Suggestions for knife making books geared towards technical detail?

[Adam Reggie 23]

Good morning,

 

I imagine this has been hashed out in detail across many posts, however.

 

Can you guys recommend some good books specific to knife making that is more geared towards intermediate to advanced makers?  I am mostly interested in technical information, design detail and specifics to building as opposed to historical information, how to set up a shop or how to swing a hammer properly.  Though historical information can be pretty interesting.

 

I really enjoyed Knife Engineering, and I am still working through The Complete Bladesmith.

 

I stare at screens to much anymore and think a few good books may be the ticket.

 

 

[billyO 374]

2 hours ago, Adam Reggie said:

how to set up a shop or how to swing a hammer properly. 

I'd suggest finding and joining your local blacksmithing organization and meet local pros who can get to know you and guide you.

[Alex Middleton 788]

The Master Bladesmith would be a good companion to what you already have.

[Gerald Boggs 271]

ABS has a number of books and videos

[Adam Reggie 23]

38 minutes ago, billyO said:

I'd suggest finding and joining your local blacksmithing organization and meet local pros who can get to know you and guide you.

What I meant by that is that I do not need more content on the basics.  Not that I know all there is by any means, just that I believe I have moved past the basics and am looking for more detailed and specific information and have found that some of the books I have spend a lot of pages going over the basics.  However I was also considering finding someone local to chat with as time permits.  Family obligations limit my time away from home.

 

31 minutes ago, Alex Middleton said:

The Master Bladesmith would be a good companion to what you already have.

 

Thank you, I will check that out

 

4 minutes ago, Gerald Boggs said:

ABS has a number of books and videos

 

I am not sure why I didn't consider this.  Do you need to be a member to get them or are they available to anyone? 

 

[Gerald Boggs 271]

Anyone can buy.  While it might sound like a cliche, mastery is really nothing more then being really good at the basics.*  Now if you're looking for details on fit and finish, some of the ABS books and videos have that information, if heat treatment, there's some very good information right here on this forum.

 

*As a full time professional blacksmith, there is very little I do, that isn't taught in a basics class. 

Edited November 7, 2021 by Gerald Boggs

[Alan Longmire 3,386]

8 minutes ago, Gerald Boggs said:

mastery is really nothing more then being really good at the basics.

 

Now THAT is wisdom. 

[Adam Reggie 23]

That makes sense to me.  That simple bit of advice actually makes me want to get out to the shop and make something, sadly I am stuck at work until 7.

[Gerhard Gerber 404]

Not knocking books, but there's an endless number of videos on YT, use that resource.

[Gerald Boggs 271]

True, but the world would be better off if many of those producing videos, didn't.  Weeding through the trash and videos produced by those that don't know what they're talking outweigh the good by a large margin.

[Gerhard Gerber 404]

@Gerald Boggs plenty of people out there shouldn't be allowed to breed, and yet the planet is over-populated 

 

I don't quite agree with you, like I told an aspiring local maker, watch everything by Walter Sorrels and Kyle Royer and then come ask me.....he wanted me to make videos about basic grinding for him.

Personally I could learn and improve for the next 5 years, go back and again learn something from Kyle's video.

 

Have to add English is my second language, but I learned a technique from one of @Joshua States' videos that I would've struggled to understand if I was reading his advice here.

 

[Gerald Boggs 271]

Yes, there are good videos on YT, but do you see the difference between recommending “Youtube” and recommending a specific person on Youtube? Without knowing where to go, simply looking on YT is like looking for the proverbial “needle in the haystack”

[Daniel W 90]

In looking for technical detail on how to build knives, don't shy away from looking for analytical data of historical work.  If there is a certain style of knife you are looking for, there is chance of some research done on them out there some where.  Sometimes tough to find and a boring read, however I learned far more about blade designs by looking into historical knives/swords than what I could find in books.  It took a long time to find some of the information I was looking for, contacting a museum was also involved to get some detail.   In the end, the research process gave me a better idea of why a sword was put together the way that it was, why the blade had the shape that it did, and why the edge geometry was what it was.  

 

Regardless of what style of knife or other bladed tool you would want to make, there is something in history of that pattern in some way shape or form.  The process of making has not changed that much just the tools to do it.  Even that has not changed much.