questions about knife making

[kd8jgu]

I am looking at trying to make some knives.
Here is the big question.
What tools should I look at getting to start this venture?
Thank you

 

[ohio ramrod]

A forge can be made from an old brake drum, a bellows from two pieces of wood a short piece of pipe and some soft leather. ( Don't use any naugahide. Naugies are an endangered spices ) An anvil from a piece of railroad rail, and a sledge hammer can have the handle shortened. So you can see you can get started quite easily. :idunno: :idunno: Or you can do as I have done over the last fifty years. Own a custom furniture building business to make your handles. And a machine shop (mills, grinders welders, lathes, forges, blowers,hardness tester, and anvils ) to make your blades and rivets.As the wife says I have too many hobbies! :idunno: :idunno:

 

[LRB]

That is a question loaded with questions. How do you want to make them? What do you have in tools now? You can make a knife with nothing more than files, sand paper, and a heat source. From there, you can start adding tools as you desire, or can afford.

 

[JamesG]

If your wanting to make knife a lively forge would be a good start and simple.

 

The first tool should be trying to find a knifemaker near you to visit. Even if there not a very good maker or are loaded down with bad information on heat treat and such you can learn a lot. Just double check information on sites like Bladeforums and Knifenetwork, among others. Just take anything a knifemaker says with a grain of salt, me included. What works well for me with my tools and experience may not work for you, there's more than one way to skin a cat. Learn all you can and experiment to find what works best for you.

Next tool is to read some good knifemaking books. Wayne Goddard's Wonder of Knifemaking and the 50$ knife shop come to mind.

Then decide if you want to forge or stock removal, both ways can make a good knife. Both ways have advantages and disadvantages. Or like me I do both, keeps it interesting.

 

[BillinOregon]

Plus one on Goddard's $50 Knife Shop!

Here's my Lively forge:

 

[Stumpkiller]

If you get to the point where you're ready to cut and shape I'll trade raw blade material for a made-up knife. :thumbsup:

 

[crockett]

Tell more....do you want to forge blades or file/grind them out? There's a lot of wiggle room.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Stump, you got a lot of work ahead of you with that big blade. I had one I intended to make knives from. I bought a diamond edged hacksaw blade to do the cutting. :shocked2: Danged thing wouldn't even touch the rust that blade was so hard. I found a shop with one of those water jet cutting tools. He could do it for me, at only $35.00 per blade. No way I wuz goin' to pay that. :surrender:
Gave the sawmill blade to a friend.

 

If you've got one of those old blades just use a torch to cut it out, leave about 1/4" to 3/8" outside of where you want the final profile to be and grind the slag and extra metal off. I've got pieces of blades left but don't use them much anymore unless I want to play. It's generally cheaper to buy new metal in a size I can use. I've heard of scoring with a hand grinder and breaking to avoid messing with the heat treat, but never tried it as I want a little harder blade than the hardness of a saw.

 

[fatboy]

A plasma cutter would be nice for that job

 

[ladysmithtrading]

A plasma cutter would be nice for that job

Exactly! I have 4- 6 foot pieces of 12" wide mill band saw blades ready to be cut into shape, almost justifies a plasma cutter purchase, have a buddy who has one and will do it for me for the cost of a couple tips, decisions, decisions!

 

[Stumpkiller]

Stump, you got a lot of work ahead of you with that big blade. I had one I intended to make knives from. I bought a diamond edged hacksaw blade to do the cutting. :shocked2: Danged thing wouldn't even touch the rust that blade was so hard. I found a shop with one of those water jet cutting tools. He could do it for me, at only $35.00 per blade. No way I wuz goin' to pay that. :surrender:
Gave the sawmill blade to a friend.

That's why I said I'd trade the cord-saw blade for a finished knife. You can get 20 blades out of it - with time and patience. :haha: I ain't got that much time or that much patience. Heck, I'll even pay the postage!

It was on the property when we bought the place in a belt-driven and mostly collapsed mill. Scary stuff to work around an 8" x 12 foot jumping belt off a tractor PTO with that blade on the other end. :shocked2:

 

[hogslayer]

If you are going to take the blacksmith route ,get it hot and cut with a hammer & chisel ,its quick and easy plus you can follow up and shape to your hearts content.
(Pete)

 

[LRB]

It would all be simpler to buy a piece of 1075/80 steel and go from there. $3.00 to $4.00 dollars worth will make an average knife, and the 1075/80 is relatively easy to heat treat with simple methods.

 

+1 Wick, it's a real time and money saver, especially just starting out.