Looking for Some Getting Started Help...

[ednemo]

Greetings, Everyone,

I was wondering if any of you could offer some help to a guy who is just getting started in knifemaking. When I say, just getting started, I mean, I just got my girlfriend to allow me to use the basement to start making knives. I'm currently looking for all the equipment I need to pick up, as well as some knifemaking tips. So far, I know I need a a good grinder, a drill press, a forge, a heat oven, quenching oil, a rockwell machine, and blade grease. I have been paying with knives all my life and would like to finally take the final step and actually make knives. I have no information on what kind of equipment to get, (though I was planning to use 1095 steel to start). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ed

 

[AwP]

You don't really "need" any of the stuff you mentioned to get started, just a file, though it's all good stuff to get. If you're getting a forge then you'll need an anvil, some tongs, and a hammer too (I'd reccomend a straight or cross pien). A toaster oven works well for a tempering oven. Depending on the kind of grinder you get, you'll likely need some hand sharpening stones and some higher grit sandpaper too. A bandsaw and either a press or power hammer would be nice to have too, but like everything else isn't needed.

 

[Danbo]

I would recommend O1 for the steel, rather than the 1095. O1 is much easier to optimally heat treat. With 1095, you really don't have much of an error window, as it requires a really fast quench to optimize.