Knife Engineering: Steel, Heat Treating, and Geometry

Another purchase where I kinda have to laugh at myself for not totally understanding what I was getting. There is a LOT of material in this book, covering pretty-much every technical aspect of the considerations that should go into making a knife. I have no intention of making knives, myself, but as something of an armchair engineer and knife enthusiast, I am very curious about the topic. I got this book thinking it would be a good, all-in-one source of information. And it IS, but... ...whew, is it ever dense! There's a mountain of information in this book, which goes through every facet of interest in highly methodical detail. At first glance it's quite overwhelming. But, then again, it's a big topic and there's a lot of ground to cover. So I guess I'm not sure what I would've been expecting with a title like "Knife Engineering," knowing what I know about the study of working in steel, and what a deep topic that is. After diving into the book a bit, what I've come to realize is that it's incredibly well organized, and the sections where there is a great deal of detail are the sections wherein it makes complete sense for them to be more in-depth. And the language used is honestly very straight-forward. Everything is explained step-by-step, without assuming a lot of previous background on the part of the reader, and without glossing over key concepts that are crucial toward understanding. Another nice thing about the way the book is presented is that it's entirely possible to hop into a section of interest, and gain something useful from it without necessarily needing to have gone through all the foregoing material. The sections in the book are in a logical order, and there's benefit to be gained from reading it sequentially, but the information is "loosely coupled" and may be effectively thumbed through out of order. Overall it's a great book -- I don't know of anything else quite like it on the subject.

Once in a blue moon a book comes along that's so good, so useful, so complete, and so definitive, that we affectionately call it a "Bible." You might recall THE Bible, which isn't a book so much as it is a library. But there have been other books we might call Bibles. There's _The Traditional Bowyer's Bible_ which comes in four volumes so is also a kind of library. The editor took a risk by putting "Bible" right in the title, but it has lived up to the name, so we can forgive any presumption that might've been involved. Now, there is a new Bible. It is called _Knife Engineering: Steel, Heat Treating, and Geometry_, and it's by Larrin Thomas, son of Devin Thomas, maker of Damascus and other things. Larrin Thomas isn't just the son of a famous Damascus steel maker, either. He has a PhD in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. Having recently read this book, I've decided this is the new knife-maker's Bible. It is a must read for anybody who is interested in knife-making. It skillfully and articulately unravels the riddle of steel, its properties, the different affects of alloying elements, heat treating methods, and even blade geometry. Up until now, I've been recommending that everybody read _Steel Metallurgy for the Non-Metallurgist_ by John Verhoeven (which I still recommend), but _Knife Engineering_ has earned the title of the knife maker's Bible. Maybe that's going too far, though. I think the information in that book is invaluable besides being really interesting. But it's not actually about knife making. There's no guide for how to actually make a knife. It's about one aspect of knife making--the metallurgical aspect. But heat treating is arguably the most crucial aspect of knife making, so knife steel metallurgy is pretty fundamental, so I'm still going to call it a Bible. If you're not interested in making knives, but you are interested in buying and using knives, but you don't know anything about different kinds of steels or how to go about choosing a knife or judging between steels, you should still read this book. It will open your mind. Larrin Thomas also has a blog called Knife Steel Nerds that is worth checking out.

This is the book I have been waiting for. It answers a lot of questions I've had in a way that is reader friendly. The author has the reader in mind as he writes. When he uses industry jargon he explains what he means. He is also repetitive for the reader's sake. A concept might be introduced in one part of the book and then come up again in relation to everything else. It is obvious this was done to help the reader and I appreciate that very much. The author said he designed the book to be read through. This is something I recommend doing -with a pen - even just once to get a feel for the book. I found it helpful to mark the information I was looking for, then go back to it, and trace through those topics. For me, it was better than having a ready index at first because it forced me into the book. This places the information I was looking for in it's context. In my opinion reading the book through gives a wider application and makes it easier to remember. For me a steel or topic index would have been been a distraction. I would have not placed the information in context and would have wasted time flipping around the book. Edit: This is true at the first reading, but now that I'm going back through it, an index would be helpful. Along the same lines, the author says one reason he put the information in a book (in print) was because it is easier for some people to learn from a book instead of from the computer. Personally, I don't like reading on a computer or being dependent on the internet so that was one of the main reasons I bought it - without needing any reviews. Another major reason was because I could already tell from his website that he communicates well - especially in writing - and this continues in his book. Also if I wanted to get into stainless and more complex steel the info is there to get started. The book is definitely user friendly. It takes work to get through some parts but definitely worth the time. I appreciate the author's effort to make the information attainable. The only problem I had is I thought I was buying the second edition but maybe not. Mine has typos and it doesn't say anywhere if it is a first or second edition. So, make sure you are getting the second edition. I am not spending any more money on knifemaking supplies for awhile. I made an exception with buying this book and I'm glad I did. It's both user friendly and affordable.

