Knife Making - How to Get Started!

Want to make a knife, but not sure how to get started? This video is about taking the first steps into the hobby of knifemaking.

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Instagram: walterstactix
Twitter: @WalterSorrells

[Hypurman]

"Truth is, nobody gives a shit, but you." Truer words were never spoken, about ANY hobby or interest. That line alone makes me want to be a patreon subscriber.

[MJ-nbqn]

Thanks Walter. I’m 65 yo and made my first knife when I was 10 yo. I still have that knife made from a file, and use it everyday as a letter opener. At that time I made 2 blade but never put a handle on the second blade. It is sitting in my top desk drawer and I see it each day. Guess what... you motivated my to finish it after keeping it for 55 years. Thanks Man, love the videos.

[TheTrueHasenfeffer]

"Nobody gives a shit but you". I wasn't expecting it and I laughed out loud. Excellent words to live by.

[paulculbert]

Walter,
I'm going to force my two teenage sons to watch this video.

Your advice applies to every creative endeavour. Do it (or don't do it) nobody gives a crap--until you get good, then things change...

Bless you my friend.

[framerguy]

Mr. Sorrells, I have to say you are a breath of fresh air in a world of otherwise fair to middlin' videos on YouTube! I have been and am a dedicated home craftsman of sorts I have taken the 12 steps for such things as antique tool collecting for more than just bragging rights as to how large my pile of old junk is, hand building simple projects, using items from my "pile of junk" only, no power allowed higher ranked than manpower, and also tuning, cleaning, sharpening all the items in "my pile of junk" to near perfection. And yes, I have sharpened everything in my home from all the kitchen knives, 4 letter openers that I keep locked away so nobody will hurt themselves trying to open the gas bill, and every size, kind, and quality of edged tool in my "junque pile". (Do NOT try to use a fingernail file that has been "edged" and finished on a 6K grit King stone!! ... I thought the nail bed would never heal up!)

I owe my interest in proper sharpening and honing of edged tools and knives to an old craftsman I studied under back in the mid-70's named Ian Kirby. He offered workshops back in the day on everything from building a "flatting" bench to using Japanese water stones, Nagura stones, and other hand applied corrective measures to keep edged tools in proper working order. I can still put a mirror finish on most any piece of steel strictly by hand applied methods using simple "organic" compounds and polishes and, now at age 73, you come along to tempt me once again into joining yet another "cult" of closet craftsmen who are pursuing a dying craft for no other purpose than to simply be able to know in your own mind that "Hey, I can do that!!" Thanks ....?

I am finally past the forge work and some of the other more strenuous activities of building things from raw steel materials that require more physical strength and endurance than I am prepare to give, (remember the old adage, "rode hard and put up wet??") and I have resisted most of your paltry attempts to lure me back into the cavern of little known and hardly asked for trades as I am quite satisfied with my word-of-mouth antique clock repair business which I do in my friend's basement where he has dedicated giving an old guy some needed space for his repair tools/test stands/benches/clock juncke in exchange for some OJT on basic woodworking and how to tear down a broken clock without breaking anything! additional

I will try as I might to further resist any and all of your tempting tidbits of information on dragging my old weather worn carcass into that vile den of those who pride themselves on their bevy of burn scars, busted knuckles, accidental fingernail disfigurements, and all the other identifying marks of this outlandish trade, but I have to say that you do put forth a rather convincing argument for regressing backwards.

Keep on tellin' it like it is, showing that the simple way can be just as enjoyable as the "high tech" avenue, and you will have a dedicated fan for life! Oh, and I will remain nameless and with no address just in case you also use recruitment as a membership ploy, I have been keeping an ultra-low profile long enough that you will have to dig deep to find my home cave!! Congratulation on some very fine craftsmanship and some thoroughly enjoyable videos! I realize that you won't be able to put such a wordy post on your channel but I had to lay out how I came to be a fan in the proper light so you don't think I am trying to stroke you for donations. (Insert crafty smile here)

[Chardt]

I started out 6 years ago with an old dining table in the corner of my garrage, a saw and a hammer and set out to make a gate from a pallet. I enjoyed it that much i went on to make flower planters out of old pallets. Along the way i bought, was donated and gifted tools. I now have a dedicated workshop with a band saw, mitre saw, routers, grinders, a welder, more tools than i could ever imagine id own. I even have a wood burning stove which i made from an old gas bottle in there. Today, i made my first knife, and im so proud of it. As Walter said, start small and see where it takes you, you could start knife making and find you enjoyed making the wooden handle so much you end up going into joinery. Also, embrace the mistakes and learn from them, dont let them knock you back.

