rookie

[paulwesley]

whats the best way to get in to knife making. I mean like buying a kit or something like that. Prefer to start with a fixed blade then move on to folders. Its the hobby I think I would like to grow old with.

 

[Alpha Knife Supply]

whats the best way to get in to knife making

Start with a BIG pile of money!

I think spending time with knifemakers is best. You will shorten the learning curve. Find out what knifemakers are in your area. Find out when they have hammer-ins or get togethers. I've never met a group of people who are as willing to share information as knifemakers.

Then start spending the BIG pile of money!

 

[ddavelarsen]

Then start spending the BIG pile of money!

Man ain't that the truth! I started making knives because I thought collecting them would be too expensive!

But actually Paul you can make knives with very simple tools. A couple of files, some sandpaper, a drill and hammer... Doesn't take much.

I think kits are a good way to test the waters. They give you a good chance to test the waters without having to spend too big a pile of money on tools & stuff. The folder kits from knifekits.com are excellent; all of the knife supply houses sell blades and handle materials.

A good book to read before starting is The $50 Knife Shop , by Wayne Goddard. In it you will learn about making a lot of your own tools and making unexpected things work as knifemaking tools.

Finally, hanging out here and asking specific questions is a great way to find out what to do each step of the way. This is a good place.

Good Luck!

 

[paulwesley]

THANKS DAVE.....................

i am so intrigued by all the materials used for handles and the steels used and i dont want to let this pass me by. I'm 48 and i really want a hobby i can you know..grow older with, problem is i dont have a whole lot of patience and get upset and give up too easily. one of the kit companys has a nice tanto for about $50 w/your choice of handles i think im going to start with that one

 

[paulwesley]

thats it...the delta 5 tanto from knifekits.com....................p

 

[ddavelarsen]

Paul I think you're at a good age to pick this avocation up. I'm 52, I started my second knifemaking career when I was about 47. I'd made a few knives years before that, which experience stood me in good stead.

One thing I will say though, is that of all the crafts knifemaking probably demands the most patience. Steel does not change quickly, and getting it to where you want does take a willingness to stick to processes that seem awful slow most of the time. But there's no way around it. You'll hear people around here say that knifemaking takes two main skills: Practice and Patience. You'll get sick of hearing "practice, practice, practice." But given some basic hand-eye coordination that's really all it takes.


If you're a woodworker you'll find that many of the processes will carry over well, they're just much slower... Have fun!

 

[Fred.Rowe]

THANKS DAVE.....................

"I dont have a whole lot of patience and get upset and give up too easily."
Morning Paul, Knife making can be a wounderful therapy and is for a great many of us. Spending hours n the knife shop figuring out procedures and techniques, inventing jigs, out of thin air, learing how new materials respond to you and viewing "mistakes" as prompters to new experences, are all part of a knife makers day. That is, if one of your machines doesn't break down. Then you have to change into repairman mode. I believe most makers; feed off of adversity, love a good challenge and are the kind of people you would like to have around in a crisis, even if that means trying to finish off a large keg of Beer. I'll raise my hand to that one. I don't know if most makers start out with these character traits, but they are attitudes that will help you get the most out of your time in the knife shop. You will find most makers to be of a very sharing nature and enjoy helping people get started. I included. My advice ,is to take time to enjoy the learning experience. Fred

 

[Fred.Rowe]

"I'm 52" By God Dave I didn't think you were a day over 51 when I saw yur pic in the mugshot thread. I thought you had substituted a photo of a young Russel Crow and were not being honest with your forumfriends. Boy that Adobe- Photo shop, can work wonders, can't it. Fred

 

[paulwesley]

HI FRED

i wish had somebody like you around you sound like a great guy


thanks.....paul