READ THE STICKYs

It's very rare that someone who expects to be spoon-fed information will go on to be knowledgeable about anything.

Take solace in the fact that most of those that are unwilling to take some initiative will likely be sub-par in all their efforts. They're also unlikely to stick with something that requires concentration and hard work, like knifemaking.

I'm not a big fan of people asking simple questions that are explained in all the stickies, but if it annoys you, just ignore those threads.
 
One other thought before I leave this thread behind.

Message boards (or Forums) are tools of interaction. "Stickies" are an attempt to use the tool as a repository of information. That's fine, and certainly something most forum owners want to do. But it is somewhat out of sync with the true nature of the tool. A bit like using a meeting hall as a library. Sure, the books will fit there, but people who come to a meeting hall aren't usually there to check out books.

People come to forums to interact. If you choose not to interact with them, that's fine. Complaining about them wanting to interact instead of reading everything that was written before they arrived is a bit silly.
 
No one is complaining that questions are silly. However, when someone is standing outside on a cloudless day and asks the person standing next to them if the sky is blue, then there is a problem. The answer may not have been immediately obvious, but all they had to do was look up.

Tryppyr, your contribution to this thread confuses me. You first post an extension to an entrance exam before being able to post, and then rail against complaining about naive questions. Maybe you were referring to Kevin's now deleted post which I unfortunately did not get to read. If so, nevermind.

This forum has handled thousands upon thousands of questions with many of them being repeat or very basic in nature. I think that is great, and there has never been a significant probelm that I have seen with someone jumping all over the person for asking a question. It is usually handled by answering the question and then politely referring the poster to the stickies. I have seen message boards full of "SEARCH!!!!" type comments, and I agree that is unproductive. However, there is nothing wrong with desiring a person to be a self-motivated and driven learner.

This thead has turned into a gripe fest, which I partly contributed to, and I know that is not what Stacy desired. Anyway, I'll step away as well.

--nathan
 
Ed Caffrey once told me that the reason he was so patience with beginner's posts and questions was that he remembered when he was a novice and needed advice. I hope someday to have the knowledge and patience that he has in answering them.

Gary
 
This is all very interesting to a newbie such as myself who has only just become a member.... The most intriguing thing about it is the fact that in all this discussion about how we newbies should read the "stickies", I haven't yet seen direction about where to find them on the site! P'raps I'm just an illiterate, blind so and so who hasn't spent all day clicking every available link, but in all this self righteous discussion about reading stickies I'd just love to see a link to these elusive oracles of all knowledge as pertaineth to knife making!
 
Stickies are found "stuck" to the top of the list of threads on any given forum. On the shop talk forum, you'll find them right at the top under the announcements. They're labled, "Sticky" just to be clear. ;)

Sorry if us oldbies sound "self righteous" to you, but I doubt you'll find that to be the general tone of this forum on most days. Welcome to the forum, and enjoy.

--nathan
 
n80shutterbug said:
This is all very interesting to a newbie such as myself who has only just become a member.... The most intriguing thing about it is the fact that in all this discussion about how we newbies should read the "stickies",

I haven't yet seen direction about where to find them on the site!

P'raps I'm just an illiterate, blind so and so who hasn't spent all day clicking every available link, but in all this self righteous discussion about reading stickies I'd just love to see a link to these elusive oracles of all knowledge as pertaineth to knife making!
Click to expand...

You had to go past them to get here.

Click the link.

Scroll down.


Under the list of Announcements


http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=741


Sticky: Review - Knifemaking Suppliers List (Multi-page thread 1 2)
marekz

Sticky : PID CONTROL FORGE and MORE
bladsmth

Sticky: How to instructions for making a knife (Multi-page thread 1 2)
bladsmth

Sticky: The process and priciples of quenching (Multi-page thread 1 2 3 4 5)
Kevin R. Cashen

Sticky: ***Newbies , Good info Here***
Dan Gray

Sticky: How To - Membership Problems
Mark Williams

Sticky: Working the three steel types. (Multi-page thread 1 2)
Kevin R. Cashen

Have you seen this ?

The Standard Reply to Newbies v8

The answer to a 13 year old student is different than to a 40 year old engineer, and you may have a helpful neighbour.
We can often recommend a local supplier, but that depends on where you are.
Fill out your profile with your location (Country and State at least), age, education, employment.

Look at the stickies at the top, many are expired, but not all.

The basic process in the simplest terms

Absolute Cheapskate Way to Start Making Knives-Printable PDF
Absolute Cheapskate Way to Start Making Knives-Website

This is a very detailed set of instructions by Stacy E.Apelt.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=694673


Books

A list of books and videos on the KnifeDogs Forum
http://www.knifedogs.com/showthread.php?t=5285

BladeForums - E-books or book previews Google books
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=603203

I like:
David Boye-Step by Step Knifemaking
Tim McCreight-Custom Knifemaking: 10 Projects from a Master Craftsman
These are clear, well organized, widely available and inexpensive too.

Knife Design:
On the Google books thread, you can find
Lloyd Harding drawings
and
the Loveless book with large variety of proven classic styles.

Forging Books:
Lorelei Sims-The Backyard Blacksmith
A modern book with great photos for forging in general - no knifemaking.

