Newbie

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nbellowe

Joined
Nov 29, 2009
Messages
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Hi, I am about to begin the journey of my first knife. I was wondering if an experienced knifecrafter could help me with a couple of things.
First: I do not have any fancy tools. I have a drill, a scroll saw, a jigsaw... thats it. I have a hacksaw too. So what are the tools I will need other than the drill, hacksaw. Here is what my list is so far
  1. Drill
  2. Hacksaw
  3. Sandpaper
  4. Metal file thingy
  5. Sandpaper, different grits
As for the materials for the knife itself, I have this.
  1. Steel (refer to question 3)
  2. Wood (Oak)
  3. Metal rod (should it be hollow?)
Question 3: What steel is the easiest to work with, but can still hold an edge. I can fire temper it, but only with a camp/bon-fire, or a kitchen oven. LOL What should I use? Also, can you buy shorter than 18" pieces. Thanks!
 
Hi nbellowe,
Your journey should start with some reading and an understanding of what goes into making your own knife. My recomondation is to read the stickies at the top of the forum page and to read as many of the posts here on the shoptalk forum. You should be able to find the answers to most of your questions.

Short answer....
You WILL need a "metal file thingy" :D(A+ for correct term usage).... Make sure its a file for metal and not wood. Plus, I would not recomend heat treating in a camp fire. If you don't have the equipment for this you can always send it out.
Good luck on your quest!:thumbup:
Mace
 
Thanks for the answer, but I still need to know specific types of metal files, and the steel I should use. Any ideas?
 
Yes, that is why I suggest that you read up some on knife making...it will answer a lot of your questions.;) 5160, O-1, 1084 are all good steels to start with. a single cut basterd file will work on them all. Sometimes the steel depends on what the knife is going to be used for. What kind of knife are you making? Beside the forums there are several good books on knifemaking.:thumbup:
Mace
 
I think what Mace is saying is that these questions can be answered (Have been answered in the stickies)... there are a few steels that us newbies use anywhere from Old Files to O1. My suggestion would be research O1, 5160 and 1080 steel and you decide which sounds easiest for you.... you may also want to check out Greenpete's YouTube videos.

IMO part of the fun in knifemaking is figuring this stuff out, what other people tell you may be great for them but not so great for you!
Enjoy.

Edit: I type slow, seems Mace beat me to the punch! :thumbup:
 
This thread has a good list of books available to learn from

step by step is good
50 $ shop has some good parts
 
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