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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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  #16  
Old 01-06-2013, 08:18 AM
Imakethings Imakethings is offline
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I highly suggest reading through Ed Caffery's article on making a knife to pass the American Bladesmith Journeyman test. You can find it here: http://www.caffreyknives.net/journeymanarticle.html

And you can read the requirements that such a knife must meet here:
http://www.caffreyknives.net/ABSperf...starticle.html

The steel used in the journeyman article is 5160, but the HT on it is very similar to 1080 and 1084. It just has chromium in it and less carbon, I'd also highly suggest reading the wikipedia articles on alloy steel (found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alloy_steel ) and on steel itself (found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel ). Pay particular attention to the nomenclature on the right hand side below the images on the steel article, the bits on microstructure are what you need to have a vague idea of to really start to understand what is happening with the metal as it heats and cools at different rates.

If you've not figured it out yet, there is a hell of a lot of reading involved in this hobby/business. Go to your library, read some books, do some research, and please, any time you are curious about some facet of this craft, hop on here and ask a question.

Good luck and good to have you on board.
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  #17  
Old 01-06-2013, 10:16 AM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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The problem with the articles on making a knife for the ABS performance test is that they are easy to misunderstand. They have nothing to do with how to make a quality knife, which is very subjective in itself. They have to do with making a knife that will demonstrate to the examiner that the maker has certain skill sets. It's all about testing the maker, not the knife. There are many high quality knives that are being made that will not pass elements of this test. Holding these standards up as requirements to make a quality blade is highly misleading.

As far as doing a lot of reading on this craft goes, there is no more important tool for the knife maker than a good reference library.

Doug


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  #18  
Old 01-06-2013, 01:55 PM
remist17 remist17 is offline
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OK thanks for the information. What I understand is to shape your metal to the design you want. Rough in the blade to close to finish as you can. I do not have a belt sander just files, dremel and a drill press. So I correct me if i am wrong, Steps to take:
Cut out knife blank, cut the shape you want, grind and cut out your blade to almost finish cut, send for treatment, then finish the blade for sharpening with file or dremel, then sharpen with stones.
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  #19  
Old 01-06-2013, 04:39 PM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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Basically. Just remember that you will need to do post hardening shaping with something harder than regular steel files. There are some course oil stones, the type that machinists use that can cut hardened steel fairly quickly as well a diamond files. Putting the final edge on the blade is the last thing that you will want to do after attaching the handle, though you will want to sharpen to a course edge to test the hardness of it. Just tape up the blade as you are working one the handle.

Doug


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  #20  
Old 01-06-2013, 05:14 PM
Imakethings Imakethings is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Doug Lester View Post
The problem with the articles on making a knife for the ABS performance test is that they are easy to misunderstand. They have nothing to do with how to make a quality knife, which is very subjective in itself. They have to do with making a knife that will demonstrate to the examiner that the maker has certain skill sets. It's all about testing the maker, not the knife.
Doug
Doug, I completely agree with you. I just like that article as it provides a pretty good written explanation on the steps involved in heat treatment, but it doesn't really go into much detail about what is happening on the microscopic and atomic levels. The main reason I included it was that remist17 sounded like he needed a good run through on what those actual steps are and what is done on each one. Understanding what is happening to the steel will come later.
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  #21  
Old 01-06-2013, 08:24 PM
Doug Lester Doug Lester is offline
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No real argument there with the ABS standards. It was more of just a side comment. I've seen several posts where beginners have read the standards and thought that it was the way that knives should be made. Actually, I did in the beginning too until Ed Caffrey clarified the situation for me.

Doug


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  #22  
Old 01-07-2013, 07:21 AM
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Crex Crex is offline
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Need to know that "wiki" information is not always supplied by knowledgable people.....anybody can do a "wiki". Do your research through more reputable sources.

>>5160, but the HT on it is very similar to 1080 and 1084<< relative to the JS testing issues as Doug pointed out. This statement can be very misleading to those that don't do further research.
The subtle differences make major differences in the end results of properly heattreated blade steels.


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  #23  
Old 01-07-2013, 11:14 AM
remist17 remist17 is offline
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Again thank you all. I really appreciate the responses and help. Also thank you for not looking down at me and explaining things that a new person can understand.

you all are great !!
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  #24  
Old 01-08-2013, 02:40 AM
Ed Tipton Ed Tipton is offline
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Remiat17...I agree with all of the previous suggestions you have received up to this point. My only comment is that al little knowledge can be a dangerous thing...and that one of the things that comes with more knowledge is more questions.
One of the suggestions you will see on this forum frequently is to "practice, practice, and practice". All of this info is all fine and good, but you do need to jump into the water and get your feet wet. Once you build your own forge and start your own HT, things do become more interesting. I am a great believer in "sole authorship", and there is great satisfaction in making your own knife without having to rely on outside help. Having said that, I do realize that Rome was not built in a single day, and there are financial restraints etc. that enter into the mix.
The important thing is to keep moving forward. It's not unlike eating an elephant...one bite at a time.
As you continue on down this road, you will begin to realize the wisdom given in this forum, and I am sure you will continue to come back to get a better understanding of the processes and the new questions that arise from those new experiences.

Last edited by Ed Tipton; 01-08-2013 at 02:44 AM.
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