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The Newbies Arena Are you new to knife making? Here is all the help you will need.

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  #1  
Old 03-09-2015, 04:26 PM
AllanBeasley AllanBeasley is offline
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Just made an insane BEAST (Got paid to ignore some advice)

Just finished making this to the specifications of a customer. He wanted a softer steel which he got, and some heft to the blade. 1/4 inch plate steel, it WAS fired in the forge and oil quenched to get as much hardness as possible. At the end of the tang I blowtorched it with MAP gas and hammered out a flat spot for batoning as per request. We both decided on the shape of the handle, I left s small clip at the tip of the blade for the kind of batoning he wanted to do with it. I used spalted stabilized poplar for the scales. The bevel is probably the best one I've done so far, and at least it left the shop razor sharp. I got to play with it for a few after pics were taken, it's a BEAST. I'm really sad to see it leave my possession. Guess I gotta make another after I get more steel. I've been told numerous times to work on smaller blades, but a paying customer is a paying customer. I DID start on a MUCH smaller trailing point hunter to make up for it. I'm burned out on grinding right now so it's on hold after heat treating. This one sold for $100 and he is like a kid in a candy shop with it.





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  #2  
Old 03-09-2015, 05:21 PM
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Ray Rogers Ray Rogers is offline
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That actually looks pretty fair for what it is and the money can buy you some real blade steel or more belts so making a big knife isn't all bad. Besides, I think you understand why we suggest smaller knives at first and I don't think you're going to let the problems and possible disappointments that most new makers run into on big knives stop you so more power to you. But make some small ones anyway so we can see where that takes you ...


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  #3  
Old 03-09-2015, 05:50 PM
AllanBeasley AllanBeasley is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Rogers View Post
That actually looks pretty fair for what it is and the money can buy you some real blade steel or more belts so making a big knife isn't all bad. Besides, I think you understand why we suggest smaller knives at first and I don't think you're going to let the problems and possible disappointments that most new makers run into on big knives stop you so more power to you. But make some small ones anyway so we can see where that takes you ...
You know it. I have a freshly heat treated 1080 trailing point hunter waiting to get the rest of the grinding done. Part of it is intentional parctice the other part is that the 1080 is almost gone so I gotta try to make it last a couple more blades.
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  #4  
Old 03-09-2015, 10:06 PM
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ricky_arthur ricky_arthur is offline
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My local wrecking yard has a pile of leaf springs and they let me have all I wanted for free. Most scrap yards will have springs for scrap price. I suggest you at least do something similar so that you have a moderate chance of sending out something other than a knife shaped object. Seriously. Had that at least been hardenable steel, I would have said its a step forward. A 1/2 inch bevel as opposed to a 1/4 and a pretty cool design. But that handle will leave blisters on the index finger about the same time the blade starts looking like beavers chewed on it. You seriously owe it to your customers to give them a product that has a chance of surviving life as a knife. Thats my feelings on it, I guess you are free to do what you like.

Pm Me your address and I will shove some leaf spring material in a flat rate box and ship it to you for free so you stop making my head explode. LOL
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  #5  
Old 03-10-2015, 06:19 AM
AllanBeasley AllanBeasley is offline
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Originally Posted by ricky_arthur View Post
My local wrecking yard has a pile of leaf springs and they let me have all I wanted for free. Most scrap yards will have springs for scrap price. I suggest you at least do something similar so that you have a moderate chance of sending out something other than a knife shaped object. Seriously. Had that at least been hardenable steel, I would have said its a step forward. A 1/2 inch bevel as opposed to a 1/4 and a pretty cool design. But that handle will leave blisters on the index finger about the same time the blade starts looking like beavers chewed on it. You seriously owe it to your customers to give them a product that has a chance of surviving life as a knife. Thats my feelings on it, I guess you are free to do what you like.

