BOOKS FOR KNIFEMAKERS compiled for BLADE Magazine by Bernard Levine, (c)1996 updated 2008 WHEN I began to read about knives in 1971, choosing a knife book was easy. There was only one in print (American Knives by Harold Peterson). If you wanted a knifemaking book, you were out of luck. Since the early 1970s, however, scores of knife books have been published, with more than a dozen devoted to knifemaking (not to mention all the knifemaking articles in this and other periodicals). So what books does today's budding knifemaker have to chose from? First we look at titles available now, then at out-of-print knifemaking titles you can hunt for at knife shows, used bookstores, and libraries. IN PRINT WAYNE GODDARD'S $50 DOLLAR KNIFE SHOP Revised edition.  by Wayne Goddard  Softcover 8˝ X 11, 160 pages, full color. $20. Plus $5 shipping via priority mail. Wayne says this is a totally new book, all updated and with color photos, many new photos as well as a new chapter on jigs and fixtures. This book has both a stock removal knife and forged knife how-to-do-it projects, as well as the whole updated homemade grinder series.  The book includes a complete history and the how-to of making wire damascus. Those who have seen it say the new chapter on jigs and fixtures is worth the price of the book. Wayne writes about knifemaking for Blade, and has made knives for more than four decades. He has boiled down his hard-won knowledge of bladesmithing and wire damascus into a book overflowing with techniques and data. Wayne Goddard, 473 Durham Ave., Eugene OR 97404 Phone 541-689-8098    e-mail wgoddard44@comcast.net Video, workshops, and lessons also available. Also available from Wayne Goddard: Book:  BLADE Guide To Making Knives. 160 pages, all in color. $25.00 plus $5.00 shipping via priority mail Chapters are: Dedicated to the Study of Sword Making by Don Fogg. It's Time to Fashion a High Tech Folder by Allen Elishewitz. Building the Bolsters of Alchemy by John Lewis Jensen. Making the Everyday Working Knife by Wayne Goddard. Methods of Tomahawk Making are Timeless by Joe Szilaski. His Forge Burns Hot for Mosaic Damascus by Rick Dunkerley. The Art and Science of Blade Grinding by R. J. Martin. Book: THE WONDER OF KNIFEMAKING by Wayne Goddard, $20. plus $5.00 shipping. Softcover 8˝ X 11, 160 pages, 16 page color gallery.   A book crafted from the best of nine-years of BLADE Magazine features.  It isn't a start to finish book on knifemaking but goes into detail on many subjects that are not covered in any other written format. Several chapters of all new material have been included.   DVD: Wayne's two-hour, knifemaking-adventure video is now available on DVD. "The Wire Damascus Hunting Knife, How To Do It" can be divided into five major segments: 1)    Anvils, forge tools and hammer techniques - 10 minutes. 2)    Welding the damascus billet - 20 minutes. 3)    Forging to shape and heat treating - 45 minutes. 4)    Grinding the blade, hand rubbing and etching the blade. - 25 minutes. 5)    Inletting, affixing and finishing the handle - 25 minutes.   There is some overlap with lots of tips, jigs, tools and techniques thrown in. The DVD format is sharp and clear with a huge advantage being the stop-action feature.  Much of the knifemaking video moves almost too fast, however with the DVD format a specific image can be stopped while the details are studied. $25.00 plus $5.00 postage. <<<<>>>>  OTHER BOOKS check Knife World Publications for availability http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?knifeworld+MTECdQ+index.html How to Make Folding Knives; A Step-By-Step How-To, by Ron Lake, Frank Centofante, and Wayne Clay (194 pages; $13.95). Published by Blade/Krause Publications. Well illustrated. Whether or not you are a knifemaker, this book will help you really understand just how much skill and labor goes into making a first-class pocketknife. If you are a maker, or want to be, then read, re-read, and pay attention to this excellent book. How to Make Knives by Richard W. Barney and Robert W. Loveless (182 pages, 13.95 + shipping, Published by Blade/Krause Publications). Learn how Bob did it back in 1978. [For a more recent view, see his video.] Hardcover Paladin Press series by Jim Hrisoulas: The Complete Bladesmith (180 pages, $35); The Master Bladesmith: Advanced Studies in Steel (296 pages, $45); The Pattern Welded Blade (113, pages, $35). Clear straightforward exposition. The Master Bladesmith is the best of the series, and can stand alone. Available from Knife World (800)828-7751. Plus videos, too. The Hand Forged Knife by Karl Schroen (136 pages, $12.95). Modest in size but thorough in coverage of the basics; lots of close-up photos. Published by Knife World (800)828-7751. Step-by-Step Knifemaking: You Can Do It! by David Boye (270 pages, $16.95). Rodale Press. Boye is smart and original, and if you like his style you can learn here how he makes it. The Gun Digest Book of Knifemaking, by Jack Lewis and Roger Combs (224 pages, $16.95) DBI Books/Krause Publications. Solid, if a bit dated. The Complete Book of Pocketknife Repair by Ben Kelley, Jr. (130 pages, $10.95) Published by Blade/Krause Publications. Much of the information applies to knifemaking, as well. Custom Knifemaking: 10 Projects from a Master Craftsman by Tim McCreight (222 pages, $17.95). Stackpole Books. The author is a shop teacher. Suitable for beginners. Sharpening and Knife Making by Jim Watson (176 pages, $12.95) Schiffer. Focus on woodcarving knives and tools. Gene Chapman, PO Box 1038, Kingston, Washington 98346, has written and published several how-to booklets on forging pocketknives. Order these direct from him (include $2 postage for one copy, $1 each for additional copies or titles). Antler & Iron II: how to build French-style stopping-notch folders, which he calls "Mt. Man Folders." Penny Knife: how to make penny knives (springless folders). $6. Little Uglies: how to make a folder design of his. $6. ____________________________________________________________ OUT OF PRINT The best knife how-to ever written is L'Art du Coutelier by Jean Jacques Perret of Paris (published in 1771). Details how to make every type of cutlery and surgical instrument, also cutlers' tools and raw materials. Three folio volumes with 100s of engravings, text in French. Very few of today's makers could work to Perret's high standards. A companion volume to Perret is L'Art du Coutelier en Ouvrages Communs by Fougeroux de Bondaroy, on the "mass-production" of low-cost knives, much like today's bladesmithing. In 1993 I translated six chapters from Perret's volume I for the National Knife Magazine, so you can see for yourself what real knifemaking is all about: January '93: Forging damascus steel. March '93: Making and using hand tools. May '93: Designing, making, and using pocketknife patterns. July '93: Workshop and store. September '93: Making veterinary instruments. November '93: Making and using sharpening equipment. Manuel du Coutelier by M. H. Landrin, 1835. An early pocket-sized how-to, in French. I have only ever seen one copy. How Knives Are Made by Blackie Collins (112 pages, 1975, Custom Knifemakers Supply). Shows factory and hand methods; written by the eminent knife designer, who was then just getting started. Knifecraft by Sid Latham (240 pages, 1978, Stackpole Books). Detailed shop visits narrated by a pioneer knife writer. How to Make Your Own Knives by Jim Mayes (192 pages, 1978, Everest House). How to achieve the home-made look. How to Make Your Own Knives by Percy Blandford, Published by Tab Books.