I realize knife making was discussed a month back. Any suggestions on what kit to get for someone that has never built one before but would like to get started?
FIDO 96 said:
Let me be the first to tell you / him. $100 is only the first hit on this crack pipe. I'f you want to go the way of most beginning knife makers:
$40 1x30 belt grinder @ HF
$10 in additional belts on Amazon
$20- 2 pieces of 1/8 or 3/16 O-1 precision ground flat bar stock. Check eBay or Amazon. Or any of the knife supply places posted above
$5 two-part Devcon epoxy
$10 on some wood scales and 1/8" mild steel round bar
angle grinder
Drill press.
Have him watch YouTube videos of Walter Sorrells or Simple Little Life and then just jump in
Somewhere along the way you need to build a gas forge, acquire a band saw, make countless grinding jigs and justify a $2400 2x72 belt grinder with VFD
Oh and your wife will be pissed when you are grinding knives in the garage next to her brand new Porsche and the next day there are thousands of tiny orange/rust dots all over it. I told her it was tree sap and to have the dealership buff it off.
Just to talk about this a bit more based on what we've kept talking... There really is no "knife making kit" out there as you're talking about making a knife shop essentially. There are kits like I post that just need a handle to finish, which isn't exactly a small part and allow a lot of room for making it yours but isn't knife making as being talked about below. There isn't anything wrong with that is how many people get started down this path.MROD92 said:
Great questions. Looking to get it for my dad, retired Aggie engineer. So budget wise happy to spend over 100 or more if the quality of what you receive justifies (in other words 100$ kit only produces a 50$ quality knife no thanks) more challenging is better, he views these tasks as labor of love