Almost done

They don't look sharpened? Most people want a sharpened knife.

Also, the middle one looks like it's been overheated at a spot on the edge where it looks blue. If already heat treated and tempered, that spot won't hold the edge the same as the rest of the knife. No bueno. :(

I like the designs, they look nice!

At the right price, somebody will buy anything! :)
 
milkbaby said:
They don't look sharpened? Most people want a sharpened knife.

Also, the middle one looks like it's been overheated at a spot on the edge where it looks blue. If already heat treated and tempered, that spot won't hold the edge the same as the rest of the knife. No bueno. :(

I like the designs, they look nice!

At the right price, somebody will buy anything! :)
Click to expand...
Ya i havent sharpened them yet and i got the middle one too hot. I cant seem to get the edge even. Beginning and tip of blade r always thicker than middle.
 
No offence intended but I would suggest you probably aren't ready to sell yet. The knives are a good start, but I would focus on going slow, and making sure quality matters more than quantity. Focus on practical designs and the intended use of the knife. Once you have your designs sorted out, focus on finish quality. I would suggest looking through the makers sale section here and seeing what kind of knives they are selling and in what price range. I'm not saying you have to me on par with the master smiths by any means, but it gives a reference of where other makers who sell in a given price range are at. My biggest concern is functionality and consistency. If you rush and sell a bunch of knives before you are ready, you may put out an inferior product that hurts your name or reputation. Simple things like bolster to scale gaps, uneven grinds, and overheated spots on the edge are all things that you don't want on a knife you send to a customer.

In the end it's up to you when you feel ready to sell, and I'm not trying to talk you out of anything. I made a lot of knives that were given away as testers before I felt I was ready to take someone's money for something that would have my name on it forever.
 
Sharpe5097 said:
Ya i havent sharpened them yet and i got the middle one too hot. I cant seem to get the edge even. Beginning and tip of blade r always thicker than middle.
Click to expand...
You need to hold and put more pressure at the plunge and do the same at the tip of the knife. There is more contact time in the center of the blade then at the plunge and tip if you just make one pass while grinding.
Just remember that the pressure needs to be at the plunge line not the whole blade. Be patient about selling your knives. You are not just selling a product you are selling your name.
 
I don't think those can be made saleable. Sharpen them and give them away to people who will give you feedback on how the edges hold up and on the designs.

What to improve on your next knives would be:
Pins flush with the scales
Eliminate the gaps between the brass spacer and scales
Eliminate the gaps between the pins and scales
Get all the scratch lines on the flats going the same direction

Don't get me wrong, I think you've got a great start. Make one knife at a time and concentrate on the above and you'll have something quite nice.
 
I agree with the others. You are not ready to sell. Spend the time learning your craft. Post the progress of your knife projects here and ask for critiques. You may get honest answers that seem harsh at times but these folks want to help and they have been where you are. Be humble and listen to the advice and suggestions, then do what they suggest. You will avoid a lot of beginner mistakes that way and your work will progress much faster. Patience grasshopper!
 
make more knives and use them as shop knives and in your kitchen.
Then make the next one better with improvement points you find yourself.

Ask yourself if you'd buy those knives and be honest
 
Best way to judge readiness is for you to look at your knives like a customer would. Be honest with your self, would you pay money for them. Every one above has given good advice. You can try to sell anything but remember somthing is only worth what someone will pay for it. Getting into custom knives for money is the wrong way to to do it. It has to be a passion and obsession that is not driven by the thought of money. Those knives are very rough, use them yourself. Keep making them and learn the basics. Once your fit and finish comes up to a basic level then start giving them away. We all have to start some where and my first knives did not look that good so your on the right track.
 
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Good advice from all the above.

I agree that they are far from sales ready. Of the three, only the first looks useful as a working knife. The second one has a way too fat belly for anything but a skinning knife. It also has a weird shape handle that would be better if it replaced with the handle on the third one. The blade design of the third one should definitely be re-worked. The whole blade to handle transition is wrong ... and there is the thing sticking down from the blade. The finish on the third one is also about half done.

