Best sword & knife collecting books according to redditors
We found 54 Reddit comments discussing the best sword & knife collecting books. We ranked the 13 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 54 Reddit comments discussing the best sword & knife collecting books. We ranked the 13 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
All it takes to clean up your finish work is a rasp, a bunch of sandpaper down to 1200 grit, and time.
I suggest checking out these books:
http://www.amazon.com/Step---Step-Knifemaking-You-Can/dp/0615116590/
http://www.amazon.com/Wayne-Goddards-Knife-Shop-Revised/dp/0896892956/
http://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Knives-Richard-Barney/dp/087341389X/
These were all invaluable to me when I was learning fit and finish. They're also all probably available through your local library.
If you do decide to buy some tools, you can get a TON of fast, efficient work done from just a cheap belt sander ($50 at Harbor Freight) and a cheap benchtop buffer (get a washing machine motor from a junkyard and built one, or spend $80 on one). Those two tools alone will make a WORLD of difference in your finish work.
As was said by others in reply to your other question, sword making is not something to be taken lightly. I admire your interest, but the wording of your questions seems to imply that you don't really want to learn how to make a sword but that you would like to assemble a sword.
Please understand that questions about sword making are asked almost exclusively by people who are so new to blacksmithing that they have no business making a sword. I suspect that you fall into that category.
Nearly everyone with an interest in blacksmithing has an interest in swords and other blades. And as we learn about how they are made we quickly realize that swordmaking is very serious and potentially dangerous business. I, for one, will help anyone who asks about what it takes to make a sword. But I will not help anyone actually make one.
Just like a gun, a sword is a weapon; and weapons can be surprisingly lethal to both the person holding it and others who are nearby. A poorly made sword can be equally lethal but has the added danger of being either unbalanced or fragile or both. They are also a danger while they are being made; especially if power tools are involved. A large blade that catches on a wire wheel or a sanding belt can cut or stab you very severely before you even have time to react. So please understand that when we see questions about swords coming from novices, we cringe. Making a sword is serious business and is not to be taken lightly.
A blacksmith takes the time to research how similar swords were made and discover what tools materials are needed to accomplish that goal. He or she also works out a plan of each step from start to finish. Many even work for a year or more as an apprentice for an experienced blacksmith to learn how. At the very least many hours are spent reading books and studying both photographs and in person examples of handmade swords.
There are thousands of books on swords both old and new. Many of them focus on certain styles of swords and not all of them go into detail about smithing a sword, but many of them do. You can also find thousands of pictures both online and in reference books on arms & armor at your local library. If you live near a reasonably large city, there might even be a local museum nearby that has some swords on display. Also read as much as you can on blacksmithing and metalworking in general.
By the time you are ready to make your first sword, you will have already built multiple smaller blades and other items while improving your skills, and you will have made thousands or swords in your head.
Here are some books on blacksmithing that I think you will find useful: http://www.hct.ac.uk/Downloads/craftpublications.html
You should also read A book or two on modern knife making. "Wayne Goddard's $50 Dollar Knife Shop" is highly recommended by many people here.
I'm not saying you can't make a sword or even that you shouldn't make one. If that's your dream, don't let anyone stop you. But I would strongly encourage you to start small and work your way up.
TL;DR: If you really want to make a sword, I suggest you read it!
Very cool, thank you for the follow up. To me, the tomahawk is quintessentially THE american weapon. Utilitarian and lethal. In addition, there are rudimentary examples of natives using stones as axe heads in a similar manner, before settlement when the Europeans introduced their own metallic version. I'm a fan of native american weapons.
I find mine invaluable around the camp but I also feel comfortable with it as a weapon. Theres a great pair of books if you want to learn more on how the tomahawk was historically used in combat 1 2
Backyard Blacksmith like Raeladar recommended, by Lorelei Sims
http://www.amazon.com/The-Backyard-Blacksmith-Traditional-Techniques/dp/1592532519/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341272167&sr=8-1&keywords=backyard+blacksmith
The Complete Bladesmith by Jim Hrisoulas has a TON of detailed info like forgewelding (important throughout blacksmithing, not just bladesmithing)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Bladesmith-Forging-Perfection/dp/1581606338/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1341272167&sr=8-4&keywords=backyard+blacksmith
and The Complete Modern Blacksmith by Alexander Weygers has good info as well
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Modern-Blacksmith-Alexander-Weygers/dp/0898158966/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c
my library is growing from these books as well as the forge I'm putting together.
