The Wonder of Knifemaking [Paperback]

Wayne Goddard (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2000

Master bladesmith Wayne Goddard draws on his decades of experience to answer questions of knifemakers at all levels. As a columnist for Blade magazine, Goddard has been answering real questions from real knifemakers for the past eight years. Now, all the details are compiled in one place as a handy reference for every knifemaker, amateur or professional. With its question-and-answer format this book gives the answers to real-world problems like heat-treating, choosing the best steel and finding the right tools for the knifemaker's shop.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Krause Publications; 1 edition (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873417984
• ISBN-13: 978-0873417983
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #291,855 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Review of Wayne's new book, "The Wonder of Knifemaking", June 15, 2000

By 

Arthur A. Van Hecke - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wonder of Knifemaking (Paperback)

This is the Second book a knifemaker should buy. If you are new to knifemaking, you would be better served by reading "How to make Knives" by Loveless and Barney, or one of the other how to books. If you have already made a knife or two, Wayne's book is for you. It answers many questions that will come up when you continue to make knives and sharpen your skills. Wayne also answers many questions from his popular series in Blade Magazine adding quite a bit of detail for a through presentation.

All of the techniques, materials and processes are complete and more importantly up to date. Wayne covers the Crucible partical metallurgy steels (CPM) and steels that are currently in vogue such as BG-42 and ATS-34 as well as old standbys like 5160, 52100, O-1, and D-2 (to name a few).

While not a reference book, "The Wonder of Knifemaking" could easily serve a knifemaker in that capacity. If I could only have one knifemaking book (believe me, I have them all; even the little paperback from Atlanta Cutlery and Bob Engnath's Catalog, God bless him) it would be "The Wonder of Knifemaking" by Wayne Goddard.

I rated this book 4 Stars because the organization could have been a little better. There is so MUCH information in so many places in such a short span. Ok...Ok, I'm writing a critical review here and this is the only thing I can fault. I just didn't want this piece to read like a commercial from the Wayne Goddard Fan Club. If you are a knifemaker, buy this book.

In Summary, I think Wayne just wanted to get everything he has discovered, learned, or worked-out in his 20++ years of knifemaking onto paper for everyone to have; that's the kind of guy he is. Oh boy did he do an excellent job.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Goddard Puts Me On Edge, January 6, 2002

By 

Alvin L. Wilson (Sunland, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wonder of Knifemaking (Paperback)

Wayne Goddard is probably one of the top 10 hand-made knife makers in the United States. This book, however, was a somewhat disappointing rehash of his BLADE magazine articles of past years. There are sections of the book which are repeated verbatim on more than one page, and the disjointed collection of old articles is somewhat difficult to follow at times. On the other hand, the information that is presented clearly is very useful if the reader is interested solely in blade forging, as the stock removal method is almost entirely dismissed. Included is an excellent dissertation on the chemestry of steel.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wealth of information for bladesmiths, October 8, 2000

By 

Andrew Limsk (Kuala Lumpur, MY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wonder of Knifemaking (Paperback)

There is a lot of detailed information in this book, most of which are from ABS master smith Goddard's regular Q&A column from Blade magazine. As a bladesmith for more than 30 years, Goddard explains the theory and practice of his craft clearly and simply. The section on what happens to steel during hardening (quenching) and tempering is especially well done which plain old knife enthusiasts (non-metallurgists) will appreciate.

For the beginning or intermediate bladesmiths, this book is worth every dollar for the value of the information alone. For inspiration, there are a number of colour plates in the book to display Goddard's lovingly-crafted knives. Well written, easy-to-understand, plenty of photographs, and overall, a great pleasure to read. Just wish it was better organized.