I am not a knife snob

Tony, it seems there are some who are still willing to help, so why don't you list what tools are available to you, so people can make suggestions on how to use what you have.
 
This is one of the best threads to come along in awhile. It seems to be encouraging to everybody not just the newer makers but even us old farts. I still think we are all alike in our mindset, its just some of us have made the 100 knives and/or have gotten over the hump in skill levels but we were all in the same boat in the beginning. I sold my first knife for $25 and invested it back into better materials. Every knife I sell still now some goes back into the business to improve the next.
 
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I like the turn that this thread has taken. I have especially enjoyed the last few posts concerning what makes knifemaking enjoyable. I have only completed four knives to date... they have all been posted on this very forum when finished. I think that I may have a poor attitude concerning the enjoyable parts of knifemaking. Much like Galadduin, I find little about the process of knifemaking enjoyable. Grinding can be frustrating... for every knife completed, I have another blade that was thrown away in the corner. Hand-sanding is mind-numbing and back-breaking. Chasing small scratches away will drive you crazy. Handle work is dusty and epoxy is messy and sticky. In fact, there isn't much about knifemaking that isn't dirty, gritty or nasty. I think the only process in knifemaking that I enjoy is heat treating... something about the hot kiln is fun. What I really enjoy about knifemaking though is not the process, but the progress. There is something very fulfilling about looking at a finish project and realizing that not too long ago it was a bar of rusty steel and a dull block of wood. Further, I enjoy "showing off" my work. It may be kind of shallow, but I enjoy it when people look at something I've built and say "Wow, that looks great" or "I can't beleive this is only your fourth knife". Don't get me wrong, I am very much the freshest of newbies. I have a ton to learn... and this forum is the place to learn it. People have been very gracious with their advice and knowledge... some have even been giving of their time and hospitality :thumbup:.

Tonycap... If you decide to stick with it, you have my best wishes. If you decide that it isn't really your thing, well that's cool too. Good luck either way.

Erin
 
Since you aplogized I'll do the same for my comment. It just kinda hit me wrong that a new guy would call the guys who tought me how to makes knives, snobs. It can be frustrating and in a weird way that's part of the fun. I like a challenge.

Here's a tutorial I did on how to make a fixed blade using now power tools except for a drill press. I made the knife in the tutorial with a grinder, but showed how to do every step with hand tools, even dovetailing the bolsters. Time consuming? You bet, but I made my first knives this way.
http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38358&highlight=knife+build
 
Tony the Georgia Custom Knifemakers Guild is having its next meeting about 20 minutes from Athens at the end of August. We have members with experience levels that vary from those that are working on their first knife to members that have made thousands and every where in between. Our mission is education of knifemakers and having a good time doing it. We always have several good demonstrations, usually a couple of forges going if you want to try your hand to see if that is a direction you might want to go and great food. The bull sessions are the best and a great way to get questions answered. If someone doesn't know the answer they know someone there that probably does. We are about including new makers and people that think that they want to be makers so don't worry about the "Guild" part of our name. We would be glad to have you attend and check us out. It is a great group. If you are interested here is the link to our site. just watch it for updates.http://georgiaknifemakersguild.com/modules/news/
 
That's some good advice from Don. I made over 100 knives before I sold any to the public, and I'm so glad I did. I don't have to worry about being haunted by a crappy knife I sold someone. :) Some of those early ones I did sell were still a little rough, but I was happy with them, and so were the customers.

Don't get discouraged. Instead, turn that negative energy into positive energy and make more knives. :D
 
Tony, I will offer you this: 1 or 2 days in my shop and I will help you build your first knife or will have you close to it . You mentioned stick tang construction, no problem. I will give you the steel, the guard material, the handle material and use of my shop including belts, if you are serious about making your first knife. All you have to do is show up, I'll help you-- one on one.
I'm not to far from Athens, maybe 1.5 hrs tops. These are great guys here and I appreciate your apology to the crowd. you can pm me if you are interested. I will be away from the computer for the next week, on vacation with the family. If you need to call me my cp # is 404-375-9422.

