What's the longest step in your knife making process?

Fletch Helical

Fletch Helical

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Sep 29, 2009
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Just curious as to what takes you guys the most time when you are making a knife. Also mention if you're forging and/or or stock removal.

I read on here that some guys spend hardly any time on the grinder when they're putting the bevels on them. So I got to thinking about what step is the most time consuming for you guys. I spent a little time the other day cutting through a piece of steel stock I got with a hacksaw. I figured that cutting out a blank with one would easily be a rather time consuming process. Then again I have yet to do anything with regards to making a knife yet and the one I will be making will be basically all by hand filing and sanding.

Also just for kicks, let's say you had to make a knife from a piece of flat stock and were only allowed one power tool to use at a step in the process.... What one would you choose (again specify if you're choosing for stock removal or forging)
 
I forge most of my knives, the hand sanding always takes the longest for me, or at least feel like it's the long part.

My belt grinder is the tool I would want. I have an old hand powered drill press that needs just a little love but works so I could drill all my holes with that. Forging stock removel makes no difference in choosing tools to me. I look at forging as doing more with less.

That's my .5 cents
 
I've split up my entire process into "pieces" to measure the time spent on average per task. Sorry, I can't help...I love statistics. :p

Anyway, the longest 'across the board' for me is bead-blasting a handle. The time spent taping the blade up, blasting the handle, removing the tape and then cleaning a blade is slooooooowwww compared to the rest of what I do.

Now, the single longest step in any knife (uncommon) is when I set out to flat grind a large blade. What a pain in the rear. I envy the forging guys. I hate seeing all the dust go bye-bye.

Dan
 
Without a doubt........ The "HAND" finish sanding, not only on the blade, but the handle too. Once I leave the grinder, I just have myself a seat on my stool, turn up the music, and sand and sand and sand. (maybe a beer now and then):)

Forging is time consuming for me as I don't have the power hammers or presses. Grinding is fairly quick for me (whether forging or stock removal) as I always use fresh belts and really lean into them.

I spend tons of time hand sanding. I have been told that I am a little an*l when finishing my blades, and even though I will never be a JS or MS, I want them to be the best they can be.

Enough rambling........ Robert
 
I would have to concur that hand sanding is what takes the longest for me. I do stock removal, and I have a 2x48 but I still Draw file all my bevels because I enjoy the activity and it really doesn't take too much longer in my experience. Maybe its just because I get into it :D.

For the power tool, I would definitely have to go with my 4.5" angle grinder. I use it for just about everything and I don't think I could do without at this point. I'm not sure how I'd put holes in the tang, but I'd have to figure something out.
 
I profile and grind with the belt sander. Mid grit finishing before heat treating is also done on the belt sander.

After heat treating the pre mirror finishing is done on the belt sander as well.

Shaping of handle scales is another belt sander job.

So the most usable tool is a belt sander.

The most time consuming part of knife making is the handle assembly and finishing( at least six times longer than grinding the blade)

George
 
I am using a loctite epoxy that lets me have a full hour of working time. Seems like the 24 hours letting that stuff completely cure are the longest hours ever.

For what it's worth

Peat
 
I do each step in batches.

The time spent on each part will depend on level of knifemaking you are at.

I remember the day when I was pleased as a pumkin to grind 1 4" bladed knife ready to heat treat (profile already done) in 1 hr.

Now I can take 3 4" profiled blades and 2 6" to 8" blades and grind them to heat treat in 1 hr 15 min or so. Big difference.

My equipment is better and my skill is better.

The longest step for me is about equal in...

finish grinding and etching on 0-1 blades(I dont hand sand)

handle shaping after glue up. (I do this in 2 seperate days or maybe 3 days per batch). Grind handle to tang 1 day - rough shape all handles 1 day - and finish sand handles 1 day.

HELL - IT ALL TAKES TIME NOW THAT I HAVE TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHATS THE LONGEST :D
 
Here's another vote for hand sanding. I love grinding, and I love making guards and handles, but I'm always looking for excuses to procrastinate hand sanding.
 
Thinking about working on it... and worrying about what other people will think... Thinking and worrying! LOL :D
 
Well since I'm shifting my knifemaking paradign away from power tools to a "quasi-neo-tribal" style I'm going to say hand sanding. Even with my Burr King and other power tools, hand sanding/staring with the magni-visors/hand sanding/magni-visor, is and always will be the longest part of the process if you want a truly great finish.
 
Two steps come to mind as being time consuming. Band sawing large knives from barstock, particularly anything over 3/16 thick and the 1/4 inch thick stock.

2nd; Preparing for mirror finish going through the grits from 220 on down to the final buff.
 
Doing a completely fileworked knife as in blade, liners and backspacer.Some folders take me 6 to 8 hours to layout and filework.
 
Hand sanding used to be the longest part but now it is building the frames for my folders. Cutting the TI and the blades then drilling and tapping all the holes.

You guys spend too much time with sandpaper. Your first finish off the belt grinder should be with with a 400 grit 1/2" tool and die makers stone. If your plunges have a good radius to them they are a breeze to cleanup with a stone.
 
Well I dont know if I missed the point here or what but ya hand sanding is a task that takes the longest but ill have to say PERFECTION is the longest step in knife making. Some people it takes them there whole life to achieve others have a natural tallent.
 
The longest aspect of makiing a knife for me is figuring out what it is going to look like when it's done and how it's going to end up looking that way.

Mike
 
What Mike Krall said!!!

Each actual step can be done pretty fast in my shop... it's the sitting, staring, pondering, thinking, cussing, figuring, cussing, etc. etc. that takes up so much of my time.

Overall quality is a factor that MUST be considered when you ask a question like this. I know some guys that can do their entire handle work on a machine. I cannot. Nor do I want all my knives to look like theirs'.... so how long it takes them to finish a handle doesn't mean much to me. :)

Robert... No Js or Ms??? Why not buddy? :) :thumbup:
 
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