Wayne Goddard's two books do a very credible job of plastering over the gaps in current common practice and knowledge.
The Wonder of Knife Making.
You can open this book on any page and find usefull content. The format is largely question and answer but don't let that put you off, its probably one of the most important books written on knifework in recent years. While much of the info is advanced, its written in everyday language and is recommended to the beginner and veteran alike. Wayne even provides translations for the tech speak used by metalurgists. When you ask him a question, nothing is taken on face value but rather it is subject to serious thought and frequently exhaustive testing. He has been torturing steel for over two decades in order to get it to yield up its secrets. This is a must have shop book for makers interested in furthering their knowledge. Not for the coffee table, unless you have two copies, but expect to get the pages black and tattered cause you'l be reaching for it at the oddest moments and mostly when your hands are dirty. If Knives.com were giving star ratings for books. this one would be a five star. Well done! *****
The $50 Knifeshop
This is a different animal entirely yet it could easily be integrated into "The Wonder of Knifemaking". Wayne's writing assumes nothing and explanations are very simple yet not in the least bit tedious. Its a lot less chatty than his earlier work as the format is not question and answer. The central theme is focused on helping people realise that very fine knives can be made with very simple and inexpensive tools. Wayne is a hunter gatherer. He pulls parts out of washing machines and wheels off of handcarts, throws in a little good old American ingenuity and before long he has a belt grinder. He shows how the guy on a tight budget can be out the gap and down the road making knives. If ever there was a book that opened up possibilities for the aspiring knifemaker, this is it.
There are other themes here too. Wayne has been working with welded cable a long time and as usual applies his mind to gaining a greater understanding of its behavior during welding and heatreating. His methods yield repeatable and predictable results and are easy to follow.
