The grinder wars, do i really need to spend the money? As well as an EDGE question.

You can make a great knife with a grizzly, coote or other "entry" grinder, you can make a really crappy knife with a top end like a Burr King, KMG or a Bader (trust me I know this from experience!) The learning curve with an upper end grinder is faster because of VS, the tooling available like small wheels make things easier (you really wouldn't believe the change until you use one.) Can an experienced maker use a cheap grinder and make a better knife than a beginner on a top end grinder??? sure hope so.... but if you're in this for the long haul you'll be much better off to get the best you can, or to just hold on at a lower level until you can get the top. For example, I used a el cheapo multi-tool thingy until I could save up for my Burr King, I could have sprung for a grizzly but then I'd have been $350 in a hole towards my BK.
 
Will - Good Points....

You do need to add a better platen to make the Grizzly work well.

And, the fact that the KMG allows you to switch out tooling arms allows you to use smaller wheels, which is a big deal.

On the flip side, smaller wheels can be accomplished with other tools.

Good debate.

Marion
 
My own biased opinions, the Coote is the best entry level grinder for the money (it'll last you a life time if you take care of it) and the KMG is the best grinder money can buy. I now own both, I've been using the KMG for most everything, but it's wicked nice to be able to leave an old low grit belt on the Coote for random grinding when I'm blacksmithing and need to sharpen up a cutter or something.
 
I had to make the same decision a couple of years ago. I bought the KMG, I am a firm believer good tools make the job easier. After looking at the resale value it was a safe bet if for some reason I decided to stop making knives I could always sale them for about the same money I gave for them. Just a thought
 
I've ground many knives on just a grizzly. Replace the platen and tune it up, and you can learn to grind on it pretty good. I love the control I have and the superb belt tracking I have on my variable speed KMG. I do almost all my metal work on the KMG now and use the Grizzly almost exclusively for handles (no slack belt attachment for the KMG yet, and I don't want to take the time to remove the platen and change my angles, etc.).

--nathan
 
FOG2 said:
How about a Coote grinder ? Depending on where you plan to go with your knifemaking. I don,t own one and have only seen them online.Soooooooooooo
I don,t know the good/not so good points of a Coote.

Opinions ?
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I don't own a Coot either. I made my own 2x72 about 8-9 years ago. But, I do remember an article in Blade Magazine several years ago saying that the Coot was the best bang for the buck out there. After that article came out, I contacted the maker and they already had a 6 month back log.
 
22h2 said:
I had to make the same decision a couple of years ago. I bought the KMG, I am a firm believer good tools make the job easier. After looking at the resale value it was a safe bet if for some reason I decided to stop making knives I could always sale them for about the same money I gave for them. Just a thought
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tools and guns are two things that dont leave my shop for cash
tools (if you can make something you can make $)
guns ( i can only carry so many so i get the best i can, i have 3 now )
on the guns i need to upgrade one but then im happy. im not a gun guy that has to get every deal that walks by (tools thats a harder ? to ask me )
 
Marion,
Sure you can use mandrels in a drill press to do finger notches and choils.... let me know when you can find a 1000x mandrel. Plus those things wear so quickly it's not worth the time and money unless that's your only option.
 
I'm with Caffrey on buying a good grinder asap. You can either buy one or make one. Maybe you can cash in some old life insurance like I did. I decided I wont need life insurance if I'm dead right? Maybe trade something, or borrow the money. My Burr King has paid for itself many many times over and I love it more each day. I want a KMG also but would never sell the BK. I built a variable speed 14" wheel grinder from scratch in my spare time that cost about $1200 but its worth much more if I ever need to retire.
The Grizzley is not a bad grinder but it runs at light speed especially if it were fitted with a 10" wheel. The Coote is a good machine I've heard. Is it VS or step pulley system?
 
Yes, buy the best grinder you can afford.

On that note, however, I would spring for the coote. I bought a grizzly and I wish I would have bought the coote, which is about the same price, and scrounged up a used motor to get me buy until I could afford a better one. I had to have Grizzly send me 7 replacement parts because they don't clean up the castings well enough to get perfectly square holes. That resulted in several hours of frustration as I tried to get it to track correctly and squarely on the platen and to have a rest that was square. Bottom line, I lucked out, most Grizzlies are good out of the box, but they are made in China. Coote is made in the good 'ole USA.

If I was in your shoes, I'd buy a coote and build my own forge. There's something about building your own forge that is really appealing to me. I enjoy firing up something I built from scratch and then using it. The same could be said for a grinder, but a grinder project is much more expensive.

Good luck man.
Brook
 
im still thinking its going to be the grizzly, i cant justify the payment for a KMG when im broke anyway, great thread and thanks guys
 
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