What is your most, and least enjoyable part of making knives?

Favorite: Forging. As one of my American teachers would say when the forging was finished, "Whelp, the fun part is over!"
Least favorite: Probably epoxying handles. A couple years ago, I would have said hand finishing, but I find it goes pretty quickly now.
 
Another part I like that I forgot to mention. I love finding burls and wood for handles in the bush. Rotten looking pieces of wood go under my porch to dry and then get cut up into blocks and sent to K&G for stabilizing. There is something really satisfying seeing a beautiful handle of amazing wood and knowing it was something I spotted in the bush and knew was going to become something special.
 
I love heat treating knives. It imparts them with their soul. I also love bevel grinding and handle shaping. And of course oiling the handle to reveal the full beauty of the wood.
I hate anything repetitive. IE drilling holes, profiling a bunch of the same blades (I am working on an order of 12 steak knives and I'm going crazy)
 
Blackdirt cowboy said:
Ha, of course, on a thru tang knife. I only make full tangs and was really confused why you’d peen one of those. Lol. I feel sheepishly stupid right now.
Click to expand...

I only make puukkos and I peen most of them. Surely I'll speed up at the tang measurement, pommel prep and peen over time.
 
I don't like grinding the bevels. That's my worst part so I usually have to fix mistakes on them hand sanding. Which I also dont enjoy. I love shaping the handles and hand sanding those to really high grits.
 
Love the design process most of all followed by tweeking the pattern until it's just right... That's why I do 1/4" thick patterns in wood! Best feeling is getting feedback when the blade actually gets used
 
Favorite part is taking the file guide off after grinding bevels and seeing crisp plunge lines. Least favorite is hand sanding to get out the last scratches left from the grinder
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top