Aspects of knife-making unrelated to forging or stock removal

[metalmangeler]

I think you are on a pretty good web site to find out about knives, it claims to have 29000 posts in just this part of the knife section. I would recommend you look at the posts about a WIP in particular the ones put up by someone who is not making their first knife. also look at the knife making lessons. I think a specific question would get a better answer, such as, which wood works best for knife handles if I don't want to stabilize it. You may need to do some reading to know what the questions that you have are.

[Redneck carp's-tongue]

good enough.

I might actually go to metalbender's shop once I am actually ready to forge the knife; right now I am making a crude "rapier" out of a cylindrical rod (I've finished the actual forging part; all that's left is to file and mount the "blade").

wish me luck.

[TheoRockNazz]

There are other options: you can buy pre-ground and heat treated blanks that you then add handles to. That's one way you can make a knife without being a knifemaker... lol just kidding... sort of.

If you only care about putting the handle on a knife, you can also work with and/or commission another knfiemaker to forge you a blade

[ThomasPowers]

Some extremely beautiful collaboration blades out there!   Play to your strengths!

[Frosty]

Each step in making blades being done by specialists would be the traditional norm: Forge, grind, polish, make the furniture, handle, sheath, etc. Oh for the olde days.

Frosty The Lucky.