Butt-Ugly first knives

Has anyone else noticed how many of the new makers here really are producing pretty good looking blades on their first try? I mean knives that have nice flow in the design, pretty darn good fit and finish, etc. I've had the opportunity to privately see the first knives made by a few nationally/internationally known makers, and they looked pretty much like the first one I made -- absolutely butt-ugly. I do however, believe that my first knife still holds the title for "Ugliest Excuse for a Blade Every Produced by Human Hands".

I still have that knife (and I use the term loosely). I'll bet that most of you other guys who have been making knives for years still have your first knife too. I thought it might be fun to post pics of these early efforts. Is anyone else game to do that? Besides being good for a laugh, it could serve to give new makers something to gauge their early work by, and show the level of improvement of a maker through the years.

If anyone is interested in doing this, I would suggest that the maker be confident enough in his/her current work and skills to be able to laugh at himself with the other forumites. Also, be honest. Don't show the first blade you made after getting that new 2 HP variable speed Bader, surface grinder, and milling machine. Show the one you made when all the tools you had were a hacksaw, hand drill, a few files, maybe a bench or angle grinder, and a bag of assorted sandpaper from a sale at Home Depot. Or maybe the one you forged that came out looking like a steel banana.

Anybody gutsy enough to do it? I will if you will.

Terry Primos
 
R

Rob!

Joined
Feb 9, 2000
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The Gruesome Details

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Rob Ridley
Ranger Original Handcrafted Knives
 
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This was my first knife (slightly used at time of photo). I did all the work on it but used my friends knowledge and equipment. He took about 50 hours of his time to help me do it right the first time. I am forever in debt for his guidance and have gone out of my way to help anyone who really wants to learn what little I know. Details...5/32 ATS-34. Brass bolsters, quick and easy mosiac pins, (see earlier post) Bubinga slabs, blood, sweat, tears and 1 ruined hat from getting to intent on seeing the grinder and not watching where my head was in relation to the belt.


[This message has been edited by LRICE (edited 07-02-2000).]

[This message has been edited by LRICE (edited 07-02-2000).]

[This message has been edited by LRICE (edited 07-02-2000).]
 
My first 3 are pretty ugle. 3/16" 0-1 with tons of scratches and "oops" grind lines. I will try to scan them this week, probably weds. Now, on my 4th blade, 1/8" A-2, it looks pretty sweet, if I do say so myself! I was haveing trouble with the 3/16" stuff cuz it was so thick and took forever to grind. I love that A-2 stuff!
 
No, no -- you guys ain't even close. Allow me to show you what butt-ugly is.
http://www.shreve.net/~primos/buttugly.htm

The whole idea here is that not everyone can do well at first, whether they they have a bare minimum of tools, or the latest in technology. I fell into that category. Even my current work won't win any Blade of the Year awards, but you will be able to see a definite improvement from my early attempts.

Hopefully some of the more well known makers here can post a pic of an early attempt at knifemaking. If they are really bad, it will show the new makers that success comes from practice and persistance.
 
Thank-you PRIMOS for this most excellent of postings!!!!!! I am a newbie maker and so this is very inspirational. Your first knife is indeed an ugly one! But, as I have heard from almost every knife maker, you can never make another knife as "good" as your first one. This I have found too. My first one has a crack in the handle, unevenly pinned bolsters, I had to add red spacer material to try to fix that byt one of them burned when sanding it so it is a little blackish, etc. My second effort "looks" much better, but I love my first one even more
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Then again, number 3 is shaping up quite nicely
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By the way, NIIIICE Bowie!


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"Come What May..."
 
Howdy There.......!
I am also a new maker and really like the idea of posting pics of first blades. But, I am not a very good computer person , so how do I send a pics with my note? (Help) Please put your reply and help in terms that this computer dumdy can understand.
Thanks....!

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Thomas Clegg
 
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This was my first knife that I made the blade for too. I still have it and use it as my huntingknife even though I've made lighter and better blades since that one
 
Good Gawd Amighty! After seein' some of you folks first blades I'm pert near embarrassed to post a picture of my first 'un! I spose you gotta start somewhere....

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Alright Robert! Is it going to be anywhere near as ugly as the one I provided a link to?

My first was made from a planer blade. Back then I didn't even know what the word anneal meant. I had no tools, no clue, and no knifemakers to ask for help. Back then I thought all you had to do was take a piece of steel -- any kind of steel, put a sharp edge on one side of it, and glue some kind of handle on it.

Jump a few years into the future when I finally did know a bit about design, flow, balance, edge geometry, and heat treating. I'd finally met a few knifemakers, some of whom I'd seen in knife related magazines. Looking at some of their first blades made me realize that I was not the only one who had to struggle in the beginning. Blade shapes were hilarious. Guards with a roughly hewn slot about 1/4" wide for a blade that was maybe a little over 1/8" thick at the ricasso. About 4 pounds of solder slopped all around the slot to fill in the gaps. You get the idea. Anyway, it made feel good to see that most folks made pretty crappy looking blades when they started out.

So I quit comparing my work to any well known and established knifemaker. Instead, I started comparing my blades at any given time to my blades in the beginning. I could see the improvement in design, fit and finish, heat treating, etc. This helped me build confidence and kept me striving for perfection.

I look forward to seeing your first one Robert. I sure hope it's ugly!

Terry Primos
 
I don't have a picture of my first knife (probobly a good thing
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) but this one is pretty close-3rd

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Thanks for this thread,

L8R
Eric
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I can't remember my first knife but I can surely tell you about the ugliest one I made:
it was a miniature about 2"long, made out of an iron nail COLD HAMMERED to shape. I then put a pair of horn slabs in it with copper pins. A miniature version of the proverbial "steel banana". People usually associate miniatures with the word "cute" or a similar one, but this one would change anyone's mind about that!
The worst part is that my girlfriend at that time saw it and kept it and she probably is still showing that thing around!

Ivan Campos

 
primos-

Was there supposed to be a noticable improvement from your first knife to that current Bowie ???
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Ha ha.

Very good topic and VERY nice Bowie. I'll try to get mine up here soon. The best would be for me to replicate the first but with current skills, I'll try to hurry that before this thread cools off.

Great idea!!!
Nick
 
When I read Butt-Ugly 1st, I had a visual of my 1st wife's mother. But the attached is my 1st blade it has seen alot of abuse.http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=261337&a=1945791&p=23696814


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INDIAN GEORGE
http://www.onlineknifeshow.com/maker36.html
 
Heres your knife INDIAN GEORGE,
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Regards
Eric
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[This message has been edited by EricElson (edited 07-03-2000).]

[This message has been edited by EricElson (edited 07-03-2000).]
 
You guys are just too good. The only one that I can laugh at so far is mine. What was I thinking? Well, I can always hope that Robert is right, and his 10 year old knife made from a broken machete is ugly.

I was hoping for some competition. You know, something Ugly with a capital "U"! Something so exquisitely ugly that you can't just say ugly -- you gotta pronounce it Yoo-glee with a long U.

Oh, by the way, for all you English majors, you don't have to tell me that exquisitely ugly is an oxymoron. I already know that the two words conflict each other. But it does sound kinda neat doesn't it?
 
Here is my #2 don't even have a pic of #1.
Steel 3\16 1095 dymond handle.Weighed a ton.
Take Care
TJ
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Here's my first completed knife:

<img src=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=33630&a=208307&p=22019260&Sequence=0>

Here's my second:
<img src=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/View?u=33630&a=1544115&p=22122013&Sequence=0>
 
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