Starting out

K

KWW

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Jan 18, 2014
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Hello all,

My name is Michael. I am a woodworker who dabbles in machining, etc. I currently have a full 3,000 sqft shop of woodworking tools, as well as and including the following that would be of assistance in knife making-

CNC router
Laser Engraver
Bridgeport Mill
Engine Lathe
Deckel Engraver
Drill presses, 14", 15" and 17"
1" strip sander, 12" disk sander, 6" Belt sander
multiple bench and pedestal 6" grinders
Files, sharpening stones, etc

I do not have a forge, I do not have a kiln for heat treating. Because of this, I cannot make blades properly. I would like to get into knife making as a subsidy to my other pursuits. I do not expect to be a millionaire- if I did, I wouldn't have become a woodworker. I would like to get to the point where I can make knives for the enjoyment of it and sell 5 of them a month. I would like to specialize in kitchen and utility knives with some fancy fixed blades and possibly folders thrown in.

I have done extensive work in designing and manufacturing pistol grips as well as knife scales for other manufacturers in the past, namely Lonewolf, before they were bought out by Benchmade.

My thinking is to ease into knifemaking in a logical progression, first purchasing prefabricated blanks that have been ground and prepped, then handling them, buffing out the blades and doing the final sharpening. I would also like to do some engraving and possibly customization, utilizing the laser on the scales and the Deckel with a CNC template to engrave filigree work, etc, on the blades.

The next step is to use the profits from these knife sales to purchase a kiln for heat treating and making a forge, which gives me the entrance into actual knife making, rather than being a knife builder.

Does this sound like a reasonable goal? Am I risking developing a negative branding building off blanks to start? I have the intention of full disclosure- I would never represent a customized knife blank as a fully custom made knife.

Your input is greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Michael
 
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There are a number of good mass produced blades out there and you could probably recoup your costs and perhaps a little more by being a quality cutler. It could be a while before you could make enough extra for a kiln and forge.
 
Ok, edited out the mention in passing of possible price point I was thinking of so it could not be misconstrued. Tryppyr, I've seen a couple of your threads on builds I do believe- do you have anything to add in advise, etc?

I know I've made this a rather open ended request for information, and there's plenty of info out there, but in going through the stickies, I've not found anything of substance in utilizing blanks to start out, etc. I also know from reading through forums that most true knife makers/ bladesmiths look down on most folks building knives off of blanks. This, I feel, is the most logical beginning to this voyage for me right now. I don't trust myself to be able to cleanly taper a blade. I could cut them out with the mill or the Deckel, outsource the heat treating, but as I practice getting a proper blade grind, I figured I would be able to get into the finer minutae of handling, buffing out and sharpening with a good prefabricated blank.

The other option, if I wanted to start with known good steel and work on handling my own, I have a small box full of vintage kitchen knives, Dick, Case XX, Sabatier, Ka-Bar and even a giant old hammer forged Gustav Emil Ern. Most of these are good old carbon steel and most are in need of a regrind and a good replacement handle.

As far as scales for handling, in the past when doing work for others, I start by prototyping with hand shaping a blank of wood, normally cocobolo, then taking a 3d scan of the original, modifying the 3d model and outputting to my cnc for manufacture with final sanding and finish after milling, then laser engraving/ checkering from there. This is what I was planning to do, but might be too production line- most of the time when I do something like this, it's for a production run of 100-1,000 units. That would be alot of the same for a small guy starting out I'm sure...

Thanks again,
Michael
 
About the only advice I would offer at this stage is to start developing your skills before you invest so much attention in a business plan. You may find that some things are more challenging than you expect them to be. You may also find some things are easier than you worry they will be. At the outset, you can't say for sure whether you'll even enjoy the work.

As for me, it started off as a totally cathartic experience... for a while. Then it became fun and familiar, when the catharsis was no longer necessary. Now it's moved to the next stage, where it is a form of work; the sort of work you can take pride in doing.

But I have no interest in making this a business. That would suck the joy out of it for me. Ironically, I have a few people telling me I should do just that. But even if I had that aspiration, I know beyond a doubt I'm not skilled enough yet.

So I'm probably the wrong person to ask for advice about making a business of knifemaking. My advice instead would be make some knives and don't worry about selling them. Worry instead about making the knives the best you can. And if that's not so fabulous for a while, at least you're working toward some future in which your skills might be marketable. And in the meantime you can keep your investment as low as you like.
 
Thank you for the reply!

I understand it may seem like I'm putting the cart before the horse as it were, but I have a somewhat off circumstance. I am self employed and work long hours doing whatever I can to provide for my family. As such, any interests I have that I would like to have a "hobby" of, has to fit into this. For me, that means it has to be self sufficient and contributing to my family's finances in some small way or I cannot afford to dedicate the time to it. This is why I was thinking about going with blanks at first- it could possibly provide a little financially for my time in learning the skill of proper blade grinding.

I hope that makes sense. I've always wanted to make knives, it's been a little dream for me in the back of my mind. What brought it to life is a shop owner up by me who I was talking about providing product for. He said that knives would be of interest to his clientele, so I figured, why not? It fits- I already have most of the tooling I would ever need or want to be able to make knives, I've been involved in making scales, I like working with the ergonomics of grips and handles... Worth a try, right? :)

-Michael
 
Well, maybe there's another way. I've noticed that from time to time some of the respected knifemakers on Bladeforums sell their blade blanks on the Exchange. In some cases these blades are "seconds", not quite rising to the high standards of the makers (though still superior to kit knives). In other cases they just have too many knives and not enough time to finish them out. I daresay there's a third case ... makers whose primary interest is making the blade, and have little interest in working on handles.

In any case, you might consider taking on some of those blade blanks instead of factory produced knife kits. You'd at least have a more unique set of knives in the end. And if your work is good enough you might even be able to work more collaboratively with the knifemakers.

Just a thought.
 
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