I want to get started in knifemaking. How?

CL, it's to late he already bought a book.!!! Which is more addicting than Lay's potatoe chips.
The other day I had time to either, help clean up the house for company or beat out a blade,hmmmmm my wife's not home, she'll be real happy to see some work done,hmmmmm.. I forged one blade and an arrowpoint.

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Sola Fide
 
moose308 I went to the store and got a 3 ring binder notebook, and a bunch of computer paper. I print out everything of intrest to me, then I have it for future reference.
Saturday I'm off to Missoula for the Knife show,my 2nd, which marks my 1st anniversary in "Greenhorn Knifemaking"
 
Thanks for all the feedback. Well, I am still awaiting my copy of "How to make knives". I cannot wait. However, in the midterm, I figure I should slowly work myself into this hobby.

I think I will start by ordering up a few predone blades from Texas Knifemakers and Jantz. I will also order handle material and all that. This way I can start by making "pretty" knives right off the bat. Since I cannot actually grind my own blades at this point, this is really my only option anyhow. Hopefully, after building a 3 or 4 knives this way, I should get a better appreciation for knivemaking, blade shapes, and all that. As well, I have a dozen kitchen knives needing new handles.....:-)

By the time I finish all this, I should hopefully have enough money set aside for buying a buffer, and a belt grinder. Then, maybe down the road, a forge or a kiln...

Thanks. And perhaps when I finish my first knife I shall post a picture here, assuming it does not look too hideous.

 
Moose, once you get your copy of "How to Make Knives" you'll see the section in it by Barney on how to make a knife with hand tools. You CAN make incredible knives with hand saws and files. You are only limited by your belief in your own ability, and really it just requires a greater effort.
The upshot of this is steel really is cheap, so order some O1 or 1095 also and after you have put a few of the kits together you will want to make your own blades!
-Guy Thomas
 
Go to the House of Tools. There is one in the Vancouver area somewhere. there is a knife making "specialist" (a guy with more experience than you) and a bunch of different knife making materials there. They sell kits for $40 and you get a knife blank (a blade cut out of the steel, still requiring grinding), bolster material, handle material and pins. It comes with instructions and the lads at the HOT will be happy to help you out, as will anyone else here. Feel free to e-mail me anytime, but I will admit that I am only working on knives # 4, 5 and 6 now, so I am still learning much that others here have down pat. Get the dropped point kit. Other tools you'll need are a coarse and a medium file, a scrap piece of metal with a straight edge for keeping your ricasso line/plunge cut straight and even, sand paper, a sanding block, a couple of clamps and a board to clamp the blank to. Hmm.... some epoxy will be required as well as $8 plus $3 shipping for heat treatment. Sounds like a lot eh, but it isn't and it is a lot of fun,a lthough it is a dangerous road to go down. I have a 2x42 grinder now, a tool boz for all my tools and handle materials and I jsut cam beack from the Calgary HOT today with a sheet of 1/16" steel for kitchen knives!!! It is addicting. GO with the kit at first. Here's a pic of the knife that I made...
View


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"Come What May..."


[This message has been edited by Crayola (edited 07-30-2000).]
 
Apart from all the great advice you've already been given, here are a few tips to save some money and some aggravation
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1. When designing a knife, don't just start marking it out on the steel, make the knife out of balsa wood first, you'll be able to see whether it's a practical design, get an idea of the aesthetics etc. Costs next to nothing and can save a fortune in wasted steel.

2. Use something like O-1 steel if you intend to harden it yourself, O-1 is just so forgiving, unless you grind it away to nothing or burn it in a forge you can work on the same knife over and over again.

3. Don't buy handle material from knife-making suppliers. You have a bandsaw so buy some good chunks of hardwood from timber suppliers or wood-turning supply houses. For example, I buy blocks of ebony for $1.50 and get three scales from one. Knife-making suppliers want $6-50 for a pair of scales.

Roger
 
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