Why not make your own???

TheBadGuy

TheBadGuy

Joined
Jul 24, 2002
Messages
5,868
I as curious why so many of us love knives and never attempt to make a few ourselves?? I think knife making would be the ultimate relaxation hobby. I understand it requires great skill to be successful, but the rewards are tremendous. So what's your excuse??

-No time?
-No interests?
-No money for equipment?

Etc, Etc, Etc..

Personally, the only thing that’s really stopping me is that I live in an apartment, but rest assured that once I get a home, I will have a small shop set up.

How about you?
 
I probably could get all the equipment I needed to make knives bit by bit over the next two, three years, but even if I did I would have no place to put it. The only knife making that I could do would be with hand saws and files. I would also have to get someone else to do the heat treat. That is sommething I would probably do anyway, at least for the first while.

I am actually looking into the cost of files (did you know that high precision files are really expensive?) and may try my hand in the near future. If you don't give it a try you will never know if you could have been good.
 
My genetic make up does not include the "coordination" gene. I do admire immensely the talent of those who can transform materal into art, or into a functioning device.

When I try, I just get frustrated, and try to make up for it by increasing the speed on the Dremel - not a good strategy!!!!!!
 
I'd Phuck everything up royally...

I come from a long line of men who can't nail two 2X4's together straight.
 
I'm trying. Mind you I'm a salesman for a living, but spent most of high school in the metal shop. Enough so that I was the TA in the vocational class. I also worked as a machinist for a year and a half after school until I decided I couldn't stand talking to a Bridgeport mill machine for 60 hours a week. These days after 20 years in sales talking to people all day, I'd like to spend a little more time in a shop talking to machines that don't talk back!

Part of the problem is tooling. If you're determined, you can do it on the cheap (read Wayne Goddard's book; $50.00 Knife Shop) but you've gotta really want to do it the old fashioned way.

I ordered up some steel from Tru Grit and have two blades in process, but my $200.00 Craftsman 2"x42" belt grinder really isn't the ideal machine fo much more than roughing out the blades (but it's a lot better than the 1" x 30" Harbor Freight machine I started with). Roughing out the blade profile is the easy part. It's all the filing and sanding that is so time consuming. Trust me, it's pretty tough to get nice even blade bevels, even if you're finishing them with files prior to sanding.

I figure that once I get them near finish polish, I'll send em to Paul Bos for heat treat I don't even want to think about trying to heat treat stainless myself at this stage), then it's time to see if I can fit and finish a decent handle. I'm going to try some linen micarta I got for the first couple.

My first metal shop teacher in jr. high school was a knifemaker on the side and I've had the urge ever since.

Give it a wiz, even good steel is not that much money. For what you'd spend on your next knife you can get the basic stuff to try it out. Regarding the apartment thing, you can get a Pana-Vise hobby vise that will clamp onto your kitchen table for les than $50.00 to hold your work. Add a hacksaw (get a decent $20.00 Craftsman, don't mess with the $5.99 cheapos), a couple of files and some emery cloth and you're there. No power tools required so no noise problems. I'm doing mostly hand work on my first couple. You can get everything you need to start including a foot of ATS-34 for less than $100.00.

A dremel would add a bit to the cost and give you some power grinding/sanding/polishing ability in an apartment friendly package and not raise the cost much more. Granted, you wouldn't want to grind with the dremel at night, but tehre's PLENTY of sanding to do, and if done by hand it's nearly silent.

jmx
 
jmxcpter, I think you may be right, No reason I couldn't start off with something like that. I need to buy a book on making. lol I also have a BFC member that lives close and has offered for me to come over and learn a few things. Anyone know if Lowes sells the files I need?? What kind do you need anyway?? I understand what your saying about it not being easy and the time it takes to sand and file. But if your not doing it for a living, I see no reason why I can't take my time and enjoy seeing my creation come to life
 
I actually got into knifemaking for 2 reasons:

1) To learn more about knives
2) To sell the knives I make so that I can buy the knives I want


Absolutely, knifemaking has got to be the best way to learn about knives. You have to know so much about steel composition, chemistry, primary and edge geometry, sharpening gear, grits, how materials liek Micarta, horn, pearl, bone, woods, etc. are composed, how they feel while working them, their strengths and weaknesses, etc.

