Product Description

A knife is the most basic tool, and the average adult uses a knife almost every day. Yet there are very few individually made knives in existence, and few people who know how to make knives.

Step by Step Knifemaking, by master knifemaker David Boye, is widely regarded as the classic on the art of handcrafted knives. Thorough, clear, detailed instructions guide the reader through each step in how to make a knife. Generously illustrated with photos and drawings on most pages, this book reads like a one-on-one workshop with a thoughtful teacher. The reader is led to discover the spiritual connection between himself and his work, develop his sense of artistry, and to acquire practical skills for self-sufficiency.

Completely self-taught, the author guides the beginning knifemaker through the thinking processes necessary to make a knife; inspires confidence in the reader to begin at his own skill level; and shows how it can be done on a financial shoestring.

Topics covered include tools, setting up a shop, knife design, grinding, heat treating, polishing, sharpening, blade etching, sheathmaking, and more. Boye's outdoor knives, kitchen cutlery, and utility knives are functional and "peace-loving," and the chapter on etching designs into the blades is a visual delight.

With over 150,000 copies in print, Step by Step Knifemaking has deeply moved thousands to involve themselves in this craft, and they constitute a visible portion of today's knifemakers. This book can impel the reader to a personally satisfying, alternative backyard career, making his own useful knife art. It is an enjoyable, indispensable reference for those wanting to learn knifemaking, become more self-reliant, or for anyone with an interest in the ancient craft of blades.

"Handmade knives are unique," writes David Boye, "reflecting the skills and personality of their maker. They impart a personal touch to what would be a cold, impersonal item. Thus it is with a handmade knife, or a handmade article of any kind, that there is a subtle exchange of electromagnetic energy that is transferred from the heart and the hands of the craftsman to the heart of the person who sees and uses the handmade article. Hopefully, the product will be the embodiment and expression of love and beauty in a useful, sanitary, and safe cutting tool - a hint of a deeper, more profound spirit in the process of living."

Excerpts from letters received from readers of Step-by-Step Knifemaking:

I purchased your book on knifemaking some months ago and have read and reread it many times - it has reacted on me like yeast on dough.
- B. H. Wallowa, Oregon

I have since February gone through your book on knifemaking five times and pick up more information with each reading. I find the book very interesting and informative.
- C. M. Kailua, HI

Your book was extremely well written and you should be very proud of this accomplishment. By following your book, I am beginning to understand the art of knifemaking.
- R. M. Howell, N.J.

The reason that I write you this letter is because of the Inspiration your book has given me. Not only was it informative and easy to understand, but I also enjoyed your chapter and words on the philosophy behind making hand made knives and your words on function, beauty, and design.
- K. K. Minneapolis, MN

I have found this book to be one of the most well-written and complete "how-to-do-it" craft books I have read in a very long time. The detail is amazing.
- R. T. W. Roswell, NM

I have spent many any evening pouring over your book in the two years I have owned it. It has been my inspiration to try my own hand at knifemaking. Believe me, I have gotten back the money I paid for it many times over, in the materials I might have wasted were it not for your advice and instruction!!
- R.G.L. Cle Elum, WA

Your book Step-by-Step Knifemaking has answered many questions at times I had no one to ask. Thank you.
- R. S. P. Detroit, MI

I have Step-by-Step Knifemaking and it's the best of my many knifemaking books and I refer to it constantly.
-K. Florence, OR

I've worn out my (copy) years ago, it was the one book that often bailed me out when the others just confused me. Now I need one to send my son, it will pay for itself by eliminating a ton of long distance phone calls.
- R.L.O. Torrance, CA

I wish I'd read your book first - it would have prevented some of my mistakes!
- B.S. Cartersville, GA

Your Step-by-Step Knifemaking has been in my library for some years. A well thumbed book by now. Now that I am retired there is time to tinker.
- P.B.H. Tempe, AZ

Used your book to make my first knife. Thanks for all the help!
-M.H. North Webster, IN

I really like the book. I've found it to be inspirational. It quenches my thirst for the information that a beginner like me needs to get started.
- G.H. Lombard, IL

I have read your book, Step-by-Step Knifemaking, endless times. An Excellent Job!
-W.L.H. Phoenix, AZ

I read your book a hundred times when I first started making knives. It really helped.
-R.H. Rocky Mount, NC

I just finished your book, Step-by-Step Knifemaking. It was a super book.
- E.H. Lexington, KY

Bought your book some years ago, and, as a hobbyist, have had a lot of pleasure from it!
- D.M. Amherst, NH

Have enjoyed your book for years. It's been a good reference.
- R.D.L. Las Vegas, NV

Love your book; it's a classic!
T.W.L. San Bernadino, CA

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #28336 in Books
• Published on: 2000-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 274 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780615116594
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"Boye is smart and original, and if you like his style you can learn here how he makes it." -- Blade Magazine

From the Publisher
Knifemaking may strike you as a curious endeavor. With so many good knives available, you might ask, why would anyone want to make one by hand?

That very question coursed through my mind when a friend who worked in the office next to mine began talking to me about the knives he was making. Almost every day he would work the word knife into our conversations in some way. And samples of the different blades he was making would be placed casually on his desk, used as paperweights and letter openers.

