01-10-2008, 20:56
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#1
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Bladesmith to the Quiet Professionals
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Oregon, Land of the Silver Grey Sunsets
Posts: 3,886
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Some Things I've Learned Making Knives
Ok, I may not learn fast but some things I've learned well.
No. 1, Smoke from finger tips while grinding blades is an indication something is getting warm.
No. 2, When pulling blades from the liquid nitrogen (-300 something degrees F)
the wet stuff on the blades surface is not water and the finger prints left there are going to hurt later.
No. 3, Trying to straighten a blade at the wrong time during the heat treat cycle may cause a bright "tink" sound. This is never good.
No. 4, Sharp edges cut many more things well than dull edges.
No. 5, Stay good friends with the local medical community.
No. 6, Grinding belts, on the belt grinder, designed to aggressively cut very hard and highly alloyed tool steels are not damaged by knuckles or finger tips.
No. 7, When out in the field with others and someone asks, "Anyone got a knife ?", pretend not to hear, walk away or point to a non existent elk on the distant ridge.
Your knucklehead buddy already has a knife on him but wants someone elses to cut something that would ruin any blade no matter what it is made from.
No. 8, The old saying, " A dull knife will cut you worse than a sharp one "
In my experience this is not true. Refer to No.s 4 and 5 here.
No. 9, Anything can be broken, period. The biggest toughest blade I ever broke? The road building blade on our D-8 Cat. Don't ask.
No. 10, Bring in enough paychecks on occasion that your wife thinks she married better than her daddy told her she did.
Last edited by Bill Harsey; 01-11-2008 at 09:40.
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Bill Harsey is offline
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01-10-2008, 21:02
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#2
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Free Pineland
Posts: 24,813
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Sounds like some solid advice.
Thanks for sharing, my friend.
TR
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"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
De Oppresso Liber 01/20/2025
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The Reaper is offline
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01-10-2008, 21:04
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#3
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Sneaking back and forth across the Border
Posts: 6,679
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Bill very good points that apply to a lot of us that do not make blades.
#2 and 3 are the only ones that do not apply to me.
I have a lot of scars on my hands as I bet you do.
Bryan
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SF_BHT is offline
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01-10-2008, 21:04
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#4
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Western WI
Posts: 176
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Have you passed these lessons on to the apprentices, or are these lessons left for experiential learning? 
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Rumblyguts is offline
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01-10-2008, 21:39
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#5
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Bladesmith to the Quiet Professionals
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Oregon, Land of the Silver Grey Sunsets
Posts: 3,886
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rumblyguts
Have you passed these lessons on to the apprentices, or are these lessons left for experiential learning?
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Depends on the student.
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Bill Harsey is offline
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01-10-2008, 21:42
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#6
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Gun Pilot
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Iowa and New Mexico
Posts: 2,143
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Nice list, Bill!
Didn't see anything about plastic packaging, though...
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CPTAUSRET is offline
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01-10-2008, 22:25
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#7
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Area Commander
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,355
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Bill,
Birthdays are great occasions for reviewing lessons learned. Many happy returns!
__________________
"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave whither Thou goest." - Ecclesiastes 9:10
"If simple folk are free from care and fear, simple they will be, and we must be secret to keep them so." - JRRT
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jatx is offline
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01-11-2008, 15:53
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#8
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Occupied Pineland
Posts: 4,701
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jatx
Bill,
Birthdays are great occasions for reviewing lessons learned. Many happy returns!
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Bill - Jatx's comment is the first thing thing that came to my mind after I quit laughing. Thanks for a worthwhile bright spot on an otherwise dreary Friday.
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Peregrino is offline
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01-11-2008, 20:43
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#9
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Redneck Knifemaker
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 174
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Bill, you made some stellar points there
regarding the scars on hands, Mick once told me that you know you have knifemaker's hands when you're never allowed to touch a nipple again
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Ken Brock is offline
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01-11-2008, 23:24
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#10
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Guest
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Brock
regarding the scars on hands, Mick once told me that you know you have knifemaker's hands when you're never allowed to touch a nipple again
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Well, guess I'm not going to try making knives...
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01-12-2008, 05:26
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#11
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Bladesmith to the Quiet Professionals
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Oregon, Land of the Silver Grey Sunsets
Posts: 3,886
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Micks right.
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Bill Harsey is offline
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01-12-2008, 19:12
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#12
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Quiet Professional
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: In transit somewhere
Posts: 4,044
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CPTAUSRET
Nice list, Bill!
Didn't see anything about plastic packaging, though...
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Dayum, T - ya beat me to it.
Bill - you forgot ... a custom knife shop can be a great place for an unconventinal wedding.
__________________
In the business of war, there is no invariable stategic advantage (shih) which can be relied upon at all times.
Sun-Tzu, "The Art of Warfare"
Hearing, I forget. Seeing, I remember. Writing (doing), I understand. Chinese Proverb
Too many people are looking for a magic bullet. As always, shot placement is the key. ~TR
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x SF med is offline
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01-13-2008, 00:33
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#13
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Guerrilla
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Ft. Collins, CO
Posts: 117
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Also, ALWAYS clamp your blade down when drilling handle holes.
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Claemore is offline
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01-15-2008, 15:03
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#14
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Bladesmith to the Quiet Professionals
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Oregon, Land of the Silver Grey Sunsets
Posts: 3,886
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Quote:
Originally Posted by x SF med
Dayum, T - ya beat me to it.
Bill - you forgot ... a custom knife shop can be a great place for an unconventinal wedding.
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It is if you have great friends there and part of the ceremony is conducted by an elder member of the Crow Indian nation who was a warrior in service to this nation.
For the ceremony the knife shop got renamed by the Crow Elder, "Our Lady of the Edged Weapon".
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Bill Harsey is offline
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01-15-2008, 15:06
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#15
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Bladesmith to the Quiet Professionals
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: Oregon, Land of the Silver Grey Sunsets
Posts: 3,886
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Claemore
Also, ALWAYS clamp your blade down when drilling handle holes.
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Affirmative!
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Bill Harsey is offline
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