Beginner Guides
2×72 Belt Grinder Brands Compared: The Honest Field Guide
Full disclosure, before anything else: this is Torus CNC’s site — we build three of the grinders compared below. Here’s how we’ve kept this honest: every…
ForgeBrain
Beginner Guides
New to knifemaking? Start here. Straightforward guides to your first steel, your first tools, reading the data on this site, and the early mistakes almost everyone makes.
22 guides in this section · free to read
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Start where the work is
Every guide on this shelf, with the question closest to your bench first.
Beginner Guides10 Common Mistakes Beginner Knifemakers Make
Most beginner knifemaking problems trace back to a handful of repeat mistakes, not bad luck or bad steel. Here are the ones that trip up new makers most…
Beginner GuidesDo You Need a 2×72? Grinder Sizes Honestly Compared
Fair warning and full disclosure in one breath: we sell 2×72 grinders, so of course we’d love the answer to be yes. But the honest answer is more useful…
Beginner GuidesEssential First Tools & Equipment for Knifemaking
It’s easy to look at a fully outfitted professional shop and assume you need all of it to make your first knife. You don’t. Here’s what actually matters…
Beginner GuidesFamous Bladesmiths Who Shaped Modern Knifemaking
Modern knifemaking owes a lot to a handful of individuals who either revived lost techniques, popularized enduring designs, or brought the craft to a…
Beginner GuidesHeat-Treat Safety: Setting Up a Safe Workspace
Heat treating introduces hazards grinding doesn’t: open flame, hot oil, and steel well over 1,000°F. None of it is complicated to do safely, but it does…
Everything else in Beginner Guides
- How Much Does It Cost to Get Into Knifemaking?
- How to Choose a 2×72 Belt Grinder: Complete Buyer’s Guide
- How to Choose Your First Knife Steel
- Basic Knife Anatomy & Terminology
- Knifemaking in Pop Culture: Forged in Fire and Beyond
- The Knifemaking Roadmap: Start Here
- How to Make a Knife Without a Grinder: Files, Jigs & Sandpaper
- Making Knives from Files, Leaf Springs, and Found Steel
- Stock Removal vs. Forging: Which Should You Start With?
- Torus vs. AmeriBrade Fastback: An Honest Comparison
- Torus vs. Beaumont KMG-TX: An Honest Comparison
- Torus vs. Brodbeck Ironworks: An Honest Comparison
- Torus vs. Origin Blade Maker (Revolution 2×72): An Honest Comparison
- Torus vs. Wuertz TW-90: An Honest Comparison
- Understanding Knife Steel Ratings
- Where to Buy Knife Steel: A Sourcing Guide
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Put the reference to work
I machine the parts, hand-assemble, track and test Torus grinders in Sterling, Illinois. Most orders ship in seven to ten business days from time of order.
Nova 2×72 Aluminum Belt Grinder
Current dual-axis platform with a fiber-laser-cut 6061 chassis and single-knob tracking.
Starts at$1,295
Nebula 2×72 Steel Belt Grinder
Current dual-axis platform with a steel chassis, more mass and less vibration.
Starts at$1,295
Torus 2×72 Classic Aluminum Belt Grinder
Prior-design aluminum chassis, 90-degree tilt and 1.5-inch tooling arms.
Starts at$995
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I answer my own email. Tell me what you are building and what the steel is doing, and I will tell you what I would try.