The next step...

[Wulfenite]

I've gotten pretty handy at mounting handle material on pre-produced blades and grinding out pleasing handles on a 1X30 delta belt/disk grinder I have. I did a bunch of Chiefs knives for christmas presents and everyone was more Wow'ed then they should have been.

Am I correct in assuming the next step is to up grade to a larger grinder and start grinding my own blade shapes out of dimensional stock before attaching handles?

Where does the forging come into the picture? Is it just a way to save abrasives by avoiding stock removal or is there some other advantage to forging vs. grinding out of stock?

Sorry for all the dumb questions.

 

[Reg ELLERY]

I think you can start at any stage. My first knife was a really sad ugly forged bowie. I make stock removal, damascus forged and stock removal, and axes.

I think the next step is what you are happy with and what tools you have.

I was once told an extra five minutes forging can save an hour grinding. You will get all kinds of arguments about which is the better style. I like them all.

If you don't already know if you are going to do stock removal buy the annealed steal and harden it when finnished. If you forge you can use old springs etc forge them and aneal them before sanding then re heat them.