If you had to do it all over again!!!

[gBlade]

This is more for the Knife makers. Tell me about the mistakes you've made with tool purchases be it buying junk or just the wrong tools. How many things did you learn the hard way that you could give advice to the newbe on.

Come on tell us we won't think badly about you but learn a lot from you experinces.

Fish

 

[ddavelarsen]

I would not have bought the Harbor Freight 3-in1 mill/drill/lathe. That's just 600 lbs of not quite accurate weight on my bench that I am absolutely not going to move when we sell the house. I'd like it more if I bought collets for it, I'm sure...

Stay away from cheap abrasives! Only buy the best, and buy all sheets from the same manufacturer. (I learned that last from this forum, and it's dead on.)

I'll probably think of more when I'm away from the forum today...

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Buy quality tools and supplies (especially belts) whenever you can.Buy the best belt grinder you can afford. Make sure you get a variable speed unit with at least 1.5HP (lots of new makers didn't and regretted it later).Save up a little longer,instead of buying cheap now ,there is plenty to learn while you save up,and when you get the better equipment,you will know more things to do with it. Avoid "Home Remedy" type procedures and treatments that are often best left to the pros.These things come with time and experience.If you try them before you have the experience to understand them you may well waste a lot of time,money,material,and sometimes flesh.GO TO A HAMMER IN - I believe it should be a requirement to purchase a hammer,sort of like a hunters safety course requirement to buy a hunting license.Find a maker near you with experience.He will show you things you can't learn from a book,and he already has the expensive stuff that you will want to learn about before you buy one (don't rush out and buy HT ovens,etc.until you know exactly what you want/need).
Stacy

 

[Kim Breed]

Do everything to the best of your ability, take your time. Buy the best equiptment for the way you make knives. Make sure that you are using good steel and keep it labled. I have some killer blades that are only wall hangers made from mild steel, Damn they look good.
Take a makers offer to come and play in his shop. The experience is worth more than the money and time to get there. I was offered by the late Bob Egnath to go and grind all the katana blades I could and never got around to it. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

[Chiro75]

What would I do differently? I would've bought a grinder sooner (I did the file thing for 5 years. Blech! Good practice, but slow as molasses in the dead of winter). Also, my only real advice is to not try to extend the life of every tool beyond it's capacity. Change belts on grinders when they dull, not when they are on their last possible leg. Spend $8 on a new bastard file that cuts right instead of killing yourself with a dull one. Change your hacksaw blades now and then.

Oh, also, the one thing I really regret is not having bought a Drill Doctor to sharpen drill bits. I've spent a fortune on drill bits that go dull, then I chuck 'em when I could've gotten a lot more use out of them. That will be my next purchase.