A question of design. For all to answer.

Joined
May 23, 2000
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I have read many threads that discuss the individual opinions about peoples favorite knife or knives. These have been some of the more fascinating threads in my opinion. I propose a new discussion in this area. Instead of picking one's favorite knife and explaining your reasons. I would like to know what you would make if you could design your ideal knife. I understand that those of you who make knives are often constrained by price and availability of material, not to mention the amount of work that a certain piece might require to complete, and last but not least the demands of the knife buying public.
I would like to see what kinds of designs both knife makers and enthusiasts would consider if they could design what their ideal knife looks like and what it is made of.
I expect that someone who curently makes knives will have something totally different in mind than would the knife enthusiast. I would be interested to see such things as dimensions of the blade, blade material, handle material, type of grind and what rockwell you would give the blade.
I myself have my version of an ideal blade that I might try to make someday. I would start off with CPM10V for the blade steel. Preferrably 1/4 inch or slightly thicker. The blade would have a cutting edge of approximately five and a half inches with a finger choil about an inch long and half an inch deep so that I could choke up on the blade for the more delicate cutting tasks. I think that I would probably give it a five inch handle with a rounded birds head design.This would have ironwood for the handle slabs because it is relatively tough and durable. It would be balanced at the finger choil so that it would balance well if I ever had to use it to defend myself. I also expect that if I gave it a Moran grind, (primary bevel only, ground in a continuous convex arc all the way to the spine) and a deep belly with a shallow drop point that I could also us it for light to medium chopping,such as dry deadfall for firewood. I also like CPM10V for it's edge holding. I also believe that in a short knife with a thick grind that this steel would be strong enough to tolerate being pried with. The fact that it is not stain resistant is something that I've considered but would rather have the edge holding and toughness that this steel appears to have in the steel charts. Last of all I would give it a hardness of 60rc on the rockwell scale. Assuming that It could be done it would have a nice hand rubbed finish to about 600 grit.
So. What does your knife look like?
 
I guess I have to
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It was my design, slightly tweaked by custom maker Harald Moeller to get the heft and balance just right
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The Outsider...

Jim
 
Hi my brother knife nuts! I would like a knife with hardness and steel that favor ease of sharpening over edge holding. I like flat ground knives and 3 and a half inches would do the job. I would like it to be forged 52100 bearing quality steel with a black micarta handle and stainless steel guard that is hardened to resist scratches. I would like az really ergonomic handle shaped to fit my exact hand and a black leather or kydex sheath. Hey What about a silver sheath complete metal! that would be cool. Or an elephant ivory sheath! Any way I am a city slicker and need just something to open packages and whittle wood. I hope this thread grows really long!
 
It would have to be INFI..... but i'm not sure of the design. A Katana would be nice, not sure if it's practical though. An INFI dagger would truly rock, although it would be illegal for me to import. Or maybe.... aaargh, too many ideas!

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The beast we are, lest the beast we become.

[This message has been edited by James Healy (edited 05-23-2000).]
 
In a usin' folder, I'd start with the Wegner semi-skinner blade design, get rid of the Hole and hump and substitute a thumbstud that protrudes from both sides for ambi. I'd make it light with G-10 or Carbon Fiber slabs (but I sure love Ironwood), and have Kit Carson build it like a brick $#!+house with thin titanium bolsters, and out of properly heat treated CPM420V by Phil Wilson. I'd use Wegner's handle shape but put the pocket clip on the correct side so the curvature of the knife lined up with my front jeans pocket.

Another excellent handle shape (toss up) for a folder is Dave Broadwell's LDC-107 (see Les Robertson's LDC stuff on the web). In fact, Dave's LDC-107 is the closest to perfect I know of actually, if only with a good looking semi-skinner blade and out of 420V.

In a drop point hunter, you can see my actual knife... my design ideas melded with Dave Broadwell's into a Norris stainless damascus with premium stag handle done with hidden/mortised tang under the "tactical/outdoor, custom hunters" section at: http://www.wf.net/~broadwll/knives/tactical.html

For a Bowie, Jerry Fisk generally already does what I'd want out of a Bowie or out of a Camp Knife... big, light, quick, strong, just rather have something stainless and forged with Jerry's great distal taper and flat grind (it can be done, but not by many, Karl Schroen and Sean McWilliams on the short list).

Walter Brend's Model 2 (regular or subhilt) is a stout, elegant, excellent fighter. It is simply too heavy. I'd take the Model 2 and give it a tapered tang and perhaps a slightly thinner blade stock. For steel, I wish there were something as tough as A2 or CPM-3V that were stainless. If we could cross INFI with 440V somehow...

Dave Broadwell's subhilt MLR is another absolute gem of a fighter, also useful as a general belt knife.
 
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