There exists no specific written material of tomahawk use but there have been some exploratory stuff done by bowie knife enthusiasts that match the two together. It is mostly a modern interpretation based off period sabre/cutlass drills. Link: https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Tomahawk-Illustrated-Guide-Weapons/dp/1581604416
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Hatchet and round shield does not exist as a source. For round shield, Scottish targe is closest but even then there are precious few resources dedicated to how to use it.
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If you are interested in axes & round shield in particular, you may find more information from reenactment or larp groups than from HEMA groups as we don't really 'do' axes unless they come in the form of a poleaxe. And even then, mostly in harness.
Here are a bunch of books you may be interested in. If you want a good place to start, look at George Silver first, then go from there. He doesn't talk about sword and targe, but he talks about timing and how to move correctly.
http://www.amazon.com/Master-Of-Defence-George-Silver/dp/1581607237/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1DF0FCFNQH8MXDQ3BWGK
http://www.amazon.com/Highland-Swordsmanship-Techniques-Scottish-Swordmasters/dp/1891448153/ref=pd_sim_b_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=146FGG67D9GKR3T2HMCY
http://www.amazon.com/Highland-Martial-Culture-Heritage-Scotland/dp/1581606923/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=146FGG67D9GKR3T2HMCY
http://www.amazon.com/Highland-Broadsword-Lessons-Drills-Practices/dp/1581607288/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=146FGG67D9GKR3T2HMCY
http://www.amazon.com/Highland-Knife-Fighting-With-Sgian/dp/1581605668/ref=pd_sim_b_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=146FGG67D9GKR3T2HMCY (just because it's Scottish and nice to know.)
http://www.amazon.com/Broadsword-Singlestick-Quarter-Staff-Walking-Stick-Self-Defense/dp/1449917178/ref=pd_sim_b_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=146FGG67D9GKR3T2HMCY (way late, but may still be useful)
I would suggest picking up a book or two in that case. I highly recommend "The Complete Bladesmith" by Jim Hrisoulas and 'The Wonder of Knifemaking" by Wayne Goddard. I have both and they are very good at laying down the steps for making a knife. Also, make sure you learn about knife steel. You won't find it in a local store, but will need to be purchased online (most of the time). Pick a simple steel like 1080/1084 and start using that. Get good at heat treating it, and the move to something else. 5160 is also good to start. Both are forgiving.
As /u/Ermott stated, if you've got a few years of free time, there is no shortage at all of information to be found online.
If you specifically want a book for reference, here's the list. (I own and have read, and re-read every book here.)
Stock removal knife macking -
Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop, revised
How to Mack Knives, by Barney and Loveless
When you're ready to move up a few notches in complexity -
The Tactical Folding Knife, by Terzuola
If forging is more your thing -
The Complete Bladesmith, by Hrisoulas
An overview (and extremely interesting) look at how different modern mackers go about macking knives -
Blade's Guide to Macking Knives
And finally, the condensed Q&A for everything the aspiring knife macker could ever want to know -
The Wonder of Knife Macking, by Goddard
The second edition of this books has mixed reviews centering on poor editing, I've read and recommend the first edition, though slightly dated, for it's solid insight into so many areas of knife macking.
I hope this helps you, don't forget to come back and post photos of the knives you mack!
You've thankfully got a lot of resources available online to help get you started. A good beginners tutorial can be found here on how to make your own custom knife from scratch with minimal equipment.
I tend to use Jantz Supply for a lot of my supplies including steel and kydex.
I'd highly recommend joining up for free on Blade Forums and browsing around the shop-talk forums. Tons of useful information by people that are just beginning and people who've been doing it for decades.
