What Tools do I Need to Make Knives?

Starting making knives can be daunting, the tools are different than many of the typical ones that a hobbyist might be used to using. We will break down what tools you absolutely should get and what ones are just nice to have. These tools are geared towards a knifemaker using the stock-removal method, as opposed to forging. However, if you do choose to forge you knives, you will likely need the forging equipment in addition to this list, rather than in place of.

Belt Grinder

The machine used most by far in a typical knife making shop is the belt grinder. This machine runs an abrasive belt to shape the blade, grind in bevels, refine the blade finish, shape the handle, and a myriad of other tasks. You can find our previous post on what belt grinder size will work best for your needs but this is one area not to skimp in.

Drill/Drill Press

A drill or drill press is the next basic piece of equipment you will need, in order to drill holes for the handle pins, create slots for guards, or even run small sanding drums or buffing wheels. While a drill can technically do all these tasks by itself, the results will be very poor compared to a drill press. You can find these for very cheap on Facebook marketplace and you don't need to get a large heavy duty drill press to start. A small benchtop machine will be adequate for most tasks that a knifemaker encounters. You will need drill bits and cutting oil to drill metal as well. Cheap sets like those you can find at the big box stores will work, but eventually you will want to replace them with cobalt bits, and make sure to use cutting oil whenever drilling through metal.

Workbench

You will need a sturdy workbench to place all your tools on. You can make one yourself or purchase one from a big box stores. I am a fan of the mobile workbenches that have a work surface on the top and drawers underneath. They can be found for a few hundred dollars and can store an immense amount of tools and equipment.

Vice

A vice is crucial for holding the knife during many stages. Again they can be found on Facebook marketplace, or bought new relatively inexpensively. While an expensive vice is much nicer to work with, this is not the place I would recommend blowing the budget. Instead, get a average 3" or 4" jaw width vice and spend the money elsewhere.

Files

Although much slower than your belt grinder, hand files play a critical role in refining your knife. Get a good set of flat files, some small round chainsaw files, and a set of needle files. You will also need a brush to periodically remove the metal shavings that get caught in the file teeth, as these will cause deep scratches that are hard to remove. Needle files are tiny files that are necessary to open up guard slots, create decorative patterns on the spine of the knife, or just perform especially delicate tasks

Consumables

You will need a variety of consumables. You will need sandpaper in a variety of grits (I recommend from 100, 220, 320, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 grits for most knifemakers). Get a good quality sand paper and pretend it is free, as you will waste so much time using dull sand paper. The finer grits benefit from using some WD-40 while sanding steel. You will also need a 2-part epoxy in order to glue the handle to the knife. I also recomend masking tape to proect the blade after you have finished it and are working on the handle.

This list is far from exhaustive but will give you a good start to your workshop. You will need these tools as a beginner and as an expert.