An Introduction to Knifemaking 

Why go to the trouble of making a knife when so many different styles are readily available on shop shelves? Ah well, there are all sorts of reasons. Mainly though, in the early stages, you want to make knives - personal pieces of the styles you particularly favour - for your own use or collection. And why not? Most likely your creative urge has been stimulated by something you saw at a knife show, in someone's private collection or perhaps a magazine. Knives are such an integral part of our lives, and because they are humanities oldest edged tool, the urge to design and craft bladeware is probably an innate trait in most of us.

"So how do I get started?"
Very easily, but there are a couple of things you should first know. Basically, there are four ways of getting into knifemaking, two by inducement (Restoration and Customization) and two by "jumping off the deep end" (Stock-removal and Bladesmithing) and working it out as you go.
 

The inducement method The inducement method is to introduce yourself to custom knifemaking via restoration or customization. Restoring old knives to something of their "original glory" helps develop an understanding and "feel" for knife types and purposes. There are many items in the AKC Supply List that can be applied in knife restoration.

Restoration: Keith Spencer

Knife customization 
Knife customization is popular and the best way for those not yet ready to create their own blade designs. We are all a little inclined to customize our favourite factory produced knife to enhance its "feel & function". You know, change the contour of the grip, perhaps adding finger grooves, drill a thong hole in the butt, maybe revamp the false edge altering the clip point transforming it into a clipped point and swedge... there are all sorts of modifications you can carry out to "personalize" a working knife. 

The AKC has a comprehensive range of finished knife blanks and semi-finished forged blanks begging to be customized by hobbyists and novice knifemakers searching for an entry into the exciting and challenging world of custom crafted bladeware. In a similar way to knife restoration, customizing enables the potential knifemaker to gain a "feel" for the craft and some insight into blade artistry.

As an example:
 

knife blanks: finished stainless steel or carbon blanks, or semi-finished forged blanks available Australian hardwood scales for knife grips rivets and  specialised drill bits

Jumping off the deep end
 

Or, as I said, you can "jump off the deep end" and immediately begin designing and making knives, cultivating your own unique styles and objectives...and many do! The AKC can assist you in your quest to number yourself amongst the growing ranks of Australian knifemakers. Many are acknowledged as having world-class blademaking status. To get going along the path you will need a book, some materials, basic tools and a modicum of advice.  Become a member of the AKC and the door is always open for further information and you will continue to receive informative bulletins on matters relating to the knife industry. BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE AKC TO PURCHASE PRODUCTS.

Myron Husiak VIC

	Most knifemakers, some of them now great makers, benchmade their first knives entirely using only hand tools - not a switch thrown. No power tools employed!  By a slower process, they learned the art of handcrafting bladeware. Machines can be unforgiving for novice knifemakers.
High revs and course grits on power grinders will enable you to churn out a knife quickly, but leaves no room to factor any real character into the knife. New makers, in particular, need to work with files and other hand tools and not be in a hurry - work, look and think a lot, never losing sight of the intended purpose of the knife.
	Inevitably, the developing knifemaker will need a belt grinder, mainly to produce hollow grinds if required, and to perform a variety of tasks on the platen and its attachments. Essentially though, belt grinders ought to be used to rapidly produce profiles and remove bulk material so as to render the work ready for filing and hand sanding for finish.

"So what to I need to get started?"

Basically, all that you need is an idea; that is, a knife concept you've committed to paper, a knifemaking manual, some hand tools and a piece of steel. I made my first knife on a bench with a vice under a tree using a handful of tools and with a fair degree of patience. Let me tell you, the best knifemaking skill I learned as an apprentice mechanical fitter at the W.A. Govt. Railways (1959-64) was to file efficiently. I earnestly recommend all tyromakers to learn how to properly file metal.

To quote sound advice passed on to me by the now longest serving knifemaker in the nation, Murray Lanthois (S.A.): "For your first knife, select a simple design and use smallish, slimmish steel.  Don't break your heart trying to build a huge Bowie blade from a big chunk of metal."

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• KNIFEMAKING BOOK AND/OR VIDEO

Recommended: 
 

The Beginners Guide to the Custom-made Knife  -DVD featuring full-time Australian knifemaker, David Brodziak David demonstates the making of a simple working knife,  including profiling the knife, grinding the blade and fitting the grip.  Filmed on location in Western Australia. $29.00  + $7 post
The Damascus Bladesmith featuring Australian bladesmith Myron Husiak format: VHS-PAL only Myron shares words of bladesmithing  wisdom as he explains and demonstrates the process of forge-welding a billet ready for the production of a damascus blade. Filmed on location in Victoria $29.00
"Custom Knifemaking"  by Tim McCreight recommended 10 projects from a Master Craftsman, from paring knives, skinners, full-tang, partial tang and through tang, to lockback folders.Clear line-drawn illustrations and detailed process instructions included $39.00 + post

• PIECE OF STEEL 

Recommended: RWL34 stainless bar stock - annealed and ready for grinding
example: 30 cms of RWL34 stainless steel:  3.5 x 38mm  $35.70
(Catalogue available - see end of article for details)

Inquire about our $100 Novice Knifemaker's
comprehensive introduction package, which includes the 
AKC Blade Finishing kit (exclusive to Australian Knifemaking Supplies). 

