All my questions will be going here. Expect a lot.

So as I start down the journey of making a knife, I've realized I have no idea :curse: I am doing. Basically I'm like a toddler learning to drive a sports car, might of wanted to start with an electric tonka truck lol. So I have a few questions. I expect I'll have a ton, luckily you guys are super smart and like to help people. Worst case I'd shoot pieree a call and see if he'll teach me for a day or two. But for now I digress.

Questions.

1. Is this dumb. For grinding a sujihiki I was thinking I'd attack it at 3-4 different angles and blend it buy hand with a file and sand paper. I would first attack the blade at a shallow angle to curve in all the sides marginally. Maybe 15 degrees maybe even 10. Move 50-55% down the blade and double the angle to 25-30. Finally grinding the next part at an even higher angle to create something like a wide bevel knife. I want to make this suji thicker and more workhorsey than my other one. Basically go down to 25% of the width half way down the blade 1/2 with around 70% and than thin her out like crazy. Using blue tape as a guide to make sure I'm not grinding were I shouldn't be. Than blend the edges. I was thinking I'd also mark the middle of the choil at the half way point. My other idea was a 99/1 ish grind so symmetry wouldn't be as big a deal, so roughly the same thing but just on the right side, than grind the left side at a shallow angle to meet the right side. Polish sharpen and hopefully have something usuable. Same idea though simple bevels, blended.

2. I think I know this one but how difficult is stag or horn in general compared to wood to work with. I was thinking craig stevens wood and some blonde/grey horn as a ferrule material. Attempting a two piece handle.

3. Current shopping list is sand paper, resporator(one maumasi uses), 1x30 master craft grinder and abbrasives mainly course 60 probably top out at 120/160 or equivilant. A file(sorrel recommended one) and handle materials. Currently thinking dyed maple and some sort of horn or light colored wood(box elder). I have a dmt plate to flatten the tang/wood. Also need some sort of epoxy.

Apologies for the questions. I'm new at this.

:surrendar:

All the best,
Evan

Only done one dear horn handle but can say is really nice material to work with. Stinks when you cut it, but it takes a decent polish. What kind of respirator does that guy use? I use one intended for asbestos.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DU2ZPHW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Thinking stag from india unless I get lucky on a hike and find some elk antlers. Other options are musk or blonde buffalo.

I'll bite. Before we can answer your questions we need to know a bit more about your steel.
(a) What kind of steel is it? You could be using scrapyard steel for all we know.
(b) What dimensions are you getting it in? Are you doing stock removal or forging?
(c) What state is the metal in (hardened or annealed)?
(d) If it isn't hardened, how are you planning on getting it heat treated?

The first three questions help us answer your initial concerns on grinding. The last question (d) needs to be addressed before attaching a handle.

If this is your first knife I would suggest you start smaller then a suji. You should be trialing untested knife-making methods on knives with less surface area then a long slicer, but this is only a suggestion and not a rule.

It's 01 from Dave martells prebuy. I was thinking about grabbing some smaller chunks of 01/D2/52100 and screwing around with them and than send them for heat treat. Current stuff is hardened and is shapped, I just need to grind the edge and toss on a handle. My other idea was just buying some cheap knives and regrinding them.

WIP or it didn't happen:rofl2:

Well for starters a file wont do much against hardened O1 steel. You'll have to use a grinder or coarse stone of some kind to hog off most of the metal. The sandpaper is for cosmetics.

Can you post a picture of this prebuy shape?

Here is the thread where Dave was offering them for sale:
http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/27132-Knifemaker-s-Specials!!!!!

EDIT
Here is a link with an epoxy recommendation:
http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/showthread.php/24289-Systems-Three-T-88-vs-Devcon-2-Ton-Epoxy

I ultimately got the tubes of G/Flex (can find at marine stores, let me know if you have trouble finding), but the devcon Dev-tubes are handy for proportions. Just don't buy the 5min household stuff as I also believe it isn't as strong and cures very brittle (?)

2nd EDIT
I should also note I am not a knifemaker (my epoxy foray is for handle installs), so take my advise for what it is. Must also say that I'm looking forward to seeing how this goes.

I see!
If you have a lot of willpower and determination you can shape the bevels by hand with coarse stones. Depending on the angles you choose it might not even take that long.
Otherwise, if you do decide to purchase a grinder it will help take a lot of the elbow grease out of it. The learning curve is bigger and remember to never allow the edge get over 200°C (400 °F).

I thought about buying a 120 stone. And going to town, with my proposed strategy I think it would work. Might take 40 hours though lol.

Ah I should warn you that if you do it with stones, try to get a stone that doesn't dish quickly. Dishing is a frustrating thing to manage with on a job like this.

Good luck! :biggrin:

I can say from my limited experience that you might wish you had a powered option. If the 1" grinder isn't giving you enough area to cut big flat bevels then you might consider a belt sander held in a vise or clamped to a table. Toiling by hand is admirable but hard on the hands and without hands there's no knife making.

Godslayer said:

I thought about buying a 120 stone. And going to town, with my proposed strategy I think it would work. Might take 40 hours though lol.

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There are many power options. for rough grinding other then a belt sander. Have seen many use a disk grinder. 4.5" Then use flap wheel style disks after rough grind to do clean up prior to going to stones or hand sanding. This works best on blades that are not heat treated yet. That said. With ceramic flap wheel you may be able to do some stock removal and stay under the temperature that would screw up the HT on the blade.

4.5" grinder is cheap. and the ceramic san paper style flap wheels are reasonable priced. and come in a few different grits

Another option is a smaller belt sander. Like a hand held style. Bolt or fasten to the bench and run it! Biggest problem with these is finding ceramic belts. and heat due to smaller belt lengths. But I have seen em used and the finished work was fairly good!

1 X 30 or 1 X 42 belt sanders are great, But not ideal for a large stock removal application. Although they will get R done in a pinch.

Have fun and God Bless
Randy

What about a book to start with and working on some smaller projects? http://www.amazon.com/Custom-Knifemaking-Projects-Master-Craftsman/dp/0811721752?ie=UTF8&keywords=knifemaking&qid=1463586329&ref_=sr_1_7&sr=8-7

There is a learning curve to all this and you will be amazed at how crude your first efforts are compared with your later efforts when you look back at them a few years from now. "Going for the gusto" with a complex large first project may make you frustrated and lead to you abandoning the project. Start simple and make some mistakes that you can correct on later projects. Get fancier once you make a few knives and handles.

Castalia said:

What about a book to start with and working on some smaller projects? http://www.amazon.com/Custom-Knifemaking-Projects-Master-Craftsman/dp/0811721752?ie=UTF8&keywords=knifemaking&qid=1463586329&ref_=sr_1_7&sr=8-7

There is a learning curve to all this and you will be amazed at how crude your first efforts are compared with your later efforts when you look back at them a few years from now. "Going for the gusto" with a complex large first project may make you frustrated and lead to you abandoning the project. Start simple and make some mistakes that you can correct on later projects. Get fancier once you make a few knives and handles.

Click to expand...

Sound advise. But not nearly as much fun as messing up a bunch of steel and wood.