Knife Makers

M

Merost

Joined
May 16, 2009
Messages
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I have noticed that there are some very skilled knife makers who frequent this forum. I had always thought that making a knife would be really hard for the average do-it-yourselfer because you would need a lot of expensive machinery and know-how.

A couple things I'm really curious about:

1. Where did you guys learn how to make a knife?

2. What tools and processes are involved in making a knife?

3. Where do you get your materials (blade blanks, handle slabs, etc).
 
Merost, here are my own answers to your questions:

1. I learned how to make knives mostly from these forums. Just asking questions and reading tutorials. There are plenty of knifemakers who are very willing to help.

2. I think the stock removal method requires the fewest tools. You cut the profile of the blade, grind it, heat treat it, and put a handle on it.

3. There are plenty of online knifemaker supplies. I suggest buying from Tracy Mickley over at www.usaknifemaker.com
 
There are a few skilled knifemakers who don't frequent this Wilderness & Survival forum. :p
I'm going to move this to where they can also answer your questions: Shop Talk.
 
Merost,
I could easily write a book answering your questions. A good book to get started with is the Fifty Dollar Knife Shop by Wayne Goddard.
1. I am still learning about knife building. I have been around Mastersmiths and the good ones push themselves to continue to learn. I learned to build by taking lessons, reading books and online research, and by hours in the shop.
2. You can use hand files and inexpensive tools. I have what I consider and mid-level shop with about 15k invested. I could easily spend another 10k....there are many different ways or processes in making a knife.
3.True custom knives are not made from pre-made blanks. Steel can be ordered from Admiral Steel. There are making places you can buy knife supplies. Texas knife making supplies, Jantz, and Pop's knife making supplies are just a few.
 
When I started about 20 years ago I needed a good hunting knife and figured that is couldn't be that hard. After all a knife consisted of a blade, a couple pieces of wood for the handle, a couple of pins and some epoxy ,,,,,,any fool can handle that.

I found some knifemaking steel, somewhere to heat treat the steel, and started out with files and a belt sander at work.

The knife was a success, worked well, exceeded my expectations as a hunting knife but cosmetics were not the best........it was BUTT UGLY.

For the last 20 years I have laboured to make a pretty knife, one day I will make it.

George
 
$50 dollar knifeshop is recommended often, but I found it confused me alot and took years to learn the correct info.

He works with salvaged steel when you can buy good steel really cheaply, ie 8$ for 5 feet of it...Had I even known the names of "good" steel I would have found some.

Cable damascus is interesting, but it's no beginner project.
He uses some scientific reports to show how great his cable damascus is, but completely ignores science in every other respect.
ie.
He uses some pretty poor heat treat methods, first the use of an unknown steel means you have no idea what the heat treat should be. Also quenching in a bacon fat, wax oil mixture and doesn't even mention that there are specifically formulated quench oils that are chosen and matched to a specific steel or type.

I like his section on DIY belt grinders.
I like his simplistic style, which is achievable for a beginner.

I recommend these books

Step by step knifemaking
A simple step by step how to...

Knifemaking 10 projects from a master craftsman
http://www.amazon.com/Custom-Knifemaking-Projects-Master-Craftsman/dp/0811721752
This one is really good as it shows you different construction methods in 10 projects.

You can see previews of these and lists of other books recommended here:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=603203


The absolutely simplest way to make a knife can be seen in a free video made by "Greenpete"

If you have torrent downloading you can start it here
http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/499...femaking_Basics_-_Make_a_Mora_Bushcraft_Knife

if not you can see the same video broken in you tube sized bits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ysKd1cswlo&feature=player_embedded
 
I would highly recommend Knife Making Unplugged from Lively Forge. They will pretty much walk you through the knifemaking process from start to finish. Plus, the methods and tools used are very low tech and inexpensive.
 
When I wanted to make my first knife way back in the 60's we worked next door to a spring maker, the foreman there took me under his wing and we made a knife together, he showed me several ways of heat treating the same type of metal, water, fish oil, grease and quenching oil, all his methods produced the same test results in hardness, not many masters around like that nowadays.
Richard
 
Meroth,

Were are you located. You might get an invite to a shop if you let us know were you live.
 
as a beginner like myself you don't need a lot of tools, just a lot of time and determination. The expensive tools allow you to do more and do it faster but without the skill and knowledge the expensive tools wont help that much.
Here are my answers to your questions.
  1. I learned, and am still learning how to make knives from this very forum. I did some reading but most of what I have learned has come from these guy here.
  2. you can make a good knife with basic hand tools, my first knife was cut out with a hack saw, profiled and shaped with files, and hand sanded. I used a drill press to drill the holes, but that could have been done with a hand drill too just not as good.
  3. Any of the online knife making supply stores can get you what you need to make you knives, and some offer HT services too. Being from Canada I bought most of my material from Knifemaker.ca and I got my handle material for the first one from Burl Source. Both members here and very helpful to the beginner knife maker.
I am working on knives 5 and 6 right now, with number 3 and 4 ready to go out for HT. I still use mostly hand tools to make them but was lucky enough to have a friend with a band saw who will cut out my blanks now and I picked up a cheap 30"X1" belt grinder that helps speed up the profiling. I used it on the last two knives to cut the bevels, but still had to go back and clean things up with files.
Making a knife is a great way to spend a few days in my opinion. I am slow, if I actually tracked the time I spent on an individual knife I think I would be looking at 4-5 12 hour days from start to finish for a fixed blade. My next project will be a folder and I think I will log my time on that one just to see.
 
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