Knife from kit?

I think it would be interesting to get into bladesmithing purely as a hobby but prior to outlaying 4-6 K in equipment I thought putting together a knife from a kit may be a good intro. I have vise, grinder, various belt sanders, some files but no rasps, anvil or forge.

Any recommendations as to what kits to try and type of steel such as Damascus v stainless etc would be appreciated as well as where to order as there are many listed on the web.

Thanks

Well, you could order a kit and put it together, Or you could find an old saw blade and cut out a blade from that. grind it to shape and put on some wood handles, then you could say you made it. Its really not that hard. Give it a try. If i can help with anything, please ask away. There is a Texas custom knifemakers guild. Contact them and and ask to meet with some folks in your area.

Scottie's last bit of advice is really spot on. Get connected to the Texas Guild and you will be surprised at how helpful these guys will be in getting started.
I'd also recommend getting Wayne Goddard's "$50 Knife Shop" and reading it from cover to cover. Think you'd be surprised at how much cheaper you can get in to this craft and still enjoy doing good work.
Not against putting kits together, good way to learn the fabrication mechanics. However you are only getting that and not learning the geometrics and physics (the real alchemy) to making/producing a quality knife.
If you are ever over here in GA around the Atlanta area, let us know. One of the many members here would be glad to entertain you with a little quick one on one exposure.
Not sure what you think you need to "start", but 4-6K is way more than necessary for starter equipment.

In the Texas guild guys, look for Dustin Williams , Jason Fry, tell them that I , Scott Davidson suggested them as contacts. They are friends of mine, and can point you in the right direction.

Piggybacking this thread what would be the have to haves to start off with? I would not know where to begin on some things

Not as much as you think. I forged my first "blade" over the coals of a large pile of pinecones, with my little brother acting as bellows with a garbage can lid. Used a large chunk of reject granite headstone and my Dad's favorite Eastwing framing hammer (which pretty much got my butt tanned). That was 62 years ago. My dad later taught me to forge over coal with more proper tools. He made/repaired tools for miners during the Dahlonega gold rush (he was just 14-15 at the time).
Guess what I'm saying is you can learn the basics on the cheap. Still suggest getting a copy of Wayne Goddard's book as a starter.
He lists and explains the necessary tools and uses much better than can be done in a thread like this.
Basically all that is needed is a consistent and controllable high temp heat source, a decent faced hammer that you can use well enough to hit what/where you intend with the energy required to move hot steel where you want, tongs for holding said steel comfortably and firmly, a good solid hard spot (some sort of anvil), and last but not least determination/patience/desire.
Most of all Safety Glasses! Forging with out eye protection is just plain stupid!
"Anvil" - I've used and still use a variety of hard-spots. Sure, I have several traditional anvils that I use regular and hard, but there are plenty of alternatives that will work until you can find/afford one. These are some of what I've made do with: granite headstone (still have and use occasionally); RxR car coupling knuckle (had to grind a flat spot); RxR track (actually not my favorite for many reasons); large steel block (drop from a steel yard, about 168#'s worth, still have); fork lift tine mounted on end (50#s and one of my favorite demo anvils as it travels well); then the real deals - Haye-Buddens 87#(avatar) & 268#, American farrier's 125# (mfgr unknown but a most excellent anvil), Peter Wright 430#s (my workhorse).
Think what I should tell you is with a little thinking most any hard spot that can take heat and impact will suffice.
>>It's not the working tools that make a craftsman/bladesmith....it's the craftsman/bladesmith that makes the tools work.<<

Do contact the gentlemen Scottie has mentioned, they will direct you well. Hands on with an accomplished smith will make the journey shorter and a lot more enjoyable.
But hey! What's not to like? It's every boy's dream - play with fire, bang on stuff with a hammer, run around with sharp pointy things, make a lot of noise and get filthy!

getaff - just saw that you are in middle GA. Check out the GA Guild and attend a meeting or two. Lot of smiths in the group....now. When we chartered way back when, only two of us actively forged blades. I've done my best to corrupt as many as possible (seems to be working).
If you are coming to the Blade Show next weekend stop by and see me at 5-J, Scottie is just across the aisle and down a few. Be glad to talk to you about the Guild.

Razor Blade said:

Well, you could order a kit and put it together, Or you could find an old saw blade and cut out a blade from that. grind it to shape and put on some wood handles, then you could say you made it. Its really not that hard. Give it a try. If i can help with anything, please ask away. There is a Texas custom knifemakers guild. Contact them and and ask to meet with some folks in your area.

Click to expand...

What kind of saw blade are you using?

I started out using an old 10 inch table saw blade. Didnt even know what it was made off. Just cut it and made something sharp. That was 22 years ago. After a year or two of saw blades , i moved to the real steel for making knives. Its annealed , much softer. heck, you can even use a good file to " grind" your blade out. Still folks that do that. I will post more after while. on this subject.

Well, some folks wanna grind the knives out. If you wanna do that and get in it as cheep as you can. If your just gonna make a few, look at the 1 x 42 belt grinder, these are about 200 or less. Ok for flat grinding very small knives. Half to 3/4 inch wide maybe 3 inches long would be max size. Now if you wanna spend a little more money then take a look at the Grizzly " knife makers grinder ". These maybe in the 600 range. If you look around and get in the right circles { knife makers groups }, you can find folks that are upgrading or moving on to other projects and will sell their grinders at a good price. Check ebay or craigs list. You can sometimes find a good used Bader grinder for about 1500. As said before , cut you learning curve by drastic measures by finding a group of guys already into knife making. Ga Custom Knifemakers guild, We are on Facebook, on here. Contact someone and get out there and spend all your money like the rest of us did. Its much cheaper to just buy the knives from another maker, and smile cause you didnt get hooked. If i can help, ask away. Scott

Gheezz ..... Scottie, you trying to stop the spread of infection or something?
QB, if you are serious about this, start with known steel. Highly recommend 1084 for beginners whether smithing or grinding. Easy to get, easy to work, easy to heattreat and very forgiving if you make simple mistakes (which you will). All this and 1084 will make a very fine knife.
While I, like Scottie, started with mystery steels, I could have learned so much more much faster if I had not been stubborn and started with 1084. It has been a long journey lots of failures and lots of successes, just could have been more of the latter.
I now use mostly recycled steels, but have paid the piper to learn how to test and test and test unknowns until I am satisfied that any particular steel is ready for my mark. I still make the occasional mistake, but rare these days. I do start all my students out with 1084 so they can get the basics down solid before moving on to the more complex issues of bladesmithing.
Bottom line is think it through - be safe - and have fun, which ever way you go.

Anvil how much is your school and how long does it last?

pm sent

Anvil Head said:

Gheezz ..... Scottie, you trying to stop the spread of infection or something?
QB, if you are serious about this, start with known steel. Highly recommend 1084 for beginners whether smithing or grinding. Easy to get, easy to work, easy to heattreat and very forgiving if you make simple mistakes (which you will). All this and 1084 will make a very fine knife.
While I, like Scottie, started with mystery steels, I could have learned so much more much faster if I had not been stubborn and started with 1084. It has been a long journey lots of failures and lots of successes, just could have been more of the latter.
I now use mostly recycled steels, but have paid the piper to learn how to test and test and test unknowns until I am satisfied that any particular steel is ready for my mark. I still make the occasional mistake, but rare these days. I do start all my students out with 1084 so they can get the basics down solid before moving on to the more complex issues of bladesmithing.
Bottom line is think it through - be safe - and have fun, which ever way you go.

Click to expand...

Not at all buddy, i just thought he could go cheep on the first one. Then decide what he wanted to do. That was my thinking