Dan W

I worked emergency rooms for a number of years. We called folks who didnt use the proper safety equipment job security.

Try the book section on Track of the Wolf
I've delt with this company for years and have found their selection of reference books, tools, and prices better than Dixie.

Internet Archive
If you go to this site and type blacksmithing in the search box, you'll get about eight complete books on the subject, downloadable in pdf format. Some are old volumes but I'm sure everyone can find something to use.

I do both.
If I want a heavy bladed knife, I forge it, if I want a thin bladed kitchen knife I use stock removal.
My favorite knife forging material is old files, for the thinner blades I like old bandsaw blades.

Just tell him your so excited that you want him to try it out. Ask him to put an edge on it and take a few wacks at a small log or cut some hanging rope or do something similar. He'll get the message all by himself.

I make mine from farriers rasp. I anneal it, forge out the point, edge, and handle and glue/rivit leather over the hilt. I quench in motor oil. Its a little weighty, up to a pound, but I like the feel of the weight and it works fine for me, and like HWooldridge, mine bend but dont break.

Mostly general camp gear, with a few small knives thrown in.

I'll definitely be making a few of these.
I live in north FLorida and our crab claw season is about to start and these will come in right handy.

Glue=A natural occuring substance; as in hide glue, fish glue, pine pitch glue
Adhesive=Mand made from chemicles; elmers wood glue 'super glue', gorilla glue. These are called glues but are in reality adhesives.
Our ancesters/forefathers used a glue made from pine resin (the hard,dried pine pitch fund on pine trees) with powdered charcoal as a binder. This was used to glue stone arrow and spear points to the shaft. For woodworking, the colonials used fish glue. Made from boiled codfish air bladders. I have used both of these and found them quite adequite when used for the intended purpose. I use the fish glue(available from Lee Valley Tools) quite a bit.
My wife and I are living historians /reenactors and make all our gear, accrouterments,clothes,etc as historicaly accurate as possible.
One of the main reasons I took up blacksmithing.

I reccommend JB Weld. It comes in either quick set or slow set. Its a two part epoxy type adhesive.
I've been using it for years and have had excellent results.
It sets up gray so dont get it where you dont want it.
If you want something that dries clear, then there's a two part epoxy that dries that way. It also comes in quisk set or slow set. However I reccommend that you completely finish the work on the blade before using this stuff as it loosens up when it gets hot, so doing any type of grinding or power sanding that will heat up the blade will cause this adhesive to loosen.

Their not extras, their pets.
I dont know how many knives I have laying around that I fully intended to sell or trade once finished, but I just cant seem to bring myself to get rid of them.
Its the same way with old tools.
I have more pets than I can feed.

Need some advise.
What buffing compounds, grit, etc is the best to use on knives?
I'm not a big fan of highly polished blades but am trying to achieve a semi polished finish.

I've been using one of these for about 6 months. I now do 90% of all my forging with it. I can throw it in the truck along with some charcoal or even seasoned hardwood chunks and haul it anywhere.
Its great for blades and small stuff like S or wall hooks etc...
I really snjoy this little gem.

They make great large bowie style blades and tomahawks. I made a large throwing knife from a used one I picked up at a flea market.

Here in Tallahassee gas lines are still five miles long as I write this. Cops are breaking up fights at Wal-Mart gas pumps and some stations are already sold out.
Think I'll hang around the house for a few days and play on the forge.

Leather and woodworking. I'm into living history.

No facial hair, but I do have a pony tail in deference to my living history hobby.

Like inazuma_x says.
Think triangular file tapered from about 1 inch down to a fine point and from 34-36 inches long.
There are web sites that sell epee, foil and rapier replacement blades for fencers. Check some of them out.

I usualy do S or wall hooks. Both are always needed around our 1814 living history camp.

90% of my inspiration comes from history books. Usualy pre 1840. I enjoy making the everyday items used by our forefathers when the blacksmith was in his hayday.

Anything that is 100% safe is probably not any fun.
However, having spent most of my life working In ERs and knowing full well the value of risk assessment, not even I am 100% safe, sometimes much to my chagrin, embarasement and pain and the amusement of my friends and family.

Have scars on my stomach. I think scale burns are a fact of life for blacksmiths.

I consider a drill press and a bench belt sander essential for my shop. Fortunatly I can get away with using the bench sizes and dont need the big floor models.

I hit a piece of metal too hard once while using the hot cut hardie, ended up with a cauterized laceration on my right cheek

I use a very cheap hair dryer, at least until I can get a small hand cranked blower.