The Shop
The equipment needed to make knives can be as simple as hand files and sandpaper, or can get as complex as multiple belt grinders, drill presses, disc grinders, saws, hydraulic presses, power hammers, heat treat ovens, milling machines and lathes. The list of machines that can be used in knife making is endless!
I’ve collected equipment as I go, and as I find it. I have a mix of new equipment and older industrial equipment. I like finding old industrial machines that can come to “retire” in my little shop. The Powermatic variable speed drill press was actually the press from my high school. I used this exact press over 25 years ago when I was in shop class. My Burr King grinder came from another knifemaker that retired.
My TW-90 grinder is the main workhorse of my shop. It does everything from profiling and grinding blades to sanding blocks of wood that will be used for handles. It has multiple attachments that allow flat grinding, hollow grinding and can get into tight places with the small wheels.
My Burr King BBA20 grinder has one job, and that is to do very shallow hollow grinds with it’s huge 20″ wheel. It’s a unique feature I can offer on knives.
The disc grinder is used for finish grinding and making sure things are flat. It does a lot to reduce the amount of time needed for hand-sanding.
The evenheat kiln is used for all my heat treating. It is digitally controlled and will reach temperatures of 2200 degrees! It is a vital piece of equipment for getting proper heat treat. The heat treatment of steel is the most important part of making a quality knife. Without a good heat treat, it’s only a knife-shaped object. I spend a lot of time heat treating and testing my heat treat to make sure I’m sending out the highest quality knife I can make. I also do a cryo treatment in liquid nitrogen when it’s applicable.
The big Grizzly bandsaw has 21″ wheels and a 5hp motor. I use it as a small sawmill for cutting burls and other timbers into handle material.
My Milwaukee Bandsaw is a variable speed portable saw that can be used for cutting steel or other hard materials.