This is a good book, mainly focused on materials science. The author effectively summarizes the key concepts in each chapter. Highly recommended for knife enthusiasts.

Lots of good accurate information. Excellent reference book and a good read if you are a knife nerd. I highly recommend.

I have a hard time with what to do with the information in this book, and that's fantastic. If I can absorb and make use of even 10% of the information in this book it will make what I'm doing significantly better. Me and my wife have started making knifes as a hobby, we hope to sale them at some point when we get good enough. I knew, understanding the material would be important, this book goes so far down into the weeds that if you attempt to take a 50,000 foot view you'll never understand what the book is trying to say. This book won't tell you simply how to heat treat your steel or any steel it actually goes into why, shows test results on different steel types and explains at a very detailed level the results in data. Some people will hate that about this book, but those people I don't understand how they will be able to properly make a good premium knife. Understanding what this book says I am sure will take us from hobby, to effective to mastery. It's all here, it's just going to take a lot of reading, and maybe even some education along the way to understand more of the topics but I think this book will be a great guide in that process. I would not recommended this book for someone who just wants to be told what the average best is, this book is for someone who wants to know for themselves and have the knowledge to figure out what the best is for the knife your making and what the knifes goal and use is.

I have been fanatically into cutting edges, cutting tool designs and tool steel alloys for about ten years now. Long before this I hung out with enough working engineers to pick up a bit of what is in the book i.e. plastic / elastic limits, stress risers and such. Dr. Thomas exactly explains those subjects as I was taught them thirty years ago then goes on to teach the whys, wherefores and fine points in such a way that even the scientists among us will be satisfied. The amateurs among us will find them selves, as I do, reading and rereading nearly every line so as to gain a secure grip on the subject matter. This in no way reflects negatively on Dr. Thomas it is a result of how rich and in depth the learning here is. Jam packed with what you want to know IF your focus is the facts about cutting tools. Not just pocket knives and fixed blades but about any cutting tool you can imagine. Yup, this is the real deal. Larrin isn't playing around. UPDATE : 9-4-20 I have had a good time slowly and carefully dissecting the first two hundred pages during short but laser focused periods while sitting in the poor man’s reading room. To preface I am still thankful for this text. I have no credentials other than proof that I at one time slouched around a high school for four years. That said I have spent all of those years and 42 more, voraciously reading technical books such as this one. I have a bit of an obsession with knowledge in the fields of metal working and mechanics by which I earn my bread and cheese. ? ( what the deuce is he going on about besides the obvious reference to Douglas Adams ) . . . you may ask yourself ? I'm just saying that before there was ever any of this business with computers and at home desk top publishing one could count on a decent glossary and an extensive index in the back of the book. Now that we have introduced computers into the venture, some how, it has become ? impossible ? to have even a rough and ready, slip shod, glossary or index ? Nooooo ! Really ? ? ? Surely not ! Hooo K. Apparently that is one of the things you pay for when you purchase the metallurgy book that sells for hundreds of dollars over the $35 one. Who knew ? I took off a star for that. Was that fair of me ? I don't know. I wasn't there when the book was generated Oh well you can start your own glossary and Index in the blank pages at the back like I have. It's all part of the fun. I'm quite used to adding to them in regular technical books but this may be the first time I have had the “freedom” to create them from scratch. An invigorating if slow process. Enjoy ! PS: On a positive note I now understand why even a minuscule amount ( proper tern Micro Alloy ) of vanadium very significantly improves a knife blade. Also HOW chromium increases the melting temperature of high carbon steel. In addition why blade smiths who hand hammer forge this steel need to read the data sheet for the particular alloy rather than make assumptions about high carbon stainless steels.

If you're into knives this THE BOOK. Author is clear and concise and covers a lot of ground. From metal properties to edge types and lots more. So glad I got this book.