I was surprised by the beauty and especially the uniqueness of those handmade knives. They were sleek and graceful, with a more personal and mellow look than commercial knives. I knew that my friend was strictly a beginner at this craft. And he had no great amount of experience in metal or woodworking, either. Yet after just a few weeks of experience, he was making beautiful knives.

Finally, his goading got to me, and I ordered a blade from a company selling knifemaking supplies. My initial project was not to make a whole knife, but just to fashion a handle for a blade that had been turned out by machine. Soon I was gluing, cutting, filing, grinding, and sanding away at my own knife project.

My knifemaking lasted perhaps a year, and I turned out three knives before directing my attention to other crafts and recreations. But I was happy to have had the experience, not so much because I made exceptional knives but because I was able to feel the relationship that develops between a person and a knife that is made for personal use.

A knife is perhaps the most basic and useful of all tools. Most of us develop favorites among the knives we keep in our homes for kitchen use, gardening, sport, and carving. When you reach for a knife, you automatically feel for the one that you like, that has served you best in the past, or that has some unique attraction to you that is hard to explain.

When you have made a knife yourself and have shaped the blade just the way you want it and the handle is made to fit your own hand, a special relationship develops between you and that tool. David Boye says that effectively and even eloquently in this book, but putting the feeling into words captures only part of the experience. Just as you feel the handle of a knife, you also feel the specialness of a handle that is of your own making. And when you have ground and filed a blade to suit a purpose that is clear in your own mind, you have a special, more personal feeling when you use that blade.

In this age when we are flooded with machine-made products for almost every conceivable purpose, the experience of making and using your own special knife becomes more important. Making a knife is like fashioning a key to a wider awareness of your own abilities and relationship to tools. These days, we have too few such opportunities.

- Robert Rodale
Rodale Press
(original publisher)

About the Author
David Boye has been a full time artist knifemaker since 1972. He is on the leading edge of blademaking science through his historic discovery and development of Dendritic Steel and Dendritic Cobalt.

Completely self-taught, David started making knives from used sawmill blades. In 1976, Rodale Press published his book, Step-by-Step Knifemaking, which explains how to make knives using recycled materials and readily available equipment. This popular text has sold over 150,000 copies to date, and has influenced the careers of many custom knifemakers working today.

In 1980, David began experimenting with the technique of investment casting for making knife blades. He discovered that casting produces a dendritic (fern-like) network of carbide crystals throughout the steel, and that dendritic steel blades hold an edge from 2 to 50 times longer than other steels commonly used for cutlery. His work is considered to be a revolutionary breakthrough in modern knifemaking.

David was born in San Mateo in 1941, and grew up in the Bay Area. His academic background was primarily in psychology (B.A. San Jose State, 1964, M.A. San Jose State, 1965), and included a minor in Art. He also completed 2 and 1/2 years towards a doctorate degree in Social Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

David makes a variety of knives for the home and the outdoors. He specializes in a dendritic cobalt boat knife, which was rated #1 Sailor's Knife by the highly respected, independent journal Practical Sailor. His work has been shown in more than 50 galleries and museums, including the Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., as well as in Japan and Europe. Boye knives have been featured in numerous articles in both national and local publications.

Customer Reviews

Stock removal knife making and etching.
This book primarily covers making knives (mostly kitchen knives) by starting with thin plates of steel (HUGE bandsaw blades), cutting out a knife blank, and shaping the knife by grinding it. I personally far prefer forging a blade, which this author does not even touch on.

However, Mr. Boye does offer solid knowledge on grinding, heat treating, attaching handles and bolsters (all necessary skills no matter how you make knives)... and an extensive section on acid etching which I have yet to find equalled in any other knifemaking book I've read.

So while I may not care for Mr. Boye's chosen method of production, I recognize his pure artistic ability and am gratefull for his willingness to share his hard won knowledge.

Lovely designs, avoid his methods
This was the first book I bought on knifemaking, and my copy is falling apart (it's 28 years old!) I absolutely love David Boye's sense of design, and his work has inspired my own considerably. That said, I learned a great deal about knifemaking from other sources, and I use few of his methods. Specifically, I would never use a wheel grinder on knife steel, it generates a great deal more heat than a belt grinder, isn't nearly as accurate, and the cutting surface is smaller. I would NEVER cut out blades with a cutting torch, unless you wanted to grind away at least 1/4 in from the cut edge, you're messing up your steel's microstructure doing this (see p. 111 under grain growth!) I appreciate the lengths he's gone to to describe heat treating, but had little luck with it myself; I would strongly advise against trying to heat-treat complex steels like D2, 440C, or 154CM yourself, unless you like throwing your work away. Finally, though I absolutely love the acid etchwork in the book, the beeswax/asphaltum etching ground recommended here is a very tempermental one, I would use commercial etching ground if I were doing this. Since messing with aqua regia at home is not the safest thing, I'd suggest looking into some of the other methods, such as electrochemical etching. So, I would say to the beginning knifemaker that I'd use this book for inspiration, but go elsewhere for methods. If at all possible, talk to someone who's been doing it a while.

Excellent book for the begining knifemaker.
I knew nothing about knifemaking when I started reading this book but now I've just completed my first knife using Step-by-Step Knifemaking and am very proud. The instructions were stright foreward and easy to understand. By the time I was finished with the book I had a good basic knowledge of knifemaking and a basic under standing of steels. I would recommend this book for any beginner.