I have to admit though, I don't find knifemaking to be relaxing. Working with metal demands patience, as little mistakes liek a split second slip on the grinder can ruin hours and hours of work. Even a tiny scratch that took 1/4 seconds worth of carelessness can take 2+ hours to sand out by hand. I've had to fix 2 knives now at the marking stage. That's where the knife is all done except for etching my mark on the blade, which is a 5 minute process. Messing up in the last 5 minutes added about 45 minutes both times to the projects. Also, I have been in university for 6 years now, and I have very little money to play with. Again, one of the reasons I got into knife making was so that I could actually buy knives! I'd liek a commander, but I can't afford the $300 Canadian I need for one. But I can buy the materials and make a fancy chef's knife for a customer (thanks Randa!) and that helps pay for knives a lot. Anyways, I can't afford to buy lots of materials, belts, etc. Ordering one piece of S30V from the US would cost me a lot! So I have to make a lot of compromises- I have to work with what I have and save some of my ideas for later.

But without a doubt, knifemaking is very rewarding. You learn sooo much, and it is great to end up with a very useful tool at the end of the day. And when someone lieks your work enough to pay you money for it, well, the feelign is hard to describe. It is a special feeling of recognition. I've sold 2 knives now (I am not the fastest or most prolific maker!) and I feel greatful to those two (forumites) who are using my knives. The other cool relationship you get to develop iw with other makers. I've been able to chat with Jerry Fisk, Tim Hermann, Kit Carson, Darrel Ralph, Jerry Hossom, Rob Simonich, Neil Blackwood, and many other super cool makers. They have all been very giving in information and support. Also, I've made great friends with forumites L6STEEL and Samhell. Both of these guys have GIVEN little 'ol me lots of great materials to work with. Samhell even dyed some wood for me a color that I wanted! TO thank Samhell, I made him a knife for his birthday using some of the materials he had given me. And you know what that bastid is doing? Gathering some more wood to send to me! And L6STEEL sent me a lockback folding knife "kit" that he had for me to assemble. He had a few of these around and sent me and Maurice one. THe parts are all cut out and all I have to do is grind the blade, get the parts heat treated, assemble and finish. Miek could have finished the "kit" and sold it, but instead he gave it to me so that I could learn about folders. The support and friendships and generosity among the knifemaking community is simply wonderful.


For anyone wanting to try makign a knife, I'd recommend 2 things. First, if you have a maker around you, become their friend. The second thing is to start out simple. The first 2 knives I made wer kits, of sorts. I first picked up a kit from the House of Tools that had a blade blanked out, handle material, pin and bolster stock. I hand filed the blade, sent it to heat treat, and finished the knife with the help of Les Allen, a maker near me. The second knife I made (but the first I finished) was a blade bought from Sheffield's Supply. All I had to do was cut handle scales, attach them and then shape the handle. Buying a blade and parts like that is great because then you get to work with handles, leaving the harder bladework for later. If you liked that, order another blade and try hand sanding it to a high finish (say 600 or 800 grit) and see if you liked that. Then design a small, simple knife and get a good file and make your first blade from scratch. A 1/8" thick, 3-4" blade fixed blade in the style of a puuko is a good place to start. If you look at the knife in my Avatar, you'll see the "Magic Knot Knife" that I make. It is a Bob Engnath design that I added somethign special to for the handle. It is a small, simple blade shape. Start simple and you'll enjoy it!
 
