Input on video series

H

HallHandmade

Joined
Jun 5, 2012
Messages
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Hi all,

I've been suffering from continuing back problems, and will be stepping away from professional knifemaking for a while. It looks like I may have a burst disc in my upper back and I am not able to grind on the side that is pinched. Nobody wants a double bevel knife with only one bevel ground. I only finished a single knife during the entirety of April and May, got better for a few weeks, and now I'm pretty much out of commission. I might be able to work 1-2 part days a week if that.

I'm still going to be making knives, but I am very limited in my shop time, so it won't be full time any more. Not really sure what I'm going to do, to be honest.


This is not an announcement/sympathy thread for that issue. I'm trying to come up with alternatives as far as participating in the community while I try to get back to full function, and I'm considering making a series of high quality full HD knifemaking and shop technique videos.

I have never been a forging guy because of first paragraph^^^, but I think I have a few worthwhile things to share in other areas. Some of you may know I used to be a professional machinist/fabricator/welder in Aerospace R&D. I learned a few tricks over the years.

I had a pretty good response to the one informal grinding video I posted a while back, in fact I still get messages from folks telling me that it helped them and asking for more. I wouldn't say the response has been overwhelming, but strong and constant enough that I think it is worth doing. I've been approached for and done lessons a few times since I started making knives, and I am starting to get a decent idea of what the important points are.


Anyways, I plan on doing multiple HD cameras, with sharp, well lit closeups, decent sound, etc. The content will be both knifemaking related and general shop techniques. I've got a few ideas already but was hoping folks could tell me what might interest them in a video. Some of the stuff I've got already:

-Hollow and Flat grinding technique comparison
-Start to finish grinding, Hollow and Flat
-Belt selection and dynamics
-General machining practices
-Start to finish WIP, 1ea for full tang and hidden tang
-Machine setup and maintenance

I am undecided whether I will be going into folders, mostly because a lot of the techniques used are too similar to my old career, which I already had more than my fill of. If I do, though, I'll be sure to include some video in that area once I have enough experience to feel confident in teaching.


So, I'd like to see if anyone has a particular interest that they'd like to see covered. I'm opening this to fellow knifemakers, customers, fans, I'm hoping these videos will be entertaining for everyone, but I still want them to be strong on usable info.

For right now, I will just be doing this as a diversion when I am unable to work real days in the shop. If this turns into something more, then so be it. For now I'm just hoping I can give back a little, have some fun, and help folks to feel in control of their destiny while in the shop.


Edit: Oh, I wanted to add that I will be making a "Hall Handmade" youtube channel pretty soon, the last video I posted was just on my personal channel. Also, this is a couple/few weeks away at least. I have to make sure everything is caught up and out of the shop before starting anything like this.
 
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Id love to see your approach on some of the more complicated knife styles and techniques out there. I think alot of the basics has been well covered and is available for free. You speak a little of your old career and although you may be sick of it, those things you have learned would probably interest me most. Id love to see you use your strengths to collaborate with other highly skilled pros whos skills make up where you lack...a true collaboration, and a HD quality video of that collaboration would really be something to see! just my two cents , im only a beginner :)

edit: ill elaborate a little what im thinking: an exquisitely pattern welded forged blade with a complex milled integral frame handle by you, shot in both locations ...Id buy that video any day of the week.
or
Some classic interframe style tab locks by you with over the top embellishments from artists around the world, Im dying to see something like this and how it would be done!


all the best
-tim
 
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timos- said:
Id love to see your approach on some of the more complicated knife styles and techniques out there. I think alot of the basics has been well covered and is available for free. You speak a little of your old career and although you may be sick of it, those things you have learned would probably interest me most. Id love to see you use your strengths to collaborate with other highly skilled pros whos skills make up where you lack...a true collaboration, and a HD quality video of that collaboration would really be something to see! just my two cents , im only a beginner :)

all the best
-tim
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I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm sick of it, just that I've got more practice than I care to, I guess you could say. I stayed in R&D because production machining was icky, and I feel like I might get that same feeling doing a set of standard folder patterns, especially if one took off and I found myself making a million of them. I just did a run of 50 kwaikens and I could barely stand that.