Jim Hrisoulas- has 3 books on forging knives. Check for the cheaper paperback editions.
The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way To Perfection
The Pattern-Welded Blade: Artistry in Iron
The Master Bladesmith: Advanced Studies in Steel


The $50 knife shop
It is popular, but it confused me for a long time.
Forging is NOT necessary, you can just file and grind everything away to create a knife (stock removal)

The goop quench is total Bull, commercially made quench oils are cheap and easily available, even grocery store canola oil works much better.

Junkyard steels require the skills of an experienced smith to identify the steel and heat treat it properly.
You can buy proper steel like 1084 very cheaply.
(Mentioned in the new edition)

I like cable damascus, but that is an advanced project for an experienced smith and has no place in a beginners book.

The home built grinders are the best thing about the book, but there is now a huge amount of info on home built 2x72 belt grinders on the web.
The revised edition of this book should have included this.


Videos

Heat Treating Basics Video-downloadable
http://www.archive.org/download/gov.ntis.ava08799vnb1/ava08799vnb1_512kb.mp4

Many specific how to knifemaking videos are available.
Some are better than others, but all better than nothing.

The best overall Knifemaking video I have seen is
“Steve Johnson-Making a Sub-Hilt Fighter”

The best video on leather sheath making I have seen is
“Custom Knife Sheaths -Chuck Burrows - Wild Rose”

You can see a list of some older videos and their reviews at this rental company.
They are not the quickest on getting new titles, but some videos are worth buying, some are worth renting…
Rental wait times are measured in months, buying is MUCH faster, but more costly.
http://smartflix.com/store/category/9/Knifemaking

Green Pete's Free Video
Making a Mora bushcraft knife, -stock removal, hand tools, and neo tribal / unplugged heat treat.
"Green Pete" posted it free for those who can use torrent files.

http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/4995247/Greenpete_s__Knifemaking_Basics_-_Make_a_Mora_Bushcraft_Knife
You can also find it on YouTube broken into 4 parts.


Steel
The “welding steel” at Home Depot/Lowes… is useless for knives.
If you want to ship out for heat treating, you can use ATS34, 440C, plus many others.

If you want to heat treat yourself, find some 1070, 1080, 1084,
1084 FG sold by Aldo Bruno is formulated just for knifemaking.

You can find lists of suppliers here
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=699736

Aldo’s website inventory is unreliable, call instead.
http://njsteelbaron.com/


Heat Treating
You do not have to buy a lot of equipment to start with.
You can send out for heat treating, 10 or 15 $ per blade

This is a PDF brochure which gives good general info
http://www.buckknives.com/resources/pdf/Paul_Bos_Brochure.pdf

http://www.petersheattreat.com/
http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/about_us.php
http://www.knifemaker.ca/ (Canadian)
and others


Grinder / Tools

Hand Tools
You can do it all by hand with files and abrasive paper.
The Green Pete video does it this way.

Photo of a nice bevel filing jig .
http://www.flemingknives.com/imagesPrime/FileStation/KPicB007.jpg

Entry Level Grinders
Many makers start with the Sears Craftsman 2x42 belt grinder.


Commercial Production 2 x 72” Belt Grinders
http://www.prometheanknives.com/shop-techniques-3/grinders

Mapp arm
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=466024


DIY 2 x 72” Belt Grinders

KMG Clone
Free Plans
http://www.dfoggknives.com/PDF/GrinderPlans.pdf

NWG No Weld Grinder
http://www.usaknifemaker.com/plans-for-the-no-weld-grinder-sander-nearly-50-pages-p-723.html

EERF Grinder (EERF =“Free” backwards)
Free plans
http://wilmontgrinders.com/EERFGrinder.aspx
http://blindhogg.com/blueprints.html

Buy the kit
http://polarbearforge.com/grinder_kit.html
 
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Yes, the stickys are at the top of the front page of each sub-forum (that has stickys).
When you see the new threads, the Stickys are right above them.

Many thanks to The Count so often posts the Sticky list when these FAQ threads arise.

There is a lot of info already in the stickies. I have received several additional links lately,which have been.

When someone wants to find a supplier for a 8mmX1.25 pitch hex socket bolt, or asphaltum, or how to grind a clip/swedge ....that is a good question to ask on a new thread. When someone wants to know where to buy some 1080, where to order knife making supplies, or how to make a knife,..... check the stickys first.

I think this thread has run its useful life, so I'll lock it soon. Any final comments should be posted this weekend.
 
I hope you understand I was a bit tongue in cheek with that self righteous bit! I realize that most questions I have right now will probably be dumb, and I'll be happy to do the researching available to me on this site. Thanks to those who keep this site up, and who keep from getting too frustrated with those of us who don't know much!
 
Perhaps we need a sticky to explain the stickys to newbies in a way they can understand...

I still think a newbie sub forum might be a good idea. Aside from giving newbies a special place of honor, it would also help clarify to whom certain posts and threads are written for or aimed towards, and help cut some of the clutter and confusion out of this one.

Maybe it’s just me, but I think stickys should be used more for temporary announcements and perhaps posting guidelines and/or as a "forum" introductory, including using the Google search engine and how. There are so many good threads in this forum (chit chat included but, equally deserving to be sticky), giving special attention to just a few doesn’t really do it justice. If it were me, I'd unstick the existing stickys (with the possible exception of “Membership Problems”).

I guess this topic is a bit sticky. :)
 
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