Thank you for having me from Eastern Ontario. While I am interested in knives, the craftsmanship of making them is beyond my reach. Lately, however, I have been creating blade shapes of my preference from already homemade knives from Grandfathers' years which involves the steel cutting, re-shaping and rehandling with old broken hickory axe handles, using hand tools. I found this site while checking out knife handle finishes and more than honoured to join. My thanks to all those experts who design, and turn out such beautiful pieces of art and utility.
Welcome to Canadian Knifemaker. Don't count yourself out of being a knifemaker. If you have the tools and skills to reshape and rehandle an old blade, you've got the basics for making new ones.
Welcome to the group. You may make a knife yet. I was in the same position as you once. I didn't think I had it in me. I was a woodworker but working with metal scared me to death. Now, I'm not great at it but I enjoy it a lot and I can make things that look decent and cut.
Thanks for the encouragement, Todd and Myth. I sort of wish I was a way back in years to get interested in this pastime, however, am really enjoying this so far. I still have no comfort level with power tools, but files, hacksaws, etc, work ok, just take a mighty long time. I am nearing completion with my first endeavor - working on a leather sheath, final sharpening, etc,.
I hear you on that. I can use a 2x72 grinder but I still struggle with making uniform plunge lines and bevels. I'm seriously thinking about making a grinding jig for a file and doing it by hand. I've watched some great Youtube videos on how to do this and, yeah, it seems to work fantastic. Good luck Wish.
One way to help with the plunge lines is to make a simple clamp on guide. I made one from an old farrier's rasp and some nuts and bolts. I use that to help my eye align the edge of the belt and keep the left and right sides lined up. The belt really doesn't touch the guide so much as it's more of a visual thing. Once your muscle memory gets the hang how the blade is to be held and moved you can choose not to use the guide. I still use it on some style of knives.
There are a lot of really good makers who only use hand tools. Despite the time it takes, I still prefer the feel of using files over my belt grinder.
I use a grinder for most everything but still on occasion sit down with files and sandpaper for radius work along plunge line. It is slower but you have much better control for fussy work, if you use a J flex belt with scalloped edges you can also do the final shaping of a plunge line. The J-flex belts do work best when just off the platen
Welcome to the forum! Personally, I had lost hope and pretty much given up on being able to make knives. I started amassing the kit I needed to make knives 5ish years ago, and I am finally almost done getting everything I need!! I am going to be buying me 2x72 grinder in the next week or 2, and I will be set up in the next couple/few weeks!! I'm originally from Winnipeg, and didn't have a shed or garage to do any work in, so I was stuck with working in the yard on the edge of the deck, doing everything with files. I was in the process of getting the things I needed, when we decided to move out to Alberta, to Medicine Hat. So I was stuck again, with having to out things off. Luckily, the house we purchased, had a decent size shed, giving me the room I needed to finally get going! So then plan was, to use my tax return in 2016, to get the last remaining items I needed to get grinding. And BOOM! Tax return was swallowed up by bills, and every kid in the house needing shoes and a new wardrobe. So, things were put on hold, yet again. Fast forward to 2017, I was set to use my tax return, and next thing I knew, the kids needed all sorts of stuff again, and I was left with nothing. I managed to talk my wife into a 1x30 belt sander, allowing me to grind a couple knives. Turned out, it was too small to do any of the work I wanted to do, but I made do. I didn't get much done, because after the move, my rheumatoid arthritis decided that it didn't want to allow me to do anything. I also got a case of soft fire bricks for to build a 2 brick forge, but I couldn't heat treat anything because the torch wasn't enough to be able to get things hot enough. I bought myself a proper forge burner, but it got too cold to do any work, so things were on hold for winter. So most was put on hold again. And here was are in 2019! I told my wife that I didn't care, I NEED A HOBBY!!! My tax return is sitting in my bank account, and I'm set to get myself a 2x72, so I can start making knives. I am ready to finally get things rolling! Between me having to put things off, the kids always needing to spend all my money, I decided that enough was enough, and it's finally happening! The forge is almost done, just need to put it together, the bench was built last fall, vise is installed, and I'm going to be picking up a grinder and motor in Lethbridge in the coming weeks!! It's taken forever, but IT IS HAPPENING! I have about a dozen orders for hunting knives, and a couple other styles, so once the grinder is up and running, I can finally start providing a bit for the family. Being on disability for the last 10 years, and not being able to work, has really taken a toll on me, not only mentally, but physically too. So hopefully I will be able to make some extra cash along the way, and I will start to feel better about being able to contribute, even if it is only a few bucks here and there. If I can get it done, with severe rheumatoid arthritis and my body not working better than about 60-70% and the ripe old age of 42, 4 kids constantly needing all my damned money, and having to amass everything over such a long time, you can certainly do it. Even a small 1x30 belt grinder for around $100 bucks is all you really need. Most can be done on that little thing! I hope you can see your hobby come to fruition like mine has, because knife grinding is very therapeutic! I feel great when I'm in the shop. So I'm rooting for you! Kevin
Well, Kevin, you are a fine example of perseverance and I certainly look forward to seeing some examples of all that effort. It seems we arrive at this pastime in stages. Have knife, use knife, see knives, buy knives and then build 'em, first for ourselves and then hunting/outdoor partners, and then sell 'em. I am at the build 'em for me stage, albeit adapting someone else's blade and handle to fit my idea of the perfect all-around knife. I just know I will want to make my own from scratch one day. But, in my 70's right now and will try out my current rebuilds first before graduating and spending extra hard- to- keep cash in extending this passion. I consider myself very fortunate to have located this Canadian site and all the assistance and advice offered. Pleasure to meet another member of this knife/blade Community. Thank you.