The specific thing I love about fixed blades is that as far as the profile and aesthetics go, the sky's the limit, you don't have a constrained blade to handle length ratio. Also, everyone and their uncle is getting into folders, which is probably what I would do if I was smart, but I'm not.

Talking down on other folks work is not my style, there are a million knifemaking videos, but very few that are both high quality and high information. Many are pre-HD and shot with only a single camera, and hard to see close-ups, if any. Very few go into detailed explanation of each step. Nick's videos are a good benchmark, but he is only one man and there are countless sub-topics to explore here.

I've had folks tell me that they've watched dozens of grinding videos and not been helped a single bit until they watched the junky one I made, and that wasn't even an effort, let alone my best.
 
Ian,

If you can watch the Steve Johnson and Harvey Dean knifemaking videos.

It will give you an idea of some of the best knifemaking video out there

I am sure your videos will be a huge hit.
 
Sorry to hear about your back issues. I have some back problems as well and it can be hell at times. I will say, you might try switching up your method/technique in regards to your physical position when grinding. I ended up having to do it because of my back problems. Now I grind while sitting down and rest my elbows on my knees. I have a chair that swivels and I can use my feet to swivel in the chair slowly and move the blade across the belt. It works really well.

Another option is you could start doing some chisel grinds. There are some awesome chisel ground knivesa out there.

Anyway, good luck with your back and let us know if you do the videos. I'd be interested in seeing them.
 
Back trouble is a real bitch. I feel your pain.
 
Wow, sorry to hear about you back man, hope it gets better with time. I honestly can't say I'm sorry to hear about you making some vids though! :p Honestly, everything you listed in your first post would be great to watch, and think that's enough to get ya goin for at least a little while ;) . It's true that many others have made all kinds of vids on knifemaking, but I have seen probably most of them that are worth watching and "most" (not all) of them are very basic and much the same. Like you said, a single camera with no focus on the work itself, or not going in depth on specific details of a certain process, along with some other things lacking is very common. Not to say that they aren't worth watching, but there is a lot of room for better quality, and more informative vids on the interwebs :foot: :D

I've acually come across a few guys on youtube whose work I really enjoyed, that had made a few very short vids of their knives, and I requested that they make a full WIP, and their responses would for the most part be something like, "there's already too many of those out there", which again, in one aspect is true, but the difference is the level of work that they were capable of. Not trying to say that there aren't a lot of good vids out there already, but so many guys have such unique styles (which is one main thing lacking in the majority of the vids out there.. my older vids included lol) and probably do "at least" a few things differently. Since there are many different ways, as they say, to "skit a cat", imho there can never be enough how-to, or WIP vids! :thumbup: Especially since even the smallest of details that person might do differently can cause a light bulb to go off in your head and end up changing the way that you go about making your own knives.. or at least that particular step.

This is why I'm so excited to hear you're gonna be making these, because you do very clean, presice & beautiful work, and are very meticulous about every step you take, which is obvious in your knives, and even just by the way you are talking about how you want to put these quality videos together. This is why Nick Wheeler's vids are so good too, as you already mentioned... Everybody here knows he has ADD! :D :foot: lol jkjk.. but he is very meticulous not only in his knives, but in his vids too :)

Anyway, I guess all I realy have to say is that I vote "yes", to everything you said, Ian ;) .. Can't wait to see what you come up with and how they come together, and thanks for giving back! :)

(sorry for the long ass post btw :o )

~Paul
My YT Channel Lsubslimed
 
I would like to see more videos about making folders. Liner locks and framelocks in particular.
Thank you
 
AVigil said:
Ian,

If you can watch the Steve Johnson and Harvey Dean knifemaking videos.

