/r/knifemaking
The world of Knifemaking
A helpful community for knife makers of all skill levels to talk about different techniques, steels, and tips for others. Show off your work and where you work here.
Let's make this a very helpful community.
1) Post anything related to knifemaking
2) All official AMAs must be Mod approved with verification.
3) Keep comments respectful and on topic.
4) Blatant advertising and for sale posts are not allowed. You are welcome to make transactions private. LINKS TO BLOGS AND WEBSITES ARE CONSIDERED SELF-PROMOTION.
5) Posts that address questions easily searched or answered in the WIKI will be removed.
Click HERE to get to the WIKI
User Submitted Content:
Kiln Build by meepstah
Large and in Depth List of Wood for Handles
Dirt Cheap Guide to Knife Forging
Useful links and Information:
Heat Treating Tool Box- Kevin Cashen's detailed guide to heat treating
Knife Shop Safety and PPE by Jim Ferguson (Downloadable, Right Click, Save As)
Absolute Cheapskate Way To Start Making Knives (PDF)
Bob Engnath Knife Patterns (PDF)
Nick Wheeler- Hand sanding 101 (YouTube)
Steel: The “welding steel” at Tractor Supply/ Lowes/ Home Depot is mild steel and useless for knives Buy new, known, annealed blade steel. It is well worth it. Files, railroad spikes, lawnmower blades and other unknown steels can definitely be used for practice forging but will not perform for a knife. For the work involved, it is very cheap to buy and use known good steel.
1084FG sold by Aldo Bruno is formulated for Knifemaking, Cheap & made for DIY heat-treat. http://njsteelbaron.com/ Phone # 862-203-8160
His telephone service is better than his website.
Heat Treating:
Heat Treating Basics Video (downloadable) Right click and save this and watch it often
Kevin Cashen Heat Treating Info
Heat Treat services:
Air Hardening Stainless Steel Only A2, ATS34, Elmax, CPM154, 154CM, 440C etc.
Buck Knives- Paul Bos Heat Treating
Oil Hardening Carbon Steels and Air Hardening Stainless Steels Oil quenched O1, 1095, 1084, 52100, 5160 Or air quenched A2, ATS34, Elmax, CPM154, 154CM, 440C etc.
Knifemaker CA (Canadian)
-Be sure to check the Shipping and Price tabs
Quenchants for Oil hardening steel
Forget the Goddard's Goop Quench, Motor Oil, Transmission Fluid
Use commercial quench oil & match oil speed to the steel type Here is a good post by Kevin Cashen with the Explanation and classification of oil speeds
For heat treating yourself with minimal equipment, find a Eutectoid steel 1080, 1084. Grocery store canola oil can work well -if you use clean preheated oil
Brine and water are cheap for "water hardening" steels W1 and 1095, but use fast oils Parks 50 & Houghton Quench K If you use water or brine, expect broken blades!
/r/blacksmith is great for general blacksmithing tips beyond knives
/r/Bladesmith is great for those interested in forging knives
Check out /r/ChefKnives for all things regarding culinary cutlery
Gunsmithing /r/gunsmithing
Want a knife made? /r/MakerMesh
Like general knife discussion? /r/knives is the place for you.
Making knives isn't your thing, but the metal still calls? Here ya go: /r/metalworking
Need help with a different type of craft besides steel? Search here: /r/ArtisanHelp
Want to talk about knives and share yours? /r/knifeclub
Buy/Sell/Trade:
/r/knifemaking
136,158 Subscribers
Anyone used this company? And know blade quality?
Has anyone used this company? Looking into this for a graduation present. Also it says the knife is carbon steel, but not wether it's high or low, if you know it would be a big help.
19:25 UTC
One more folder, what do you think?
12:48 UTC
Is my heat treatment good or make knives too fragile?
After all heat treating process file barely cuts anything on hardened part of the knife, I had a hard time making any indentation, is it good sign or my knife is too fragile now. It was quenched in canola oil then tempered in oven in aroud 200°C giving it nice straw color.
10:51 UTC
Recommendations for a saw to mitre cut? Im thinking HEM ABS-105 but am open to suggestions
Hi all, I know this is for knifemaking but you guys work with bandsaws all of the time so im sure you have some good suggestions
I am looking for a good saw to do mitre cuts (mainly on square tubing but it could be on anything). I have an awesome MK Morse chop saw that I love and does beautiful mitre cuts but its a saw that you have to move the fence to do mitre's and not the saw and it's a bit of a pain in the ass. I bought a Harbor Freight Hercules portaband and the portaband holder they have that turns it into a horizontal bandsaw but it is a dogshit setup for anything that is not a 90 cut. I mean, it was only like a $200 setup but I am very particular about fitment and one side of the cut being at 45 and the other at 37 just isnt going to fly with me. I want something that is tabletop, so one of those free-standing bigass bandsaws is not going to work. I found this saw after minutes of exhaustive googling and it seems like a good fit but I am open to suggestions. As i said, I mainly work with angle and square tube but I work with a bit of everything. I would like to keep it to less than $1500 but will definitely spend more for a quality tool. Any suggestions are welcome! Thanks!
01:08 UTC
Anyone selling a belt grinder around the Louisiana/tx area? Ameribrade preferably
23:12 UTC
Just finished this Retro Nymph!
21:36 UTC
Making a knife and have an idea to mount scales in a non traditional way.
Basically this scale is going to made out of one solid piece of aluminum (or other stuff) and want to mill it the same way an integral knife is made. (One piece of material without seams) The scale will slide on from the bottom and be screwed into the handle itself from the bottom (red marks, flush mounted screws). Now I know this opens up the possibility of stripping the threads in the handle which is my big hang up. Or worse yet, galling the threads which would be a total loss of both the one piece scale and the knife. I’m trying not to get married to this idea but I think it would be really cool and modular. Anyone ever seen scales mounted this way?
21:21 UTC
little guy for my 10th knife
18:29 UTC
Barbecue knife I made about an year ago
16:45 UTC
Making a custom Dagger: Part 6
14:49 UTC
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