May I have a few referrals to written material that can help me climb to reasonable competence in forging knife blades? I learn best by reading and giving a good go at it. Thanks, Mike

Wayne Goddard's and Jim Hrisoulas' are a good bet Mike. Then just start beatin'.
If you want a little exercise to try, go buy some kids play clay. Gives a good interpretation of what hot steel does when ya beat on it.

a good reference is on cashenblades.com under his forging tutorial.

My recommendation are the books by Jim Hrisoulas....

-The Complete Bladesmith
-The Master Bladesmith
-Pattern Welded Steel

There are many other good references, both in books and on the net, but remember this....
Take everything you read, and everything your told, with a grain of salt, until you prove or disprove it for yourself. There are many subtleties in the art of Bladesmithing, and not everything works the same for everyone. Sometimes what might seem like very minor details, that might be left out of a printed text or even a verbal conversation, can make all the difference. That is why I mentioned taking things with a grain of salt.
The biggest head start you can give yourself is to take some classes from an established Bladesmith. Working hand in hand with a knowledgeable individual will literally cut years off the learning curve.

If you are interested in forging blades, I think you should read at least one reference on forging in general. "The New Edge of the Anvil" by Jack Andrews is good so is "A Blacksmithing Primer" by Randy McDaniel.

ron

i agree with all the above jim hrisoulas has written great books that have helped me in many ways but remember untill you put the hammer to hot steel its all just opinions and peoples individual methods.