Why does nobody talk about using a cheap angle grinder for initial bevels?

My uncle, a retired farrier, said he's used the same Harbor Freight grinder for roughing out knives for 15 years. It made me rethink spending big on a dedicated belt grinder right away. Anyone else have a go-to 'good enough' tool for the early stages?

3 comments

3 Comments

veramiller22d ago

Honestly, my first bevels looked like they were done by a drunk badger, and that was with a fancy tool. Your uncle is smart. If a cheap grinder gets the rough shape off, why not? Spending all that cash on a belt grinder just to mess up the heat treat later feels bad. A lot of this hobby is about learning what you actually need before you drop serious money. That Harbor Freight special has probably saved more projects than it's ruined.

jesse_nguyen22d ago

Exactly, you learn more from the cheap mistakes.

emerycarr1d ago

My first "precision" bevel was so off it looked like a cartoon knife drawn by a toddler. I used a $40 angle grinder from a pawn shop and a prayer. That ugly thing taught me more about hand pressure than any $2k machine ever could. Now I see guys with their shiny new 2x72s accidentally making fancy letter openers because they skipped the basics. The cheap tools aren't the problem, they're the test.