I've been browsing this section of the site today and looking over some of the work you guys have done and I have to say it really intrigues me as to how to get started. You guys are making some beautiful knives. I would only be interested in it as a hobby (unless I uncover some dormant bladesmith skill and this is my calling in life :)). What does it really take to get started?
I've always been a knife lover and small collector over the years with my love of the blade progressing into a sword and fantasy knife collection. Nothing extremely high quality, just stuff for show
.
Anyway, I made a knife from a blank with the help of my old Scoutmaster quite a few years ago (about 15 years ago as I am 28 now). Working with him in his gunsmith shop on this knife is what really got me started with them.
I never really got into it much after that...oh I messed around with pieces of scrap metal and wood, making knives out of hacksaw blades, but that was the extent of it. I was too young and had too many other things happening to want to really learn knife making.
Well today, while at the annual Civil War encampment we have where I live, I spent a few minutes talking to the blacksmith they had setup who was working on sharpening a knive made from a railroad spike. Longstory short, I ended up buying a half completed RR spike knife to finish out on my own with his bit of advice. Should be a really fun project and one that I'm sure I'll be asking questions about on here.
I see that I've crossed 2 different thoughts into this one topic so I'll go back to my original purpose. Is it incredibly expensive to get started doing this as a small hobby?
