Nearly 18 years ago I got the Bader BIII variable speed which was pretty top-of-the-line at that time.

I has performed well for me and I still use it daily.

A few years ago I wanted another grinder to assist things and found the Esteem grinder by Brett Mathews. Its design is based on the BIII! All of the tooling is interchangeable. And on top of that, it's built like a tank. (It's actually built better than the Bader!)

And, Brett's serive is top-notch and he communicates well with customers.

Thumbs up for the Esteem. https://www.esteemgrinders.com/

I might have some info for somebody new that wants a grinder. I am not a experienced maker who has been grindin for years. I started making some knives about a year ago. At first I saw the price of new grinders with VFD's and I was like damn that's a good chunk of change. So I did a lot research and I saw a lot of new guys building grinder out of structural steel square tubing talking about how much money they saved and how good there grinders worked. I also saw a lot of the professional makers saying don't build your own grinder, a grinder is the most important thing in your knife shop buy 1, a good 1 with a VFD.

But I like to learn things the hard way <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//rolleyes.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':rolleyes:' /> . So I built my own grinder and put a 3600rpm 3hp single phase motor. I used it for like a month and it sucked. Belt never tracked right I think the wheel were out of square because belts kept snapping on me and when you have a 36grit ceramic belt going full speed like 5000sfp snap and smack you in the face its not fun. after the third time I chucked that thing out the door of my shop. So what I ended up doing was getting a 2hp 3phase motor from a site called automation direct for like $190 a Kbac27d for like $400 and I got a frame from Oregon blade maker for like $500 and I got a couple contact wheels from aliexpress.com, a 10inch, 4inch for like less then $160 for both. Then I got the small wheel holder and small wheels from Oregon blade maker for like $130. I built the tooling arms for the contact wheels and the small wheel holder myself.

Anyway my advise is save yourself from wasting like 20hours of your life and a couple 100bucks and just buy a grinder with a VFD. If you want to make knives, a grinder that works good is a must. Am I happy with the OBM frame and the motor I paired with it and VFD, yes. If I did it all over again I would probably just have bought a TW-90 with all the bells and whistles. But what have for now is good enough for me until I start making money from this knife making addiction I have. This addiction is more expensive then a drug habit. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//blink.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':blink:' />

If anybody has any questions or wants any links to where I got most of the stuff I listed from just let me know.

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Anyway my advise is save yourself from wasting like 20hours of your life and a couple 100bucks and just buy a grinder with a VFD.

Good advice.

One of the things that I've always found ironic when it comes to an individual wanting a grinder, is that so many think only of the money they can save, and choose to build one. Generally the issue is that those who do so usually have not developed the fabrication skills to build it to the level of precision necessary for it to work correctly. When that fails, they seek to buy a "cheaper" machine to "get by" until they can afford something "better". Often times going through 2-4 lower end grinders on the way to acquiring a "top end" machine. Here's the thing....by the time they've gotten around to buying a grinder that meets their needs/expectations, they've spent enough money to have purchase 3-4 top end machines. I was guilty of this when I started out, and have seen the pattern repeated countless times over the years with others.

Of course each individual has to do what they consider best for them, but all things being equal, and although it might sound counter intuitive, I believe that newer makers are best served by saving, and purchasing one of the "top end" grinders, and by the time they may be ready for a second/other grinder, it's likely that they accumulated the skills/knowledge to successfully build one.

When it comes to the newer machines that have popped up over the last few years, I advise caution. These newer machines seem to favor "bells and whistles", gizmos, and lighter weight, less durable materials then the older brands, and often times newer makers get sucked into the hype. In the case of a couple of these newer machines, some of the features the companies tout are down right dangers. In my opinion, look for heavy duty materials, simple, solid designs, and avoid those machines that tout things that add nothing to the usability/versatility of the machine. I've never seen a fancy paint job, laser cut logos, or racing stripes add anything to the machine's usability. <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//wink.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=';)' />

There are a number of good options on the market today for knifemakers. Belt grinders are relatively simple machines that any modern machine shop can produce quite well. So without getting into specific brand names or manufacturers I'll simply state that, for me, the three most important considerations are: stability, precision, and versatility.

Regarding stability, a solid, rigid frame is important. You can't have any shake or wobble in the machine or the belt. Precision is related to this as well, but more specifically relates to running speeds, belt tension and tracking. Finish-grinding, contouring, plunge cleanup etc. all require a high degree of control that you can only achieve through precision in how your machine runs. Versatility - namely the ability to perform many functions - also allows you to get far more from your grinder than just hogging off material on a flat bar of steel. A variable speed motor, different tooling options and the ability to move or rotate your workpiece or the grinder itself allow you to do with the machine what you'd otherwise have to do with files and sandpaper.

Notice I did not include price in my primary considerations. This is not to say that price is immaterial; rather, it is a secondary consideration to quality. If your machine is stable, precise, and versatile, it can literally save you hours on every knife you make, and help you improve the quality of your work at the same time. If you make more than a few knives per year, the higher price of a quality machine pays for itself long before you've worn out your first shipment of grinding belts.

