Newby Knifemaking Questions

[MG74]

So I suppose I'll begin by introducing myself and giving some background on where I'm coming from. I'm a Canadian 19-year-old college student and I'd say I've probably got zero knowledge of handiwork and almost no experience with tools or making things in general. I got into knife making and some very basic woodworking and bushcraft about 6 months ago. My first knife making project was making a knife using a premade condor Kephart knife blank. I made that knife with a folding saw, a wood rasp, a file and some screws and a screwdriver and another knife and some lacewood handle scales I ordered on Amazon. Since then I've made a couple more knives (very rough knives based on the design of Japanese Kiridashi knives) from scratch using o1 stock, a hacksaw and one double cut bastard file and a hand drill which I managed to obtain for free from a family friend. I did my heat treating using a mapp gas torch and canola oil.

At this point, I've done a lot of research into knifemaking and read through many forum posts and spent a lot of time on this hobby and I'd like to start improving my knives and start getting more professional tools. I'd like to also eventually begin forging knives as well as making them by stock removal.

I'm looking for some general advice on what I should invest in and where I should spend my limited funds especially because sourcing tools and good steel has been a real challenge for me because of really high shipping costs.

I'd like to know what kind of forge would be cheapest for me to make for heat treating. Right now I'm leaning towards rigging some sort of charcoal-based forge based on this idea

I'm also wondering what kind of belt sander would be worth investing in. I've been very tempted to save up for a 1x30 belt sander or this 1x42 king Canada belt sander. I know 2x72 belt sanders seem to be the defacto recommendation around here but I simply don't have the money or space to buy and use one.
https://www.amazon.ca/King-Canada-K...d=1515510684&sr=8-2&keywords=1x42+belt+sander

I've also been wonder where do other Canadian knife makers located in Ontario get their steel because I've been struggling to find reasonably priced steel due to the really high shipping costs. The cheapest thing I've found are these O1 steel bars on Amazon that have prime shipping.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B000FMYFVI/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_56?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB

 

[Randy3000]

Since you already have a torch, you can do 5" blades if they arent any thicker than 1/8" using a simple coffee can forge. If you want to do anything bigger you need a higher btu burner. Are you using a filing jig? Cheap to make, works fine until you can get a grinder.

Honestly if you are on a budget a cheapo 1x30 from harbor freight is good to go, download the 20% off coupon they always have on their coupon site and it might cost you $30. This is way better than a filing jig. For steel i always just order from knife supply shops like Jantz.

 

[MG74]

I haven't been using a filing jig mainly because I haven't really found it difficult to just grinding the bevels freehand with my file. As far as a coffee can forge go would it be worth buying the refractory to make one? would it be better to grab that cheapo harbor freight 1x30 rather than a hundred dollar one?

Thanks, Magd

 

[Jrmysell]

I used the cheapo harbor freight 1x30 for my first 25 knives or so. It worked ok. I now have a reversible variable speed 2x72. Night and day, but I feel like I made decent knives on the 1x30. Here's the last 2 I made on the 1x30.

 

[Randy3000]

I should of probably clarified a bit. If your plan is to do stock removal for 5" and under knives, then the coffe can setup is pretty cheap since you already have the torch. Maybe cost $10-20. If you want to possibly make bigger knives or do actual hammer forging then the coffee can setup is completely inadequate and you would want charcoal or a legit propane forge and burner (more $).

I have a 1×42 i use and i have made cleavers, various skinning/gutting knives, etc on it and it works fine. Like you, i started out pure hand filing and it is so much easier and so much better looking once you get any kind of a belt sander/grinder.

I started out thinking i would get into hunting and camping knives, and tried all kinds of different knife styles, then fell in love with making little slip joint folding knives with little blades. If i had started out with a big 2×72 grinder i would probably feel i had too much grinder right now, cant say for sure. I figured out what i liked making and then bought tools slowly as i needed them to do certain tasks better. That is a slow way, but less likely regret a big unnecessary purchase.