The Wonder of Knifemaking

Title: The Wonder of Knifemaking

Author: Wayne Goddard
ISBN: 0-87341-798-4
Published 2000 by Krause Publications, Iola WI
158 pages

Wayne Goddard is a professional knifesmith and writes a question and answer column for "BLADE MAGAZINE". In this large format paperback book, he has taken questions and answers from his columns, added to some of the answers and also interspersed new information. Much of the text is presented in a question-answer format.

Although this book is written for the knifesmith, there is a great deal of very useful information for the average blacksmith. Chapter 2, The Mystery and Magic of Steel is a very detailed presentation on the metallurgy of tool steels. In my opinion this chapter picks up from where Jack Andrews leaves off in his "NEW EDGE OF THE ANVIL" chapter: Metallurgy for the Blacksmith. Goddard gives detailed analyses of different tool steels and explains how the different alloying elements effect the quality of the steel. Much of this information and the information presented in Chapter 3: Heat Treating: The Real Secret to Blade Performance will be of great use to the blacksmith who is making tooling from tool steels.

Also of interest to the average blacksmith is his chapter on how to sharpen knives. Even those of us who do not make knives have to sharpen the ones we have.

There are many charts, tables, drawings and photographs, which help explain what he is writing about. In addition at the center of the book there is a section of color pictures of Goddard's knifes showing the quality and variety of his work.

If there is one negative to the book, it is the fact that there is no index to the book. This makes it difficult to quickly locate text on a particular topic.

Although I am not a knifemaker, it seems to me that this is an extremely practical and useful book for the knifesmith and blacksmith both. I found it to be very readable and was glad that I had purchased it.

Book review by Albin Drzewianowski

-- AlbinDrzewianowski - 01 Jan 2008