Beginner - Help needed on getting past a "rustic look" to knives

It's about adapting and adopting techniques or steps that improve the quality or remove unnecessary steps.
This site and YouTube are great resources of info. (imagine 30 years ago where you had to make it up as you went)
I'm using precision ground stock. I've started taping off the bar on one side, scribing the shape on the other, and then shaping the blank. It keeps the surface pristine so I don't have to remove scratches later.

Another trick is to color the bevel area with a magic marker between grinding so you can see exactly where metal is being removed.
 
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youtube tutorials. figure what the worst part of your knife is, then go watch 10 different tutorials on how to do it, and practice until it is to your satisfaction.
 
Not about rustic. I don't care for making things look bad on purpose.

First get everything right.

Put the buffer away, you're buffing over deep scratches and that's not right.
Hand sand it to a nice finish.
Watch the Nick Wheeler videos

Your pins are too close to the ends.
Especially if you lose the pin in the handle bevel like the top knife is.

Stacy explained the golden mean / ratio in old posts, find that.

Like said above,look at photos of really good work.
Sharp by Coop used to host good photos.
and the Handmade gallery on BF's is a good place to start.

knifegallery.com

Knife Gallery

The largest gallery of Custom & Handmade knives in the world. Searchable by last name. All images © Jim Cooper / SharpByCoop Photography.
knifegallery.com


research mustard patina, or cold blue bleach patina
 
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^Zac Buchanan also has some excellent videos on youtube that I found very helpful
 
I guess a general question - how far do you finish a proof of concept knife? Like one you have sketched out and made for the first time for testing?
 
I would say finish it to the best of your ability.
If it works as intended you have a really nice blade, if it doesn't you have a really nice blade and more practice.
 
steelhog said:
I guess a general question - how far do you finish a proof of concept knife? Like one you have sketched out and made for the first time for testing?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure if that's a question for me, but I do have some experience with that subject :D
most of the developmental work I've been involved with has been strictly design, and the manufacture outsourced to custom knife makers. Makers who are able to look at a shaded, (pretty good quality) sketch and see the finished knife. Trust me, this is a skill not many people have

the first proof of concept knife that I made myself, (I'm pretty sure it's the third knife I ever made-https://bladeforums.com/threads/oh-no-not-another-knife.773082/ ) was this;
zlFK0Bn.jpg


and it is possessed by Matthew Gregory Matthew Gregory and I mean that in both ways
this working model was made from .25" S30V and if memory serves, the only power tool I used other than the dremel was a drill press
anyway, this knife was the basis for the Carothers Performance Knives Light Chopper, (LC)TM, although I didn't know that at the time

now that I have a better grasp of how to make knives and have some equipment, I'll develop the shit out of my designs before submitting them. Even if the level of finish is mediocre, every detail that's intended to be there should be. Most particularly if those details contribute in some way to the function of the knife To my way of thinking, if you're doing proof of concept work, every detail should be easily enough articulated as serving some function
 
I definitely think Lorien Lorien is on to something here. It's not about tools, it's about attention to detail.
If your finish sucks, but the design is good, you still have a good knife. If your design sucks, but you have an awesome finish, you've got a shiney turd.
 
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