KNIFE EXCHANGE (KITH) Thread

John Wilson said:
I would suggest buying pre-slotted guard material. Then buy blade material thicker than the slot. That's not cheating- that's how you do it when you don't have the tools. Unless you just want to prove you can make a guard, in which case good luck to you. But IMO, there's plenty of other things to challenge yourself on. Shaping the guard and fitting it up to the shoulders and handle are plenty challenging. Cutting a slot with manual hand tools is not what makes a knifemaker. You can make two knives in the time it takes to do that. Should every knifemaker do it? Yeah...once. But not when there's a deadline.
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These kids now dayz LOL :)
 
John Wilson said:
I would suggest buying pre-slotted guard material. Then buy blade material thicker than the slot. That's not cheating- that's how you do it when you don't have the tools. Unless you just want to prove you can make a guard, in which case good luck to you. But IMO, there's plenty of other things to challenge yourself on. Shaping the guard and fitting it up to the shoulders and handle are plenty challenging. Cutting a slot with manual hand tools is not what makes a knifemaker. You can make two knives in the time it takes to do that. Should every knifemaker do it? Yeah...once. But not when there's a deadline.
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Lol ... now y’all should know me better by now. I’m totally joking. can you imagine what that would look like hahahah... I wouldn’t be able to fill those gaps with Easycrete. How about the temper of the steel once I finished beveling with an angle grinder lol. I’ll also say that I would have to be out of my mind to do a guard on a knife that I’m going to give to a knife maker. I have to make something that you all will, at least, not be too embarrassed to use haha. It gonna be simple, hard, and sharp. Hopefully ... I’ll get that part right... hopefully.

I will say that I really shouldn’t joke like that. Beveling a knife with an angle grinder, would be stupid and dangerous, right? I wouldn’t want that disk flying apart and ripping into my skin. I hate angle grinders and dream of the day when I get a band saw.

The knife I make for one of you will be made with a file... that’s the only prescision tool I own.
 
I think no matter who I get... I’m still gonna make one for John Wilson ONLY WITH AN ANGLE GRINDER ... well just the guard. If there would only be a way that we could make it mandatory that you carry it
John Wilson said:
I would suggest buying pre-slotted guard material. Then buy blade material thicker than the slot. That's not cheating- that's how you do it when you don't have the tools. Unless you just want to prove you can make a guard, in which case good luck to you. But IMO, there's plenty of other things to challenge yourself on. Shaping the guard and fitting it up to the shoulders and handle are plenty challenging. Cutting a slot with manual hand tools is not what makes a knifemaker. You can make two knives in the time it takes to do that. Should every knifemaker do it? Yeah...once. But not when there's a deadline.
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oh wait ... I think I get what you mean lol. You thought I meant just cutting the slot out of a piece SS or nickel silver with an angle grinder... lol... I meant doing everything including finish work with ONLY an angle grinder!
 
I wouldn’t even consider putting a guard on a knife for y’all ... period. My skills are nowhere near doing a guard at a professional level. To be honest, I think the real reason that my work seems to have improved lately is that I have recently committed myself to crawling. I’m now realizing that the joke about fitting a guard with an angle grinder probably only makes sense to me lol. In fact, my past projects probably justify the reactions to my post lol. But seriously though a lot of people read this forum to learn, and even though I am in ABSOLUTELY no position to teach anyone anything about making a knife (I know nothing), here’s two cents... aiming low and hitting is way better than aiming high and missing. Somebody probably said that already, but I don’t know the source.
 
Kevin Zito said:
I wouldn’t even consider putting a guard on a knife for y’all ... period. My skills are nowhere near doing a guard at a professional level. To be honest, I think the real reason that my work seems to have improved lately is that I have recently committed myself to crawling. I’m now realizing that the joke about fitting a guard with an angle grinder probably only makes sense to me lol. In fact, my past projects probably justify the reactions to my post lol. But seriously though a lot of people read this forum to learn, and even though I am in ABSOLUTELY no position to teach anyone anything about making a knife (I know nothing), here’s two cents... aiming low and hitting is way better than aiming high and missing. Somebody probably said that already, but I don’t know the source.
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I knew it was a joke but didn't want to ruin the fun. Lol. You really are to hard on yourself. It is good that you can notice all the tiny little details that aren't right but your work is light years ahead of a lot of other makers that sell their stuff. Like you said terribly finished and just don't take the time to make things right. Read A post ( not on this forum) where a guy was selling a knife and there was a pretty good crack on the edge and he just said it wasn't a very big crack so he was just going to send it to the customer!
 
Kevin Zito said:
I wouldn’t even consider putting a guard on a knife for y’all ... period. My skills are nowhere near doing a guard at a professional level. To be honest, I think the real reason that my work seems to have improved lately is that I have recently committed myself to crawling. I’m now realizing that the joke about fitting a guard with an angle grinder probably only makes sense to me lol. In fact, my past projects probably justify the reactions to my post lol. But seriously though a lot of people read this forum to learn, and even though I am in ABSOLUTELY no position to teach anyone anything about making a knife (I know nothing), here’s two cents... aiming low and hitting is way better than aiming high and missing. Somebody probably said that already, but I don’t know the source.
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i don't know if aiming low is ideal...but I think making simple knives until they feel perfect to you and THEN trying to add bells and whistles is a good way to go.So...aim High...stay simple till you can hit a bulls-eye every time then re-adjust your level of "fancy"....
 
Kevin Zito said:
.........here’s two cents... aiming low and hitting is way better than aiming high and missing.....
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I'm with Ted on this comment - if you constantly aim low, it's hard to improve. My goal is to aim a bit higher (not too much higher) than my comfort level and try to meet that goal
 
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I try some things like filework or maybe a two piece handle, but I don’t try anything that is out of my “tool range”. That’s really what I mean to say. If it’s possible, then I’m down to try, but hollow grinding with sand paper wrapped around a D cell battery is kinda tough.
 
I’ll most likely be making a hunting knife in the 3-3.5” blade length range. I haven’t decided on full or hidden tang. If it’s full I’m going to try a tapered tang as well as a tapered spine, along with bolsters. If it’s hidden I’m going to do a through tang with a small clevis joint and a threaded pommel.
All of these things I’ve done but failed miserably. I’m hoping to get an education in the process.
I am also hoping to do a full WIP, I’m terrible at documenting my work, so I’m hoping to improve on that as well.
 
I work slowly and now I'm looking at that Dec. 1st deadline and that I better get started.

4 months seems like a long time but these things have a way of creeping up on me.

I don't want to to have a 1/2 finished knife with a week to go.
 
Motor City Mike said:
I don't want to to have a 1/2 finished knife with a week to go.
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Me....and prolly others. Then all of a sudden that furious pace hits where it all comes together.....

I've only experienced that once....BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!


I actually have 60 of the same knife in the works...using them to develop techniques for batch building. I'll splinter off and finish up two.


How close to the ship date will we know our recipient? (Oooohh...like that word ...sounds all official!) If not the last two days I can give color choices.....
 
opaul said:
I'm thinking we will take it down to the wire for knowing the exchange recipients :)
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Dont forget that I will need a little longer for shipping time than you guys on the same piece of dirt. I usually allow 2 weeks if it is not in the christmas perriod when it can take longer due to the ammount of mail being sent.
 
Since I don't actually have just one blade picked out yet for the KITH, I thought I'd post up some possible candidates.
 
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