Stock removal equipment vs. forging equipment

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I have wanted to get into making knives for a long time now, and I'm finally on the brink of investing in some equipment to get started. If I had my preference, I'd get into forging. But I live in the city and think it mught pose a problem. I think I read somewhere that forging is a lot louder due to banging away with the hammer, or something to that effect. Thus, I am leaning toward stock removal.

My question is this. Obviously I need a good grinder to get started. If, at some point down the road I decide to get into forging blades, would the grinder still be useful, or would it be moot? After the blade is forged, does one still need a grinder to finish the blade? If so, how much still needs to be ground? Would it just be a touch up here and there, or are the forged blades heavily ground after they are forged?

I have several books on order right now, but this question plagued me all weekend. I ran a seach, but couldn't find anything exactly on point. Somewhere I read that forging is cheaper to get into; somewhere else I read that it is more expensive, due to the fact that you need all the stock removal tools anyway. I'm confused. Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.
 
IMO, yes you would need a GOOD grinder. No matter which way you end up going, grinding is the way you will be finishing. It is a large part of forging also. If you don't learn to grind well, you will not be able to make good knives.
And I am talking reasonable time here, not finishing with stones, files, etc.
 
I totally agree with Mike.

Every bladesmith I know (including me) has a complete stock removal shop as well as the hot working equipment.

There are a few guys out there like Tim Lively that hammer to shape and use very little tools beyond that, but this is rare.

Most every Mastersmith I know started off doing stock removal.

I am pretty confident that everyone of us that has started this way is glad for the experience gained at the grinder, fit and finish, design, etc.

For me forging was a step beyond. Many guys tell you it's cheap to get into, but I disagree. If you want to get equipment that's worth a crap, you will need a good forge, an anvil, tongs, hammers, gloves, etc.

By all means if you can do it I'd recommend it, it's a great deal of fun...but it's not the easiest way to start.

You can file a blade to shape and have it heat-treated by a commercial heat-treater for next to nothing...but you should at least try to understand what that heat-treating does to the blade.

Just my $0.02 :)
Nick
 
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