Knife builders

[Austin]

After seeing all the posts on here about guys making there own knives I have got the itch...I need a hobby to keep me busy during the summer.

I have a few questions:

For a guy wanting to make knives by hand on the cheap and by cheap i mean I don't have the dough to shell out for a belt grinder. What tools are a must?
What files would I need ect to get started I can always build over time but what are the musts to get started.

Second there are tons of books on the subject which ones are the must haves?

Last questions I built a kit knife once but how do you finnish out your handle scales down to the blade without scratching your spine/bolsters ect? Do the blanks bought from a supply cataloge need to be heat treated if so is there a place in texas you can send them off?

I have drawn out some designs and am wanting to put file to steel and see what comes of it.

[simsknives]

If you were closer I could have you come by the shop. What you can do if you have a steady hand is use an angle grinder you can get them at home depot for under $50 and get some cutting blades, grinding blades,and standing disks and be all set. What else would help is a bench belt sander that doesn't break the bank like a lot of knife grinders do but they can't do what a knife grinder can. My polishing is done by hand with different grit sand papers and knife honing oil then I have a bench grinder that I put cloth polishing wheels on I got it from home depot with some polishing compuond. if you have any questions pm me.

[doublearrow]

Search for a thread I made. Knife build along or something along those lines. I show how to make knives start to finish using drill press/hand drill, files, and sandpaper.

[Austin]

Your post is part of what gave me the itch. I have read it several times but know I need to acquire a few tools just didn't know which ones were manditory. Also I do not remember much detail on fitting the handle scales to the tang.

[rdnkfireman2001]

like double said you can get buy with next to nothing tool wise , doing some looking on the internet i was able to find something tittled how to make a knife cheapskate way . according to that post you can build a knife with a drill and 2 sizes of drill bits ( i forget the sizes off hand ) 2 files , a hacksaw , and sand paper . google the page it seems to be the bear basics everything is by hand . i found it informative , but im not sure of the quality of knife it would produce .