successfully making a knife after 5 Fails!

[Cole3lacksmith]

My 16YO brother is officially obsessed with knifemaking, and after six months and seven broken blades, he finally finished his first one! At this age, he did everything himself.
He's super proud of it, and so am I.

Any pro tips you guys can drop on him? What's the best beginner advice you wish you knew when you were starting out with forging or grinding?

 

[BlackAnvil]

To begin, use forgiving steels such as 1084 or 5160 for heat treating. It's a good idea to pre-drill any holes and make sure to keep the edge thick to help prevent warping. When grinding, take your time and grind gradually, this will give you better control and help avoid overheating during the heat treatment process.

 

[ironDoug]

The number one piece of advice is to be patient! slow down at each stage of the design flow and focus on smooth lines, invest in good steel/tools if possible, and learn heat treatment, because broken blades usually mean inconsistent hardening

 

[FireAndFury]

I completely agree. I hurried through my first few blades and really regretted it. But when I took my time and learned the right way to do heat treatment, the results improved a lot.

 

[BlackAnvil]

That's the truth. It's a lesson most of us learn the hard way, but it makes all the difference in the end.