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

[Robert Dark]

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

Just too old and too tired to fool with it Nick. Let the younger guys have a shot at it.

Robert

 

[Shawn fu]

It's definitely the hand sanding for me too

 

[Bruce Culberson]

The leather sheath!!

I do stock removal and flat grinding the bevels takes the longest.

 

[daveinvegas]

Thinking about working on it... and worrying about what other people will think... Thinking and worrying! LOL

I was going to say something similar. Just getting started is the longest, hardest part for me. It's like I have to work up to it since I am such a novice. I agonize over shape and what if I screw it up, etc.

 

[Mike Krall]

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.

I didn't catch this last night when I posted, Arthur. Spent the day jump shooting ducks and while moving from one jump spot to the next, kept thinking, "why in the world are they using sandpaper when they could use stones?"... =]

I don't grind well so I draw and/or strike file after soaking off the scale from forging. I pre-HT finish at 220 grit (sometimes 320 grit) and a 4" smooth mill file will clean up easily with a 220 grit stone (usually Falcon Tool "R" type for the friablility). After HT, it's stones to get the grit where I want it, then maybe pull the finish down a step with paper but like to rub a stone finish with lapping compound... sometimes dropping a grit sometimes not.

It's not like I don't spend time stoning... it takes time... just not as near as much as doing the same job with sandpaper.

Mike