What books to start with.

Gravelface

Gravelface

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I hate sound like every other new person on the block, but what books should I start with to get started making knives?

Any inforamtion is appreciated.
Jason
 
This is asked regularly.A search is always a good thing to try first. There is a good book list at www.knifehow.com . There is a newbie sticky at the top of this forum page.
Get Wayne Goddard's,"The $50 Knife Shop", David Boye's," Step-by-step Knifemaking", and Jim Hrisoulas', "The Complete Bladesmith". There are probably four or five other good books for new makers,but these should keep you busy reading for a few weeks.Read them before you start and you will be doing yourself a big favor!
Stacy
 
... Add in "How to Make Knives" by Barney and Loveless

...also my personal favorite - Custom Knifemaking by Tim McCreight.

Rob!
 
Thanks, I picked up "The $50" and "How to". Now time and supplies are next. Any recommendations on brands to avoid or to get? Just basics, it's great to read about, but actual users are the best sourcs of information.
Thanks,
Jason
 
I have all of the books mentioned above, but I keep returning to Barney & Loveless... the more I familiarize myself with my tools, the more the information they provide is pertinent. I literally review that book once a month!
ALL of the books mentioned are great resources, though... besides, I love expanding the library!
 
Those are all great books that I refer to as well. A good video is Tim Lively's "Knife Making Unplugged". It and the $50 Knife Shop will show you that you don't need a ton of bucks or a zillion specialty tools to make a serviceable knife (although all of those tools sure are nice:D )
 
Beyond the titles mentioned above, I think you should add:

Metallurgy Fundamentals by Daniel A Brandt.

It's a very readable textbook that will really help you get a solid understanding of steel and its treatment. It covers things from the super-basics through reading ISO transformation charts to tailor heat treat for specific characteristics, etc.
After you read this book, you'll want an Atlas of Isothermal Transformation (sounds impressive). You'll be able to plot heat treating plans for specific alloys for things like austempering, marquenching or whatever else you need to achieve a desired result.
 
I have "Metallurgy Theory and Practice" by Dell K Allen. It covers enough metallurgy to get you to understand the basics and it is commonly available used and cheap.
 
Does anyone recommend just sending out the knives to be heat treated or cyro-treated? Rather than the do-it-yourself.
 
You can do that, of course, but you should still know what's going on with your knives. I've never read the 'Theory and Practice" title, but if it's anything like Metalurgy Fundamentals, it's interesting enough to keep inquiring minds turning the pages and includes very important information for those serious about making knives.
 
thanks for the info im glad i looked rather than ask ill be getting a few of thease books soon. while im bulding my forge.
there was one i think about woodland crafts but not to shure on the exact title or auther :o :foot:
 
Gravelface said:
I hate sound like every other new person on the block, but what books should I start with to get started making knives?

Any inforamtion is appreciated.
Jason
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Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche
 
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