“Your questions, comments, and sometimes complaints are what keep me going as a writer. Keep it coming!” ~ Wayne Goddard As a columnist for BLADE Magazine, Wayne Goddard has been answering real questions from real knifemakers for more than twenty years. Now, find all the details in one place in this handy reference for every knifemaker, amateur or professional. • Clear and precise answers on every aspect of knifemaking, from selecting steel to heat treating and finishing the blade. • Tips and tricks for knifemakers of all skill levels. • Completely revised and updated with more than 11 years of new answers.

This book starts the reader on a journey through time, with a short history of folding knives, leading to the evolution of the first switchblade. Progressing through time, wonderful photos illustrate the descriptions of switchblades. Throughout the book, highlighted sections showcase specific details that will be most helpful to collectors. Also included are facts about knifemakers styles, patterns, tang stamps, and a complete illustrated glossary. Contents Include: The first ever comprehensive publication about Italian switchblade knives, featuring knives and history from the late 1700s to the 1970s. Pictured within this hardbound book are nearly 200 beautiful photos and ephemera of the most unique and rarest Italian switchblades. Actual-size photos span more than two centuries of knifemaking history. Also pictured are catalog pages and advertisements, as well as historical photos. Extensive research has gone into this book to present never-before-published information which clears up and dispells many myths. Entire sections are dedicated to the most sought-after knifemaking companies, such as: Latama Coricama Mauro Mario Details about the knifemakers and businessmen involved behind the knives reveal who the major players shaping the switchblade industry and who made knives for other companies.

A multidisciplinary overview of current research into the enduringly fascinating martial artefact which is the sword.

An illustrated guide to the manufacture of knives.

This guide to smithing world-class blades is for the novice and experienced bladesmith alike. With this book you will be able to build your own forge, equip your workshop, choose your materials from the exotic to the mundane, and get to work.

In A Modern Guide to Knifemaking, survivalist Laura Zerra, one of the stars of Naked and Afraid on the Discovery Channel, shares her essential knifemaking tips and tricks, including step-by-step instructions for both forging and stock removal. We all use a knife pretty much every day, but for Zerra, her daily life often depends on the blade she takes with her into the wild. She's learned about what works and what doesn't, what steel will hold an edge, and what nuances in blade design will make or break a knife. From design to sharpening, A Modern Guide to Knifemaking covers every step in the knifemaking process. To begin, you will consider what you want your knife to accomplish, develop a design, and make a prototype. Zerra takes you through choosing and buying steel for your knife and then teaches you to build your own forge. You will learn forging basics and then move on to forge the shape of your knife and make the blade tip. From there, you will cut the blade profile, grind in bevels to make the edge of the knife, heat treat and temper your blade, grind and polish it, and make a handle and sheath for it. You will also learn sharpening techniques to maintain the edge of your new knife. Throughout, Zerra has included Pro-Tips from some of the leading knifemakers working today including Ken Onion, Kaila Cumings, and Mike Jones. A Modern Guide to Knifemaking covers every detail of knifemaking so you can make yourself the perfect knife.