I got a job at a company that makes springs, so we have tons of spring steel laying around and about 4 large forges a quenching tank and a large heat treating oven. so i figure i have most of the essential things for making knives,ect
my question is what books should i start to pick up to learn the art of knife making? the Damascus knives look realy nice.
i already reserved a copy of Step-By-Step Knifemaking: You Can Do It! from amazon.ca but it dosnt cover Damascus.
Also what kind of metals should i be looking out for?
i have access to lots of spring steel and my dad already gave me some blades from a metal sheer ( i guess its tool steel)
we dont have much of mild steel but there are a few scrap yardsin the areA

Go to the top of the forum page and click on User cp
click on edit profile
go to the bottom of the page, enter your location, and save.

We would like to know where in the world you are located.

Before you jump right into damascus make a big pile of knives from the spring steel and learn how to heat treat it and then see how it holds up with strenuous use. Test it by cutting lots of different items. The basics will get you farther along in a shorter amount of time...

RICHES WORD ARE WISE!
WAYNE GODDARD'S 50 $ KNIFE SHOP IS GOOD!
IF JIM HI&the rest of the alphabet; writes ANY THING READ IT!
CAN I GET A WITTNESS ;AND SOME HELP W/THE SP?:)

Jim Hrisoulas
Author: "The Complete Bladesmith"
"The Master Bladesmith"
"The Pattern Welded Blade"

And since you are new: "Pattern welding" is a better term for what many folks call Damascus as there is also another very different material, wootz, that can be called damascus as well.

Moose Thanks For The Education !
How'd A Moose Get To Tn. ?

As any member of the deer family is wont to do in search of fresh fodder and shelter.... ;-)

In other words, follow the job.... This is as far as I go... Building final house now, near rebuilt forge and shop.... one more move to go.....

So The Migration Is Over.
Well Good Luck In The New Pasture!!!!!!!!

While on the subject of learning blade making--can anyone
recommend some dvds or videos showing basic knife blade
making?
Thank You

AGAIN JIM HRISOULAS [ thanks again moose!]
he makes a damascus dagger, w/ step by step inst.

I'd recommend anyone wanting to learn about blade smithing to read everything they can find on the British Blades website & forum. Don Fogg's forum is equally useful.

Rond there are some blueprints on knife making.

For a very basic starter, Tim Lively had one that was "neo-tribal" making a great knife using improvised tooling and forge. I used to have a copy but it was burnt up when a smith I had leant it to's house burned down.

I was watching it once while donating platletts at the Red Cross and ended up having a great discussion with the Red Cross guy---he was from an island in the Carribean and had had a smith right down the road from where he grew up using much the same equipment for blademaking.

thanks guys for all the responce , i have a few books ordered from amazon and e-bay now
Now im looking at where i can get a power hammer in my area, but it looks like im going to have to make one since i had no luck so far, anyone ever try ordering and making one of the Appalachian Power Hammers?

There are several Blueprints on foot operated and power hammers on IForgeIron.

I'd go with a tire hammer over a Rusty myself.