There's really tons of material online to help you figure out which steel to use. If you're just starting, I'd recommend sticking with something simple like 1095 high carbon, maybe 440C stainless. Here is a surprisingly good article written about it from an unexpected place. If you get the chance, pick up this book: The Master Bladesmith by Jim Hrisoulas. It's practically the knife-maker's bible.
Good luck and don't hesitate to ask questions!
Books. Do your home work. There is a lot of different ways to make good knifes and lots of ways to make junk. If you understand how you want to make a knife you'll know what tools you need. So is it forged or material removal? How do you want to deal with the tempering? I can go on but I think you get the idea. Here is a place to start http://www.amazon.com/Wayne-Goddards-Knife-Shop-Revised/dp/0896892956/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344738903&sr=8-1&keywords=50+knife+shop
Awesome! Glad to see another person interested, smithing is fun! Getting started is actually pretty easy as long as long as you aren't planning on crafting gorgeous blades right off the get-go. You really only need a few things:
An anvil can be pricey, even used, if you get a real one but a piece of railroad can be obtained pretty cheaply though not always easily. Don't pay more than $2-4 a pound for an anvil if you buy a used one. The heavier, the better but starting out it should at least weigh 60+ lbs, preferably 150+. Don't try to use a jeweler's anvil or a cast iron anvil. There's some good videos covering types of anvils and where to find them. Everything else will be easy and cheap to obtain.
You can find all the info you need to get started by searching YouTube for knife making or knife smithing. Walter Sorrells in particular has a good channel with some high quality videos. He focuses more on making knives from steel blanks than on forging, but he does have a couple of good forge videos and happens to have spent some time studying under Japanese smiths so he has some decent info on forging Japanese swords and knives if you are interested. Honestly, for a normal knife/sword the forging isn't that hard, it's the finishing part that takes all the time, effort, and skill. (Not to downplay the skills of most medieval smiths, they had to be much more precise in their smithing than we do today because we have power sanders and grinders to quickly fix mistakes). Most YouTube channels will focus on smithing knives instead of swords and I recommend you start with the same even though swords are awesome. It's the same techniques and process, but knives are cheaper to practice on and swords are more difficult to get right.
If you want or prefer a book, there are a few good ones for sale on Amazon. The Backyard Blacksmith, The Complete Modern Blacksmith, The $50 Knife Shop, How to Make Knives, and The Wonder of Knife Making are all great beginner books (only the last two deal with actually making knives). When you get some practice under your belt, Jim Hrisoulas has a couple of books on bladesmithing that are designed for experienced smiths who want to build better blades and deals with swords specifically.
You might like this.
i did a quick google to see if leaf springs were ideal and they are so i put out feelers for some of those.
And also in the course of that found recommendation for the $50 knife shop book so I bought him that on amazon. link: https://www.amazon.com/Wayne-Goddards-Knife-Shop-Revised/dp/0896892956/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482254778&sr=8-1&keywords=50+knife+shop
Thanks folks You both got me exactly what I needed!
These two are my favorites for beginning.
The Complete Bladesmith: Forging Your Way to Perfection https://www.amazon.com/dp/099870816X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Z.gZBbA2WBWF1
Step-by-Step Knifemaking: You Can Do It! https://www.amazon.com/dp/0615116590/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_SahZBbKKD1BDF
Don't do that!
Heat it and cool it slowly to anneal it. That will make it as soft as possible. Finish your grinding completely, but leave the blade dull; there should be a 1/64 flat at least.
Get it completely done, then harden it. Do it in motor oil; water is dangerous to quench high carbon in. It will cause it to crack outright or introduce microfractures that weaken the blade. I've had both happen. Motor oil is the quench of choice of all the knife and sword makers I've met for even W1 steel.
Once you've quenched in motor oil, you'll need to temper it. That's another level more difficult.
I would suggest this book if you want to get into blademaking. It's a great resource.
This book was what started it all off for me in knife making. It was tremendously helpful in answering a lot of beginning questions and giving valuable advice on how to begin.
