First blade -- total newbie

[Ken S]

Instead of becoming confused by the vast number of options espoused on the Internet, I would hone in on the advice of a real deal expert in what you want to do. Mark Reich is a knife maker; he recommends the one inch Kalamazoo; you want to make knives. You may certainly make your own choice, however, I would give Mark's advice serious consideration.

In my case, my interest is sharpening, not knife making. I was fortunate enough to meet Steve, a real deal sharpener and instructor. The Viel he recommends works very well for a sharpener. Sharpening and knife making involve different but related skills.

Ken