The Sears grinders aren't all that bad for the hobbyist. If you do flat grinds, saber or convex grinds on your knives, a Sears 2"x42" is up to the challenge. I know because thats what I use. I do many smaller neck size knives on a Sears 1"x42".:eek:
Actually, I'm finishing an order for 10 neckers now in 440-c and the bulk of that work(finish profiling and bevels) was done on the smaller grinder.
Granted, a larger 2"x72" grinder would ROCK, but small time and/or hobbyist knifemaking is to a large extent all about using equipment, tools and materials that are readily available.

I started knifemaking as a hobby about 1992. (It is now starting to pay off as I'm in the process of going into business.) Prior to that I had zero experience using machine/wood shop type power tools. I read as many how-to's as I could find at the time and basically taught myself how to use the equipment and tools of the trade that I acquired from pawn shops, thrift stores and places like Sears and Lowes/Home Depot.
The going can be slow at times but persistance begins giving dividends when you put the finishing touches on a knife you made all by yourself.
Just don't expect your first knives to be Loveless or Ron Lake quality. You must understand that to a great extent good home made knives come from patience, gathering and implementing information on materials and methods and practice, practice and more practice.
Knifemaking is a fluid and dynamic endeavour. You must be willing and have the ability to adapt to the demands of this hobby. You'll need a good imagination and a good deal of ingenuity because sometimes things don't go or work the way they are intended to and you'll have to be creative in your problem solving.
Then there are the little nuisance things like burned fingers, belts that occasionally seperate violently and sound like a gunshot in your face, the most dangerous piece of equipment in your shop(the buffer) occasionally grabbing a knife from you and throwing it willy nilly around the shop or at you, splinters out the wazoo, uneven grinds and grinds where you don't want them and did I mention it is one of the dirtiest hobbies this side of pig wrestling?
But you will love every filthy minute of it after you finish that first knife and think to yourself "I can't believe I actually made this...WOW!"

It is probably one of the most dangerous and gratifying hobbies one can get into. And, who knows, eventually you may even get paid for doing it.

If you are thinking about trying knifemaking I suggest you invest in a couple of Wayne Goddard's books "The $50.00 Knife Shop" and "The Wonder of Knifemaking". They are a valuable resource for the myriad of questions that you'll soon find you need the answers to and the books have LOTS of tips on how to do things you may never have even suspected needed doing when making that first knife.
Good Luck!

All the best,
Mike U.
 
Ain't nothing to it. After all a knife is just a sharpened piece of metal with something screwed on for a handle.

Now, making a pretty knife is a little more complicated.
 
I know I'll be making real knives one day, once I get out of the city. My dream is a shop in a two car garage setup to make furniture and knives. I couldn't care less if I ever sold anything.

If you don't have the; time, space or equipment to make knives...make kits. I picked up one of Knifekits.com kits from Darrel at the NYCKS last week and have been working on it at work, and I work in a suit and tie at a desk. A couple of pieces of sandpaper and I took the beadblasted finish to a very nice handrubbed sattin finish. I'll do the handle scales at home where I do have a vise and a Dremmel. I'm really enjoying making this kit, I find it very satisfying. I think this could become quite addicting and until I can make a knife from scratch this is a fun way to go. Try it!
 
A few years ago, I sold some of my knives and bought a Bader BIII grinder, an Evenheat oven, a drill press and other equipment. I had already stockpiled a bunch of various steels, micarta, woods and stag over the years from attending shows.

Fast forward to 2002; I have finished one or two knives that were nothing to write home to Mom about, and have so many partially completed blades hanging on hooks in my shop that I cannot count them. It just seems like I have the attention span of a 3 year old when I get out in the shop. I start working on one blade, and then get the urge to pick up another blade, etc...

Meanwhile, the oven is still unopened in the box. More blades keep getting ground out, but not finished. But, I am having a blast doing it, and am getting fairly decent at flat grinding a blade. I love grinding those blades! It's the finishing part I dont like. All that handrubbing sucks. It's a good thing I got into this as only a hobby, as I dont see how I would/could make a living out of it.
 
george tichbourne

Ain't nothing to it. After all a knife is just a sharpened piece of metal with something screwed on for a handle.
Click to expand...