Sincerely,
Brad Singley
 
It is amazing the generosity and willingness of the guys here to help a fellow struggling knifemaker. I retract my statement that we won't miss you. You and everyone else that posts here makes our community what it is and I've recieved so much guidance and knowledge from this place it's invaluable. It seems like you've recieved a lot of bad feedback to your original post.. honestly, what did you expect? We are not snobs.. we simply have a passion for this and seek to improve upon our skills. That is why we are here. We wish to learn how to do the best we can at something we are passionate about... making knives. If you do not share that then that's fine. I think you understand.. if you are struggling or simply stubborn but want to improve.. all you have to do is ask for help.. that is why this place exists. Plenty of guys here willing to lend a helping hand as you can see.. now let's make some knives!
 
One thing this thread really exemplifies as much as anything else is community. I don't know of any other craft or creative endeavor that has created a community around itself the way knife making has. It's a great thing, and has led to the renaissance of cutlery we see everywhere. I've said for at least 15 years that the best knives made in human history were being made now, and that's more true today than it was the first time I said it. Looking through the book 500 Knives is absolutely mind-blowing, and there isn't a page in it that doesn't have something to offer me. My poor copy is already looking dogeared and tattered. :D

The other thing I might add is that personally I'm not too big on hanging out with other people. Before I got married (I can vaguely remember those times) I used to enjoy "hermit weekends" when I wouldn't answer the door or the phone for days - just grind steel, do my laundry and pay bills without having to talk to anyone else. Sigh; those were the days! But this place is different. Almost every day since I found BF I've started and ended my day here in Shop Talk. The sense of belonging is unusual for me, and the value of all the help I've gotten is incalculable. I'm deeply grateful for all you guys.
 
Tony you have some great offers here for some help. Brad offered you the use of his shop and everything needed to do a knife. You also got an offer from Harry with Twinblades about the Guild meeting in August. I strongly urge you to go to it. You will meet a great bunch of guys, and Harry is included in that. There are a couple there that got me started in this addiction. One word of caution, stay away from that Crex guy. If you spend anytime at all with him you will be addicted to this for sure. Crex, Harry, Rick and many others are tops there in Georgia. Good luck.
 
Ryan Minchew said:
Since you aplogized I'll do the same for my comment. It just kinda hit me wrong that a new guy would call the guys who tought me how to makes knives, snobs. It can be frustrating and in a weird way that's part of the fun. I like a challenge.

Here's a tutorial I did on how to make a fixed blade using now power tools except for a drill press. I made the knife in the tutorial with a grinder, but showed how to do every step with hand tools, even dovetailing the bolsters. Time consuming? You bet, but I made my first knives this way.
http://discussions.texasbowhunter.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38358&highlight=knife+build
Click to expand...

Ryan, that tutorial was great. I wish I would have read it before I started. Good info for next time.
 
greeting, i feel really bad. i need to mature abit. the tools i have are files, a hand sander, a wheel grinder, and sandpaper. i ordered some 0-1 steel cause i thought i could use my torch to treat it. I dont have much money to get anything else. im tring to find some oak or something around the area for handles.i am currently out of steel and i messed up what i had.im trying to save some money for a simole sander,wood and steel. but im moving up to athens georgia this month so money is tight.thannks for not banning me--BR-Tony
 
If you haven't already, check out Bruce's stick tang tutorial!
O1 should be fine, and the oak will be alright sealed with a good oil treatment.
 
the tools i have are files, a hand sander, a wheel grinder, and sandpaper
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Tony - like others here I've been at this for a long time (48+ yrs now) and what Don Hanson saholds a lot of truth - KISS is the way to go to get started. FWIW the first 25 knives I made, I used nothing more than files, sandpaper, a hacksaw and handsaw, and a 1/4" hand drill to build them with - this despite the fact that my Dad was machinist and had a fully equipped machine shop to work with - but he wouldn't let me touch the power tools until I learned how to do it all by hand. The only thing he did tool wise was teach me to heat treat using the heat treat oven.
On my next 50 or so I started learning to forge courtesy of a local blacksmith - still no power tools other than that 1/4" drill..........and heat treat was now via the forge. Due to my love for historic knives, this continued to be the path I followed and thus for me I never have owned a professional sander - the only sanders I've ever used are a 2 x 42, a 4 x 36, and my Dremel - and they have mostly been used for shaping handles.........

