To What Degree Are You Directly Involved In Your Knifemaking ?

[Rick Marchand]

How do I edit a Poll? Option 6&7 should not be the same.... bah! The 6th option should read...
I forge, grind and heat treat my own blades.



Not everybody is set up for all aspects of knife making. Some folks choose to outsource step for various reasons. Whether you are the complete sole author or just slap on scales, tell us how you roll. This thread is not to be read as a measure of maker-merit... it's all good. Just curious.

I made this into a "Poll" and narrowed it down the best I could. I know there are other variables like water-jet, surface grinding, media-blasting, etc... I figured you would just include the details in a post if you want.

 

[Broomhead]

With the exception of smelting/manufacturing the steel/brass pins and growing the tree for the wood, I have done everything myself on my two knives. I like being able to say that I made the whole thing.

 

[AVigil]

I make my own grinders, design my own blades, cut and grind my own metal, sand and wrap my own handles, build my own sheaths and heat treat my own 1084. But I send out my tool steels and stainless for heat treatment.

 

[JBS TOOLMAKER]

I try not to outsource anything but I do purchase quite a bit. For folders I buy pivots, standoffs and screws. It's just more economical to buy them.For models that I sell a lot of I waterjet Ti frames, liners and blade blanks. But I do all the rest including heat treat, I do send out some stainless to BOS. For fixed blades I do everything except make my own steel and handle material.
I drill, ream and tap all the holes, grind bevels, sharpen test blades, make sheathes....all that stuff tough guy.
I guess I could say I'm directly involved with everything. Even the parts that get water jet I'm always on his ass...LOL

 

[Carl_First_Timer]

Novice here, but this seems interesting so I will chime in. I have only finished around 10 knives, but have too many to count in various stages of completion.

Blade Steel:
I buy flat stock PG if possible.

Forging:
No forging for me...Yet

Shaping:
I cut out my own designed shapes and grind the bevels. Which my neighbor says makes it "too easy".

Heat Treat:
Electric kiln for Heat treating simple steels and up to 1800f for A2. Much easier for me since no forging stresses to overcome.
I do have some Elmax and N680 ground out that I need to send out for HT just trying to get as much LBS together as possible.

Handles:
I do not harvest my own wood or make my own laminates.
I buy from Alpha or Burl. Rarely, I will find un-stabilized wood at my local Woodcraft that is too beautiful to pass up.

Hardware:
I buy Corby's and pivots and such from USA. I may get into making some in the future but I already have enough hurdles to jump over with what I am already doing.

Sheaths:
I LOVE making sheaths, my fingers not so much. I buy the materials for these as well.

 

[Rick Marchand]

Sorry guys, the "poll" option didn't stick the first time. Please go back up and fill it out.

 

[Phil Tham]

Pretty much do all I can myself. I'm a stock remover and mostly use air-hardening steels. I have a small mill, horizontal and vertical grinders, kiln, drill presses, and just acquired a used surface grinder. Hopefully I'll be able to stop buying PG steel soon...just need a magnetic chuck for the grinder and I'll be set. I do leather work too, but am not too good at it. Maybe I'll get better with practice. -Phil

 

[Dan Pierson]

It's a little complicated. I mostly stock remove. I heat treat steels up through A2 myself but currently
outsource higher alloy steels to Peter's Heat Treat because I don't feel like the hassle and expense of
cryo at this time. I have forged some and hope to do more. I heat treat my own forged blades because
they don't require cryo.

 

[Joe Calton]

Since there were 2 forge weld grind and heat treat, i voted oncefor that even though i dont do damascus, but i do forge, grind and heat treat.

Hope that doesnt mess up the poll.

 

[daizee]

I'm not set up for everything at home, and do a lot of work at Mr. M's shop, but I do it myself. When not receiving instruction on something new.

I chose grind & cook & sheath.

 

[Rick Marchand]

I hear you Dan... If I would have included ALL the options, the list would have been huge. Thanks for more in depth explanation.

 

[Rick Marchand]

Since there were 2 forge weld grind and heat treat, i voted oncefor that even though i dont do damascus, but i do forge, grind and heat treat.

