My Son asked me a question that I will let you guys answer for him,please

Bruce Evans

Bruce Evans

Joined
Sep 26, 1999
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My son from my second marriage is now hanging around the shop and wants to learn how to make knives.His name is Matt by the way and he is 15 for a couple of more months.

Here is what he asked me at 1 am the other night as I was working on a handle and he wanted to get to start on a knife.I had told him to watch me for a little while and read the books on the shelves,then he picked up a old piece of rusty saw blade and said" How hard can it be to grind a knife":eek: I just laughed and told him to read a book or two while he was at home this week and I would start working with him this weekend.

So can any of you guys answer his question?

I don't think he believes me that it just isn't that easy,and if he watches and listens (no talking) I can get him started years ahead of how I started. ;)

Thanks,
Bruce
 
I've fallen into the same trap as your son myself. When watching someone who has attained a certain mastery of his craft and makes it look simple it is also very easy for an observer to make the mistaken assumption that it really is simple. I think it is a compliment to the maker's craft that this happens- even if it seems kind of backhanded.

its very easy to take a piece of steel and put an edge on it- thats not a "real" knife however. Its very difficult to make an actual knife. I should know, I've been trying. :)

it is honestly a humbling experience.
 
Thanks for the reply..
I should mention that he hasn't watched me forge or grind any blades yet as I have been working on a couple of blades that were on the bench needing hand rubbing and finishing.Guess he will learn the hard way though,he's my kid and I did it the hard way myself :D stubberness runs in the family if you know what I mean :D
Bruce
 
Bruce,
Nice to hear you back at it again. I started making knives when I was fourteen, with no support at all. After I saw a forging demo, and then a cable damascus knife, I asked the same question your son asked. I had to build almost all my equipment and I've screwed up in almost every way possible, but I can make a good knife now. I'm even better at damascus.I have been doing this now for 18 yrs and other than a helpful tip or two along the way I've pretty much done things on my own. There is no wrong way to make knives, other than ways that cause physical damage, but there are hundrens maybe thousands of right ways. I do many things differently from other knifemakers. He is fortunate to have you to guide him. My advice is to show him knife construction from start to finish, just one knife, something straightforward. Give the young man a piece of steel and let him go for it. As for encouragement, I'd like a photo of the first knife he is happy with. In exchange I'll send him a piece of damascus for $1. Take him to my website and show him the stuff I have up there. Keep an eye on my site too I've got some new stuff going up there in the next week or two.
Matt, I admire your enthusiasm, pay attention to what you see and don't be afraid to try things your own way.
Delbert
www.ealyknives.com
 
I can sure vouch for how hard it is. I done quite a bit of tinkering in the past on different hobbies, but I have to tell you this is by far the hardest craft that I have ever tried to learn. In the same breath, it is by far the most rewarding. I also feel that it would be impossible to become bored with knifemaking because of the many "fields" of study.

Example:
Let's say, you get tired forging, you can try your luck at grinding. You get tired of plain old handles, try your luck at Engraving, Inlays, Filework...etc. Not to mention trying to learn the metallurgy aspect of it. A lifetime could be spent and never scratch the surface.
 
Hey Bruce,

Great to here your back in the saddle. Dont be such a stranger :)

Teaching is usually a battle of patience between instructor and pupil. If you have the patience, that's half the battle.

I sure wish I had the opportunity that Matt has. Hopefully he will have some of your talent. Something for him to do as practice might be drawing a knife. Show him what's wrong, and right about it.

Showing him some of the work out there in this craft ; and the prices the work commands , might be a an eye opener for Matt also.

I wish you could have been around to teach me when I was a kid.
 
Delbert that is a great offer,Thanks.I just figured it up and I have been making knives for over 13 years now myself,I am also self taught at first.But now I have been coached and taught by some of the best in the country,thanks to the symposiums and free spirit of some of the others that have lent me there advice and teaching.Matt will be here tomorrow morning and I will let him check out this thread so he can talk to you guys himself.Hopefully he will be learning how to make his own Damascus as he makes more knives(as long as I don't scare him off,Keep myself thinking he is only a begginer and not going for his Masters Yet ..

Great advice from everyone so far.I am going to start him off with stock removal on his first blade so he can get the feel of things and then get him in the forge so he can beat on some hot steel.

It is Great to be back,never completely left the forums,just didn't post much.Now with a computer in the shop I can work and check in more often.
Bruce
 
Delbert is right on the money.

