Well I am not a mastersmith yet, but I have been doing this a long time and have give quite a bit of thought to these very questions. So I am going to do my best to give you what I I have learned.

The most important thing in my opinion is learning there is no one thing. Knives work best as a aggregate of many factors we tend to lump all of those factors together and call it "Design". Make some knives and use them them ask why. Talk to other makers about why they made different choices to me this is the most important thing to learn.

Other than the obvious of not having control of process (that is just practice for the most part) I see beginners to often fixating on details with no thought to the over all. An example would be a blade that has near perfect fit and finish an elaborate highly controlled heat treat made for the newest super steel but has a 1/4" wide sharpening bevel .. everything on that knife is done with care and for thought except it's ability to cut things.. more In Next post

I don't think there is a best type I think make what you know and what interests you then master that. Though I will say I learn more from the small EDCs I make myself than anything just because I use it more.

The hardest knife to make is dependent on the maker it really comes down to skill and understanding. For my self lockbacks and other folders fall in that category, as well as rapiers but I know others that make lockbacks all the time and would even try Hidden tang Bowie..

The biggest lesson I have learned is there is allways more to learn

These are some pretty good questions I think any of these would be pretty welcome from one of my students.

I love to see the question of why why is x better for this then y. That shows me a student is thinking and that is really what I like to see.

Sorry for breaking this up and I am sure my many typos posting from my phone a long way from home.

MP

1) What do you think is the most important thing that a beginner should learn first?

Good knife design, but this is a catch 22 because one needs quite of bit of time learning other things in order to learn what makes a good knife design. Here is where it may be best to find a maker that has already put in that time that is making things that you really like and learn from them. Any intelligent person will learn from their own mistakes but a wise person learns from other people’s mistakes.

For a single skill set, I would recommend conquering grinding first. In 20 years of teaching ‘Intro to Bladesmithing” for the ABS, it has always been the students that have already spent time on a grinder that accelerate through the course. Those students get to spend more time learning other skills rather than remaking blades ruined on the grinder.

2) What do you feel that most beginners make mistakes with?

Trying to run before they learn to walk. So many makers have some dream blade that they want to make that is the reason they want to learn the craft, often this blade is extraordinary or they would already have one. It can be a wild fantasy or ethnic piece or often it is a sword. By going right for a blade that would give a Mastersmith some pause they sacrifice two things- 1. both their opportunity to learn the basic skills to be a bladesmith and 2. their dream blade, which will be a sad looking affair that they will want to redo if they ever eventually gain the skills to do it justice.

If I had to focus it down to two basic hurdles that are the plague of new knifemakers- the temptation, or desire, to use scrap or mystery steel, rather than spending the mere pennies to have a good, known, raw material to learn with, and the resistance to investing in a real quenchant, that was properly designed to harden your given steel. Avoid these two things (which very few do) and you will have the best material and the best tool to maximize its potential right out of the gate. But the real benefit is the elimination of countless variables that will frustrate your learning.

3) What do you think is the best type of blade for a beginner to start with?

One that is least different from the basic bar stock you are starting with, and is more work to make with stock removal, so that you can learn basic forging skills like drawing a proper taper, creating smooth and flat bevels, offset blows, maintaining proper thickness and straightness. I like for it to be a design that makes more sense not to use the grinder to discourage the “oh this is too hard with a hammer, I will leave that for the grinder” thoughts, it is the things that are difficult that you need to work on the most.

With all of this in mind, I have all of my students start with a 4-5” hunter with a hidden tang. There are no drastic changes in the profile, so that we can focus on the basic skills. It can be clipped or drop point, and often both will be made. It will always be of hidden tang variety, because the student needs that hammer practice of knocking down and drawing out that narrow tang; full tangs are a greater temptation to rely on a grinder.

4) What do you think is the hardest type of blade to make?

I have yet to find any blade that is truly more difficult, rather than just requiring a different approach with skill sets. And once you change your approach the concept of “difficult” goes away. One example of this what I teach in my dagger class. The dagger is often said to be one of the more difficult blades to do, and this is only true if you try to make a double edged knife instead of a dagger. But once you abandon that approach, and adjust your thinking to come at it as a dagger, it is actually a rather easy piece to make. The same is true of swords. A knifemaker cannot make a sword, because they will always just try to make a 3 foot long knife, which means it will never be a sword or a knife, just what we call a sword shaped object. But if one totally abandons the idea of making any kind of knife, and starts to think like a sword maker, it all begins to make perfect sense.

Now, there are blades that will take more time, I guess these could be seen as being more difficult. These are projects that will have as much time at the drawing table as at the forge. They will require research into their history, proper use, and design. They may require special tools to be made and new skills to be learned, but these are the ones that make you more than you make them, as you will be on a new level of bladesmithing when you are done. Those 5” hunters are your safety zone and you will never grow if you stick with just them.

5) What was the biggest lesson that you have learned?

Learning how much you have yet to learn is essential to learning itself. One thing that I have found in my time teaching is that you cannot teach somebody who already knows everything. I have found that the truest goal of learning is to discover how much we don’t know. Once we see how empty the vessel really is, we can get to the work of filling it as eagerly as possible, and embrace the fact that the more we pour, the bigger the vessel gets, and tomorrow we will have twice as much to learn as today.

…Oh, and learn to love the process of getting that last #$%$@ scratch out, your life will be a lot easier if you do! <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//wink.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

6) What question do you want to hear a beginner ask you?

This one is tough, because all questions are good, the more you ask the more you learn. But to keep it simple I can sum it up in one word- “Why?”