To those shopping for a new machine, I'd recommend trying out grinders at other makers' shops if you can, and talking to the manufacturers directly to answer any questions that come up. Then buy the best you can. The belt grinder is not an expense; it's an investment.

This is probably going to get some laughs, but...

I took the ABS intro course with Brion this past August and I hated the grinder. Electricity, PPE, noise...blech. But with Brion (and Christoph Deringer) I discovered filing. Specifically, draw filing. Since fine woodworking hand tools...especially hand planes...are what got me interested in forging blades in the first place, draw filing by hand suited me perfectly. And that's what I've been doing for the last few months. Draw filing.

And in that time I've finished exactly two knives. Actually, it's probably more accurate to say I've completed exactly two knives. The word "finish" shouldn't be anywhere near a sentence describing my work to date.

But, yeah, it's slow. And not really any easier to get everything perfect; you just make your mistakes in slow motion.

So a few days ago I gave up and ordered the TW-90. I did look at the cheaper ones, but I'm a huge believer in what Ed is saying above, and I think (I hope) I've persuaded my wife of the same.

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I did look at the cheaper ones, but I'm a huge believer in what Ed is saying above, and I think (I hope) I've persuaded my wife of the same.

I chuckled a bit at what you called "the cheaper ones". Most folks think the $2-3000.00 grinders are astronomical in price.

Something of note, that I think should be added to this thread.....

Rob Frink has updated/upgraded the KMG grinder..... I've owned an loved my KMG for years, and think Rob has hit a home run with the updated version.....

https://beaumontmetalworks.com/

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I chuckled a bit at what you called "the cheaper ones". Most folks think the $2-3000.00 grinders are astronomical in price.

Oh, I meant the sub-$1000 ones, not the good 2x72's. Travis' grinders aren't really much more expensive than the other top-of-the-line ones when you consider everything that's included. (And if you put a value on your time...I looked at the PDF for how to wire up the KMG. I'm a blacksmith, not an electrician. And if we're really being honest, not much of a blacksmith.)

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Something of note, that I think should be added to this thread.....

Rob Frink has updated/upgraded the KMG grinder..... I've owned an loved my KMG for years, and think Rob has hit a home run with the updated version.....

https://beaumontmetalworks.com/

Oh, wow. I hadn't seen that. I may have to take back what I said above...that looks like an amazing grinder.

UPDATE:

The new KMG is $900 less than the TW-90 (with the equivalent 10" contact wheel), and does not include tool rest or small wheel attachment.

The small wheel attachment + arm would be about $180 more.

The KMG tool rest is $46, but it is not nearly as versatile as the TW tool rest. (Perhaps a great tool rest isn't a factor for many buyers; I'm just reporting what I find...)

So perhaps the difference could be summarized that the for the TW-90 you pay about $650 for a more sophisticated tool rest.

UPDATE 2:

I just heard from Beaumont: "We are developing an articulated tool rest for the KMG-TX that will work in both the vertical and horizontal orientations, but it's not for sale yet. "

Sorry but I am going to be a bit long winded here. I am one of those guys who has made do with a cheap 4x36 belt sander (that I really use more like contact wheel then a proper platen) as have been building up my collection of other tools instead since I enjoy the anvil over the grinder. Now that have the Atlus mini forge a crappy 5-speed drill press that's no longer in use, a great budget computer controlled VSD drill press, 15-20 different hammers including 2 Japanese style hammers made by Nathan Robertson of Jackpine Forge, 2 bench grinder's (only 1 is operational), 3 angle grinder's (only one is operational) that I use mostly to cut a section of a bar down for forging and to cleaning laminates, a 500$ post vise (that i need to get some soft Jaw attachments for), i forget how many C clamps, a wen vertical 1x30 belt grinder and my baby a 120V flux core handy welder made by Lincon electric, I am finally ready to upgrade to a better belt grinder or making a frame myself since I do have basic fabrication training. However, I also have seen some prefab grander Frames for sale on usaknifemaker.com and would like your opinion on said frame so ill include a link. They also sell a book on making a said frame which I have been thinking on getting and using as a base for designing and building my own but I am still figuring out how I want to go about getting a better grinder. also well I am posting a long winded thing I feel the need to say this site used to be Midwestknifemakersupply.com and it should be added to the list of suppliers as they have a lot of stuff that is useful to any bladesmith and is my go-to site for most of my supplies. They have everything from powdered steel to wrought iron, Forges to quench oil, bone scales to G-10, they even have the kitchen sink.

so ya what is are great moderators opinion on this frame?

Link: https://usaknifemaker.com/midwest-knifemaker-grinder-frame-parts-w-tool-bar-8-wheel.html

I’m new to bladesmithing but I was wondering what grinders they use on Forged in Fire? They look really nice.

Bill

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I’m new to bladesmithing but I was wondering what grinders they use on Forged in Fire? They look really nice.

Bill

http://www.traviswuertz.com/