizontal KMG, and set them both up with VFDs for just a little bit less than what a TW-90 costs.

As for the surface grinding attachment, you can find used (dedicated) surface grinders all day long for well under what Travis sells his for, and still have more than enough left over to convert it to belts.

I'm not saying that the TW-90 and it's compatible SG attachment isn't a spectacular and well designed package, but for what it is, I just don't see where the costs are justified. Especially considering what you can get for the same price.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top