Also get him this book for his birthday or something. Tells you how to do everything on the cheap.
https://smile.amazon.com/Wayne-Goddards-Knife-Shop-Revised/dp/0896892956/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=50+knife+shop&qid=1562951506&s=gateway&sr=8-1
I'd say it's doable, especially with the equipment you've listed.
Find a copy of this book if you can. Best resource out there for building folders.
Use a quality waterjet provider and you can jet out the knives with little cleanup. You'll still have to clean up holes though... ream the pivots, drill and tap the other holes, etc.
Most people assemble the whole knife and get the opening+lockup working properly before they heat treat and grind bevels. It requires a lot of fit-up, taking apart, etc to get everything working properly... you probably won't be able to make the blade then work on the frame while it's in HT.
Make a jig to grind bevels if you don't have experience free-handing. There are simple ones that work very well.
Read read read. There are lots of WIP threads on the forums that will help you. Knifedogs, BF Shop Talk, Britishblades, etc.
Failure can be discouraging, but you learn from it. Epic failure can turn you off from what you're trying to learn completely. I'm just now getting my forge together (hope to test tomorrow) and the candor of your ambition is a little annoying since, while I have big ideas for what I want to do, I know I do not have the skill to do any of it yet. My first project is probably going to be J-hooks and other assorted hardware to hang lawn equipment in my garage. You need to take smaller steps or you'll end up having a really bad experience and just drop smithing all together. If you really want good advice about blade making I recently purchased The Complete Bladesmith. Its great, it explains a lot of the basics, terminology, and some simple hammer techniques. It was really cheap and my favorite book right now.
Or, an example from Skyrim: How many shitty iron daggers did you have to make before you could move up to Dragon Bone weapons ;-)?
You make some very nice knives. Have you read this book? https://www.amazon.com/Bladesmithing-Murray-Carter-Application-Traditional/dp/1440218382
Even if your doing stock removal it has a ton of useful information if your mainly a Japanese style knife maker.
there are tons of resources online to learn blacksmithing/bladesmithing
youtube,
iforgeiron.com,
/r/bladesmith
the list goes on and on but those are the best IMO
also books abound on the subject
it you want to get started cheap look into
https://www.amazon.com/Wayne-Goddards-Knife-Shop-Revised/dp/0896892956/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495550648&sr=8-1&keywords=wayne+goddard+50+dollar+knife
but keep in mind this was $50 in the late 80's early 90's (whenever he wrote it) so it might be a bit more unless you can find and scavenge some of the things you will need. which isnt as hard as it sounds actually
Edit: formatting
I learned from YouTube. Also a great start is this book. http://www.amazon.com/Wayne-Goddards-Knife-Shop-Revised/dp/0896892956
What you're referring to is usually called stock-removal. I'd look into Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop
It outlines both forging and stock removal techniques as well as ways to make the necessary equipment on the cheap. (It actually used to be called the $25 knife shop, but it has been updated a good deal and since then the dollar has gone through a good deal of inflation)
What kind of tools do you have right now?
well if you live in a place where you can set up something small for yourself i highly suggest the $50 knife shop so you can at least practice form.
> most armies used spear/pole weapons as primary infantry
Proper use in a well-trained infantry line with polearms will defeat a line of sword-wielding enemy nearly any day. The sword-wielders had to get inside of the pole's reach to have any effect, read this for some tactics in fighting with and against the armor-and-spear combination, or watch this clip explaining some of those tactics.
You might work on making one for him. It makes it that much more special. I'm actually about to start making a garden knife for my dad as a father's day gift. Texas Knifemaker's Supply has some good steel for fairly low prices and a hacksaw and a bastard mill file along with some good sandpaper and a dremel if you have it can make quick work of the 440C or the ATS34. They are very comparable. Unfortunately they are already annealed so they can dull tools fairly quickly. But that also means the finished knife only needs to be tempered which can be achieved with putting it in an oven at 450 F for 1.5 hours 3 times. You can also buy scales and pretty much any tool or supply you would like from them.
