42 guides
Abrasives
Belt selection, grit progression and grinding technique for the 2×72: which belt to run for a given job, why belts glaze or track…
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12 guidesAxes & Tomahawks
Axes and tomahawks from anatomy to edge: the classic American patterns, bit steels and heat treat, hanging a handle right…
22 guidesBeginner Guides
New to knifemaking? Start here. Straightforward guides to your first steel, your first tools, reading the data on this site, and…
39 guidesBlade Design
Grinds, blade shapes and the design decisions that decide how a knife performs at its job, from bevel angles and distal taper to…
8 calculatorsCalculators
Free shop calculators built around real 2×72 setups: belt speed, grind height, razor angle, steel weight, quench oil and temper…
15 guidesDamascus & Pattern Welding
Pattern-welded damascus start to finish: forge welding a first billet, step-by-step ladder, twist, raindrop and feather patterns…
9 guidesFantasy & Fiction Blades
The blades of fiction taken seriously: what Valyrian steel really is, whether obsidian daggers work, the physics a giant sword…
9 guidesFolding Knives
The precision end of the craft: how folders work, from pivots and washers to detents and locks, and the build path from a first…
17 guidesForging & Bladesmithing
Moving hot steel on purpose: choosing a first forge, anvils, hammers and tongs, forging a blade from bar stock, hammer control…
8 guidesHeat Treat Library
Heat-treat recipes, principles, equipment and troubleshooting for hardening and tempering knife steel at home, on two paths…
33 steelsKnife Steel Database
Thirty-three knife steels with composition, toughness, edge retention, corrosion resistance, machinability and heat treat notes…
12 guidesLeatherwork
The knifemaker’s second craft: leather types and weights, cutting and saddle stitching, wet-formed sheaths that fit like they…
11 guidesMetallurgy
The science behind the steel in plain language: what alloying elements do, how steel categories differ, what carbide size means…
14 guidesSelling & Business
Turning knifemaking into real income: pricing a custom knife, selling at faires and online, LLCs and insurance, shipping laws…
17 guidesSwords
The blade’s oldest and grandest form: the great historical types and how they worked, what they were made of, and how a modern…
29 fixesTroubleshooting
Symptom-first fixes for grinder and heat-treat problems: belts that will not track, vibration, warped or cracked blades, chipping…
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