sorry for being so noobish

Well whatever you have handy, you can use a rock to shape a blade, you can buy a multi-axis cnc machine. What's your budget? Not trying to sound like a jack### but it's a very broad question.
 
Will Leavitt said:
Well whatever you have handy, you can use a rock to shape a blade, you can buy a multi-axis cnc machine. What's your budget? Not trying to sound like a jack### but it's a very broad question.
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hahaha sorry i have about 150 for tools and about 300 more for everything else
 
Belt sander like the delta SA 180, an angle grinder with cutoff discs (or hacksaw), and a coping saw for cutting out handle scales would be a good start IMO.
 
First, find a nearby, willing knifemaker and spend a couple days hanging around his shop. That should give you a pretty good idea of what you need and alternative tools that can be used. It will also save you a lot of trial and error time.
 
A hacksaw, some files, and sandpaper is all you really have to have to make a knife of any kind. The sanders, grinders, mills, drills, etc. just make the process much faster.

I was at Grizzlies yesterday and seen they had a small bench grinder on clearance or special for $19.95. I started out using a bench grinder and moved up from there.

Good Luck! I started on much less money 20 years ago and added machines when I could afford it. Didn't stop me from making knives though just because I didn't have a certain tool. I just figured a way around it.
 
Heck , besides files , hacksaw and sandpaper , In the beginning I took a 3x24 craftmans sander clamped it in a vise upside down , tied down the trigger and did flat grinds .
 
ONeill said:
Heck , besides files , hacksaw and sandpaper , In the beginning I took a 3x24 craftmans sander clamped it in a vise upside down , tied down the trigger and did flat grinds .
Click to expand...

I've done the exact same thing except my belt sander actually had a trigger lock so I didn't have to tie it down. Worked!
 
OP, I suggest reading as much as you can here (read through the stickies). With the money you have to start, I would get a Craftsman 2x42 belt grinder, hand files and rasps, sandpaper, an angle grinder and cut off wheels for profiling, a drill and bits if you don't have them, a vice is invaluable, coping saw was a good suggestion... some 1080 or 1084 steel if you plan of doing your own heat treating, your choice handle materials, a good epoxy, and pin material and you should be set!
 
thank you so much everyone! just one more question what would be a good steel to start off with that doesnt require heat treating?
(dont think i can do something like that here but once more i know so little i could posible be able too
 
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Please read the stickies.... that would answer your question.

No heat treat? lessee.... titanium, liquid metal, does that cobal stuff require HT? not sure, those are the first 2 metals I can think of that don't require heat treat.
 
All blade steel needs to be heat treated to make a good knife. There are services that will do the HT for you if you send it out and in that case you can use whatever steel you want. Paul Boss and Texas Knife Supply offer HTing services.
 
you need to spend some time reading the stickies, and getting some decent books on knife building...
 
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