I also recommend the $50 Knife Shop as a general guide to knife making as it has plenty of tips for both forged and stock-removal knives.
Actually if you have a backyard it is a surprisingly easy set up. Check out The $50 dollar knife shop which can be downloaded for free various places.
Get, read and absorb the following:
The knowledge is more important than the tools. That said, don't scrimp on the anvil, the vise and the flatter hammer.
Can confirm- I have this and it's a great book to learn from. If you're looking for a book centered more in bladesmithing, here's your bible- https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Bladesmith-Forging-Your-Perfection/dp/1581606338
If you start with stock removal rather than forging, it's a lot more feasible for an amateur to get into knife making. But $20-30 dollars for the tools and materials to make a knife is not really a realistic expectation. There is a reason custom knife makers charge what they do for handmade knives.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0896892956/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=27M5TD9S3RT9B&coliid=I1502KH7W916KH
there is a book called 50$ knife shop that would be a good start. ABANA also has a level one beginning blacksmithing project guide. I would recomend trying that. its helpful.
as for the cheapest and dirtiest way to forge a knife, take a leaf spring or coil spring heat it up to orange color smash it flat on a flat hard surface (an anvil), forge a point on one end and a tang (handle) on the other. you can attempt to forge bevels too, but that part is hard to do correctly. it is absolutly necesary to beale to forge flat and straight. this is also hard to do. you can grind/ file a bevel from a flat, but you cant grind/ file something from crooked to straight.
once you have a straight flat forged to shape blade you take it to the grinder to remove scale. this can be done with a hand grinder or a belt grinder, but scale will eat belts fast!!! so a hand grinder is more cost efective. with the scale removed you are ready to grind/ file your primary bevel. No grinder? then clamp your blade to a 2x4 and get at it with some files. first establish a bevel then draw file it flat. (remember when draw filing right hand pushes and left hand pulls) once you have the blade filed its time to sand all those ugly marks out. i sand to 220 or so then heat treat...
heat treat... use simple steel like OTS (old truck spring/ 5160) heat to nonmagnetic then quench in warm canola oil. take it out and check with a file. it should slide across it like glass. if the file dosent bite you have a hard blade. now go temper it at around 400 deg for 2 hours twice. (4 hr total)
now you have a heat treated and tempered blade. you can sharpen it and test it now. file or grind your final bevel then sharpen on a stone. go chop some 2x4s and then try to cut some paper. if you got a good edge you should be able to chop multiple 2x4s and still have a sharp blade. if the edge chips or rolls something went wrong. go rebevel the edge and re sharpen. test again. Chips mean the edge is too thin or HT didnt go right. fix your problems hear not later. make a good preforming blade before you make it pretty.
now make it pretty, back to hand sanding. start at 120 and work your way to 400 or so. make sure to completely remove the marks form the previous grit sand paper. before moving to a finer grit. careful not to cut yourself when hand sanding. your blade should be razor sharp by now.
in all honesty id start with stock removal and if you still want to forge knives build up to it. for me forging is easy and fun. its the stock removal part thats the hard work. if you dont mind the stock removal part you will be a lot less frustrated...
http://www.amazon.com/Manual-Of-The-Baratero-Handling/dp/1581604718
yes all the manuals we are using are in english, that is the main one there. I'll have to ask what the other manuals are as I don't remember the names. I know the savat one is available as a free pdf, ill come back with a list once I know.
After reading The Fighting Tomahawk which discusses the axe from a Native American standpoint my eyes were really opened up to the versatility of the axe.
You can use the top to punch opponents, use the top edge of the blade in the opposite direction to "rake" across an enemy and give jagged wounds, you can of course slash, and probably the biggest advantage use the curved portion to catch an opponents weapon, limbs, or even shield, and redirect them.
If i recall correctly the author stated that the off balance nature of the tomahawk lent itself to either quickly killing an enemy or being thrown off balance yourself because it is a hard weapon to recover from a missed swing.