It will give you an idea of some of the best knifemaking video out there

I am sure your videos will be a huge hit.
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I've seen some of their stuff as well as some other excellent videos, once again not trying to knock anyone's work.

It's just that as far as recent full HD production, and goes into many areas of specific detail that are commonly missed, I just haven't really seen much.

There are a few areas that some of them lack in, for instance, nobody wants to sound like they don't know what they are doing, so areas that all makers have trouble with, equipment/material availability wise, will just be outright ignored or glossed over.

There aren't many I've seen that make apt comparisons between flat and hollow grinding. I remember being super confused when I first started, because something like 90% or more of recent lit assumes that the aspiring maker is flat grinding, and there is some stuff that is just flat out wrong advice for hollow grinding.

Also, I've never seen anything that gives good solid advice on going from workrest to freehand, most just kinda say "maybe you can, maybe you can't", when I feel there are specific strategies that could help one in that area.

Also, many of the machining sides stuff is coming from folks that didn't spend two decades as a machinist, so they aren't really approaching problems from that viewpoint, which may be good or bad depending on case.

JG Custom Metal Works said:
Sorry to hear about your back issues. I have some back problems as well and it can be hell at times. I will say, you might try switching up your method/technique in regards to your physical position when grinding. I ended up having to do it because of my back problems. Now I grind while sitting down and rest my elbows on my knees. I have a chair that swivels and I can use my feet to swivel in the chair slowly and move the blade across the belt. It works really well.

Another option is you could start doing some chisel grinds. There are some awesome chisel ground knivesa out there.

Anyway, good luck with your back and let us know if you do the videos. I'd be interested in seeing them.
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Unfortunately it goes beyond that a bit. The burst/slip pinched the main branch nerve in the upper back, that comes out of the left side of the spine and goes to the left arm/hand, and I'm dominant left.

My normal grip strength stays around 150lbs, which is slightly above average for an adult male. When I was working out it was close to 200. Anyways, as of a month ago, my left hand is down to 40lbs after the third test, where my right is at 155, so I've lost more than 75% of the strength in my left hand, and maybe 25-50% in my left arm. There is actually visible atrophy in my left hand, where the muscles are wasting away to the point where you can see sucked in areas between the bones.

When the pinch is at its worst, I am completely unable to lift my left arm/hand up to the grinder and apply even the tiniest amount of force, so even a workrest doesn't do anything, besides which I grind freehand mostly, and you have to fight the friction from the belt even if you grind light like I do.


Nathan the Machinist said:
Back trouble is a real bitch. I feel your pain.
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Yep, it's never fun, but especially when it gets bad enough that you can't drive, and you have to sleep on the living room floor because you can't make it up the stairs to your room. :/

Don't ask about what I did that week where I literally couldn't wipe my own rear.


coldsteelburns said:
Wow, sorry to hear about you back man, hope it gets better with time. I honestly can't say I'm sorry to hear about you making some vids though! :p Honestly, everything you listed in your first post would be great to watch, and think that's enough to get ya goin for at least a little while ;) . It's true that many others have made all kinds of vids on knifemaking, but I have seen probably most of them that are worth watching and "most" (not all) of them are very basic and much the same. Like you said, a single camera with no focus on the work itself, or not going in depth on specific details of a certain process, along with some other things lacking is very common. Not to say that they aren't worth watching, but there is a lot of room for better quality, and more informative vids on the interwebs :foot: :D

I've acually come across a few guys on youtube whose work I really enjoyed, that had made a few very short vids of their knives, and I requested that they make a full WIP, and their responses would for the most part be something like, "there's already too many of those out there", which again, in one aspect is true, but the difference is the level of work that they were capable of. Not trying to say that there aren't a lot of good vids out there already, but so many guys have such unique styles (which is one main thing lacking in the majority of the vids out there.. my older vids included lol) and probably do "at least" a few things differently. Since there are many different ways, as they say, to "skit a cat", imho there can never be enough how-to, or WIP vids! :thumbup: Especially since even the smallest of details that person might do differently can cause a light bulb to go off in your head and end up changing the way that you go about making your own knives.. or at least that particular step.