Best advice for a new maker who plans on selling is knives someday - Don't try and re-invent the wheel. Look at the knives that sell reliably and use those forms as your design shapes. There is a good reason why chef's knives, drop point hunters, and fillet knives are shaped the way they are and why they sell well in those shapes.
Second advice is - Take your time. Work on one knife at a time. Don't say, "That's good enough."
Third advice - Learn how to sharpen. Get a book, some videos, You-Tube, etc. and practice a lot. A sharp knife has a beautiful edge. Sharp is a big part of what sells a knife.

As for being ready to sell - Fit and finish are the number one rule. If it looks less than fully done, it isn't ready to sell. Finish the blade completely before slapping on a handle. Sand and finish the handle before making a sheath. Sharpen the blade as the very last step.

On your second knife in the photos, you will have to grind the edge back past the burnt place. The blade could use a less fat belly anyway. Do this while dipping in water every few seconds. Most makers who sell knives would either toss that blade in the scrap bin, or remove the handle and re-grind, then re-HT it. As it is it will have a very soft spot in the edge.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Good advice from all the above.

I agree that they are far from sales ready. Of the three, only the first looks useful as a working knife. The second one has a way too fat belly for anything but a skinning knife. It also has a weird shape handle that would be better if it replaced with the handle on the third one. The blade design of the third one should definitely be re-worked. The whole blade to handle transition is wrong ... and there is the thing sticking down from the blade. The finish on the third one is also about half done.

Best advice for a new maker who plans on selling is knives someday - Don't try and re-invent the wheel. Look at the knives that sell reliably and use those forms as your design shapes. There is a good reason why chef's knives, drop point hunters, and fillet knives are shaped the way they are and why they sell well in those shapes.
Second advice is - Take your time. Work on one knife at a time. Don't say, "That's good enough."
Third advice - Learn how to sharpen. Get a book, some videos, You-Tube, etc. and practice a lot. A sharp knife has a beautiful edge. Sharp is a big part of what sells a knife.

As for being ready to sell - Fit and finish are the number one rule. If it looks less than fully done, it isn't ready to sell. Finish the blade completely before slapping on a handle. Sand and finish the handle before making a sheath. Sharpen the blade as the very last step.

On your second knife in the photos, you will have to grind the edge back past the burnt place. The blade could use a less fat belly anyway. Do this while dipping in water every few seconds. Most makers who sell knives would either toss that blade in the scrap bin, or remove the handle and re-grind, then re-HT it. As it is it will have a very soft spot in the edge.
Click to expand...
Once i heat treat i have a hard time seeing my center line for the blade edge. The mark i was using to establish the center of my blade. It gets hidden with the scale. How do i remark it.
 
Start at the beginning.
Before you do any bevel grinding on the profiled blank, mark the centerline. Then grind the edge at a 45° angle to the line. From then on you can never loose your center, and keeping the bevels even becomes much easier. It also makes sharpening simples.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Start at the beginning.
Before you do any bevel grinding on the profiled blank, mark the centerline. Then grind the edge at a 45° angle to the line. From then on you can never loose your center, and keeping the bevels even becomes much easier. It also makes sharpening simples.
Click to expand...
This is what it looks like before and after.
https://imgur.com/rjhKuVV
What do u mean by grinder it at 45 degree angle, i thought it was more like 5 or 10 degrees
 
I would jump on YouTube and check out ekim knives how to on grinding bevels. Great in-depth tutorial. He did a whole series on how to make a knife. Grinding the bevels is part 5 of the series.
 
When you grind that bevel you leave ONLY that little bit of material between the lines. You tilt the blade approximately 45 degrees at the beginning of the bevel grind and you make passes like 3-4 on each side to remove the material up to the line LEAVING only the material in the Middle of the two lines Just do the EDGE first not the Whole Flat side of the blade. Then you progressively lay the side back down from 45 to achieve the smooth side bevel to blend with the edge. Your photo shows the finished edge to thick on the Heat treated blade.
 
So do i do 45 right from the start and when i get to the line i switch to my regular bevel angle and cut in the actual bevel?
 
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