As I said before, those who know everything already, can never learn more. But children are learning machines, they acquire knowledge and skills at a rate that is beyond the comprehension of the average adult, and a child’s favorite word is “Why?”

Never accept a list of instructions as a way of becoming skilled or proficient, that is nothing but programing for an automaton to repeat the same basic task forever. Insist on knowing “why”. Why do we do it like that? Why does the steel behave that way? Why did that knife cut better than the others? Why, why, why- it is always more important to question the answers than it is to answer the questions.

But really- the biggest difference between an apprentice smith and a Mastersmith is that #$%$@ scratch. The thought of saying "good enough" and not erasing its very existence at any cost, never crosses the Mastersmith's mind. Get a glass of good Scotch, get comfortable, grin at that scratch and embrace the battle with glee!

Excellent response Kevin! I will second the resist the temptation to use mystery steel. New known steel is probably the least expensive material we use. One thing I do recommend is choose one steel, such as 1084 or 1080. Learn it forwards and backwards. Learn the heat treatment of this one steel until you know it by heart. I see way too many people starting out who want to jump right in to making damascus. Learn how to make a good knife first with your one steel then you can branch out. I see a good number of people try to run before they can walk. Take the time to learn the steps first.

Great questions Michael.

Brion

I was watching but a little too busy to help. I like seeing the detailed questions and responses. Good job!

Everyone,

Thank you for your responses, I had a few idea's and your answers really helped.

I agree with starting with metal you know, I thought about trying some scrap metal, but I realized I would probably run into more issues if I did that, so I bit the bullet and got some 1080 on it's way to the island.

I think one thing that is good for me is that I just want to make knives, I really don't have that fantasy knife in my head, I thought about doing a chef's knife to give to my Father since he's a chef, but I like the idea of a hunter knife with a hidden tang, I learned woodworking from my Grandfather so I feel comfortable working with wood.

My first project though is fixing up my Grandfather's old knife, that thread is also in the apprentice corner.

Again thank you for your time and for your thoughts on this, I look forward to learning from everyone here.

Michael, thanks for the questions, they were all things on my mind as well. Everyone else, thanks so much for the responses.

Personally, I go back and forth from being really excited, ready to try anything! Then, I feel like the whole world is crashing down because there is so much to learn! One of the main reasons I decided to join the ABS (after hiding behind the "guest" moniker on the forum for a couple of years) was the fact that everyone seems to be so helpful and willing to teach here.

Thanks again, I'll continue soaking up every granule that I can from the wealth of knowledge here. Like Michael, I look forward to learning from everyone.

|quoted:

...One of the main reasons I decided to join the ABS (after hiding behind the "guest" moniker on the forum for a couple of years) was the fact that everyone seems to be so helpful and willing to teach here...

Something that the ABS doesn’t always get credit for is that willingness to share isn’t just an afterthought, it is the only thought. There are a lot of other knifemaking resources on the internet, and a lot of people in this business, but the ABS is an organization whose sole purpose is for the education and sharing about the forged blade.

On other internet sites, and media platforms, it is all about the post count and you get the most input from new makers eager to increase their exposure and image of knowing something, regardless of how accurate the information is. Not having much time at the anvil, they can afford to spend it online.

Here, due to the purpose of the ABS, you get input from established craftsman who really should be in the shop working, but feel a duty to the craft to give back. Rather than getting pages of information from a guy known as “Zombie_slasher666” you get reliable answers from people known as Master bladesmiths (as well as Journeyman and apprentice, of course). And the higher you go in the ABS the more you give to the craft for little reward beyond the great feeling you get from paying it forward, adding to the value of the information shared by the group.

Disclaimer: I have only been doing this 3 years.

I personally find this to be a problem.  I did my 3rd knife with hammer and anvil, files and hand sanding.  Just to make sure I understand the process. 

That being said, I probably spent 6 months, just heating and beating steel to make things for around the house like hangers, roses, fire pokers, hooks, etc.

I think one of my biggest steps was when I started using Knifeprint https://knifeprint.com and building to a design and ensuring that I make that design.  I also find that the customers really like seeing the design before they hand over a deposit, and then that really forces you to make that design.

I think one of the biggest mistakes is when I see people not remaking a scale, guard etc and "forcing" pieces to fit. 

Last one is, and this one took me a long time to learn.  If you need a tool, make that tool.  I ended up buying a press, but didnt have any dies for it and I would constantly force it and my hammer to do things they werent designed to do. I now have made myself 4 different hammers, 3 punches, 3 drifts, 6 different dies, and swage that I only used to do the socket for a spear.  It always seems like it is a diversion to make a tool, but I think it is actually saving me time and effort to have the right tool for the job.

As far as tooling up, I have a list of all of all of the tools I want, and I regularly check facebook market place, and have found some good deals.  I finally bought a bandsaw for $200 that is in great shape, except for the pulley cover.  It came with 2 new blades, and I jumped on it the day it was posted.  Tool deals are out there, you just need to be patient.

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Last piece of advice I have, is have fun! Personally I do this as a hobby that makes a bit of money.  (not much) but I love creating a piece for someone.  I cant wait to get it shipped off and into their hands.  I should probably charge more, but I am having fun, so it is worth it.  My goal is to retire next year, and keep my hands busy hunting, fishing, and making blades.

Yes. I did that one all by hand. Then said I’m glad I did it ONCE. And never again… Doing it by hand though gave me a lot of appreciation and experience on the process. It also tested my patience