What does it take to make knives?

redvenom

redvenom

Joined
Aug 15, 2000
Messages
2,330
I've often dreamed of actually making knives like the ones I drool over in Blade. Seems a really cool thing to do standing in front of a grinder throwing sparks - grinding edge up just like Bob Loveless!!! Or beating the tar out of a helpless ball bearing like Ed Fowler
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What does it take? Some natural ability? or just a strong desire coupled with lots of honest sweat? I'm pretty hopeless with my hands - my last craft project (a leather wallet) looked like it was put together by a cross-eyed monkey high on an illegal substance...

Red

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"Praise not the day until evening has come;a sword until it is tried; ice until it has been crossed; beer until it has been drunk" - Viking proverb

[This message has been edited by redvenom (edited 09-27-2000).]
 
Basically a knife is a piece of steel that has been sharpened at one end and has a couple of pieces of wood glued on the other as a handle, anyone can do it.

To be any good at it you have to be a little nuts because it takes a long time to get it "right" and then someone will come along and up the ante by doing it better.

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george
www.tichbourneknives.com
sales@tichbourneknives.com


 
There are days just like George said....nothing to it. There are days like Tom said.....low IQ, but add a monkey and a football, and you've got the idea.
But basically you hit on the major areas...A bit of talent, some sweat off your brow, but I think the disire and drive are key ingredients. I started out on a picnic table in the back yard, with hand tools, a piece of RR track for an anvil, and an old ford truck brake drum rigged up as a forge. I still have the first piece that ever came out of that arrangement. It helps me to keep perspecitve of where I came from, and where I want to go. Just dive in and do it!

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Ed Caffrey "The Montana Bladesmith"
ABS Mastersmith
www.caffreyknives.com
 
One of the biggest things required that no one ever seems to note is a suportive family.
You end up with enough steel grit in your hair every day to set of a metal detector. Soot and grim all over the bathroom every time you come into the house, not to mention the tracks you leave around the yard. Metal dust, wood dust, the aroma of sanding bone and antler.
Just a few of the things we all subject our famialies to that they are required to be patient about.

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Robert
Flat Land Knife Works
rdblad@telusplanet.net
http://members.tripod.com/knifeworks/index.html
 
RED I lived in penang w.malaysia when i was 13. you are in one of the worlds best places for forged steel. i am sure its change since 1971 but there must be some bladesmiths around. ask some of the village elders,or martial arts practisanors. what part of maylaysia are you in?

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Laurence Segal www.RHINOKNIVES.com
 
Thanks for the advice, Tom. Low I.Q.? I could probably watch a few rounds of "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire" to drop a few points of I.Q.
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I live and work in Kuala Lumpur, which is in the most densely-populated region of Malaysia, the Klang Valley. There are still bladesmiths around making traditional Malay bladed weapons (kris, golok, and kerambit), in the rural regions (Northern states).

Beating up on steel sounds like fun and I've often thought about taking the plunge and signing up for the intro course at the ABS school. After that, I might be able to help fellow forumite Sammo realize the world's first 'Tactical' Golok
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Red


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"Praise not the day until evening has come;a sword until it is tried; ice until it has been crossed; beer until it has been drunk" - Viking proverb

[This message has been edited by redvenom (edited 09-28-2000).]
 
red to anwser your question, for me it is my hearts desire, after burning out from sales & marketing to the point of illness i finely said, ok man upstairs you must have other plans for me. you have my attenion whats it going to be? i realized that i wanted to work with my hands and over the next month or so it just came to me. desire+sweat+detemination=being a full time maker3 1/2 years into it, loving it and haven't even thought of looking back!

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Laurence Segal www.RHINOKNIVES.com
 
I second the supporting family. My parents think i am crazy for taking a piece of metal and grinding it into a knife, but for me that is an awesome feeling. You need some way to learn, cheap steel, vise, hacksaw, files, drill press and the will to learn and experiment. You can start with kit's from Jantz, Kovals, Texas Knifemaker Supply, etc and go from there. O-1 is easy to grind, file and hacksaw and from what i heard, easy to fogre as it is forgiving. Thats a good steel to start on. Oh yeah, dust masks are a good thing, too!!
 
Taz: And to think in another part of the world, or another period in history, your parents would be OVERJOYED to have a son that could make the most usefull tool ever invented:-) How times and priorities do change..
I think the most important part of making knives is LOVING knives! Loving the design and function of a knives, admiring people and company's that make great knives etc.
After that some ability, TIME, money/equipment, TIME, IQ as per Tom, a supportive family, and some more time!! Did I mention the time aspect?

Take Care
Trace Rinaldi http://www.pe.net/~thrblade/
 
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