Hello to everyone, Very new to knife-making and in the process of purchasing kiln, equipment, etc. I cannot wait to start fabricating what I have been imagining in my head! Looking forward to learning alot from all of you, and thanking you in advance. Oh and if you have any suggestions on dos and donts for first-time equipement purchase, dont be shy!
Welcome to the forums, Simon. I don't think there is any right or wrong way to start out in knifemaking. Some like to get everything they might need before starting to make knives. Others like to start out with simple hand tools. You just need to find the approach that fits you, your space, and your wallet. That said, I suggest you get the best quality tools and equipment you can afford. They will last longer and perform better.
I started with some very basic tools and built up some better gear as time went on. You'll always find new uses for old tools.
Hi Simon, welcome to the forum. I made my first knife from a piece of HSS industrial hacksaw blade and a hand grinder. Used a toilet paper roll to cast a resin handle on it,, didn't work all that well,,LOL.
Welcome! If you have a very limited budget like I did .....A 1x30 belt sander is an inexpensive tool that is great for making you want a 2x72 haha Also check out ^ Dan's website .... not only is he talented but he also shares his experience and there is a lot of invaluable tutorials and stuff there.
Myth sort of described me. I'm an obsessive planner. I like to have all my ducks in a row before i start anything. Including tools i may need. Once i get started, i don't want to have to stop. It's hard for me to pause a project. I have to say that making my own grinder was a fantastic experience for me. It sort of helped me to get my toes wet with the whole metal working vibe. It's odd but even though the grinder is far from square and has all kinds of quirks etc. from the start, you feel like you've been using it for 30 years because you made every part of it. I know I'm a noob myself but I think I'd really recommend that anybody getting into knife making should make some of their own tools. It has really helped me in a lot of ways. Not the least of which is the wallet. Plus, if you make some of them, you can spend the dough on other things ( i bought a welder and made a grinder and a forge for much less than the cost of a decent grinder ).
Thank you all for the input, For myself, I don't usually dip my feet, I jump in head on! So I generally like to have all my tools / planning lined up as well, that way when a creative vibe comes my way I can get cracking! Knowing myself, and the way I am captivated my knife-making, It's easy for me to say I will be doing this for a while. This being said, I will definitely stay away from making my own tools, especially if I still want functional equipment down the line I do understand the importance of having high quality tools, and don't mind spending a few extra dollars for it. So that's my approach for now!
started with buying a used knife making shop essentially then things kind of spiraled out of control with a heat treating furnace a month later. We really need a tools anonymous section hidden from non members (wives)
This is just my oppinion, but if i had to start from scratch, my first large purchase would 100% be a decent 2x72 grinder. I put this first because it makes everything easier when you have a proper grinder. A forge is nice but you can make pretty much any knife without forging it. A kiln would be nice, but you can pay for a lot of pro heat treating for the cost of a kiln. I believe that in the group of major tools, the grinder is the most important, because everything you make needs to be ground to some degree at some point. We can easily pay someone to heat treat our knives, but we cant really pay someone else to grind them.
Grinder, drill press and my bench mounted portable band saw get used the most. And for more than making knives. E.g. I recently made monkey bars and a swivelling tire swing for the kids to play on. Used all three tools for doing that. Certainly wins a few points with the wife.
gotta get that band saw... found one just like yours Dan, on kijiji no less. But, it was in Ottawa and they couldn't ship it for a feasible price.
Definitely a good drill press makes things a lot easier. A good grinder is always a plus, but guys definitely make some pretty amazing stuff with little 1x30's or 1x42's and even with nothing but files! I am sick of hacksawing stuff so I have my eye out for a good used bandsaw for metal. I also would love a kiln for heat treating more exotic metals, but for now plain old fire, a magnet, canola oil and a toaster oven are doing me just fine with the 1084 and 1095 carbon steels and I must admit I am a sucker for patina so I have no real reason to seriously hunt out proper heat treatment gear yet. Also, a good vise is something indispensible!