Hope that doesnt mess up the poll.

No you are right... I messed it up and don't think I can edit.

 

[fast14riot]

I design, cut, grind and heat treat my blades as much as possible. I also source, select, cut, grind and lap my own water stones for sharpening. I buy regular stock and grind flat. In the case of my minis, I forge, grind and heat treat myself. Often turning my own pin stock or harvesting my own wood for handles for the minis.


-Xander

 

[rwn2000]

I am 100% involved in my knifemaking once the raw materials are obtained. I cut, profile, grind, sand, heat treat, test, sand, glue up handles, sand, polish, make sheath, sell, keep, or give away. I do probably 85% stock removal and 15% forging and do my own heat treat in a propane forge. Right now I'm using mostly 1084 and some O-1. My first sheaths were terrible; luckily they matched my first grinds. I have slowly acquired enough leather tools that I get much better results now than in the beginning and in less time as well. (I'll never be competition for Paul Long, but my knives don't fall out of their sheaths. ) My grinds are still not perfect, but practice, practice, practice.

randy

ETA My 18yr old son has caught the bug as well. He has gone further than me in some respects by harvesting 2 burls off a neighbors property (with permission) and using them on 2 knife handles. He doesn't quite get which belt to use for a certain task so i have to hide the new ones to keep him from burning/clogging them up.

 

[Burton Harruff]

I pattern-weld(damascus), grind and heat treat my own blades. I make my own sheaths.

 

[Bruce Culberson]

I forge, grind and heat treat my blades, except the stainless/air hardening steels which get out sourced for heat treat. I make roughly 90% carbon steel and 10% stainless. Although I haven't made damascus I have made a wrap around hawk with a welded bit of 5160 and have tried sai mai. I have a billet of damacus here that will hopefulley get welded up in the new year.
I make my own sheaths - leather and kydex.
Bruce

 

[Robert Dark]

Rick,

Although I don't do any of the following well...............

I forge, I do stock removal and I heat treat.

As far as the bonus......... I make my own sheaths.

I also do all the photos on my website. I created and continue to (loosely) maintain my site.

Maybe because I try to do it all is the reason that I don't do any of it well. I have been accused of being a "Jack of all trades, and master of none".

Robert

 

[kc custom]

When I started in the early-mid seventies it was all stock removal. Late 90's to early
2000's I done the heat and beat for about 5 years off and on. Never totally quit the stock
removal during that time. Now other than the occasional shield its all "in house" heat treat,
LN, Dry ice and alcohol, wood, bone and we could go on- suffice to say they are all sole
authorship. I do not make the steel. Slipjoint folders, I still do a handful of straight hunters
and fillet knives per year.
Ken.

 

[JCaswell]

I forge (PW), grind, heat treat (salt pots, etc), machine/CNC, fit/finish. Everything.

That does not mean I do that for every project.

I'll use waterjet when appropriate, I'll sent out SS to Bos, I'll have heat treated blade blanks double disked and lapped, I'll have holes honed (if there are more than I want to deal with here).

After many years of doing "sole-authorship" work, the importance of efficiency, and what it means to the value you can offer your customer, has become of greater importance--especially if the outsourced service replaces a low-skill task (waterjetting vs. bandsawing).

 

[Rick Marchand]

After many years of doing "sole-authorship" work, the importance of efficiency, and what it means to the value you can offer your customer, has become of greater importance--especially if the outsourced service replaces a low-skill task (waterjetting vs. bandsawing).

That was well put, Joe. I admit that I used to be a "sole-authorship" snob. If you couldn't heat treat your own knives, I had a hard time accepting you as "legit" knife maker. It was a close-minded way of thinking. There are many more variables involved.

At this point, I can't see how I could outsource any part(aside from smelting the steel) of my process. Not because it can't be outsourced or shouldn't... but because I still enjoy and can afford to spend the time doing these things.

As a side note(and I know I have told you this before) I am not much of a folder guy and usually drawn toward natural materials.... but that EDX model of yours just sings to me, Joe. Great design:thumbup: