Trad Gang
Main Boards => Hunting Knives and Crafters => Topic started by: jonsimoneau on May 03, 2016, 04:09:00 PM
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Any good suggestions on where to learn the basics guys?
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I would contact one of the makers who also teach classes, like Lin Rhea. You will learn faster in a 2 or 3 day class with a good teacher than you will in a year or two by yourself.
They can also help you pick out the bare essentials you need to start and help prioritize what you will add if you stay with it.
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I think it depends a little on where you're at with your desire to make. Bladepeek gave your great advice if you're already to a place where you are certain you want to make some knives.
Otherwise, the Internet is your friend. There are a ton of WIP's (works in progress-think tutorial with photos and explanations) that you can go through and see how makers do things. There are also great books out there that help explain a lot of things. The ABS has some fantastic videos on their YouTube channel and there are a LOT of different videos out there by folks of all different skill levels and techniques.
You can get started with very little in the way of tools, it just takes you longer on the different steps. It can go faster with different tooling (and proficiency using them), but I wouldn't trade what I learned by doing things with hand tools when I first started.
If you decide to get started on your own after you research, post your questions here. There are some amazing makers who are incredibly willing to help guide you through when you run into stuff. Good luck, its a lot of fun :) .
Jeremy
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If your serious about it I would take the intro to blade smithing class that the ABS offers out at southern Ohio forge and anvil (SOFA). I wish I would have done that when I first started!