Best products from r/Bladesmith

there is a book called 50$ knife shop that would be a good start. ABANA also has a level one beginning blacksmithing project guide. I would recomend trying that. its helpful.

as for the cheapest and dirtiest way to forge a knife, take a leaf spring or coil spring heat it up to orange color smash it flat on a flat hard surface (an anvil), forge a point on one end and a tang (handle) on the other. you can attempt to forge bevels too, but that part is hard to do correctly. it is absolutly necesary to beale to forge flat and straight. this is also hard to do. you can grind/ file a bevel from a flat, but you cant grind/ file something from crooked to straight.

once you have a straight flat forged to shape blade you take it to the grinder to remove scale. this can be done with a hand grinder or a belt grinder, but scale will eat belts fast!!! so a hand grinder is more cost efective. with the scale removed you are ready to grind/ file your primary bevel. No grinder? then clamp your blade to a 2x4 and get at it with some files. first establish a bevel then draw file it flat. (remember when draw filing right hand pushes and left hand pulls) once you have the blade filed its time to sand all those ugly marks out. i sand to 220 or so then heat treat...

heat treat... use simple steel like OTS (old truck spring/ 5160) heat to nonmagnetic then quench in warm canola oil. take it out and check with a file. it should slide across it like glass. if the file dosent bite you have a hard blade. now go temper it at around 400 deg for 2 hours twice. (4 hr total)

now you have a heat treated and tempered blade. you can sharpen it and test it now. file or grind your final bevel then sharpen on a stone. go chop some 2x4s and then try to cut some paper. if you got a good edge you should be able to chop multiple 2x4s and still have a sharp blade. if the edge chips or rolls something went wrong. go rebevel the edge and re sharpen. test again. Chips mean the edge is too thin or HT didnt go right. fix your problems hear not later. make a good preforming blade before you make it pretty.

now make it pretty, back to hand sanding. start at 120 and work your way to 400 or so. make sure to completely remove the marks form the previous grit sand paper. before moving to a finer grit. careful not to cut yourself when hand sanding. your blade should be razor sharp by now.

in all honesty id start with stock removal and if you still want to forge knives build up to it. for me forging is easy and fun. its the stock removal part thats the hard work. if you dont mind the stock removal part you will be a lot less frustrated...

I too was in your position just a few years back. Here is a list of my recommendations for the entry-level versions of the items you listed above as well as some other things I like to have handy.

• Hammer, $15; This hammer is cheap, it has a peen (for drawing out metal) and is... well... a hammer.
  
• Anvil, $60; This anvil is definitely a beginner anvil but it is what I used for two years until I upgraded. You can pick it up in most all Harbor Freight stores as I assume there is one in every state.
  
• Tongs, $15; This set of pliers will help with quite a few things the main being to hold the metal once heated. I know that these are not what one thinks about when they think "blacksmithing tongs" but I have used similar ones for the entire time I have forged due to their versatility.
  
• Apron, $25; I personally have not used this exact apron before but it is cheap and though not beautiful, it is functional and trust me, spending $25 now on this may very well save you 100 times that in hospital bills.
  
• Gloves, $20; These are the gloves I use at my forge and I can say that there is little to no loss of dexterity and they provide ample heat resistance.
  
• Forge; This is the one piece that deters people the most as it is the most expensive piece. The type of forge you get depends on your budget and your ability/aptitude for DIY work. Here are my recommendations for three different budget levels.
  

• High-End Budget; 2 Burner Blacksmith Forge $489.95
  
• Mid-Level Budget; 1 Burner Blacksmith Forge $350
  
• Entry-Level Budget; This Video will take you through the process of making a Coffee Can Forge. They are suitable for the entry level smith and can, if done right, be made for less than $150.
  
  Now for my personal suggestions;
  
  

• Grinder, $55; This Handy-Dandy little grinder is what I use for most all of my knife smithing. It is pretty cheap and a great entry-level piece of equipment.
  
• Metal, $5-$20; When you are starting off, I highly advise to start with the tool steel available at Home Depot and/or Harbor Freight because they are very cheap and you can stand to mess up without wasting expensive metal.
  
• This Book is what I began learning with and it comes packed with a number of starter projects to help you get started on learning basic skills as well as acting as a reference later on down the line.
  
