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What kind of tools for making custom knife
- Thread starter M4C
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 27, 1999
- Messages
- 3,745
Boy...that's a loaded question. I made my first one with a cold chisel and hammer to score an outline on an old crosscut saw. I completed the knife with a file.
I also (just like many others here) used a handheld belt sander clamped in a vice.
Again like many others, I went to a 4X36 tabletop grinder because of the low cost. I made several grinders and made a number of forges ranging from a pit in the ground with the wifes vacume to brick forges.
The point to this is that you don't have to have much to get started. If you only intend to do one, I would suggest you check out knifemakers supply and by a blade. My bet is that you can't do just one though. A year ago I swore off grinding and for good reason. I'm doing it again though. It gets in your mind like few other things.
If you just have to grind your first, see if someone near you will let you use his grinder.
Good luck!
I also (just like many others here) used a handheld belt sander clamped in a vice.
Again like many others, I went to a 4X36 tabletop grinder because of the low cost. I made several grinders and made a number of forges ranging from a pit in the ground with the wifes vacume to brick forges.
The point to this is that you don't have to have much to get started. If you only intend to do one, I would suggest you check out knifemakers supply and by a blade. My bet is that you can't do just one though. A year ago I swore off grinding and for good reason. I'm doing it again though. It gets in your mind like few other things.
If you just have to grind your first, see if someone near you will let you use his grinder.
Good luck!
Originally posted by M4C
Hi Guys: I want to make a custom/handmade knife for personal use and how do I get started? What kind of tools or inexpensive machine do I need? Any help would be really appreciated! Thanks, Andy
Andy, get the book "How to make knives" by Barney and Loveless. Barney makes a knife with hand tools. Too much work.
A.T.
My next show is the SouthEastern Show
in Winston-Salem, NC, September 6th and 7th.
Please come by and say hello.
"Don't you buy no ugly knife"
http://www.customknives.com/
PlaceKnives
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2003
- Messages
- 933
I have a -
-bench top Craftsman drill press ($120.00)
-2X42 Craftsman bench top belt sander ($120.00)
-a tiny 4" vise (flea market item)
-a bunch of hand files
-tons of various grit sandpaper
That's all I have. With these simple items it's possible to make any sort of knife you might want. Here's one of the knives I've made with these tools...
click here to see my other handmade knives
-bench top Craftsman drill press ($120.00)
-2X42 Craftsman bench top belt sander ($120.00)
-a tiny 4" vise (flea market item)
-a bunch of hand files
-tons of various grit sandpaper
That's all I have. With these simple items it's possible to make any sort of knife you might want. Here's one of the knives I've made with these tools...
click here to see my other handmade knives
PlaceKnives
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2003
- Messages
- 933
Thanks man, someday I hope to be able to afford the pro belt grinders and such. But until then...I'll be slaving away the old fashioned way.
Here's a view of the other side...6 1/4" blade, 1/4" thick O-1, fully tapered tang, Arizona Ironwood handles...
Here's a view of the other side...6 1/4" blade, 1/4" thick O-1, fully tapered tang, Arizona Ironwood handles...
That is a good looking knife.
It's amazing what a person can do with a lot of patience.A.T.
My next show is the SouthEastern Show
in Winston-Salem, NC, September 6th and 7th.
Please come by and say hello.
"Don't you buy no ugly knife"
http://www.customknives.com/
- Joined
- Dec 7, 2000
- Messages
- 5,179
I have to chime in too, that is one nice knife! Thanks for sharing. You'll hear a lot of people who know say the most important skill a knifemaker can have is patience. Great job.
One thing I will add on the original question, is if you plan on making more that a handful of knives buy a metal cutting bandsaw! That will save you more aggravation and belts than anything. It'll change your life!
HF routinely has em on sale for $150 and free shipping. Worth every penny. Be sure to use the bimetal blades though, order from knifemaker's supply.
One thing I will add on the original question, is if you plan on making more that a handful of knives buy a metal cutting bandsaw! That will save you more aggravation and belts than anything. It'll change your life!
HF routinely has em on sale for $150 and free shipping. Worth every penny. Be sure to use the bimetal blades though, order from knifemaker's supply.
2" wide and 42" long.
A.T.
My next show is the SouthEastern Show
in Winston-Salem, NC, September 6th and 7th.
Please come by and say hello.
"Don't you buy no ugly knife"
http://www.customknives.com/
berettaman12000
Banned
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
- Messages
- 388
Hey Placeknives, that is really one nice blade, the grind looks excellent and the ironwood is really nice!
I was wondering how much of the bladework you do with your belt sander and how much with files?
What horsepower is your beltsander?
I'm very impressed with your level of workmanship, just shows what patience and skill can do!
I was wondering how much of the bladework you do with your belt sander and how much with files?
What horsepower is your beltsander?
I'm very impressed with your level of workmanship, just shows what patience and skill can do!
PlaceKnives
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2003
- Messages
- 933
Thanks for all the compliments guys! To answer some of your questions, the belt sander I use is a Craftsman, I think it's 3/4 horsepower with a 6" disc sander on the side. I use the disc sander for tapering tangs because it's a perfectly flat surface. The belt sander is okay but it's not meant for precision work. The belt drifts all the way to one side and the platen is not flat. The draw back with the 2X42" is that Aluminum Oxide belts are all that's available in that size. A 2X48" would be a more versitile choice.
The knife I pictured here was the first knife I ever ground with the machine. I removed the platen from the belt sander and basically slack ground the blade to it's rough shape and then flatened it up with files and then sandpaper wrapped around a block of aluminum. The grind on this knife ended up being a kind of convex grind.
On my smaller knives, the whole blade is filed, but this one was 1/4" thick so I got rid of as much of the thickness as I could with the sander.
Man, I'd love a bandsaw! It took me about 3 hours to cut this knife out. I drilled little holes all the way around the outline of the knife and then played "connect the dots" with a hacksaw. Then I ground the nubs off with an 80 grit belt on the sander. What a chore!
I don't have a buffer, so all of the finish is done by hand. Wet sand down to 1500 grit and then rubbed out with a green Scotch Brite pad.
Hope this helps. The "How to Make Knives" book was invaluable for teaching how to drill the holes through your tang and handle material so it all lines up. That book really was worth every penny.
Take care
My Other Knives
Charles Bronson 1921-2003 You Will Be Missed...
The knife I pictured here was the first knife I ever ground with the machine. I removed the platen from the belt sander and basically slack ground the blade to it's rough shape and then flatened it up with files and then sandpaper wrapped around a block of aluminum. The grind on this knife ended up being a kind of convex grind.
On my smaller knives, the whole blade is filed, but this one was 1/4" thick so I got rid of as much of the thickness as I could with the sander.
Man, I'd love a bandsaw! It took me about 3 hours to cut this knife out. I drilled little holes all the way around the outline of the knife and then played "connect the dots" with a hacksaw. Then I ground the nubs off with an 80 grit belt on the sander. What a chore!
I don't have a buffer, so all of the finish is done by hand. Wet sand down to 1500 grit and then rubbed out with a green Scotch Brite pad.
Hope this helps. The "How to Make Knives" book was invaluable for teaching how to drill the holes through your tang and handle material so it all lines up. That book really was worth every penny.
Take care
My Other Knives
Charles Bronson 1921-2003 You Will Be Missed...