Recommended Tools & Materials
The following is a highly curated list of recommended tools from respected knife makers throughout the community. If I haven’t personally received the recommendation, it means they’ve endorsed the product one way of another on their site or in their videos. That said, do your research! It’s helpful to know why a product comes recommended and what it competes against.
I’m always on the search for the best deals and highest quality equipment and will update the page accordingly, so check back regularly. If you see some deals out in the wild, let me know!
As a reminder, I’ve written in detail about what each of the tools are and the purpose they serve on the Tools and Materials page.
Materials Recommendations
Knife Steel
18″ O1 Tool Steel – 5 Star – $22
Canadian-friendly: https://www.knifemaker.ca/
Material for the Handle
Micarta 2-Piece Assorted Scales – 5 Star – $9
Rivets and Pins
O1 1/8″ x 36″ Steel Rod – 5 Star – $4
10-Pack Brass Corby Bolts – 5 Star – $29
Epoxy
J-B Weld Epoxy & Hardener – 5 Star – $3
G/Flex 8oz Epoxy & Hardener – 5 Star – $27
Stropping Compound
Green Chrome Oxide Compound – 5 Star – $16
Tools and Equipment Recommendations
Safety Equipment
3M 10-Pack N95 Respirators – 5 Star – $13
JORESTECH 12-Pack Safety Glasses – 5 Star – $13
NUOLUX 10-Pack Corded Ear Plugs – 4 Star – $8
Dexterity Resistant Gloves – 4 Star – $17
Saws
LENNOX Lightweight Hacksaw – 4 Star – $15
Hacksaw Blades – Starrett Bi-Metal 10″ Blades – 5 Star – $9
Belt Grinders
Entry level belt grinder: Grizzly G1015 Belt Sander – 4 Stars – $1,118
Drills
Milwaukee Handheld Drill Kit – 5 Stars – $120
WEN 12″ Variable Speed Drill Press – 4 Stars – $256
Drill Press Vice (to hold knife in place)
TEKTON 4″ Drill Press Vise – 5 Stars – $34
Drill Bits
Irwin TurboMax 15-Piece Drill Set – 4 Stars – $13 (Remember to check the sizes!)
Metal Files
Nicholson Flat Double-Bastard File 12″ – 4 Stars – $18
Nicholson Half-Round Double Cut 10″ – 4 Stars – $15 / Stanley Half-Round Double Cut 10″ – 4 Stars – $11
Nicholson 9-Piece File Set – 4 Star – $82
Nicholson File Brush – 5 Star – $19
Sand Paper
3M 9″ x 11″ 60 Grit Sandpaper (5 Pack) – 5 Star – $5
3M Assorted 5-Pack (100, 150, 220) – 5 Star – $5
3M Assorted 5-Pack (220, 320, 400) – 5 Star – $5
3M 9″ x 11″ 800 Grit Sandpaper (5 Pack) – 5 Star – $8
3M 9″ x 11″ 1000 Grit Sandpaper (5 Pack) – 5 Star – $15
*60, 120, 220, 320/400, 600, 1000
Sanding Block
3M 5″ Rubber Sanding Block – 5 Stars – $16
Clamps
TEKTON 3-Piece C-Clamp Set – 4 Stars – $12
Bessey 24″ F-Clamp – 5 Stars – $9
Bench Vice
Entry Level Bessey Bench Vise – 4 Stars – $38
TEKTON 4″ Swivel Bench Vise – 5 Star – $53
Ball Peen Hammer
TEKTON Fibreglass 8oz Ball Peen Hammer – 5 Star – $8
Center Punch
Neiko 28-Piece Transfer Punch Set – 4 Stars – $16
Neiko Spring-Loaded Center Hole Punch – 5 Stars – $10
Sharpening System
NOTE: the Japanese use a different system to measure grits, see here.
EZE-LAP Diamond 2-Sided Sharpening Stone (600/1200 grit) – 5 Star – $55
King Japanese Sharpening Stone (1000/6000 grit) – 4 Star – $27
Shapton Japanese Whetstone (8000 grit) – 5 Star – $67
Lansky System Standard Kit – 4 Stars – $22
Lansky System Diamond Kit – 3 Stars – $51
Lansky System Sharpening Stand – 4 Stars – $10
🍁 Canadian-friendly: Gatco 5-Stone Sharpening System – 5 Star – $121
Digital Calipers
VINCA Stainless Steel Digital Caliper – 5 Star – $26
Scribe
Moody Tools Scribe – 4 Star – $6
Toaster Over
Black+Decker Stainless Steel Oven – 4 Stars – $59
Layout Dye
Dykem Steel Blue Layout Fluid – 5 Star – $8
MAPP Torch
Bernzomatic Trigger Start Torch – 5 Star – $50
WORTHINGTON Map-Pro Gas – 4 Star – $17
Pliers
Channellock 12″ Pliers – 5 Star – $14
Firebrick
Delphi Fire Brick 2-Pack – 5 Star – $28