Most common mistakes that beginners make

I figured out in the beginning that some of the stuff had to be controlled. I figured that there was no reason to cut out and shape a blade if I didn't know at least the rudiments of attaching a handle to it. I bought five blank blades from Texas Knife-makers and put handles on them. That gave me a great deal of satisfaction and taught me the very basics of attaching and finishing a handle. Things like: you have GOT to completely finish the front end of the handle BEFORE you put it on the knife. Cause there ain't NO way you are going to get to it after it is glued and riveted on. After those five I cut out my own blade and shaped it. I still have my first knife that I made from start to finish. I actually even still use it. I like it.

But the absolute biggest trap that I fell into was believing ANY of the heat treating advice that I found in the knifemaking books that everyone reads. ALL of that stuff is wrong. It took me a lot of years to find that out. I really don't know of one knifemaking book that has accurate and honest heat treating information. It pretty much made me mad that I had been duped by people who claimed to be experts who were only interested in promulgating their silly recipes, being known as "experts" and selling books. The only good heat treating advice has been on the various forums. But that takes a lot of work and study to sift the bad advice from the good. And even after you grind down to the good advice you still have a great deal of work and learning and reading to do. Not many people want to spend all that time and effort to learn so they just "heat, magnet, quench" like all the wizards in the books say and let it go at that. That's sad, I think.
 
gnique said:
I figured out in the beginning that some of the stuff had to be controlled. I figured that there was no reason to cut out and shape a blade if I didn't know at least the rudiments of attaching a handle to it. I bought five blank blades from Texas Knife-makers and put handles on them. That gave me a great deal of satisfaction and taught me the very basics of attaching and finishing a handle. Things like: you have GOT to completely finish the front end of the handle BEFORE you put it on the knife. Cause there ain't NO way you are going to get to it after it is glued and riveted on. After those five I cut out my own blade and shaped it. I still have my first knife that I made from start to finish. I actually even still use it. I like it.

But the absolute biggest trap that I fell into was believing ANY of the heat treating advice that I found in the knifemaking books that everyone reads. ALL of that stuff is wrong. It took me a lot of years to find that out. I really don't know of one knifemaking book that has accurate and honest heat treating information. It pretty much made me mad that I had been duped by people who claimed to be experts who were only interested in promulgating their silly recipes, being known as "experts" and selling books. The only good heat treating advice has been on the various forums. But that takes a lot of work and study to sift the bad advice from the good. And even after you grind down to the good advice you still have a great deal of work and learning and reading to do. Not many people want to spend all that time and effort to learn so they just "heat, magnet, quench" like all the wizards in the books say and let it go at that. That's sad, I think.
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I absolutely agree with this.

TFDKS & KT screwed me up for years, never even a mention of industry standards or good reference material
 
Thinking you are going to make money at this.

My hardest part was learning when to stop grinding. And I still make the mistake of trying to get too much out of my belts.
 
one of my mistakes was getting big headed when i accomplished my first couple knives, i was humbled by knife shows and talking to people on forums, although im only 2 or 3 years into it, i also did my fair share of mystery steel. does anyone else get tons of donations from friends and neighbors? i think i have like 300 pounds of mild steel by now!
 
I guess my biggest problem,was using "found" steel.It wasen't "mystery" steel,
but it was free (56" & 60" sawblades SKS5).I never realized how hard this steel
was,until I was given a piece of 1095 (Thanks Murph).I had ruined a lot of good
belts trying to grind that stuff.


God bless,Keith
 
gnique said:
I really don't know of one knifemaking book that has accurate and honest heat treating information.
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Actually, there is one, "How to Make Knives". In the Loveless section he describes giving up on doing it himself and sending his blades to a professional. I know that's not quite what you were getting at, but bear with me.

I spoke to a maker at the Guild show last fall who wouldn't shut up about how he does his own special HT. "Look how flexible my blades are!" Later my girlfriend quietly asked me, "They're not supposed to chip all along the edge like that, are they?"

I was on the phone with my HT guy just yesterday afternoon and he posed the rhetorical question, "Do you want to be a knifemaker or a heat-treater? I've been heat-treating for 30 years and in another 20 I may know everything."

I choose to be a knifemaker and let the pro's handle almost all my HT work.
 
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James Terrio said:
Actually, there is one, "How to Make Knives". In the Loveless section he describes giving up on doing it himself and sending his blades to a professional. I know that's not quite what you were getting at, but bear with me.

I spoke to a maker at the Guild show last fall who wouldn't shut up about how he does his own special HT. "Look how flexible my blades are!" Later my girlfriend quietly asked me, "They're not supposed to chip all along the edge like that, are they?"

I was on the phone with my HT guy just yesterday afternoon and he posed the rhetorical question, "Do you want to be a knifemaker or a heat-treater? I've been heat-treating for 30 years and in another 20 I may know everything."

I choose to be a knifemaker and let the pro's handle almost all my HT work.
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James,
Very well put !! I too have been doing my own heat treating for twenty years, It's been a huge learning undertaking with big notebooks full of every details of every heat treat ever done in my shop! It's still a struggle when something goes wrong and It usually brings you back to square one. I have been concidering lately to give it up and leave it to the pro heat treaters, so I can concentrate on my knives. After so much invested over so many years It's like sticking a hot knife in my eye, ouch !! I guess it's that wanting total control over my final product thing. Just wanted to add one more thing ! A knife is only as good as it's heat treating, without it it's just a chunk of steel.
Sincerely,
Clint Sampson
 
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Don't get me wrong, I know lots of makers do their own HT and nail it. Especially the guys who focus on one or two alloys and really get them right. But for me, the cost of cryo equip, foil, the learning curve, electricity... it's just cheaper and less headaches to let a pro do it, and I sleep easier.

Anyone looking to buy a barely used 14" paragon kiln? ;)
 
James, that was very well said.

I have been doing my own heat treating on forged 5160 following recommendations from Ed Fowler and have gotten pretty good results. I have pretty much switched over to just stock removal using 1084 while I develop a few different patterns and have been happy with my results with this simple steel.

Now I want to branch out a little and offer some stainless knives in the mix. I have pretty much decided to devote my time and money towards equipment and supplies rather than spend a couple of thousand dollars to try to figure out how to heat treat the steels. I hear that Peter's Heat Treat does a bang up job and he seems like a pretty good guy too.

Just makes sense to me,
Carey
 
Control...how to maintain crisp lines and curves using spinning round objects...creating gradual elipsises (not sure word)...has been, still is, a big challenge.
 
hmm as far as I am concerned :)

over thinking the HT..
seriously

I think we all do it ")

in powerlifting we call most supplements "pixie dust"...I figure some knifemakers are selling "pixie dust" with some of there magical HT recipes

Grinding way to thin before HT

trying to make 2 many different styles of blades before you have one pretty much down
 
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