New to Knife Making

F

fyimo

Joined
Dec 3, 2002
Messages
13
I retired this year from a high stress job and I've decided to start making knives. I've read several books, visited and joined this web site and bought some tools based on my limited retirement income and I going to get started here shortly. I've bought a couple of blades from a supply house as I figure that I'll start with learning how to fashion handles. I plan to work on both full tang and hidden tang models. I then plan to start making my own blades and moving up to the more complex areas of knive making.
I'm not planning on making a significant living doing this as I'm really interested in learning the craft and developing the skills required to turn out high quality knives. I was wondering if this approach is the right one. I think building a few kit knives to get a feel for this verses plunging in and grinding my first blade seems like the right thing to do.
I'm sure that it will be a lot harder then I think and I'll probably destroy my share of pretty wood and steel as I go. I'll try to keep all of my body parts attached and lose as little blood as I can.

Thanks, Art
 
Art
Let me start by saying welcome to the bladeforum,you come to the right palce to learn,there are some gret makers and great guys on this board.I think you are thinking is correct,When you do start to grind and shape handles,Grind some junk steel and keep your good steel until you are sure of yourself.I bought some cheap steel and profiled several different style of knives I ground them until I knew what I was doing,I also got cheap wood and glued them to the tangs of the knives I had ground,I taught myself to shape handles I did it over and over until I got the results I wanted.The only way to learn the craft is to pratice, pratice.Evertime I sit infront of the grinder I learn somthing,Hope my input has help.
Nathan:)
 
Welcome to the Blade forum, Art. Sounds like you have a good plan for starting your new hobby. Some humble advice: Get as much literature you can get your hands on. There are many, many books as you might already have, that offer invaluable instuction and advice. Also, subsribe to the knife perodicals. Lastly, your wisest choice of action, you have already made, and that is signing in on this blade forum. These people the finest group of artisans in the world. This will problably be your best source of information and enthusiasm. They are always willing to help. Again, welcome to the blade forum and have fun!

Luke Smart
 
Welcome Art, once you do your frist knife you`ll
never be the same. Its like being addicted to a drug
but better:D
 
Hey Art,
I 'm doing the same thing. I bought some knife kits and I am a'learnin.
I also bought some soft aluminum and practice on that.
Price wise, Its the tools that will kill ya. I dont care what people say, You need a good grinder. I got a cheap one now, but hope to get a better one in the next few months.
Stay on this forum.Read it everyday. I learn something almost every time I read stuff here.
Also, buy the books and the mags. Use other peoples brains and expierence.
Good Luck,
Jack
 
Hey Art, AR is lousy with good knifemakers, Just start throwin rocks and you are bound to find one:D
 
Art,

I agree with everything written above. It's a good plan you have there. I'd just add one idea for you.

Start with a flat ground kit blade. Then before you put on the handle, attack the exposed parts of the blade and put your own finish on there.

There are a number of methods, you'll read them all in the books and on this forum. The advantage of doing that is you'll get familiar with blade shape and how to screw something up with sandpaper and how to fix it. If you wait to do that until you've invested hours into grinding your own blade you'll really panic. So, hand finish the kit blade.

Plus you'll be amazed at the small details there are in bevels, ricosso (sp?), plunge cuts, etc. It isn't until you've worked those areas over with great intimacy that you'll appreciate the Blade.

I know when I started (just months ago) that I thought grinding and handle work took all the time. For me, finishing the blade bevels and getting that perfect finish (in my dreams) is where the time goes.

Hope that helps,

Steve
 
Thanks for all the support and help. I'll tackle some scrap wood and steel for a while and see how it goes. My Wife ordered 12 Steak knife blades from Texas supply today and told me she wanted me to make them up in Cocobola for her. I guess that will be my first real project and it should be interesting to see if I can make 12 handles that all look the same.
I have all of my equipment in except the 1 1/2 horse buffer I ordered from Sears. I'll finish setting up my work bench and tools this weekend.

Art
 
Art
Word of warning,watch the bufffer it is the most dangers machine
in the shop,it will rip a blade from your hand and throw it at you
be careful.:eek:
Nathan
 
The prevois two posts are very good advice. I was showing a student how to use a wire wheel on a bench grinder today and they promply ignored what I had just said and got thier piect ripped out of thier hands. Only a very small abrasion on one hand from the wheel, but they respect that machine now.

WS
 
Its too late to get the vaxination sounds like you have the bug already. Good luck and welcome to knife making.

I have an old mate 81 years old he did a similar thing when he retired. I can not believe the volume of work he puts out. He gave me a few tips.
Belts are expensive so for the first couple of hollow grinds he gave me some 5mm wood which he had cut into blade shapes. My first hollow grinds were made very quickly with a rough belt. You can pick up your mistakes quickly in wood. Then you can move onto steel.

second make a couple of small knives first. You can see the result of your effort quickly. If you make a 12 inch bowie first up and make a few litle mistakes it could be very disapointing.

See if you can find some brutal honest maker who will say that is a good start, BUT you could do this to make it better. Don't be dishartened by what is said. It may just be his style or taste or he may have something.

If you can find a mentor close by get hime to walk you through a knife from start to finish. making one knife with a make is as good as reading a dozen books. Look up some of the tutorials. Bruce EVANS has some good ones.

This is just my opinion everybody will have there own opinion. Just go with the one that you like best. If it does not work try another.

Safety protect your lungs ears eyes and anything that can be cut burn or broken.

getting the wife on side was one of my favorite plans but you have that covered already.
 
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