#5 finished

E

E.D.

Joined
May 3, 2010
Messages
14
Finally getting a little better at this.. Criticisms welcome. 1080 with buffalo horn. Also my first blade to forge.
IMAG0117.jpg
 
Way to go. Keep it up. What helped me when I first tried to make a table as a new husband with no money, was trying and trying again. My wife saying I could do it, as I remembered shop class where I barely made it out. And me finally mastering how to make the edges 90 degrees and the top like glass. I never thought I'd get there, but now I make 18th century furniture fit for the best. Look for the areas that look good and the areas that need improvement and all will fall into place.
 
Looks good from what I can see, maybe take a pic from a straight on angle to better show the knife.


-Xander
 
I agree it is a little hard to tell from the angle of the photo... I say Lose the Banana!:D
 
I will critique the blade as I would one submitted for comment by a student.
The product is usable, but has several items that should be addressed in future projects. Individually, they are not too severe, but in combination they detract from the knife.
1) The handle angle is best kept with the spine continuing down the handle. Sudden changes at the guard don't function as well, and look odd to the eye.
2) The angled guard magnifies this sudden change and makes the handle look even more "bent"
3) the blade edge is dished out in grinding/sanding/sharpening. It should be straight from the ricasso. This problem is common, and we all have it from time to time.
4) Overall fit and finish needs to be worked on. The blade surface needs more time spent getting it flat,smooth, and as blemish free as possible. If you want the "Brut de Forge" look, it is fine to leave the hammer marks and scale on the area at the spine, but the bevels should be smooth and flat. Flat is the key work, as any ripples and such will bend the light like a fun house mirror, and accentuate the unevenness ( especially in a photo). If a high polished finish isn't desired, a nice satin finish is fine, but it still needs to be flat.

Don't let this critique dampen your ardor. It is ment as a guide for places to work on in the next knife. I'm betting you will show a lot of improvement.
 
The stacking on the handle looks good. All the bumps in the handle look uncomfortable. Now, make the same knife 5 more times and compare the sixth one to this one. I recently found that taking it MUCH further towards completion before the HT makes a huge difference.
 
Than handle definitely looks comfortable and you polished everything up nicely, as stated just work on the Flats and straight lines and you will be moving right along. I haven't started forging (vs. stock removal) so you have me there, way to jump in the game!

and I was joking about the banana!:D
 
Would guess it will cut, but in all honesty it looks pretty rough. Definately needed to spend more time on the blade finish and handle shaping. I would stay simple with a full tang and go from there. Don't rush to finish. Take your time and go slow. Keep at it and compare it to one down the road and see the improvements.:thumbup:
 
Thanks everyone for the feedback, always looking to improve. The offset on the handle was styled after my Ken Onion Shun's, but it definitly did not turn out how I had envisioned..However it does sit very nicely in the hand.
 
Hi - I wouldn't worry quite so much about the finish part right now, it'll come after you have the basics down. I'd worry most about getting a consistent, even and flat grind on the blade. Once it is flat and even, the finishing work will be a lot easier to tackle anyways. I'd also try to see if you can get the grind higher. I have an unfinished knife in a toolbox somewhere, from when I started. A lot of similarities, angled bolster and all.
 
I agree with what these guys have all said, but there's definitely a bright side here. It's obvious that all the ingredients of a great knife are here, and as far as the fit and finish goes, I think the stacked guard looks great on it's own. A few more hours spent on finishing, and a little more time with design, and you'll be right there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top