Knifemaking Unplugged

This video is priceless to anyone wishing to get into knife making. I'm new to making knives but have invested quite a bit of time and money in tools and literature. This video on it's own gave me more information and actual knowledge than everything else combined. In my opinion this is about as good a video as one could wish for on the subject. My personal preferences so far have leaned toward the "stock removal" technique. This video covers the opposite end of the spectrum actually showing you how to turn a flat piece of leaf spring into a finished knife. Although I am no Blacksmith the information in this video covers many topics that would be extremely beneficial to both schools of thought. You get pretty much everything from making of a mini charcoal forge to cutting and hammering techniques. Also, Mr. Lively and his wife cover how to make your own fuel and the finishing touches and sheath making. I would've bought the movie for that part alone! So many knife makers concentrate only on the steel and let someone else show you how to do the handles and sheaths. Trust me when I say the only disappointment you will get from this video is when you try to search Livelyknives.com and realize that the man has "thrown in the towel" and retired. I haven't yet watched them all but if knife making is a topic you're in to then this video will not disappoint.

I had watched this video years ago when a friend lent it to me for viewing so I pretty much knew what I was getting into. This vid was professionally produced so no "B" movie type presentation here. This is a nice resource for those who enjoy knifemaking in general and even more so for those wanting to try knifemaking without spending a fortune for tools and materials. Great for anyone interested in making "Tribal" type knives without the use of electricity and/or power tools.This video contains a "bonus" in that you are shown how to do some basic sand casting to make a guard for the knife.I highly recommend this video to anyone that has an interest in the topics covered. And the $20 price tag is a bargain no matter how you look at it.Purchase a copy and support Tim Lively and his wife Marian. I'm not sure they ever actually made money selling this video due to the high production costs (read: high quality video) required to make it. Shell out the bucks and support a couple of great people.

The delivery came early and I watched it right when I got it. The Lively team delivered exactly what they advertised and I am very pleased. I believe that Tim is extremely educated in the field of metallurgy and goes over in the simplest of format for the audience to comprehend. Marian is also extremely knowledgable and easy to understand, however I did have to make do with a couple of alternative tools that I did not have for the type of metal working that she was doing. All in all I have enjoyed this process and have only good things to say about the video. The only constructive criticism that I have is that the video could have been shortened by not showing so much of the heating and hammering but rather talking with a little more information while it was happening, however the music in the background during the process worked with a similar effect.

This is an excellent, well-produced video that takes you step-by-step through Tim Lively's primitive method for making knives, using scrap metal from old leaf springs (made of 5160 steel). Tim shows how the knifemaking process can be simplified thereby greatly reducing the cost. He uses scrap materials and adobe to build a simple forge and an old hand crank blower to control the flow of air. His fuel is a homemade charcoal. If you are interested in knifemaking, but do not have a lot of money to spend, this video will offer you low-cost alternatives to using costly equipment such as expensive anvils, forges, and grinders. I highly recommend it for both its educational and entertainment value.

Brilliant, simple, and cost-effective!!!...If like me, you like the art of forging a blade, but don't have the skills or the money to do so, this video was custom made for you.Mind, this is all done the "old way", no power tools- which in my opinion is something good since most of the material around provided by other authors require more expensive material.The idea on how to make a portable forge can save you a few hundreds of dollars (the blower shouldn't be too easy to find outside of the U.S, i believe- but other alternatives are always possible).Thank you guys for such a remarkable work.PS: keep in mind, though, that if you already have some equipment(e.g. forge), you may find this video a bit basic- anyway, it is all about going back to the basis- no electricity.

Excellent tutorials! This DVD shows you how to blacksmith a knife from start to finish. It stays low tech... showing you how to make charcoal and your own forge. The authors work with a tradition anvil (another money saver).The only minus is that the DVD doesn't play in some players. It's a mastering issue I imagine and, to be fair, I haven't contacted the authors to find out if that's a standard problem or a glitch on just my copy.worth buying!

This DVD is a solid and well thought out instructional knifemaking video. Tim Lively and wife Marion give good explanation and demonstration on the primitive or handmaking styles of a quality camp knife. Tim takes you from designing your own charcoal forge and everything you need, to materials, forging, heat treating and tempering. Marion takes you through designing and creating a custom leather sheath for the knife including sand casting for the bolster and fitting. All in all this is a quality video to get anyone interested in knifemaking well on their way to accomplishing their goal. There is much more on the video and well worth having. Hats off to Tim and Marion. I'm a fan.