# Knife Kits



## Wheaties (Dec 22, 2009)

I had the thought that it would be cool to get into making knifes with the custom wood grips. What all do I need to get going on that? And where is the best place to get what I need?

Maybe this is just another venture that drains the cash flow like pens do, but I thought I'd see what some of the folks around here have to say about it.

Thanks


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## Roy_Quast (Dec 22, 2009)

Zach,
Here is the best place that I have found...

http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/index.php

Roy


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## Daniel (Dec 22, 2009)

Zach, Actually you are already not all that far from those sources. Originally a lot of what we did as penturners was borrowed from knife makers. Stabilized wood, a lot of our better material selections in the way of burls etc. Knife making sort of pointed the way for penmakers in many ways. We have since started plowing our own road with all the home brew and casting tha is going on. I used to get a couple of catalogs from knife making supplers but never paid much attention. I will suggest you do a google search for Knife Scales. that is what they call the blanks of wood they use to carve handles from. That should get you in the right neighborhood.


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## Wheaties (Dec 22, 2009)

Thanks for the replies. Any special tooling I would NEED?

I know with penturning there is some marketing schemes that caused me to buy unnecessary tools/equipment.


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## jleiwig (Dec 22, 2009)

Wheaties said:


> Thanks for the replies. Any special tooling I would NEED?
> 
> I know with penturning there is some marketing schemes that caused me to buy unnecessary tools/equipment.


 
Loaded question.  Depends on what you want to do.  Easiest way to get started is factory kits, they should come with everything you need but the wood or scales in knife lingo.  Being a pen turner i imagine you have all the necessary drill bits to drill the scales for the rivets or other holding method included in your kit. However I will warn you, many knife collectors would, to put it in pen making terms consider doing this taking a bic and sticking it in a twig. 

From there you can step up to customizing factory kits, or rolling your own so to speak.  The prices go up exponentially from there depending on what you do.  To buy special pattern welded damascus steel the blanks themselves sometimes run in the 100s of $.  A good knife grinder like the KMG runs over $600 bare minimum, but probably closer to $1500 once all outfitted with the good stuff. Tapered pin reamers, CPM steels, etching equipment.  

From there you can go on to forging your own knives which will add on even more costs.  Or CNC cutting your designs, plus heat treating equipment and so on and so forth. 

I don't want to sound discouraging, but if you thought pen turning was an expensive hobby, don't even begin to think about Knife making .  

Some good forums on the web for bladesmithing would include:

www.bladeforums.com
 
forums.dfoggknives.com
 
www.knifeforums.com
 
In addition to those, for supplies you can check out 

www.jantz*supply*.com
 
www.knifeandgun.com

Ebay can be hit and miss for things.  

There are also lots of good books on bladesmithing at the library

The $50 knife shop is an ok book for basic ideas, The complete bladesmith, and others.  Here is a link to amazon listing most of the books I've read on the subject.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss?url=search-alias=stripbooks&field-keywords=bladesmithing


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## warreng8170 (Dec 22, 2009)

Wheaties said:


> I had the thought that it would be cool to get into making knifes with the custom wood grips. What all do I need to get going on that? And where is the best place to get what I need?
> 
> Maybe this is just another venture that drains the cash flow like pens do, but I thought I'd see what some of the folks around here have to say about it.
> 
> Thanks



This is so funny. I was just about to post the same thing. I have been thinking about making a knife from a kit for a while, however I just found out that I have the good fortune of having a knife-maker just down the road from me. He has offered to teach me how to make knives from scratch, all the way down to shaping and grinding my own blades from flat stock. 

Check out www.bladeforums.com. Some amazing work and lots of info.


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## Wheaties (Dec 22, 2009)

jleiwig said:


> Loaded question.  Depends on what you want to do.  Easiest way to get started is factory kits, they should come with everything you need but the wood or scales in knife lingo.  Being a pen turner i imagine you have all the necessary drill bits to drill the scales for the rivets or other holding method included in your kit. However I will warn you, many knife collectors would, to put it in pen making terms consider doing this taking a bic and sticking it in a twig.
> 
> From there you can step up to customizing factory kits, or rolling your own so to speak.  The prices go up exponentially from there depending on what you do.  To buy special pattern welded damascus steel the blanks themselves sometimes run in the 100s of $.  A good knife grinder like the KMG runs over $600 bare minimum, but probably closer to $1500 once all outfitted with the good stuff. Tapered pin reamers, CPM steels, etching equipment.
> 
> ...



Justin-
I appreciate the "punch in the face" :biggrin:. Really. That's the info I was looking for. I highly doubt I will get into collectors stuff, especially after you explaining what they would want. I may just make a few lower end ones for myself and friends. But I would still like them to not look like a "Bic".

To make the "Bic" of knives (but better looking), it there any special tools I need?


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## jleiwig (Dec 22, 2009)

Wheaties said:


> Justin-
> I appreciate the "punch in the face" :biggrin:. Really. That's the info I was looking for. I highly doubt I will get into collectors stuff, especially after you explaining what they would want. I may just make a few lower end ones for myself and friends. But I would still like them to not look like a "Bic".
> 
> To make the "Bic" of knives (but better looking), it there any special tools I need?


 
Not really.  Woodcraft has some decent, but expensive kits that you can check out in the store. Comes with the blade and the rivets and then they sell the scales seperately.  You would just need to shape the scales into your desired shape.  

Ebay is good for scales though.  Tons of great looking wood scales on ebay.  I haven't had any experience with the kits from texas knife or jantz though.  I buy my stuff usually on an annual trip the smokey mountain knife works outside of Gatlinburg, TN.  Bought two damascus blades that were made in Afghanastan for $10 each! :biggrin:  Still haven't put the desert Ironwood handles on them yet though.  Not enough time in the day when I finally remember about them!


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## moyehow (Dec 22, 2009)

Just recieved a kit from premiumknifesupply.com

I have never made a knife before and thought I would try to start with a kit.  I'm going to finish it this weekend and give it to my Bro. for Christmas.  Luckily we are doing Christmas a week late.


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## arjudy (Dec 22, 2009)

I made these two from kits obtained from Northcoast Knives. I used tools that I already own. (scroll saw, drill press, oscillating spindle sander,random orbit sander and hand files) The only tool I had to buy was a small torx driver and bit set to tighten the scales onto the kit bodies.


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## snyiper (Dec 22, 2009)

Nice Knife kits Id like to get enough gumption to try one...I love those folders even though I'm a fixed blade guy


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## jaeger (Dec 27, 2009)

I have had the good fortune to meet the 2 knife makers in my area. I met one at a gun show and the other found me at a craft show. I have been to both of their shops. These guys both make knives from scratch. They both make their own leather sheaths as well. They trade ideas and the one heat treats the blades for the other. I have traded some stabilized wood and elk antler for pens. I have a lot of appreciation for the amount of work that goes into a knife. I plan to eventually own one knife from each.


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