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Let's work on the assumption you are considering stock removal as your method of creating knife shapes versus using a forge, anvil, and hammer. You will essentially carve your knife out of a steel bar versus molding the bar into a knife shape. Comparatively, each method has its advantages and challenges. In the hands of a patient and competent individual, neither is inherently "better", just "different". For most folks, stock removal is likely an easier point of entry.
Allow me to simplify what you need into three categories and three levels. This framework should address whatever level of comfort and capability you currently have. Also, I won't linger on topics like handles and woodworking. These articles are not for advanced knifemakers with decades of experience. Furthermore, I am not a machinist, carpenter, mechanic, electrician, engineer, or anything like that. I am a novice artisan who makes a living as a business professional in a corporate environment. Starting out I had little basis and learned from the ground up.
If you're like me and still new at this whole thing, then maybe I can share some... experience? wisdom? bad decisions? Yes to all that.
Journey
Steel & Materials
Tools
Information
Start here!
Making your first knife? You'll need steel and simple tools, then follow a few steps.
Begin with 1080, an accessible, proven, and inexpensive carbon steel.
You will need a way to cut metal, plane metal, and heat it up to nearly 1500 degrees F.
Making your first knife
What do you need to do with the steel and tools? It's pretty straightforward actually...
Expanding your capabilities
Acquire new tools and develop more techniques without breaking the bank.
Upcycling
Using random steel is not an ideal approach for the new knife maker. Once you are familiar with known steels then why not play around with files.
Inexpensive tools
Files and sanding blocks work well. There are also several cheap tools that can save time and effort.
Exploring heat treatment
Arguably the most important aspect of knife making. Heat treatment determines hardness, sharpness, and other characteristics.
Diving completely in
Get our your wallets and thinking caps. It's about to get a little crazy.
Tricky steels
Each steel has a distinct personality. None is "better" or "worst" but they are quite different! Some require special techniques and equipment as well...
Specialty tools
You can easily spend thousands of dollars on cool-looking and sounding tools that you later find out you didn't really need or were not ready for.
I know this all too well...
Practicing and starting with advanced techniques
You've made the same knife dozens and dozens of times and you're ready to move on. What's next?
Each of the articles above includes instructions, links to helpful resources (that I use often!),
and my own experiences after four very short years of making knives and knife-shaped-objects.
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