Customer Reviews

How to Make Folding Knives

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Just got a copy of this for Christmas; latest printing I believe.

I haven't tried to make a folder yet, but I might give it a go soon. However, I'll be buying some other book before I try it.

OK These guys make knives and are the big names. I don't expect them to write well and I wasn't surprised. However, I was surprised on the print quality. Most of the pictures (which the authors rely on quite heavily) are nearly black. "In photo 14 you can see how to ...." In photo 14 you can't see squat.

Personally I think it's great that these guys are willing to share their methods. It's just a shame that the publisher is not doing them justice.

I also need to warn some readers that these 3 are professionals with professional equipment and professional methods. Some of us are garage knife makers and don't have milling machines. This makes their plans quite a bit harder to implement.

Overall if you want to know how these guys construct their knives, you will get a feel for it. If you already make folding knives, you might get some more ideas. If you want to use this book to learn how to do it, forget it.

Also, as another reviewer pointed out, this book is quite remiss in not covering linerlocks.

this is a great book, you will see several professional knife makers work their magic & turn out beautiful high end folders.
the book is well worth the price for that alone!
BUT ...
dont buy this book thinking it will help you make knives, it wont , unless you own or have use of a well equipted machine shop, and the skill to use a milling machine etc.
as a hobby i have been making decent quality working knives for 20 years, including a few simple folders. however i can not even begin to use the techniques in theis book or afford the machines it assumes you have on hand.
cmk-montana

First off, I have to mention that I am a knife collector and enthusiast. The names of the authors would be instantly recognizable for their work and reputation. However, unlike the Loveless book it was intended to compliment, this work reads as a dry, mechanical, how-to of building folders. Sorry, Ron I love your knives and I dream of someday owning one, but this book won't convert many people into 'knife-nuts'

There is a lot of information here, but this book would probably be of interest to knifemakers. Also, not covering linerlocks, probably the most popular of the folder styles is a serious ommission.

I am a knife knut. There are three "make a knife" sections to this book. The authors - Lake, Centofante, and Clay are each well respected knifemakers. For a general idea of what goes into knifemaking this book is about average for the "let's write a book for our fans who aspire to make their own" book. It gives methods that each contributor goes through (learned after painstaking years of trial and error, hands on work). The text gives a pretty good description of each artists work, start to finish. As in most of the books in this price range and size, the pictures are not very helpful.
You will not become a knife maker reading this or any of the books like this one. It does show you how much talent and hardwork and knowledge you need to make just one knife though.

I believe that there are items in this book which are exactly what one is looking for if they would like to learn to make folders. I bought this book at a knife show a long time ago but misplacd it. Now I have enough room to set up a bench and think I will buy another copy and give it a go.