[Dragonspeaksopinions]

I bought a cheap angle grinder and now i sell custom knives to people in my areai have done this all in exactly a year. If i had found this channel i would have been way faster... Thanks for helping people man! Keep up the good work.

[matimarkus]

Guys, just try it! I live in small apartment in the middle of Europe and I have made my first project at my kitchen desk. It was replacing handle for old Mora knife, then I have made sheath for it, and now I am working on my own knife. I just made a shape from O1 steel with hacksaw and file, heat treat it yesterday at my girlfriends farm on countryside, right now I am back at my apartment, tempering my blade in kitchen owen. Just try it, it is not that hard!
Thanks Walter for infecting me with that virus :)

[WoodenCreationz]

Love your channel man... Dropped some hard earned cash on a knife blank off the web.. gonna build a knife handle out of my dads old barn wood they just tore down from when he was a kid. Its going to be a fathers day present. Like you say.. it may suck.. but everyone has to have their 1st knife... I gotta get into it some how.. I would rather go down trying it as a failure than never trying it.. Thanks for the inspiration bud. - Brian

[RiffDevin]

I get a lot of value from this channel, not just from the technology but the down to earth attitude and practical "do what works for you" common sense.

[Gary]

I would like to comment on a mistake I made when I first started making knives.  Like many, I started with files & sandpaper, reading every book & watching every video I could about making knives.  Gradually I upgraded to a belt sander, heat treating oven & stocking up on handle material & finally sanding belts for the 2 x 72" belt grinder.  And then I had to deal with some health issues & the knifemaking had to be postponed. Eventually my health improved to where I thought I could resume making knives.  The first time I tried using the belt grinder, the belt popped, coming apart at the seam.  I tried a different belt with the same result.  Nowhere in all of the books I had read nor all of the videos I had watched did anyone even hint at the fact that sanding belts have a life span.  Evidently, these belts cannot be repaired so I now have a lifetime supply of sandpaper, none of which I can use on my belt grinder.  Keep this in mind when ordering belts.  Don't order more than you can use in a year or two.

[svenjohansen]

This has to be one of the most insightful introductory commentaries I have ever heard. Congratulations, never have wiser words been spoken.

[Thereisnospn]

My dad was a knife maker during all of my childhood. I didn't have much interest in it back then but I was always there watching him work on them and I snapped up quite a bit on how to do things. Of all the Youtube channels I've watched Yours is the one I regard most useful in peaking my interest to start making my own thanks to you being motivational showing different kinds of techniques, what kinds of steels and materials to use and so on.
Thank you so much for giving me so much inspiration Mr Sorrels.

[BespokeCarpentry]

I've been grinding knives with a 13 inch handheld belt sander clamped in a vice, you can adapt anything into what you need.

[Chipotle]

"Don't be afraid to be passionate about something that most people aren't that interested in".... Hmmmm... I like it! Well said!

[mrcaboosevg]

I started on lawnmower blade, my grandfather had a good 300 of them as he job is repairing lawnmowers. i would advise anyone starting out to ask about if there's anywhere you can get high carbon steel scrap, most of my knives are hand forged so the odd shaping was never an issue and it didn't cost me a penny to get going. Now i use O1 mainly but still have an affinity for turning old scrap into nice knives/machetes. I made my first machete 4 years ago and to this day i still use it

[markmclawhon]

Great video Walter. Your video series on knifemaking is by far one of the best out there. Your practical advice and sense of humor really make them fun to watch and informative. Definitely worth a contribution to patreon.

[allisonlemons]

Your attitude is why I'm going to make my first knife. Love the demeanor, no wasted fluffy wordy BS, I'm in.

[nobilismaximus]

Years before you hit bottom! Brilliant!

[dinopad]

Totally want to buy this guy a beer. Awesome vid.