  I hope this list helps and I wish you well on your journey in beginning Bladesmithing!
  
  
• O

Disclaimer: I use propane, not coal. My advice is only based on other people's experience, not my own.

I think the problem is the idea that a hairdryer is going to pull the same weight a proper blower will. Companies are trying to save money by making products that meet, but just barely, their intended use. Use as a forge blower was never considered as a use-case when any hairdryer was designed. The duty cycle and run times aren't comparable and the operating environments are near opposites.

You see a lot of YouTube videos where people throw together a forge with this and that and it usually has a hairdryer blower. This might work for a bit or for the home gamer, but it can't last long term or fit the needs of a hobbyist or professional. You don't see follow-up videos or blog posts of forge owners praising their hairdryer blowers. You do hear when people upgrade and how much better it is.

I appreciate your pain. As a hobbyist myself, I've tried to make some tools that I really should have just purchased outright. Many times you can hack something great together that'll last a long time (i refused to spend two grand on a belt grinder, so I built one), sometimes it's better off to just get the right tool for the job (purchased the wheels for said grinder instead of trying to make them out of wood or skateboard wheels).

I think a proper variable speed fan for a forge blower is something I would just buy outright. Amazon even has a few cheap options you can put a speed control dial on. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OM1L7E/

How much money do you keep spending on replacing hairdryers until you get a tool that'll last forever?

Good luck

(Wiring diagram included in with images)

​

I finally put together a basic parts list for those of you that are interested in building a DIY heat treat oven. I've included a wiring diagram, but I take no responsibility for anyone who wants to make one. If you don't know what you're doing, find someone who does. Its up to you to figure out how to mount the door switch, and to design and make a door latch (I made mine on the fly and have to dimensions or drawings).

Its not a project for the faint of heart, but if you have some electrical knowledge, and the help of someone with a welder, its very doable.

I've included CAD files for the frame and electrical box. Any fabrication shop with a waterjet, plasma or laser cutter should be able to cut these for you. I'll give a break down of the parts required and how much I spent on everything. You're prices may vary:

​

24x Insulating fire bricks 2.5" x 4.5" x 9". I bought direct from the manufacture for $130 shipped.

MyPin Temperature Controller $35(https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B005NGL53W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Solid State Relay $18 (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B06W9LNZDX/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

Thermocouple $15 (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00XJB4DYQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

3x KANTOL wire elements $12/ea (https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B07CLLW3BG/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)

​

You'll also need to find a 120V+ 20 Amp fuse, a Normally open door switch, and 2 On/Off switches.

DXF CAD Files: https://www.dropbox.com/s/diwuui3qtw247uh/kiln%20layout.dxf?dl=0

​

I found the best way to make the grooves for the wires was to score the likes with a 3/16" thick file on is side, and follow that by widening them with a drillbit just under 1/4". The fire bricks are very soft so just take your time and dont force anything.

​

Feel free to modify and redistribute these drawings as you wish, but you take your safety into your own hands. Good luck!

​

You've thankfully got a lot of resources available online to help get you started. A good beginners tutorial can be found here on how to make your own custom knife from scratch with minimal equipment.

I tend to use Jantz Supply for a lot of my supplies including steel and kydex.

I'd highly recommend joining up for free on Blade Forums and browsing around the shop-talk forums. Tons of useful information by people that are just beginning and people who've been doing it for decades.

There's really tons of material online to help you figure out which steel to use. If you're just starting, I'd recommend sticking with something simple like 1095 high carbon, maybe 440C stainless. Here is a surprisingly good article written about it from an unexpected place. If you get the chance, pick up this book: The Master Bladesmith by Jim Hrisoulas. It's practically the knife-maker's bible.

Good luck and don't hesitate to ask questions!

Okay going to make this short and concise. These are all my opinions to make blades.

• Steel from here (start with 1084 or 1095 and you can either start with .156 or .187 for thickness (.187 is on the THICK side), or you can also get .125 thick for thinner projects. And 1.5 inches wide is the smallest i would go, or you can get 2 inches wide to be safe)
  
  
• Lots of different files, this one will help to start with though
  
  
  
• This belt sander does amazing to start out with
  
  
  Going to need lots of belts for it, here are some. Would suggest getting the 50 grit (please remember he will need multiple amounts of these so get a few of them). I would also suggest grabbing the 120 grit to take some deep scratches out. However the 320 isn't necessary as you can do all that by hand with regular sand paper.
  
