Nothing fancy, but when all else fails - make your own!
For many years I have collected knives and wanted to learn how to make them. A few years ago I was a Den Leader for Son 2's Webelos. In trying to put together a Wood Chip award program, I was put in contact with a local knife maker. He invited our group to his shop so he could demonstrate how knives are made, taking care of them, and being safe. Turns out this person makes knives for some pretty famous people! We also discovered we had a mutual inclination for cigars and bourbon. Which led to some other stories that may appear here one of these days.....
Suffice to say, in hanging around Gil I picked up some knowledge and started down the path of creating my own blades. My setup was pretty simple at first, with a little drill press and 1x30" grinder. Actually - it is still pretty simple! As I read and learned more, I decided to try to build a forge. The first one involved coring out a fire brick (The $50 Dollar Knife Shop) and was good for smaller projects. Then I found instructions for the Coffee Can Forge. Have to say, that one is pretty cool (no pun intended!). So I'm still learning and hope to sell a few just to buy sanding belts, steel, and supplies. We'll see....
Suffice to say, in hanging around Gil I picked up some knowledge and started down the path of creating my own blades. My setup was pretty simple at first, with a little drill press and 1x30" grinder. Actually - it is still pretty simple! As I read and learned more, I decided to try to build a forge. The first one involved coring out a fire brick (The $50 Dollar Knife Shop) and was good for smaller projects. Then I found instructions for the Coffee Can Forge. Have to say, that one is pretty cool (no pun intended!). So I'm still learning and hope to sell a few just to buy sanding belts, steel, and supplies. We'll see....