Hello all! I a newcomer to the page. I recently decided that since I could not find the exact knife I wanted, I decided to visit USA Knife Makers to gather the materials I will need to create some knives. I am looking for some guidance from somebody in Southern Minnesota or Northern Iowa to help me with what I believe to be the hardest part of making a knife, cutting the bevel. If anybody in that area would be willing to help me out, I would love to hear from you. I up for learning either belt sanding or file work. I know it will take time to learn the skill, but being as I know nobody who can teach it to me, I am asking for any and all resources! Bottom line, I want to start off on the right foot!
Looking for Help
- Thread starter ZoSo_54
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John Wilson
Well-Known Member
YouTube is, by far, the greatest educational tool invented since the printing press. Many of us have never had one-on-one knifemaking lessons with a veteran maker. YouTube and books will get you started. After that, the real education comes from getting in the shop and jumping in head first. My only advice is to keep it simple in the beginning.
YouTube can also be overwhelming. For a beginner, I really recommend videos by Trollsky, Gavko Knives, and then when you kinda sorta have an understanding of what's going on, Walter Sorrells is a fantastic teacher. Walter Sorrells also has a series where he made a large knife without any power tools.
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I have been watching alot of youtube videos! They are indeed helpful! I will definitely look these guys up. Would you say it would be easier for a beginner to use a file to bevel versus a grinder? Lord knows Ill mess my fair share of blanks up before I get it down.
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
Which is easier, files or a grinder... Well, define "easier." Now that I'm proficient on a grinder that would be my answer, but it wasn't always so.
Making knives is a lot of work. There's no use in sugar coating it. A grinder sure does speed up the process, but there's a steep learning curve to using a grinder, too. Unless you plan to make a lot of knives, files or a low-buck belt sander is the way to go. If you are serious about making knives then getting a real grinder is a no-brainer.
You can move a lot of metal with files. Draw filing is a surprisingly effective way to make bevels. When I first began making knives I was actually upset that I couldn't grind a flat bevel to save my life. The first couple of knives I made I ended up draw filing to get the bevels flat and even. And my plunge lines were hopeless. I had to fix those with files, too. I was upset because I just dropped a very large amount of money on a grinder and ended up using files after all. Ten knives later I had some control over my grinding, but it took a fair amount of practice whereas it's just about impossible to mess up a knife using files if you are deliberate in what you are doing.
Lots of guys start out on a 2x42 or some such affordable grinder. Many a beautiful knife has been made on them. But sooner or later, everyone gets a 2x72. The sticker shock is enough to set your hair on fire, but make several knives with files and then look at the price again. If the price still seems crazy, keep using files. It really is about how much value you see in it, not anyone else's opinion.
I got into making knives kind of by accident. I was into sharpening and then I started reconditioning old knives. A buddy of mine wanted me to fix up an old knife that belonged to his late father. The old stag handle was cracked to pieces, the brass guard was all bent up. I ended up making a new handle and a new brass guard. When I was done it occurred to me that the only part of that knife I hadn't made from scratch was the blade. And, well, here I am.
But the moral of the story is that I did all that reconditioning with files, sandpaper, and a Harbor Freight 1x30 belt grinder that you can pick up brand new for about forty bucks when they are on sale. While I'd never recommend that machine for making knives, it has been done. And that is one machine that every man on Earth ought to have. They are just too darn useful not to have one.
This is the end result of that knife I reconditioned. When my friend gave it to me the blade was a rusted hunk of metal. It had a stag handle that was cracked all to pieces and thin piece of brass for a guard.
Making knives is a lot of work. There's no use in sugar coating it. A grinder sure does speed up the process, but there's a steep learning curve to using a grinder, too. Unless you plan to make a lot of knives, files or a low-buck belt sander is the way to go. If you are serious about making knives then getting a real grinder is a no-brainer.
You can move a lot of metal with files. Draw filing is a surprisingly effective way to make bevels. When I first began making knives I was actually upset that I couldn't grind a flat bevel to save my life. The first couple of knives I made I ended up draw filing to get the bevels flat and even. And my plunge lines were hopeless. I had to fix those with files, too. I was upset because I just dropped a very large amount of money on a grinder and ended up using files after all. Ten knives later I had some control over my grinding, but it took a fair amount of practice whereas it's just about impossible to mess up a knife using files if you are deliberate in what you are doing.
Lots of guys start out on a 2x42 or some such affordable grinder. Many a beautiful knife has been made on them. But sooner or later, everyone gets a 2x72. The sticker shock is enough to set your hair on fire, but make several knives with files and then look at the price again. If the price still seems crazy, keep using files. It really is about how much value you see in it, not anyone else's opinion.
I got into making knives kind of by accident. I was into sharpening and then I started reconditioning old knives. A buddy of mine wanted me to fix up an old knife that belonged to his late father. The old stag handle was cracked to pieces, the brass guard was all bent up. I ended up making a new handle and a new brass guard. When I was done it occurred to me that the only part of that knife I hadn't made from scratch was the blade. And, well, here I am.
But the moral of the story is that I did all that reconditioning with files, sandpaper, and a Harbor Freight 1x30 belt grinder that you can pick up brand new for about forty bucks when they are on sale. While I'd never recommend that machine for making knives, it has been done. And that is one machine that every man on Earth ought to have. They are just too darn useful not to have one.
This is the end result of that knife I reconditioned. When my friend gave it to me the blade was a rusted hunk of metal. It had a stag handle that was cracked all to pieces and thin piece of brass for a guard.
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wall e
Well-Known Member
Aaron Gough has a video on how to make a filing guide to make a knife. I started with a 4x36 HF belt sander and now am using a 1x42 and building a 2x72 belt grinder. It is either a long but educational process with files and less of a chance to take off too much material. You are able to learn the angles that are required to make a knife.
A grinder as stated is faster but comes with the hazard of removing too much material. So it truly is a personal choice of which way to start your adventure in this hobby.
I can convey the general consensus and avoid using old mill planer blades for knives unless you have nothing but time and belts to spend. They're hard steel and make great tools but in order to get a decent blade you can expect to spend 60hrs on a knife to get the same results 6hrs and a piece of known steel.
In the end it is all up to you as a beginner which foot to start on: files or grinder.
With that said welcome to the hobby/addiction support an show an tell group.
A grinder as stated is faster but comes with the hazard of removing too much material. So it truly is a personal choice of which way to start your adventure in this hobby.
I can convey the general consensus and avoid using old mill planer blades for knives unless you have nothing but time and belts to spend. They're hard steel and make great tools but in order to get a decent blade you can expect to spend 60hrs on a knife to get the same results 6hrs and a piece of known steel.
In the end it is all up to you as a beginner which foot to start on: files or grinder.
With that said welcome to the hobby/addiction support an show an tell group.
Grussing_Custom_Knives
Well-Known Member
Hey man im in mn and im still a amateur but i met up with ron in clearwater(google rb knives) hes a nice guy I know he helps alot of beginners (including me)
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