  
• 1x30 50grit
  
  
• 1x30 120grit
  
  
• 1x30 320grit
  
  
  Hopefully in the yard or somewhere he can have a workbench set up because having a benchvise is such a luxury.
  
  
• This vice would do the trick
  
  
  
• The magical angle grinder, you can pick this up locally or order online
  
  
• It will need some of these
  
  
  Hand sanding paper (The fun stuff)
  
  
• 320grit
  
  
• 600grit
  
  
• 1000grit
  
  
  Also a sharpening stone will be very helpful however i don't have much knowledge as the best way to go with these. After doing some research, This stone seems like it would do the trick for the most part
  
  I forgot about these, 2 should be okay if he doesnt already have some
  
  
  Assuming you do not buy the 320 grit belts, and buy (5) 50 grit, and (5) 120 grit belts.
  
  The total comes to right around 308.36
  
  I failed you by breaking the budget, but your man is worth the 8 extra dollars :b Make him give you a foot rub and take you out for a nice dinner or something to repay the debt haha. GL and let me know if you have any other questions.
  
  Would like to note that all of this is for making the process easier. You can do all of this with 1 bench vise, 1 hand file, a hack saw and some steel. It would just take a long time and be extra tough! But absolutely doable without all of these gadgets

get rid of that ryobi asap and pick up one of these:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-120-Volt-4-1-2-in-x-6-in-Corded-Angle-Grinder-with-Trigger-Grip-D28116/205877227

its the best grinder made as far as im concerned. ive tried them all. this thing is nice and light and slim, and has a 13 amp motor. nothing stops them. i use and abuse them all day at work and then come home and do the same, they just never stop. they're more powerful than most grinders double their weight.

and at 9000 rpm top speed you can safely use the 7 inch grinding discs, theyre rated for 8600 but theres lots of wiggle room for top speed. just make sure the wheel is always spinning perpendicular to your body, never paralell to your face. never shoot sparks towards you either, if the sparks are going away from you that means the grinder will kick towards you, and thats no fun.

another thing i find extremely useful and 100 times cheaper than flapdiscs are the just regular fibre sanding discs like:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Diablo-16-in-x-2-in-12-Grit-Sanding-Disc-DCD160012S01G/202830944

i just throw them overtop a regular 7 inch pipefitter disc. they hog metal off like nobodys business, they're flat and dont conform to bumps and grooves like flapper discs as well. i think i bought 30 of them in 36/100/120 grit about 3 years ago and i havent had to buy more yet.

dont use the plexiglass idea on a non-variable speed grinder, anything over 4 or 5k RPM gets a little scary, i'm not sure the plexiglass would hold up long on one of those dewalts. i use a makita 7 inch variable speed sander for mine. i would pick this thing over a regular angle grinder if i could only have one. having speed selection makes it super versatile rather than a 1 trick pony. this is the one i have:

https://www.amazon.ca/Makita-9237C-7-Inch-Polisher-Sander/dp/B00LA6M64G

just to put the power of the dewalt i mentioned earlier into perspective that makita 7 inch is 9 pounds and 10 amp. the dewalt is about 6 pounds and 13 amp.

I have used Rutlands Fireplace Mortar to very good results. The key being that you cure the mortar to the blade before heat treat. You want it to stick to the blade during the crucial quench to develop the hamon. It needs to stay put on the blade, keeping that part you want to quench slowly as hot as possible for as long as possible. I would put it on thick, and generously. Leave the part of the blade that you want to harden, completely uncovered. You want that to quench as quickly as possible, especially with 1095. It's finicky about that and requires a very fast quench. The better that you accomplish those two things, the better your hamon will look. I found the best place for me in my location to get the stuff is Amazon. Here is a link to it for reference. Good luck and post your results!

(link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000H5T0KO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00 )

Depends were you live and it may take a visit to the place to see what they really have. I found a local store that had tool steel, O1 and W2, in both round bar and flat bar for reasonable prices BUT that isn't listed on their website. They also had a bunch of small cut off pieces of various metals for art projects which was really handy as well.

