new to knife making need help

P

plugs

Joined
Sep 30, 2005
Messages
4
due to health reasons i have had to retire from the marble and granite buisness and have aiways wanted to build slip joint pocket knifes can any one help with plans for diferent styles of these knifes i have not made a knive before but think i am up to the task thanks aaron mcdonald
 
a good idea for your first one is a kit. you can get the kits from several places. Not that i did it that way. I browsed "The Complete Book of Pocketknife Repair" by Ben Kelley Jr. and made one from the knowledge therein.

How much from scratch do you want to build from? If you do the whole thing yourself do you want to forge the backspring and blade or grind? What tools do you have / willing to buy? (thing drill /drill press, files, sander/grinder etc)

my first one took around 20 hours start to finish hand forged blade and backspring working mostly with hand tools.
 
i do not want to forge at this time just grind,and i only want to make damascus blade knifes. will send blades and springs off to be tempered. as for tools i have grinders, planers, sanders, polishers, diamond saws both dry and wet, wet profile routers, metal and stone hole saws. vise, drill press, lathe, scrole saw, assorted 1/8 brass, stainless,copper, and others for laminating these are on rolls if 2"by 50ft rolls and assorted hand tools i will need to buy files and am willing to buy scaled plans also need pins and screws rivets etc. thanks aaron mcdonald
 
assuming you can use the tools you listed, it sounds like "The Complete Book of Pocketknife Repair" could provide you with enough information to start.

since you aren't planing on forging, the basic process is to decide what you want the knife to look like, cut it out (a little oversize) grind to shape, send to heat treater, fit and assemble. The book i mentioned shows a lot of pictures to demonstrate how things fit together.

if the idea of a kit you just need to assemble does not appeal to you, find a copy of the book (i got mine from jantz supply www.knifemaking.com for around $10 US) them see what other questions you have.

Jantz also has some damascus billits (never used damascus and can't say if the price is fair or the billit is good), tools and kits.
 
i just hope that the knife i make will be 1/3 as nice as that and i will be happy with that to start and over the nest several years i can hope to improve my skills. i was in the commercial marble and granite buisness for 30 years and my health made me stop work. it was to heavy and my legs and knees quit on me.and now i found out i have diabetes also, so now i have nothing to do from sunrise until i crash at night and i still have all the tools and shop gathering dust so i have always loved old pocket knifes and slip joint is old style so that is what i desire to make and time is what i have lots of so with a patern to use for a template off to work i will go thanks aaron mcdonald
 
The easiest way to get a pattern for your first knife is buy a cheap barlow, rip it apart and you have a pattern. Also it will give you an idea on how it works. :)
 
"The Complete Book of Pocketknife Repair" by Ben Kelley Jr. is a gold mine.

I read it, studied it, then gave it away. Just not my thing at all. :thumbdn:
I'm more a sword guy; a forge guy.

Where you gonna get the Damascus? I've got some here (cable).

PLEASE realize that there is NO SHAME in throwing away your first 25 knives.
Get used to the idea. It's not a failure, just more frustrating than tossing out unrisen biscuits, but the came concept. I've ruined a hundred knives and burnt-up a ton of steel. No on cares in the long run, so don't let it bug you if your first one is not a Jack Davenport. OK? :thumbup:
Thomas Edison threw away 10,000 lightbulbs before the Tungsten Carbide filament worked. Go easy on yourself, Plug!

Dani
 
I look forward to eventually finding the time to try my hand at making folding knives. I have repaired & made a few primative sheath knives. I figure if the Pakastanis can make them in home shops I should be able to also.
 
Will Aygarn said:
I look forward to eventually finding the time to try my hand at making folding knives. I have repaired & made a few primative sheath knives. I figure if the Pakastanis can make them in home shops I should be able to also.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure mine qualifies as a home shop.

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/Ron.fairweatherforge.jpg
"yard shop" maybe

The link in an above post is the first folder i made there.

ron
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top