Pm Me your address and I will shove some leaf spring material in a flat rate box and ship it to you for free so you stop making my head explode. LOL
I'm looking for yards around here, but they're hard to track down. We have a LOT of guys that buy up old cars for scrap and haul them off, making it hard to narrow a search down and I'm in a really suburban area where such a place wouldn't be tolerated nearby. I'm gonna find one close enough to work for me and hope they're cheap. If you're serious, I'll PM my address, but I hope that doesn't wind up being too necessary. I am awaiting feedback from the guy that had it made, he's gonna be putting it through a crazy torture test. He's a good friend of mine, so it won't take too much to find out what happened to it. I actually wanted to use more hardenable steel but he was after the softer stuff. Whatever happens to it I'm more than ready and willing to make him a new one as soon as he destroys this one, odds are also good he just has a decorational piece if I know him at all.
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  #6  
Old 03-10-2015, 10:24 AM
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Hunter10139 Hunter10139 is offline
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Why did your customer want something made from soft steel. It literally has no advantage over any blade steel. You don't want to make a name for yourself as someone who makes knives that won't work. This should be something that you explain to anyone who suggests you make knives out of crap steel.


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Old 03-10-2015, 10:25 AM
AllanBeasley AllanBeasley is offline
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The only answer I've gotten out here on the phone so far quoted me $50 a set for leaf springs. How bad of a price is that?
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  #8  
Old 03-10-2015, 10:27 AM
AllanBeasley AllanBeasley is offline
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Originally Posted by Hunter10139 View Post
Why did your customer want something made from soft steel. It literally has no advantage over any blade steel. You don't want to make a name for yourself as someone who makes knives that won't work. This should be something that you explain to anyone who suggests you make knives out of crap steel.
I did explain it. He was pretty fixed on what he wanted. I at least talked him into letting me bevel it like I did. He WANTED straight walls with no bevel before the edge was ground.
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  #9  
Old 03-10-2015, 11:00 AM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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You need to learn to control the quality of the product that you put out. Hunter makes an excellent point your name as a knife maker is now associated with a knife shaped object. Also don't assume that your friend, when he realizes that the knife won't hold up, doesn't blame you for it.

Learn to protect the quality of the product that you put out and refuse to allow the buyer to dictate that you make the blade wrong. I don't think that there are any full time knife makers who would have taken on that job

Doug


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  #10  
Old 03-10-2015, 04:39 PM
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DanCom DanCom is offline
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I agree with Hunter and Doug. It really is up to us, the makers, to educate our customers.

If I went to Taylor Guitars and asked them to make me a guitar that wouldn't stay in tune; do you think they would? Not ever! Their reputation is worth more than all the guitars they have ever made.

Maybe you should be giving away knives at this stage. In exchange for a knife, you ask for feedback on the knife and how it's being used. Give knives to hunters, farmers, butchers, chefs, friends and family. But always ask for feedback.

Offer free sharpening. When someone brings one of your knives back for sharpening, you can see how materials and your construction techniques are holding up to real life use. Take every opportunity to improve. Improve your methods and choices of materials. Knowledge is valuable.

Although very few of us will ever be full-time knifemakers, it is a possibility for some. Your chances of success improve with every bit of good advice you heed. Quality and your passion will drive the business side of things later, even if that business is part time.

Dan
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  #11  
Old 03-10-2015, 07:51 PM
AllanBeasley AllanBeasley is offline
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I totally get where you guys are coming from, honestly it wouldn't have been made out of that if this wasn't for a close friend that knows all of the liabilities and I made sure he knew them and he's gonna be doing a LOT of torture testing on it and giving me feedback. I'm not going to let another one out of the shop made from the same steel, the more I get the hang of proper steel the worse I feel about that one. He also knows that if or when it fails on him he gets a replacement no questions asked. I knew it was sketchy going into it, I educated him as thoroughly as possible and I did all I could to make myself feel better about it. I'll probably end up just making him another one anyways after I get new steel in.

Last edited by AllanBeasley; 03-10-2015 at 09:30 PM.
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  #12  
Old 03-10-2015, 09:23 PM
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BCROB BCROB is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ray Rogers View Post
That actually looks pretty fair for what it is and the money can buy you some real blade steel or more belts so making a big knife isn't all bad. Besides, I think you understand why we suggest smaller knives at first and I don't think you're going to let the problems and possible disappointments that most new makers run into on big knives stop you so more power to you. But make some small ones anyway so we can see where that takes you ...
I like your approach Ray , a veteran makers response..........


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