In addition, you will require a hacksaw, drill & drill bits, files, wet & dry abrasive papers, handle material and pinnngs (rivets or rods). You will also need a bench and bench vice.

 

Stock removal method The third way of getting into knifemaking, therefore, is to design your own knife style and craft it to life by what is known as the "stock removal method" from available steel bar stock in either carbon tool steel or stainless steel.  Carbon steel (often referred to as O1 steel) is fairly readily available via established steel supply firms around the country. Stainless steels for knifemaking, that is 440C and ATS34 in particular, are not readily available. Therefore, the AKC imports mainly 440C and certain sizes in ATS34. These imported steels come in annealed (softened) condition so as to be easily cut, filed and drilled - that is, they're workable using hand tools.

Stock-removal: David Brodziak

Heat Treating
The finished knife needs to be heat-treated. No problem. You could carry out the hardening and tempering process yourself. It's not too difficult to treat carbon (01) steels; however, stainless steels present a greater challenge "to get it right" unless you own the proper equipment - I mean a commercial oven. The scary bit about doing your own heat treatment is that when it is time to be done, the knife is all but completed, nicely finished and may have already consumed 30 or more hours of time thus far. "Get it wrong" doing your own heat treatment and you may well wind up with a bent blade or worse, deep surface aberrations (scale) which means the finishing process needs to begin again. 

There are many heat treatment firms about the place; however, the AKC recommends Hills Heat Treaters in Melbourne because of their experience dealing with the needs of knifemakers all over the nation and their "affordable prices", plus of course, the quality of the work done using sophisticated equipment.

Let us recapitulate for a moment "how to get started" in knifemaking. By inducement; restoration and customization. By "jumping off the deep end"; designing and making knives by the stock-removal method..... and the other, the fourth way, is bladesmithing.

 

Bladesmithing Believe it or not, there are brilliant bladesmiths who learned the art by reading books. To my way of thinking, the skills are best learned by working beside an accomplished "smith" as a kind of apprentice, but it is not always practical to do this. So, as is often the case, we need to study and learn alone, which is not altogether a bad thing. Left alone to work things out and experiment can be very productive and rewarding.  The AKC has excellent publications on offer for those who seek the "hidden mysteries" of hand forging knives. The A.K.C. stocks forged damascus steel billets in various sizes for those who would like to get the "feel of the steel" before themselves embarking upon pattern welding metal for blades

. William Green (QLD)

And what about the accoutrements?
In addition to providing the wherewithal concerning blade artistry, Australian Knifemaking Supplies has a wide range of accoutrements that includes the following. Grip materials - natural hardwoods harvested in eastern W.A., stone scales, pakkawood/dymondwood scales, plus ivory and black micartas in blocks and scales. There are guard and pommel options too. Bar, sheet, rods and tube in yellow brass and white brass (nickel silver), as well as spacers, and various types of machined rivets - all you need to get started on this fascinating time-honoured craft of knifemaking.

Yet, there is more, much more available from the Australian Knifemaking Supplies  list. Epoxy for grips, silver solder for joints, special files for stainless steel, layout dye to mark the metal to be worked, sharpening equipment and polishing stones, top quality leather oil and metal polish. Then there are materials for sheathmaking, synthetic kydex and top grain cowhide double-shoulder leather. The list will steadily continue to expand.
 

Don't forget too, that the AKC is a source of knifemaker's information - "do you have knifemaking problems?"  And the AKC fights anti-knife legislation concocted by state and federal governments.

It is important to know that the AKC maintains the only comprehensive knifemaker's register in the nation. It is in the interest of all makers to submit and occasionally upgrade their profile and photographs. Often this information is used in AKC publications and in nationally distributed magazines, which serves to promote the industry in general and the work of individual artisans.

You do not need to be a member of the Australasain Knife Collectors (AKC) to purchase knifemaking supplies. So why become a member? Membership of the AKC means many things, not the least of which is the membership card that financial members are entitled to carry to show they are bona fide knifemakers, collectors and/or users. The existence and objectives of the AKC (established in 1990) continues to be recognised by authorities about the nation.