Now, making a pretty knife is a little more complicated.
Click to expand...

Most excellent evaluation!!!!!!!

An experienced shooter once said to me before a big match, "When the little thingie is on the target just squeeze the trigger - nothing to it."
 
Making knives is not easy.. at least its not easy when u've been staring at customs and really nice production knives and hoping that ur even going to come close to what they've done. I'm a designer and i have no metal work/shop experience at all.. one day i decided to get some equipment to filework some of my knives, just cuz i love the stuff.. it didn't end up being TOO difficult, definately something i could get better at in time.

I live in an apartment, like TheBadDood, and its a pain. I started sanding down some micarta in my den, and now the whole place permanently reeks of micarta. Phenolic Resin does wonders for the lungs :rolleyes:

I got a dremel and started sanding away at the micarta.. definately the easiest way i've found without much investment to shape handle material on my balcony.. and believe me u dont wanna do this inside. I profiled a 1065 Blade with a Bench Grinder at a friend's place.. it wasn't easy. its damn hard to get stuff straight, even on a fixed blade. I've made 2 knives so far, and they both look like crap :D

It takes a LOT of patience.. and i mean a LOT. I remember posting something on the Newsgroups about how "all i need is a file and some sandpaper and i can put together one of those knife kits?" and A.T. Barr was like "don't forget patience.. u need a lot of patience".. and i was like.. okay i got that.

little did i know that he really meant it.

I ended up buying some blanks and steel stock and raw handle material.. its really frustrating to have to go out on the balcony to do any work.
 
And while you're at it, why not build your own television set too.

In fact, why buy anything except the most raw of materials and tools?

In fact, why buy tools? You can make your own bench grinder.

In fact, all you need to buy is the most raw of materials and some good files.

You'll use the files to file out the parts you'll need for your bench grinder. They, you can use the bench grinder to grind out the parts you'll need for a lathe. Etc., etc. This is how the used to do it, you know. The pioneers didn't run to Home Depot everytime they needed a tool or a part. NO! They made everything they needed from scratch.
 
I've made a few just for fun, maybe around 20 or so. Most were out of junk steel I got at Home Depot. The main reason I was using a grinder was to make Bo Shuriken and Senban Shuriken which did turn out ok. I just wanted to see how the knives would turn out. I wouldn't actually use any of the junk knives but I did make a machete for my brother and he cut down around 20 sapelings with it before it got dull.

The only one that cuts well is a thin deep concealment tanto I made from the blade of a broken kitchen knife. I did make a mini-kyoketsu shoge which turned out really well (it took me all day to make it though) for a friend who studies both ninjutsu and kung fu and wanted a cross between a Chinese rope dart and a kyoketsu shoge. This one could have been sharpened (it was ground from a cleaver blade) but since it was going to be spun around on a rope I diddn't think it would be a good idea:D . These two and the shurikens were the only ones that worked.
 
Hey Badguy,

You don't need very many "special tools" to make a knife. Mostly, you need a desire and a little space. Sounds like you have both.

I started making knives with nothing more than a 2'X 4' bench in a spare bedroom, a 4" vise, a small selection of files, a Dremel, a hand drill, a supply catalog from Jantz, the book "how to make knives" by Barney and Loveless, a whole lot of sandpaper, and some imagination to get around the questions that come up. Now all that is neede to answer questions is: the internet and some willing people to answer your questions.

I have to warn you... It can be very addictive! You will make your first knife and realize that you could have done better. So, you start number two. About the time you think that you have that pattern down, you "need" a different style of knife. And so it has gone for me. I still make them with hand tools but I now have a drill press and a buffer. Next, I'm moving to forging. After that, Maybe more power tools..... Well, you get the idea.

I guess what I'm trying to say is... Find yourself about 8 square feet of space and give it a try! You will definitely learn a lot about yourself.

Good luck and have fun,

Rick
 
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