OK, admit it ... who uses a grinding jig?

S

Stonefish

Joined
Jan 20, 1999
Messages
24
I'm a real newbie at this knifemaking stuff. I've read that the use of a jig to grind a blade down is pretty much either a great method for consistency or the fastest way to be ostracized.

Who likes to use a grinding jig?

 
I don't, But I will
Mark Boyer does. Go to his site he tells how he make his blades. Good site. I just bought the "black knife" fighter from him. He just mailed it so I don't have it yet. But it looks cool on his site.
smile.gif

http://www.eskimo.com/~boyerbl/

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-Greg Johnson
ICQ#4236341

 
I don't use any kind of grinding fixtures, but, I do have a pretty nice built in knifemakers tool rest. <g>
 
Kit is that a beer induced knifemakers work rest?
smile.gif


To answer the question I do everything freehand on the grinder with the exception of the plunge cuts which I do with a file and a alignment jig, still by hand..
smile.gif


Alan Folts..
 
Definitely NOT! I will admit to trying a home-made jig once, but, it was more trouble than it was worth. And, would you believe, my freehand grinding was superior to that produced with the jig. My advice, if you want to progress in this craft, is, learn to grind freehand. Use the workrest on your grinder either to support your hands, or the back of the blade-this is definitely not cheating, as you are holding the blade in your hands while you grind. Usually, I'll rough grind by resting the blade on the rest, and use a push stick. Then, it's bare hands only.

Remember, even if your freehand grinding is only so-so, you still did it YOURSELF!

Good Luck,

RJ
 
Mark Boyer's page is the best "here's how I do it." one that I've seen. I'd like to see a lot more knifemakers put that kind of information up. I understand there's "Trade Secrets" and some makers might not want to divulge processes that make their knives unique, but I find the information fascinating!

Stone
 
Stone I agree. and to show my appreciation I will usely buy something from the maker thatput good info on there site. I bought the "black knife" fighter from Mark Boyer.
Hey you been to his site what do you think of the knife, think I made a good purchase?
smile.gif


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-Greg Johnson
ICQ#4236341

 
Boyer's "Black knife" looks like a real quality piece of workmanship. And downright affordable, too!
 
Just my _stoutly constructed_ organic tool rest, and a piece of angle iron bolted to the side of the grinder to rest my hands on during some operations. I tried a home-built jig, and it ruined more steel than I did.
Harry Jensen
Fresno, CA

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Please feel free to visit my page, & give me any comments or questions you have regarding my knives.
It's at-
http://www.mrcalifornia.com/~hjensen
 
I tried a grinding jig when I first started making knives, but It never worked very good.
I grind everything free hand or rested freehand now. I also felt like it was cheating, kinda like Putting together a kit knife and stamping your name on it.
Theres nothing wrong with that but it's not something I wanted to do.

T.H. Rinaldi
http://www.pe.net/~thrblade/
 
why is it cheating? because you say so? I could just as well say using a grinder is cheating, why not use a file? Or even a file is cheating, why not scratch at the steel with your nails? Why not make knives by chipping flint rocks? come on!
 
Jadis I agree with you, A lot of the same people that say using a jig is cheating are sending out ther knives to be heat treated, And heat treating makes the knife,so to me THAT is cheating but what do I know, But I don't go around calling every knife maker that send his knives off to be heat treated cheaters.
I about have myself talked into get a jig and the reason is that I suck at grinding my blades. So I guess I will cheat.
Don't get me wrong I would prefer to do it free hand but if I can't I will use any method that I can.
Heck A lot of the maker have CNC mills and lathes they don't think that is cheating. So why is a jig?

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-Greg Johnson
ICQ#4236341



[This message has been edited by gregj62 (edited 15 February 1999).]
 
Jadis - You must have seen me nibbling on some ATS-34. Lucky I salivate a lot or I would over heat the steel. Seriously, I freehand grind all of my knives, but if I screw up a plunge cut and am running out of ricasso, I will use a filing jig made out of hardened O-1 to true the shoulders.

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Ron Ruppé
http://www.ruppe.com
 
I think that most are missing the point. The main concern has to be to produce the absolute best possible end product. I may be newer to knife making than most of you who consider a jig to be cheating, but if you can show me how I can provide my customers with a better knife by using a jig then you can bet that I will cheat and use one.
 
Hey I didnt mean to ruffle any feathers...
I have used jigs before but they didnt work as good as what I could produce once I learned to grind by hand. I do send my blades out for heat treatment, but not because I couldnt do it myself. I know there are many people that make knives with jigs and kits and thats fine, I just didnt want to do it that way. If I have offended anyone I am sorry...

T.H.R.



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