Customer Reviews

Knifemaking Unplugged

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

There are alot of knifemaking videos and DVD's on the market right now. Many of them are very specialized and geared towards people with alot of the equipment you will already need. This DVD is perfect for people who may just be starting out, with very little if any tooling. Most everything that is used in the DVD is available locally. I don't hesitate to recommend this to any one interested in making knives or just interested in understanding the process of what goes into making a knife.

Tim's and Marian's video isn't for everyone. If you're looking for a video on modern knifemaking techniques using air-hardening tool steel, multi-thousand dollar belt sanders, digitally controlled electric heat treating ovens, salt bath quenches, micarta handles, kydex sheaths, and all the other high-tech bells and whistles, this isn't the video you're looking for. But if the idea of making knives like our ancestors made them for thousands of years -- just you, a hammer, an anvil, a fire, a pair of tongs (optional, depending on the length of your stock) and a chunk of iron -- appeals to you, YOU NEED THIS VIDEO. Tim Lively makes art with sharp edges, and he does it with no power tools, on a shoestring budget. By the time you've finished the video, you'll believe that you can, too. And you know what? You can.

In the interest of full disclosure, I probably should add that Tim was kind enough to give me a copy of the video a few months ago. I'm working on knives numbers three, four and five right now!

This video was perfect for me. I didnt know anything about making knifes. This DVD was easy to follow and fun to watch. Knifemaking takes a lot of work but Tim and Marian made it look so simple. I would recommend this video to anyone that is on a budget and wants to start making knifes. They really know how to stretch their resources. Thank you for making such a helpful DVD!

I have this DVD as part of my reference library and I refer to it often. This productions get you away from the idea that you have to have a collection of expensive tools to make knives. Tim Lively uses improvised anvils that can be obtained in a scrap yard and shows how to build a charcoal burning forge from item that can be obtained from a hardware store. The hammer technique is fantastic; you can actually see the blade bevels form under his hammer. Even if you don't want to go 100% primative, there is much to learn from this DVD.

This is a great video for the beginning or intermediate knifemaker looking to get into bladesmithing without spending a ton of money on tools and equipment. Mr Lively does a excellent job explaining how to make a practical small forge and how to make a knife from start to finish. A helpful resource for any bladesmith.

This video is outstanding. It gives excellent details on every thing from the very beginning to the end. This video is a must have for anyone interested in making their own knives the old fashion way without all of the expensive power tools.

This DVD is a solid and well thought out instructional knifemaking video. Tim Lively and wife Marion give good explanation and demonstration on the primitive or handmaking styles of a quality camp knife. Tim takes you from designing your own charcoal forge and everything you need, to materials, forging, heat treating and tempering. Marion takes you through designing and creating a custom leather sheath for the knife including sand casting for the bolster and fitting. All in all this is a quality video to get anyone interested in knifemaking well on their way to accomplishing their goal. There is much more on the video and well worth having. Hats off to Tim and Marion. I'm a fan.

I have had this production for a couple of years now. Tim Lively show just how close a knife can be forged to the finished product with a home made anvil and an easy to make charcoal forge. Even if you don't want to go the way of a primative knifesmith you can get a lot from watching the video. This is something that you will want to watch often. I get something out of it every time I view it.

This video provides an excellent overview of the process of taking a chunk of steel (springs from a 60's vintage car or truck, if I recall correctly) and transforming it into a well made knife blade using only hand tools and a homemade forge. It is not a stand alone instructional video, but does provide an easy to understand step-by-step narrative of the process of shaping, heat treating, and other aspects of fabricating a knife (including handle and sheath). I'd highly recommend this for anyone interested in getting involved in knifemaking, as much (if not more so) because of how it demystifies the process and shows how easily it can be done as for its instructional content (which is quite good).

This is a good DVD. It shows that almost anyone has the tools to make a good knife.