- Joined
- Jul 28, 2006
- Messages
- 3,953
Hi, welcome to the craft! It's the time of year when we get a wave of beginners and the wave of "how do I...." questions. While we love to answer questions about knives here are some random thoughts and simple tips to ensure you'll get good answers without wearing down the answerers (in no particular order):
- Fill out your profile, some answers will differ based on the region and there may be someone nearby that will let you visit.
- Read the stickies, there's a lot of information there and a good chance your question is already answered. If it's not answered there at least you'll have a good foundation of knowledge to ask an educated question.
- Here's a way to search BF using google even if you're not a paying member:
You can do a limited search on this site using google by typing in [site:bladeforums.com] without the brackets before or after your query.
- This site has a lot of great links to tutorials, I visit here when I have a question and don't feel like typing:
http://gbrannon.bizhat.com/#heat
- Please try to give all the necessary information in the original post. If you want to start making knives try to let people know your background, what tools you have, your budget and how you intend to make knives (stock removal or forging.) This will prevent a repeated back and forth and changing of answers based on different parameters.
- Be humble and understand that people have been making knives for over 5000 years, as original as you think the design is, chances are it's been done. Here's an example, I was working with a customer on a golok blade design. I had just watched Last of the Mohicans and wanted to incoporate a rifle stock warclub into the design of the blade, pretty original? Nope, found a picture of a 500 year old golok that was EXACTLY like my design.
- Be humble and understand that there are centuries of experience available to answer your question, when someone answers your question they are sharing hard earned knowledge in an attempt to save you trouble. It's rather upsetting to some makers to have their information discounted out of hand by someone that's never completed a knife.
- Be humble and understand that there's no "perfect" way to do it. There's no perfect way, we're all stumbling down the path of the craft and luckily find fellow travellers to help steady our walk. There's room for the "dunk it in gunk" makers and the "S curve and Parks 50 quenchant" makers, as long as you are honest with yourself and your customers that's what counts.
- Understand that very few of the makers you see started out with KMG/Burr King/Bader or other high end grinders and tooling. Those tools are bought with a lot of sweat, blood and tears. Most of us started out with tooling as bad or worse than you have. It's not the tool it's the man running the tools. Top makers can take a file, sandpaper and a hand drill and turn out a blade better than I can using a mill and grinder.
- Be humble and understand that very few makers earn the top prices for their work. Most of us spend years "paying our dues" to earn a reputation for quality before the prices start to rise on your work.
- Understand that there's a difference between asking "what do you guys think of this knife" and "can you guys critique this knife"; the first gets you a page full of "nice work", the second will get your feelings hurt but will make you a better maker.
- Understand that very few people make a good 1st knife, 2nd knife or 10th knife. It's a journey, you'll take trips and side journeys and the main thing you learn is that you have more to learn.
- Please notice I used the words "humble" and "understand" a lot, this is the most generous group of people I've had the honor to be associated with, an inflated ego and a lot of hyperbole will not get you accepted as a member. Hard work, paying your dues and paying the generousity forward is the price of admission.
If you bothered to read this, thank you. If not, well hell, I can write whatever I want to write about you
- Fill out your profile, some answers will differ based on the region and there may be someone nearby that will let you visit.
- Read the stickies, there's a lot of information there and a good chance your question is already answered. If it's not answered there at least you'll have a good foundation of knowledge to ask an educated question.
- Here's a way to search BF using google even if you're not a paying member:
You can do a limited search on this site using google by typing in [site:bladeforums.com] without the brackets before or after your query.
- This site has a lot of great links to tutorials, I visit here when I have a question and don't feel like typing:
http://gbrannon.bizhat.com/#heat
- Please try to give all the necessary information in the original post. If you want to start making knives try to let people know your background, what tools you have, your budget and how you intend to make knives (stock removal or forging.) This will prevent a repeated back and forth and changing of answers based on different parameters.
- Be humble and understand that people have been making knives for over 5000 years, as original as you think the design is, chances are it's been done. Here's an example, I was working with a customer on a golok blade design. I had just watched Last of the Mohicans and wanted to incoporate a rifle stock warclub into the design of the blade, pretty original? Nope, found a picture of a 500 year old golok that was EXACTLY like my design.
- Be humble and understand that there are centuries of experience available to answer your question, when someone answers your question they are sharing hard earned knowledge in an attempt to save you trouble. It's rather upsetting to some makers to have their information discounted out of hand by someone that's never completed a knife.
- Be humble and understand that there's no "perfect" way to do it. There's no perfect way, we're all stumbling down the path of the craft and luckily find fellow travellers to help steady our walk. There's room for the "dunk it in gunk" makers and the "S curve and Parks 50 quenchant" makers, as long as you are honest with yourself and your customers that's what counts.
- Understand that very few of the makers you see started out with KMG/Burr King/Bader or other high end grinders and tooling. Those tools are bought with a lot of sweat, blood and tears. Most of us started out with tooling as bad or worse than you have. It's not the tool it's the man running the tools. Top makers can take a file, sandpaper and a hand drill and turn out a blade better than I can using a mill and grinder.
- Be humble and understand that very few makers earn the top prices for their work. Most of us spend years "paying our dues" to earn a reputation for quality before the prices start to rise on your work.
- Understand that there's a difference between asking "what do you guys think of this knife" and "can you guys critique this knife"; the first gets you a page full of "nice work", the second will get your feelings hurt but will make you a better maker.
- Understand that very few people make a good 1st knife, 2nd knife or 10th knife. It's a journey, you'll take trips and side journeys and the main thing you learn is that you have more to learn.
- Please notice I used the words "humble" and "understand" a lot, this is the most generous group of people I've had the honor to be associated with, an inflated ego and a lot of hyperbole will not get you accepted as a member. Hard work, paying your dues and paying the generousity forward is the price of admission.
If you bothered to read this, thank you. If not, well hell, I can write whatever I want to write about you
I'd rather have honest critiques to learn from rather than a pat on the back.