Spike knives are great to practice knifemaking on. They will be decorative however since, as you pointed out, they do not contain enough carbon to heat treat or keep an edge. But do work with them; it's free steel and you can practice how to go about profiling a knife on them.
As far as hammers go, I have known accomplished smiths who are happy with the hammer they picked up at a flea market. I've also known those who have made their own, or those that have bought from Centaur Forge or from other smiths.
It seems everyone has their own idea of what works for them. Quality of steel, balance, and ergonomics are obviously the main priorities, but the rest is up to you.
At this stage, just use what's economical until you start refining your smithing style.
Pick up The Backyard Blacksmith and The $50 Knife Shop. If you've got time, I would also invest in The Art of Blacksmithing, mainly for it's ideas on projects and moving metal.
As for your forge questions, I'm not sure what the best answer is as I primarily work with coal and only occasionally work with gas. The gas forges I use are pretty big, so I don't have experience in your model. Maybe try to stick a RR spike in there, close the doors, and see how it does? You can make small knives for now until you figure out the direction you want to take. Hope this all helped, good luck!
your dad sounds like mine, but with my dad I leave buying stuff that he likes up to him because he knows what he wants. That and a lot of stuff with sports logos on it are cheap knick knacks or gag gift things that won't really do anything except say "Hey I like this team"
Since your dad isnt too tech savvy like mine is as well, I would suggest a good wrist watch. looks good, but is tough and wont shatter if he drops it. A good watch is really the only "accessory" a man really needs. This watch here
can be used out on the golf course or any sporting event while also looking good. It's an analog watch, there's nothing digital about it. Each band is all one peice so you don't have to worry about any breaking parts or pinching. It's water resistant so if he spills any hot sauce on it there won't be any problem.
If I should be chosen I would really appreciate this gladius or this book whichever would be fantastic.
http://www.amazon.com/Wayne-Goddards-Knife-Shop-Revised/dp/0896892956
https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Bladesmith-Forging-Your-Perfection/dp/1581606338/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506287194&sr=1-3&keywords=knife+making This book has almost everything you need to know to get started and then some. It helped me a lot. The author is amazingly thorough. He even covers proper anvil height and hammer use.
*Edit: grammer and spelling
Ditto. Linke to book. Here's another one I liked
I'm a martial arts instructor and a language teacher and I do not believe that you NEED an instructor to learn anything. With all due respect to the martial arts community, the strict adherence to the notion that you can't practice martial arts without a teacher is one that hurts the development of the arts, and stunts the growth of your own training. If you want to practice on your own do it! Who cares if your not doing it the way most other people do, especially in Iai which you will never realistically expect to use to defend yourself. Become a sponge of information, read everything you can get your hands on. Watch thousands of youtube videos of Iaido. Study the movements and mimic them, notice the subtlety, constantly reevaluate how it feels to how it looks. It's not too dissimilar to figuring out how to produce the accent of another language. You already possess all the tools necessary to produce them you just need to figure it out by trial, error, and constant self revision.
There are a ton of autodidacts out there. Become one. Here's a list of them. Notable self taught people include, Abraham Lincoln, Steve Erwin, Ernest Hemingway, and Frank Zappa. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_autodidacts
A teacher can help you get better much faster but the moment you think you NEED a teacher is the moment you become myopic to the goal of training: Self Improvement. A teacher is merely a guide for you to learn. If you think a teacher disseminating information is the most important thing to improvement then you have missed the point of the adage, "you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink." Students who's minds are closed cannot be taught no matter how good the teacher is. The learning is what is important, not the teaching. Meditate on this. It applies to all aspects of life. In short, speak less, listen more. Now I will follow my own advice and actually answer your question.
This is a pretty good book with descriptions of many aspects of Iai, including detailed step by step explanations of Seitei Iai and his koryu, Muso Shinden Ryu. Not perfect but, it's certainly a great start
http://www.amazon.com/Iaido-Sword-Kamimoto-Ha-Techniques-Shinden/dp/1581605730#
PM me and I'll send you my research on an iaido document I translated last year that you will find useful in your training.