This is why I'm so excited to hear you're gonna be making these, because you do very clean, presice & beautiful work, and are very meticulous about every step you take, which is obvious in your knives, and even just by the way you are talking about how you want to put these quality videos together. This is why Nick Wheeler's vids are so good too, as you already mentioned... Everybody here knows he has ADD! :D :foot: lol jkjk.. but he is very meticulous not only in his knives, but in his vids too :)

Anyway, I guess all I realy have to say is that I vote "yes", to everything you said, Ian ;) .. Can't wait to see what you come up with and how they come together, and thanks for giving back! :)

(sorry for the long ass post btw :o )

~Paul
My YT Channel Lsubslimed
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Like I mentioned above, there are a LOT of videos out, but when you start to categorize as "modern production" and "multiple camera angles" and "going into fine detail on uncommon subjects, or ones that usually aren't done well", the list starts to get REALLY short.
 
Sorry to hear about your back troubles! Your video that you shot a while back was informative. I'd love to see what else you can come up with. I'd love it if my blades turned out as crisp and perfect as yours!
 
I agree for sure. I quess most of what I said was mainly referring to what Tim mentioned above, about how a lot of the 'basics' are already covered and are available for free. I guess "basics" can be a relative term. Handle shaping is pretty basic, but it can also be pretty complex too, another referrence to Nick's 8? handle sculpting vids. And grinding is "a" basic of making a knife, but it can be filmed and explained so much better than it has is a lot of vids etc.

I would really like to see how "you" personally go about every single one of the basics as well as the more complicated in depth processes. The thing is, even if I've already seen a basic process covered a thousand times, I will always be intrigued in watching how another "experienced" knifemaker/bladesmith goes about it his or her way. Not only can we see a different perspective as well as learn different techniques, but all the little different tooling and fixtures (yes, another good example of Nick's vids & WIPs lol) that that "specific maker" uses can give also a lot of those "ah HAH!" moments as well, which is something that will never get old to me.. that is until I'm been mastersmith for at least 10 years... :D ;)

I do have one question. How do ya think you'll go about doing a full WIP on full and hidden tang knives if you won't be able to really grind both sides of the blade due to your pain? Will ya possibly be doin chisel grinds as JG Customs mentiioned, or do you think you'll be alright every once in a while to grind on your bad side, or maybe even just show how you assemble them without a fully ground blade? Sorry btw if that's a dumb question. Thanks :)

~Paul
My YT Channel Lsubslimed
 
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Ian sorry to hear about your back troubles. There is some amazing technology out there now so I hope something is available to get you repaired and back at the grinder full time.

I'm sure I'll have more but off the top of my head there are a few things that I would very much be interested in, in addition to what you mentioned already.

The sweeping plunge line on the bowie you posted in the "what's going on in your shop" thread recently was just beautiful. I would love to see both how you achieved that and also how you sand your flats to not round or wash out the crisp transition between the plunge and ricasso.

I recently posted asking about freehand grinding so seeing a video detailing it when grinding recurves, daggers, etc would be great. I could not find a whole lot out there in youtube land on freehand technique.

Something I'm always interested in also is epoxy and keeping it off finished areas when doing final glue up like the front of scales or bolsters on hidden tang knives.

The beauty of knife making is that there are quite a few ways to accomplish most knifemaking tasks that are correct, so I'm sure some of what you do is different than what is already out there and even if some is the same, another quality how to video is not a bad thing. I also think a bulk of the knifemaking videos out there are not really that informative or show you how to produce only low or mid quality products. Very few are as detailed and informative as Nick's.

Now if you were going to show us how you crush a beer and angle grind a lawnmower blade into a ninja sword... Competition is stiff my friend!

