Questions for the knife makers out there

[Pn8hall]

I am looking for some advice to get started on making my own knives. I am a cabinetmaker/finish carpenter so I think I have the handle making portion covered but need some help with the metal work. My plan is to start with the stock removal process and send my blades off to an outside source for heat treating.

I am looking at getting a belt grinder and trying to figure what I should start with. A 2x72 grinder is not in the budget just yet so I have been looking at either 2x42 or 1x42 grinders. Which size would be the best to learn on? Have a particular brand and model that you can suggest? Seems like there are more belt choices in the 1x42. I have been looking at brands like Jet, used Deltas, Dayton, Norse, Craftsman, Grizzly, etc

How important is it to be able to grind on the section around the top wheel? It seems most people have taken off all the guards to be able to grind radius's on the top wheel.

Suggestion for what steel I should start with? I am gonna stick with fixed blades for now and most likely drop point style. I want to stick with stainless and am thinking 440c or 154cm for the 1st couple with the goal to eventually use S30v but open for suggestions.

I have not researched sheaths yet that much but I think I will be leaning towards making kydek sheaths out of the gate and hopefully move on to leather but time will tell. Any tips or resources about sheath making are welcome as well.

I am looking forward to screwing up a few pieces of steel and getting some experience behind me. Thanks in advance for any info and advice you might have.

 

[WoodBow]

I would not call myself a knife maker but i have made several knives that i use exclusivley for animal breakdown. I prefer to repurpose steel for a few reasons. Im cheap, i find it more satisfying, and i can harden it myself with a torch.

Like you said, belt options is a factor. But a 2" belt will last twice as long(given the same length) because you have twice as much abrasive on it.

You can flat or slack grind everything without grinding on a wheel. The wheels just give you the option to do a hollow grind. I personally have not found the need. I have a 6x89, a 6x48, and 1x30 sander. I primarily do woodwork as well. None are ideal but i manage to make it work. If i wanted to get serious about it i would go ahead and buy a 2x72. I will eventually.

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[manitou1]

2" for sure.

 

[Hondo]

I'm not a knifemaker. I have made some knives (stock removal) however, and use belt grinders mostly for sharpening and reprofiling. My knifemaker buddy would echo the same 2x72 recommendation and that being said, if you are still want to go the 1x42 route check out the Kalamazoo 1SM. It's been around for years and has a good reputation. Knifekits sells a swing plate and horizontal finishing attachment which adds some versatility. Still probably better off looking for a used 2x72 though.

 

[WA209]

Harbor freight has 1x30 grinders in the 55$ range. I’ve had two for several years, even been left outside, they just won’t die. They are underpowered for really hogging metal and are very fast for fine finish work. Penn state industries even sells a vfd speed controller for them. Don’t waste any time with the belts hf sells. Tru grit inc in SoCal has a great selection, their blaze orange ceramics are awesome.
New Jersey steel baron is great place to buy steel. I highly recommend their 1084!
Knifekits.com is a great go to for kydex. Get a cheap 25$ oven and a heat gun, build your own press. Have fun! Ps manitou1. That top bone handled knife is awesome!!!!

 

[Bruce Culberson]

I started on a 2x42 craftsman, then built a 2x72 with a 1hp motor. You don't need to grind on the wheel unless you want to do hollow grinds. Lots can be done on the flat platen or slack belt. The guards are usually in the way for knife grinding. Supergrit carried ceramic belts in 2x42.
For steels also look at AEB-L and Nitro V as they have good performance and lower cost then CPM154 or S30V for starting out.

 

[Bruce Culberson]

 

[gdpolk]

My reccomendation is to use your existing 4x36 for now and limit your designs to work within the capabilities of that machine (flat grinds and no radius tighter than the wheels on it if you plan to finish inside curves with power tools). Technique is more important than tooling in most cases. To be clear, man has been making knives LONG before power tools or even steel has been invented. What tooling will do for you is make your process more efficient, allow you to do various processes, and make the learning curve easier. For a true knifemaker the 2x72 is simply the king and is worth the wait until you can afford to buy one or build one. They all work fairly well these days and I wouldn't shy away from a used one in decent condition. What makes the 2x72 king is the availability and cost of abrasives and the vast amount of attachments (wheels, platens, rotary platens, end radius platens, small wheels, surface grinders, etc) which can be used to add complexity to your designs and work.

As for steel, I'd say start with the steel that interests you if your outsourcing heat treatment anyway. You can control the fabrication quality by simply slowing down and being meticulous just like you do with woodworking already. The first knife I made was in Elmax (super expensive but amazing performance) and it's still a top performing knife. There is a pile of information in the makers discussion subforum on BladeForums for the new knifemaker. Look that thread up and bookmark it.

 

[feanor]

I started out on a 1x36 oooooold grinder. It was good to learn on, but took a long time to chew through steel. I'm sure if you like building and creating things, knife making will grab you pretty quick. I just make hobby knives, but I am building a 2x72 for future knife making. This blog has a lot of good info on knife making in general. If you do go down the rabbit hole later on, you can build one confidently with this info. I made a few knives from 01 tool steel since its cheap, but the maintenance required in the field is tough to keep from rusting. If I started again, I would get a stainless and just find the cheaper varieties to start and mess around with. Good luck!

BG-272 DIY 2 x 72" Belt Grinder

DIY 2" x 72" Belt Grinder Project Like almost every newbie knifemaker owning a decent belt grinder is dream. When I realized the price of...

dcknives.blogspot.com

 

[Pn8hall]

Thanks everyone I appreciate all the input. @Bruce Culberson I didnt notice at 1st that your 2x72 was made from wood! That is awesome. I think I am gonna start with a 2x42 from Jet and see what happens. Would be fun to build a 2x72 at some point.

 

[DroptineDC18]

Very jealous of this craft. I would love to learn to do this some day.

 

[JimCraig]

+ 1 on starting with some AEB-L stainless. Its much less expensive, but still decent enough to get use out of the first few knives you make that don't turn out as well as you'd hope. So it's great steel to get yourself dialed in on your techniques without spending as much on the higher end steels. Then once you get rolling you can fork over the $ for the better steel.

 

[Beendare]

Bladeforums is a great resource...and sending it out for heat treat is the best strategy, IMO.

I've only done knives from blanks and saw blades and I just use a grinder but that 36" belt would be the ticket.