a good book on knife making

Originally posted by joemamma12
does anybody know were i can find a good book on knife making?
Click to expand...

Several...... one is free & online at www.engnath.com
.....a fount of tips and tricks by the late Bob "Grind" Engnath....
Wayne Goddard put out a couple that are excellent as well...contact him at wlgoddard@continet.net
There's many others, but these come off the top of my head....
Harry Jensen
 
I'd also say Loveless and Barney "How to Make Knives", but sometimes the photographs are confusing. I looked at one of Wayne Goddard's books briefly, and I think the overall neatness is a little better than the Loveless and Barney book.
 
Hello

A very good book to get started is Step-by-step Knifemaking, by david Boye. How to Make Knives, by Barnes and Loveless is good, too. Also, the Hrisoulas books have a lot of interesting information, even more so if you are on forging, but there is a lot of usefull information there if you are just on stock removal, anyway.
All the books mentioned above are easily found at the web.
 
Try buying any/all of these used on Amazon.com

Here are all of them I know of:

<u>Folders:</u>
Tactical Folding Knife by Terzuola (liner locks)
How To Make Folding Knives, by Lake, Centofante, Clay (slip joint, tail lock, & interframe)
How to Make Multi-blade Folding Knives, by T Davis & E Shadley (foreward only by Tony Bose)
Hand Crafted Folding Knife, by Malmros (Tamarax press, hard to find, not that good anyway, kinda amateurish)

<u>Fixed Blades, stock removal:</u>
How To Make Knives, by Barney & Loveless (video by these guys is also helpful)

"Step-by-Step Knifemaking, You Can Do It!" by David Boye

Knifemaking, A Complete Guide to Crafting Knives, Handles, and Sheaths -- by Bo Bergman (Scandinavian approach/style, segmented handles are of note)

If you want to start out mostly by hand/file/sandpaper, this book is also ok:
Custom Knifemaking, 10 Projects from a Master Craftsman, by Tim McCreight


<u>Most aspects & styles: </u>

Knifecraft, by Sid Latham (Very good)
(will have to find this used, expensive usually, ~$50, George Herron on tapered tang & slip joint folders, Jack Barnett on stick/hidden tangs, Lloyd Hale on Bowies, Moran on forging and completing his styled knife, section on decoration/engraving knife, sheath decorations and sheath making, lots of good pics)

Gun Digest Book of Knifemaking, by Lewis & Combs

The on-line stuff by Engnath is a great practical source. Copy/paste this into a Word document or something...it may disappear someday.
http://www.knives.com/engnath.html

example==> this link appears to now be unmaintained: www.engath.com


<u>Forging:</u>
Master Bladesmith, Jim Hrisoulas
The Pattern Welded Blade, Jim Hrisoulas
Complete Bladesmith, by Jim Hrisoulas
Hand Forged Knife, Karl Schroen


<u>Other:</u>
"The Wonder of Knifemaking" is a good adjunct, reference book by Goddard. Kinda randomly pieced together from articles, but worthwhile.

Knife Talk, by Ed Fowler. Philosophy mostly. A hodgepodge of articles, like the Goddard book, but interesting. Some info on forging 52100 and more importantly, on heat treating 52100. Doesn't give the whole formula (colors & temps), but for the experienced forger there is useful advice (Fowler and company are as good as anyone in grain refinement and heat treating of 52100)


<u>There are video's by numerous people:</u>
Ed Fowler (haven't seen, heard good)
Allen Blade (haven't seen, heard good)
Loveless (good)
Hrisoulas (good)
I think Moran
probably others.

Paladin press is one source, paladinpress.com
http://shop.paladin-press.com/Store/prodlist.asp?catid=1086

Use your search engine and you can probably find sources for the other videos, although the Allen Blade stuff probably have to call him (search engine on forums had a thread in past 3-5 days w/ his address).
 
There's several that I've found very interesting and helpful along the way,
The Hand Forged Knife--Karl Schroen
Knife Talk-- Ed Fowler
The Wonders of Knife Making-- Wayne Goddard
How to Make Knives--Barney & Loveless

And the online info of Bob Engnath, If you have any questions about getting started in forging or the metal removal system from start to finish you can find the answers in these areas, sheath work to.

Good Luck and have Fun ;)
 
I have many of the books mentioned, and like someone else said, which one you buy would depend on what kind of knife you want to make: folder or fixed, stock removal or forged. You mentioned a sword in another post, and you could do this with a few files, sandpaper and a bar of ten series or 5160 steel (my arms are tired just thinking about it). The Barney Loveless book shows how to file a knife blade if you're that energetic, but then there's heat treat, fitting a guard, etc. I'd start with something smaller and simpler, for example a kit, such as the Darrel Ralph liner lock folder from Koval (you get to carry your handiwork in your pocket). Once you fit your choice of handle materials you're almost home free; it screws together neatly.
For a fixed blade, Bob Engnath's catalog/manual was/is dynamite. Unfortunately, there are no more blades from Mr. Engnath, but most of the knife supply companies sell quality pre-ground blades and handle material. There's Koval, Sheffield, K&G, Texas Knife Makers Supply, Atlanta Cutlery...
 
I have a few of the books people have listed here for sale over at Knifeforums in the NonKnife/For sale forum. Shoot me an email if you want any. Some are out of print.

Dave
 
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