Good luck!

-Clint
 
Sorry to hear about your back. I have a disc issue also, but not as bad as yours. I'm looking forward to your videos.
 
rcetroy said:
Sorry to hear about your back troubles! Your video that you shot a while back was informative. I'd love to see what else you can come up with. I'd love it if my blades turned out as crisp and perfect as yours!
Click to expand...

As I mentioned above, my main motivator is that the fast and loose video got some very strong feedback. I have been getting a message from someone pretty much every 1-2wks since I posted it, saying how much more it helped them than many of the videos they've seen, and asking for me to make more. I'm not letting it go to my head, nor do I think my videos will be "better" than anyone elses.

If they help a handful of people, then job done.

I also hope folks understand, I plan on making some great knife videos, but my channel will hopefully offer a LOT more than that alone.


coldsteelburns said:
I agree for sure. I quess most of what I said was mainly referring to what Tim mentioned above, about how a lot of the 'basics' are already covered and are available for free. I guess "basics" can be a relative term. Handle shaping is pretty basic, but it can also be pretty complex too, another referrence to Nick's 8? handle sculpting vids. And grinding is "a" basic" of making a knife, but it can be filmed and explained so much better than it has is a lot of vids etc.

I would really like to see how "you" personall go about every single one of the basics as well as the more complicated in depth processes. The thing is, even if I've already seen a basic process covered a thousand times, I will always be intrigued in watching how another "experienced" knifemaker/bladesmith goes about it his or her way. Not only can we see a different perspective as well as different techniques, but all the little different tooling and fixtures (yes, another good example of Nick's vids & WIPs lol) that that "specific maker" uses can give also a lot of those "ah HAH!" moments, which is something that will never get old to me.. that is until I'm been mastersmith for at least 10 years... :D ;)

I do have one question. How do ya think you'll go about doing a full WIP on full and hidden tang knives if you won't be able to really grind both sides of the blade due to your pain? Will ya possibly be doin chisel grinds as JG Customs mentiioned, or do you think you'll be alright every once in a while to grind on your bad side, or maybe even just show how you assemble them without a fully ground blade? Sorry btw if that's a dumb question. Thanks :)

~Paul
My YT Channel Lsubslimed
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I've noticed more than a few (asked this question elsewhere) have mentioned what is available for free... I'm not trying to compete with paid videos, or free videos, or anything for that matter. I don't have that kind of time. I feel that there are a lot of things that, if they had just been simply stated to me in the first place when I started, would have saved me a lot of time and heartache. I also feel there are certain areas where a lot more detail, both in depiction and description, could be very helpful. One of the main comments I've heard is that even on most the good videos, you can't really see what is going on very well, or at least rarely.


I'm not completely unable to use my left arm, it is something that changes in severity from day to day. The biggest issue is the pinched nerve, so how "out" and/or inflamed that area of my back is, determines how much function I have. Sometimes I feel almost normal, but with noticeable strength missing.

Other times I will wake up in the morning and be completely unable to feel my left hand, I can actually smack it against my nightstand or bed frame and not feel a thing, or very little. When that is the case, I can still move my fingers but with almost no strength, as in I can't even pick up my toothbrush.

As of the past few weeks, I've had maybe one full day, and one part day per week that I can work. That is nowhere close enough to run a business. It is plenty of time though, to spend 1-2hrs taping and then edit the video out while I'm unable to do other work.

Augus7us said:
Ian sorry to hear about your back troubles. There is some amazing technology out there now so I hope something is available to get you repaired and back at the grinder full time.

I'm sure I'll have more but off the top of my head there are a few things that I would very much be interested in, in addition to what you mentioned already.

The sweeping plunge line on the bowie you posted in the "what's going on in your shop" thread recently was just beautiful. I would love to see both how you achieved that and also how you sand your flats to not round or wash out the crisp transition between the plunge and ricasso.