I know you didn't want to buy on line but Amazon has O1 with free shipping. Might be able to get a better deal locally if you look around.

As /u/Ermott stated, if you've got a few years of free time, there is no shortage at all of information to be found online.

If you specifically want a book for reference, here's the list. (I own and have read, and re-read every book here.)

Stock removal knife macking -
Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop, revised
How to Mack Knives, by Barney and Loveless

When you're ready to move up a few notches in complexity -
The Tactical Folding Knife, by Terzuola

If forging is more your thing -
The Complete Bladesmith, by Hrisoulas

An overview (and extremely interesting) look at how different modern mackers go about macking knives -
Blade's Guide to Macking Knives

And finally, the condensed Q&A for everything the aspiring knife macker could ever want to know -
The Wonder of Knife Macking, by Goddard
The second edition of this books has mixed reviews centering on poor editing, I've read and recommend the first edition, though slightly dated, for it's solid insight into so many areas of knife macking.

I hope this helps you, don't forget to come back and post photos of the knives you mack!

would these work well for building a forge out of? I'm not finding them in town so I think these for $15 (+$5 shipping) would do well for me if they are the correct type that I'd need.

Your prompt reply would be greatly appreciated.

I have toyed with this idea too, but I think a better option would be to make a larger forge with fire bricks like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Delphi-Glass-Fire-Brick-Pack/dp/B00JMH53GS/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1498066584&sr=8-13&keywords=fire+brick

and make a frame out of angle iron or whatever to keep all the bricks together and secure the torch in position.

> So what you're saying is

Yep, pretty much exactly that.


I suspect corset ribbon would be possibly a little thin, at least going by most of the ones I've known, I originally used to bind up just with cord, but it leaves an impression in the leather, that can be seen through the outer when its really thin. the widest ribbon you can get easily is probably the way to go, so it spreads the tension over the whole thing, and that prevents marking.


for long sheaths, generally the liner either goes up to about 1/4inch / 6mm from the top, and the outer face rolled round, or they both go up all the way... the finishing is a bit of a debate - some the outer is skived and rolled, some the two are the same, and sewn together with a stitch to hold them together. I'm not sure there's a universal standard though.


some of the originals, by the way, have little cubes of leather underneath for raising, to make bumps.


though they're medieval, the principles are the same, and this book's excellent: (so many ideas!)
https://www.amazon.com/Knives-Scabbards-Medieval-Excavations-London/dp/1843833530


thoroughly recommend it.


For earlier period, 10-12th C, when most sheaths are single-layer, there's also this report from the York excavations:


https://www.yorkarchaeology.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/AY17-16-Leather-and-leatherworking.pdf


those two should keep you busy for a while (between trying to wrangle the argumentative horses!)

http://www.amazon.com/Precision-Ground-Annealed-Thickness-Length/dp/B00CZDPAI2/ref=sr_1_fkmr3_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421860628&sr=8-1-fkmr3&keywords=starrett+o-1+tool+steel+precision+ground

Here you go sorry I'm a little new to reddit I haven't quite figured out how to post tiny links like the other guy. Also for small-med size knives basically 10 in. and under I really like 3/32 for something bigger like a chopper go 3/16-1/4 in.

Depends on your 'philosophy' in knife making. Personally I feel that the epoxy shouldn't be used to keep everything together, it is more just an added thing to keep things in place. If you are relying on glue alone (or mostly) to hold your knife together you are in a pretty rough place with that knife. You should make sure your fit of the tang into the handle is solid (not lots of wiggle room) this will go a long way. Next a single pin through the handle and the tang gets you to 90-95%. Adding the epoxy just makes up for any slack and keeps things in place. Personally I just use the JB Weld brand rated for bonding metal. I see a lot of people using this epoxy -> https://www.amazon.com/System-Epoxy-Resin-Hardener-Metering/dp/B07JHC28CV?keywords=west+system&qid=1540668531&s=Industrial+%26+Scientific&sr=1-14&ref=sr_1_14 but I don't make enough knives for it to be economically practical.

Here is the mobile version of your link