I reckon my point is while tools can be nice they only make the job faster/easier - it's the "man" behind the tools and his desire and perseverance to build that really counts..........
Get frustrated??? you bet and I'm willing to bet that most of the "old" timers have reached that stage a time or two as well - burnout is not uncommon amongst craftsman/artisans of all types...........
As for "snobs" - well we all have different visions - some choose to make knives using the best, most high tech methods possible, others like myself have followed a different path - my thing is making knives as close as possible to those used on the American Frontier of the 18th and 19th Century - that not only includes materials as close as possible to the originals, but the methods as well, none of which could be called hi-tech. As with most things in live it is or should be different strokes for different folks - with there being no absolute right or wrong - and yep I've had more than a few folks tell me over the years I'm doing it wrong because I didin;t follow their way.........but I'm still here doing my thing and have been "luckY' enough to be able to do it full-time for quite a while now

Oh yeah - and while I don't do much blade smithing anymore due to a serious neck/back injury sustained years ago, the last few blades I made I started with flat stock (mostly 1075/80) and used a simple wood fired forge setup to do minimal forging, a hunk of mystery steel for an anvil, files, sandpaper, and a brace and bit as a drill......it doesn't take much...........on the other hand I've also been blessed - I've gotten to collaborate with some of the best blade smiths ever - they got/get to do the "black booger thing" and I get to do the rest of the build, which I immensely enjoy and it's a lot easier on my back! ;)

Sounds like you've got some good offers, but IMO the bottom line is still your desire and perseverance that will count the most in the long run.....
 
Good post Chuck! :)

Tonycap, I tried to PM you, but it wouldn't go through.

Don't worry about being "correct". Think outside the box and keep having fun! It's your thing!

(O.K., that said,... I'm back to shutting up.) :D

...Old slow file Goo...
 
wulfshrunting said:
Ryan, that tutorial was great. I wish I would have read it before I started. Good info for next time.
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I am now in love with the chainsaw file. Thank you again, Ryan for the awesome tutorial.

Tony, you need to read Ryan's tutorial. It is the best I have seen for slab handled, full tang construction. Have you looked at my thread First Kinfe(s)? While I did use an angle grinder, tiny belt grinder, and drill press to cut out my blanks, it could have been done with a drill, hack-saw, your bench grinder, and a drill with a 1" sanding drum bit.

The rest of it, I've been doing by hand. Hand sanding for all eternity D2. I tape the sand paper to a flat surface go to work. It's a whole, whole, whole lot of work for D2, but it's getting there.

You could practice on mild steel if you have it, until you have the scratch to get some knife steel. That's what I would do, anyways. In fact, I'm going to make mild steel blanks of the styles that I plan on reproducing.
 
Tai Goo said:
Good post Chuck! :)

Tonycap, I tried to PM you, but it wouldn't go through.

Don't worry about being "correct". Think outside the box and keep having fun! It's your thing!

(O.K., that said,... I'm back to shutting up.) :D

...Old slow file Goo...
Click to expand...

That was a good post, Chuck!

Hey 'No Grinder Tai' you have been missed, stick around and please do speak up! :cool:
 
Don Hanson III said:
That was a good post, Chuck!

Hey 'No Grinder Tai' you have been missed, stick around and please do speak up! :cool:
Click to expand...

I appreciate that Don, but...
What?... and become my own worst enemy?
Thanks, but no thanks! :D LOL

I better shut up the heats getting to me out here. Pushing 110!

This should hold me for at least another 3-6 months good buddy! :)

(Old slow hammer trying to shut up)
 
Well,… Maybe just one more little point:

Let all of the many self proclaimed experts and gurus try to tell others what’s right for them. Heck! All I know is what’s right for me…

There’s an old Biblical saying that goes something like this,… Remove the log from your own eye first, so you can see clearly,… before you try and remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.

O.K.,… Back to shutting up.
 
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