I recently posted asking about freehand grinding so seeing a video detailing it when grinding recurves, daggers, etc would be great. I could not find a whole lot out there in youtube land on freehand technique.

Something I'm always interested in also is epoxy and keeping it off finished areas when doing final glue up like the front of scales or bolsters on hidden tang knives.

The beauty of knife making is that there are quite a few ways to accomplish most knifemaking tasks that are correct, so I'm sure some of what you do is different than what is already out there and even if some is the same, another quality how to video is not a bad thing. I also think a bulk of the knifemaking videos out there are not really that informative or show you how to produce only low or mid quality products. Very few are as detailed and informative as Nick's.

Now if you were going to show us how you crush a beer and angle grind a lawnmower blade into a ninja sword... Competition is stiff my friend!

Good luck!

-Clint
Click to expand...

Definitely plan videos focusing on plunge formation and freehand. Lots of requests so far for both of those.

I completely agree, saying there are plenty of knifemaking videos is somewhat akin to saying there are plenty of knife designs. Yes, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't ever make any more, especially with full HD or better (1440p, 4k) being the new standard, and these types of videos doing really well with high clarity content.

I had no problem finding my niche and doing decent enough business making knives, and I have similar confidence with the videos. If I was trying to make a living off them, my appraisal would be different... but that applies to all of youtube/online video, it's a hard nut to crack if you're trying to make a living.

I may eventually decide to put up an optional donation link for those that want one, if the demand for the videos warrants more dedication, but otherwise I plan on keeping them free and open for everyone. I wouldn't mind making enough for beer money, but expecting any real income from something like this is pretty much fantasy IMO, especially considering there are folks already making videos that have 100x more cred and ability to sell than I do.



12345678910 said:
My comments a long time ago, mos of which you seem to be aweae of.


http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?1008-Filming-some-new-videos-what-would-you-like-to-see


I watched the Steve Johnston subhilt video lately and the same stupid guitar clip repeats over and over and over again, even while he is tying to narrate.

I like silence.
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I completely agree, music is banned from any instructional videos I do. No music playing or other junk in the background either.

I'm planning on software that supports multi-camera editing and multi-channel audio mixing, including noise reduction.

I have prior pro-level recording studio experience, so my hope is that my gear will be enough to do crispy clean mixes that allow me to explain how important sound is in the grinding and finishing process. I plan on having dedicated voice and machine mics, and then doing a mastered mix for the final audio track.

One of my biggest pet peeves on knife videos is having to crank the volume way up and way down every couple minutes for the entire video.



I noticed your comment about teens on youtube and their production quality, I think a lot of folks haven't quite caught up on the importance of production in the last couple years. People now want to have full HD, period. Is it a total dealbreaker if not? Probably not, but it sure isn't safe to ignore either, especially right this moment with the accelerating adoption of even higher res stuff like 1440p and 4k.

I don't dispute that there are a million billion "how to make a knife" videos, that has been one of the most mentioned points so far. If you include only ones with full HD video, that list gets a lot smaller. Multiple cameras? Even smaller. Properly mixed and mastered audio? Even smaller. Color correction and other video post-processing? Almost non-existent.

If we are talking Multiple cameras, all in full HD, with properly mastered audio, and fully post-processed video, and containing plenty of usable info to boot, that list is basically a tiny dot.
 
I'm sorry to hear about your back problems. I also have issues with my back so I know what you're talking about. Even though my problems seem to be not as bad as yours.
I would be interested in all the stuff mentioned above.
But something I miss in general being it videos or tutorials is something on general design and knife geometry. Which design aspects to consider for different cutting tasks how to accommodate these needs in the handle design and so on.
Hope you're getting better soon.
Andreas
 
I know flat grinding is all the rage but i would love some instructional videos on hollow grinding. Things like keeping the hollow smooth at the tip with higher grits. Walking a hollow past the recommended height. Anyways, hope you get your back straightened out.
 
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