Need advice

[Jagged]

My son (13) and I have watched quite a few Forged in Fire episodes and would like to try it. I thought we might start out buying some cheap old knives to sharpen, replace handles, reprofile, and etc before really diving in.
Would like to have nice grinder or something to sharpen knives, hatchets, axes, etc.
Not looking to ever make money or sell anything. Just mainly something to do with my son.
Any advice / recommendations on any of it?

 

[Mk-211]

Ask in one of these areas.

Shop Talk - BladeSmith Questions and Answers

The art of knife making- advice on methods, supplies, and materials

www.bladeforums.com

Anytime with your son, enjoying a shared hobby, is quality time.

 

[Bill DeShivs]

Forget 90% of what you saw on Forged in Fire. It's a scripted TV show.
Go to the Shop Talk forum and read.
You don't need a forge (you can get one if you want) as there is no real advantage to forging a knife. Knives can be made from readily available bars of steel.
Heat treating anything except high carbon steel will require a temperature-controlled heat treating oven, or you can send blades out to commercial heat treaters fairly inexpensively.
There are finished blades available that you can put handles on. This is a great way to start out.