Customer Reviews

Step-By-Step Knifemaking: You Can Do It!

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book primarily covers making knives (mostly kitchen knives) by starting with thin plates of steel (HUGE bandsaw blades), cutting out a knife blank, and shaping the knife by grinding it. I personally far prefer forging a blade, which this author does not even touch on.

However, Mr. Boye does offer solid knowledge on grinding, heat treating, attaching handles and bolsters (all necessary skills no matter how you make knives)... and an extensive section on acid etching which I have yet to find equalled in any other knifemaking book I've read.

So while I may not care for Mr. Boye's chosen method of production, I recognize his pure artistic ability and am gratefull for his willingness to share his hard won knowledge.

This was the first book I bought on knifemaking, and my copy is falling apart (it's 28 years old!) I absolutely love David Boye's sense of design, and his work has inspired my own considerably. That said, I learned a great deal about knifemaking from other sources, and I use few of his methods. Specifically, I would never use a wheel grinder on knife steel, it generates a great deal more heat than a belt grinder, isn't nearly as accurate, and the cutting surface is smaller. I would NEVER cut out blades with a cutting torch, unless you wanted to grind away at least 1/4 in from the cut edge, you're messing up your steel's microstructure doing this (see p. 111 under grain growth!) I appreciate the lengths he's gone to to describe heat treating, but had little luck with it myself; I would strongly advise against trying to heat-treat complex steels like D2, 440C, or 154CM yourself, unless you like throwing your work away. Finally, though I absolutely love the acid etchwork in the book, the beeswax/asphaltum etching ground recommended here is a very tempermental one, I would use commercial etching ground if I were doing this. Since messing with aqua regia at home is not the safest thing, I'd suggest looking into some of the other methods, such as electrochemical etching. So, I would say to the beginning knifemaker that I'd use this book for inspiration, but go elsewhere for methods. If at all possible, talk to someone who's been doing it a while.

I knew nothing about knifemaking when I started reading this book but now I've just completed my first knife using Step-by-Step Knifemaking and am very proud. The instructions were stright foreward and easy to understand. By the time I was finished with the book I had a good basic knowledge of knifemaking and a basic under standing of steels. I would recommend this book for any beginner.

I got this book from a used bookstore years ago. It's a testimony to Boyd that it's still in print. I liked the book, but have not tried to make a knife the way he described. I'm more interested in forging, which Boyd does not talk about. The book concentrates on the method of stock removal, i.e. how to grind a knife shape out of a blank and then hardening and tempering. Still if you are interested in how a knife can be made, this is a good book to read. Very entertaining.

If you are a novice in the knifecraft, this is THE book for you. It countains every little thing you need to know to design and construct your first knives - and advance in techniques and complexity, as you advance in the pages of this fascinating, amazing and honest book. For me, it was (and still is) a most usefull master, everytime I want, everywhere I need it. It'll be a very good friend & teacher to you, too.

David Boye writes as an old friend might write to you via e-mail, describing his hobby and how he makes knives, soon infecting you with this 'disease'. By the time you've finished your subconscious will be telling you "I've got to become a knifemaker!". The book covers tools, knife types, stock removal, grinding, building the handle, heat treatment, regrinding and polishing, handle materials, buffing, sharpening and maintenance, etching and even how to make the sheath. For a beginner like me who has recently rediscovered the world of knife collecting and knifemaking, this book is simply amazing. I've got no regrets buying this. You should add it to your library.

This is a good and quality written book. I have used the information as a beginner and have started my knifemaking hobby successfully. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in bladesmithing.

I got this book out of my local library and I can't wait to get started making a knife. I've recently ordered a copy for myself. It will be edgeworn soon. This book is an excellent place to start making knives for the beginner, since Boye uses recycled steel. His explanations and diagrams and photos of the process are invaluable for this endeavor. I only wish he wrote one on folding knives.

This is a great book for the beginner to someone who has built some knives
But needs help in refining their technique
This will be a great reference for years to come

For the puposes served, this book is worth the buy (for those thinking about the stock removal methods). Takes you step by step through the knifemaking process and as the title implies. As a bonus, it has sections on sheathmaking (which is part of the craft) and etching. The etching section however, is a bit dated as it uses techniques that are now inferior. Do yourself a favor and go with electro etching instead..safer AND produces higher quality etches.

My only complaint is that the photos could have been better.