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it’s real easy to work harden a drill hole. That’s a textbook sign that you’re not using enough pressure or you’re running the bit too fast, or the drill bit has gone dull. This is where a propane torch comes in really handy. Heat that spot up to a red color and let it cool down. That will...

Please don't misunderstand me, and I apologize if I came off as preachy or as a 2x72 salesman. The point I was attempting to make was that modifying gear can become a bottomless pit that soaks you of all of your time and money. So many of us have gone down that rabbit hole that it actually...

This. A 2x72, a drill press, files and a vise will actually make your time productive. You can always send out for heat treat. Having a 2x72 will allow you to do real work post-heat treat and really open up the possibilities. I'd rather have a 2x72 and a homemade everything else, rather...

just realize that eventually you will get a 2x72 and every dollar you spend in another direction is money that could have gone to getting your 2x72. If you want to use what you already have, that’s one thing. But as soon as you start spending money to acquire tools it’s time to think long...

The Mr Volcano Hero forge on Amazon is less than 100 bucks. There's a larger one for less than 150. These forges get great reviews. I don't think you can make a forge for less than that unless you're sticking a butane torch inside of a couple of fire bricks.

This is a very good question. There are some materials that are so universal that they belong in a drawer in every shop. Curly Maple. This is one of the most versatile woods on the planet. You can dye it literally any color that strikes you. It takes dye well, it looks good natural, it...

SWAG Offroad has a lot of options if you aren't planning to build your own stand. The SWAG Portable Table is what I used for a long time. It's a piece of aluminum plate with the ends rolled so that you can chuck it up in your bench vise when you want to use the saw and take it down when you...

great point.

blades- the less teeth the faster it cuts. the more teeth the more accurate and smooth it will cut and the better you can cut curves. A 14 tpi to 18 tpi is the sweet spot.

Deep Cut means the cut window is deeper to allow you to cut bigger stuff. The deeper the better for us, because you’ll be running bar stock through at an angle and the deeper you can feed it before hitting the frame of the saw, the better. Sure, you can cut a 2” piece in half with a 2” cut...

you guys’ first knife looks like my 15th…

I will keep that in mind. I was very pleasantly surprised at how nice teak was to work with. All my life I thought of teak as decking and rub rails. I have never seen a teak burl. That's worth looking into. For kitchen knives, you'd be hard pressed to find a better handle material than...

speaking of teak, i had a customer who wanted a teak handle and I couldn’t talk her out of it. It wasn’t as ugly as I anticipated, and it will last longer than I will.

yikes! now that is truly unfortunate

Wow! It doesn’t get any cleaner than that!

I just bumped an old Bruce Bump thread LOL https://knifedogs.com/threads/my-very-first-knife-post-up.21543/ The single greatest thread on this site, ever.

Bump This thread is a gold mine of inspiration for new and seasoned makers alike. For old farts it’s a good way to look back and appreciate how far you have come. For new makers it’s a glimmer of hope to realize that makers who turn out otherworldly masterpieces weren’t hatched from an egg...

Walter Sorrells channel on youtube is also a gem. He has an entire series called Tips For The Knifemaker that is invaluable to a new maker. I credit Walter Sorrells with saving me years of having to learn everything the hard way.

check out knifekits.com There are also lots of patterns available on the interwebs. If you want to come up with your own designs, just remember that the pivot hole in the tang of the blade is your 0,0 point. That is the point from which everything is related.

Welcome! Where there's a will, there's a way. But I'm not going to sugarcoat it- slipjoints are a whole 'nother level of difficulty to make from scratch. To answer your questions: Band saw- a metal cutting bandsaw can be had pretty inexpensively. Don't even consider modifying a wood saw...