Kids at Matt's age need some free rein. Teenagers resent authority and may turn off if overguided. It may slow down his learning in your eyes, but he will need to make his own mistakes and you can help him learn as he sees results that dissapoint him, or fall short of what he thought would happen.
 
Hey Matt,
Grinding is not the hard part....everything else is! :D I've only been doing this a few years and I can tell you that experiance IS the best teacher.
Get in there and grind a few blades...then you can tell us how hard it is.
Good luck
and post some pics when you get one done.
Mace
 
Probably the most important things you can teach him is safety in the shop.
Not to talk to someone grinding is important. You need to be focused doing a grind, and the grinder can chuck a blade quickly if distracted.
How not to burn your fingers, remove you fingernails and fingerprints from you fingers...
The buffer is not your friend if it is not respected. I don't know a safe way to show someone how dangerous they are...
Yes, let him loose to do his own learning, but there some mistakes he should not learn the hard way.
 
for what it's worth
if he is like my boys
if he thinks that way, let him ask the questions as he goes...it's the way it will be with him..
he'll have to have this at heart and he'll know soon if he does,,if not he's not going to last long anyway..
but if he does he'll start studying and want to know many new things..
once he falters and starts to 2nd guess himself
this will be the time to see if he has it or not, at heart, if he does
just show him a finished piece again to excide him and let him have at it, telling him it can be done...
.. My dad broke me of (I cant's ) a lot of years ago..
if someone else can do it you can do it too...

Mat either you have it or don't..but once you finish a piece you'll know for sure, but not until then,, just my 2 cents... :)
 
Grinding is at once the easist and hardest aspect of knifemaking. Some times I can go to my grinder and everything come close to what I want, other times it's a fight to the death, other times it's just making scrap. To me grinding is the easy part, it's the clean up that's hard! Thank god for files and sand paper! Sure wish I'd had you around when I was 15.
 
Bruce Evans said:
My son from my second marriage is now hanging around the shop and wants to learn how to make knives.His name is Matt by the way and he is 15 for a couple of more months.

Here is what he asked me at 1 am the other night as I was working on a handle and he wanted to get to start on a knife.I had told him to watch me for a little while and read the books on the shelves,then he picked up a old piece of rusty saw blade and said" How hard can it be to grind a knife":eek: I just laughed and told him to read a book or two while he was at home this week and I would start working with him this weekend.

So can any of you guys answer his question?

I don't think he believes me that it just isn't that easy,and if he watches and listens (no talking) I can get him started years ahead of how I started. ;)

Thanks,
Bruce
Click to expand...

But it's not that hard. Nobody does it to the level that Bob Loveless does on their first try. But who here is not self taught? Give your son some safety instruction some safety glasses and ear plugs and a piece of steel.
 
I agree with Ilovetoolsteel. Give him some safety glasses, a piece of steel, and tell him "It's not hard at all, have at it". Let him do it without advising him or telling him what he's doing wrong, let him do handles and everything. Once his knife is done, tell him "See? That wasn't so hard, now if you want to learn to make them good, I can teach you some stuff".
 
Hi Bruce, Its good to have you back on here again. You have been missed.

Matt is lucky to have an ABS Journeyman Smith as a Dad. I think the most important thing is the geometry of the edge and the heat treatment. If you teach him those two things his fit and finish will come in time. Go out and cut something. Have some fun!

Glad to meet Ya Matt! Stick around.

Bruce B
 
also, remind him that the strugle to get decent is part of the dues baby. Everyone has to pay them and also remind him that knife 10 isnt as hard as knife 1 but that the strugles dont go...they just sort of sit back and watch for a while :D then come see how your doing :D
 
Let him watch you work. then hand him a chunk of steel. If he's still interested, keep teaching.
By the way, this is an excellent place for a begineer to start. When he completes this one. He'll have all the basics.

http://hossom.com/tutorial/jonesy/


Bruce hows it going, haven't seen ya in a while.
Oh by the way
 
Stop and think about it for a minute. Treat him the way you would have liked to have been treated when you were 15 years old. Take the time and effort to show him the correct way and the learning curve will be shorter, with the chance or reward for both of you much greater.
You will feel much better about it down the road, when you look back.
Just my .o2 cents.
 
Satchmo said:
Stop and think about it for a minute. Treat him the way you would have liked to have been treated when you were 15 years old.
Click to expand...
When I was 15 I didn't want to be taught anything, I already knew it all or so I thought. I just wanted the stupid grownups to get out of my way and let me do my thing. I would have only been ready to listen once I started wondering "Why isn't mine that good?"
 
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