Total newbie/needs direction

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Dakota 11

Joined
Apr 14, 2006
Messages
252
Hello i hope that i am in the right place for this post . I am very interested in getting into making custom knifes and dont really know were to start. I just ordered a few books that i will get in a week or so and hoping to kinda start there. a little about myself. I am 30 years old and live in california, got my contractors liscense when i was 24 and own a roofing company. I travel alot and hunt and fish all over from fishing in sea of cortez to bow hunting in Illionios. i am a perfectionist and am obsessive compulsive so when i start something i go pretty much all out. hopeing to get some info besides the books that can get me headed in the right direction. i would more then likely be trying to make hunting knifes. Is there any schools for this trade or is this something self tought? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
hi Dakota, im in the same boat you are so i can only really share what resources i have come accross. the sticky thread by Dan Gray above this post is a good place to start, lots of good info there, another thing, check out the thread i started, asking the same questions, i got a few good answers and a couple good links!

and best of all, the people around here are really cool and helpful so dont think twice about asking for advice or help :)

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=393402
 
Here are some starters:
Read several books knife making.
You will find lots of good info and contacts at www.knifehow.com
There are schools and such out that way.
Attend a hammer-in.
Find a maker in your area to show you the ropes.
Make www.bladeforums.com your home page.

CAUTION: Knife making is as addictive as crack cocaine.....and costs about the same!!!
Stacy
 
Sounds like you are starting in the right direction with the books. Getting to know some knifemakers is also good advice. I always recommend getting some finished blades from a knife supply along with handle material. You will probably need a small drill press and a belt sander. You can get both of these for less than $100 apiece. Try putting these together. It is a good place to start.
 
You have a [leg up] over many in that you use knives. If you have a basic understanding of what constitutes a good knife, you can work backwards from there towards constructing a good knife. You can learn a great deal from reading and from visiting established makers shops. The hammer-ins are a wonderfull invironment to get a hands on feel for the skills required to make knives. In the end there is no substitute for time spent alone in the shop, challenging yourself. Go for it!
Stacy is correct. It is an addiction and a passion; it began when man first sought out a sharp piece of flint to skin his kill. Fred :cool:
 
Welcome aboard. There are plenty of folks on this forum ready to respond to your needs. Books are good and there are some good videos and DVD's out there. Ed Fowlers Bearing to Blade DVD would be my first choice for making high performance hunters. HTH.

Jim
 
cool deal thanks for the repsonses cant wait to get my books in. These will only last me maybe 1 -2 weeks as i can read and comprehend very fast. Also since i am in construction i have many tools already and what i dont have i can buy very easily. Maybe my cpa will let me right them off. I also had 4 years of wood shop in highschool. Im really a hands on person so i am already getting juiced up thinkinh about it. Have been toying witht this idea for some time now. Also explain hammer in? Is it what i probably already think it is. Wondering how i can find a knifemaker out in the central california region.
 
A hammer in is where a bunch of guys get together and share techniques for forging blades at someone's shop. Are you looking to make high carbon forged blades or stainless steel stock removal blades?

The search function here on Blade Forums works wonders. If you've got a question, it's probably been asked, and answered several times. We all have the same challenges :)

You'll need a good grinder. One that's suitable for knifemaking. If you're serious and want to save yourself a lot of grief and shorten your learning curve go here and order a machine and be done with it:

http://www.beaumontmetalworks.com/

You can read the books while you're waiting for it to arrive. Do yourself a big favor and ge tthe variable speed option. You've probably already got a drill press, so the only other major tool would be a metal cutting bandsaw for profiliing blade blanks. A heat treat oven helps a lot as well.

Oh, yeah, you'll probably want to get a Bridgeport too :)
 
Kota-

I would suggest getting a decent knife kit. The steel blade has been properly heat treated but there is still a lot of work to be done. It will give you a good appreciation of the craft without investing substantial amounts for tools, etc. It is not as easy a task as the ads say it is. It will take quite a bit of effort to make a good one.

http://www.knifekits.com/
 
Dakota 11 said:
Hello i hope that i am in the right place for this post . I am very interested in getting into making custom knifes and dont really know were to start. I just ordered a few books that i will get in a week or so and hoping to kinda start there. a little about myself. I am 30 years old and live in california, got my contractors liscense when i was 24 and own a roofing company. I travel alot and hunt and fish all over from fishing in sea of cortez to bow hunting in Illionios. i am a perfectionist and am obsessive compulsive so when i start something i go pretty much all out. hopeing to get some info besides the books that can get me headed in the right direction. i would more then likely be trying to make hunting knifes. Is there any schools for this trade or is this something self tought? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...

You might try this.

http://www.knifenetwork.com/workshop/index.shtml
 
thanks for the links guys. the sierra fire and forge is like 3 hr drive from me so ill be checking that out. that map is killer for finding people to bad not many (3) in california. yeah i try and stay away from the bay area as much as possible. The internt class looks cool, think ill have to give that a try this next winter when my work load slows up . just regiosterd at the knifehow place so will more research there for me as well. thanks alot guys
 
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