A bunch on the bench

[Brian.Evans]

I've been trying to decide if I even wanted to post this picture all day. I've decided to, for a couple of reasons. One, I'd like some feedback on the designs. Eventually, I'm hoping one of these knives will turn out well enough to sell. Maybe I can make enough money to buy more steel and belts. Two, and this is really the reason, I wanted to show and discuss a couple of things. My knifemaking is coming along, but I'd like it to be even better. Every knife I try to do one thing better. The first few I was just going at it willy-nilly, without focus, no sense of direction, and no real idea of what I wanted to do. I guess I assumed it would just come to me. It didn't.

Then I started focusing. I went to the basics. One thing at a time. Just like learning to start an IV or read an EKG, I'm trying to break down the process into specific subprocesses and really make decent knives.

The last one I ground, I really concentrated. I worked on making the handle comfortable. The biggest thing I wanted to avoid was stepping or blowing through the spine with the plunge. Success! The next one I'm doing will incorporate that new skill and will be the first time I've ground the plunge behind the front of the finger choil. (I'm not sure that makes sense. Look at my camp/food prep WIP to see what I mean.) Then, I'm going to practice grinding high flat grinds rather than full flats. This will help me learn to keep my grind heights equal rather than relying on the spine.

Maybe distal taper next? Hidden pins and a hidden tang are on the list too. Oh, and a guard. All stuff I want to learn. One thing at a time though.

I guess what I'm saying is; don't give up, and don't forget the details.

I read a quote the other day, someday I will make a sign and put it above my bench:

Every step of any project should be considered your masterpiece if you want the finished product to reflect the quality of your work.

Think about that for a second. It's really true.

Anyway, here's the picture.
#2 is my second blade. The grind is wrong, and the plunge is wrong. I'm going to try to salvage the blade by moving the plunge back, doing it right, and making it a hidden tang.
#6 is the one I talked about not blowing the spine earlier.
#7 is my camp/EDC WIP knife

All the little blades are 3/32" A2. The big blades already ground are 5/32" O1. The big blades glued to steel are 1/8" O1, and the huge chopper thing is 3/16" O1. (I messed up and ordered the wrong steel, but I'm going to make the best of it.)

Oh, and the razor at the top is just a mess around project made from an old razor. Anyone know how to heat treat a file razor? Hey!, it's not a file knife question...........

 

[ERIK KNIVES]

I would say try to find a steel that fits the knife and do not design the knife around the steel. The middle two paper cutouts on one bar look the most appealing to me at least.

 

[Brian.Evans]

I would say try to find a steel that fits the knife and do not design the knife around the steel. The middle two paper cutouts on one bar look the most appealing to me at least.

Those are my favorite blades too. I am putting most of my energy into that design. I really like how it feels in my hand. I mocked up a set of scales from oak and it really fills the hand well.

Remember, they are just mock up scales to test over all length an how it fits my hand.

 

[ERIK KNIVES]

Something I learned the hard way is that a blank in the hand feels much different than a blank with scales (slabs, handles) on it.

 

[Hengelo_77]

If you place the paper knifes point to point, one with the edge up and the other spine up, you can move them closer.
That way you can make larger knives out of the steel you have or save some steel you can use for a hardenable butt plate

 

[Brian.Evans]

If you place the paper knifes point to point, one with the edge up and the other spine up, you can move them closer.
That way you can make larger knives out of the steel you have or save some steel you can use for a hardenable butt plate

Hey thanks! I never thought about that.

 

[tryppyr]

Personally, I think people put too much mental energy in trying to get as many knives as they can from a billet of steel. Yeah, if you're a business you want to maximize your profits by limiting your costs... but really, is that so very important for someone who isn't even selling yet?

You mentioned focusing on the details, and I agree that is important. But some people focus on details that don't improve the quality of the end product, and from my vantage point, that's just a distraction. You often hear the statement "choose your battles wisely". In project management I advise people to "choose the details you focus on wisely". Two of my staff just LOVE focusing on minutae... I have to tell them time and time again to focus on the big picture first, THEN pick the details to focus on.

Same applies here. You want quality knives, you need to focus on the things that enhance quality. Trying to make the scrap pieces as tiny as possible isn't going to help with quality. In fact, it could easily cause you to do things that detract from quality.

Pick your big picture first, then focus on the details important to achieving that big picture goal.

 

[Brian.Evans]

I think Greg, if it helps me get one extra knife out of the steel, it will help. In this case, two extra inches of stock aren't going to help, so I'm going to leave the patterns for now. However it might come in handy some other time.

As for the 3/16" steel, I don't know what to do with it. Is there a section I can post it up for trade? I just don't know what to do with a piece that thick. Is the pattern I've drawn on it inappropriate for the steel thickness?

 

[David Sharp]

I'm a newbie myself so take it for what it's worth. You have a lot of stuff going on there. I would encourage you to concentrate on a couple start to finish. You will notice that grinding a couple profiles, bevels, handles in a row will quickly show and reinforce the success. From day one I have worked in batches of four (that is what my oven comfortably holds). You will notice especially in grinding the bevel that the first blade "warms" you up for the following (I never grind just one).

I do like #6 and the two O1 the best but strongly agree with Erik; it looks like you hamstrung yourself with the too small steel.

I would say try to find a steel that fits the knife and do not design the knife around the steel. The middle two paper cutouts on one bar look the most appealing to me at least.

 

[Brian.Evans]

For being a "grind and go" knife that I didn't draw first, everyone seems to like #6. The two on the 1/8" O1 are a nice mid sized design. I am excited about that design.

I like my small knives, as I will use them more in my day to day life.

Maybe I will just oil the 3/16" piece and put it aside until I get my forge built.