Camp/All-around Bush-Crafty Knife Design - opinions?

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fmajor007

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Apr 1, 2010
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OK, so i've drawn up a design for a full/exposed-tang, medium sized camp/hunting knife, but tried to include design features which make it dexterous enough for bush-crafty type knife work.

Here are the drawings (1 w/where i'd have a grind line - high full-flat or sabre):
fmajor007-TRUTHcontours.jpg


This one has the outline with the blade dimensions:
fmajor007-TRUTHdimensions.jpg


I'm asking to have it done in 3/16's stock and hopefully out of 01 tool steel. Handles to be dark green linen micarta.

I realize a "one-size-fits-all" approach to a knife isn't the best solution - that it may not do small-knife tasks well and likewise not do large knife tasks well. I tend toward using a small, folding saw for larger size fuel needs or just feeding larger logs into the fire as needed so "chopping" isn't a critical function for my style.

All that being said, i'm hoping that the handle design *will* allow for close-to-edge hand positioning for bush-crafty work as well as being able to situate my hand toward the end (pommel?) so i could, if necessary, do some *limited* chopping (most likely de-limbing).

The blade design, i'm hoping, is long enough to facilitate batoning wood of large enough size to go from wrist-size down to pencil-lead size as well as splitting out hearth-board flats. Also, drop point is "pointy" enough for puncturing/piercing and drilling (thinking specifically drilling hearth-boards) as well as carving (spoons, traps, etc). I want the knife to be blade-heavy to help with the de-limbing and related tasks.

Tell me what you think;
Shape (blade/handle)?
Material?
Dimensions?
 
First, I'll say that if you are designing a knife, you already know what works better for you. So this is just my opinion on works for "me".

I love the blade shape and length of blade looks good to me as well. I would do 5/32 but the difference is negligable. I like a drop edge- the thomb ramp on yours is for pulling in a slice and I prefer a slight one for pushing. For me, I would get rid of the projections in the edge side fo the handle- keeping it straighter and smoother- for more hand positioning options. I like the drop at butt to lock your hand in, just me but I would use micarta slabs and skip the exposed tang, I spend more time with palm pressure on the butt than hitting the butt with a baton.
I di not see dimensions for the handle but I like them a little wide and rounded- about .80-.90 wide when seen from above and well broken corners- almost oval with slight flats top and bottom. A little palm swell is nice.
Lastly, I like a full convex for hard use or even a flat with final convex for a slicer.

Thank you for letting us play with your design.
Bill
 
Something to adjust weight mass ("E" to "D" area will be frequently used for chopping)
Front side of the handle is from "B" line ("Half-covered" choil is sometimes painful for me)

Thank you for sharing!

fmajor007.png
 
@Ilmaterna - I think i understand what you're saying RE: the contour-features on the handle - to straighten 'em out a bit, more of a single, steady gradient to the butt-end. I misspoke about the exposed tang - i meant that the tang is visible inbetween the micarta handle slabs - not any metal actually hanging out past the micarta slabs. My error on that.

@ikuyadas - i like how you were able to super-impose your change proposals - really cool!!! I also like the more rounded handle at the very end, it looks nice especially for a blade that's gonna see a good bit of chopping. Mine won't see that much chopping and i'm thinking the less-gradual slope at the end there will be a nice contact point in my hand for twisting the knife. Your idea about the bottom of the handle, i believe, illustrates the same thing Ilmaterna mentioned - great minds think alike!!!! It looks like your proposal would lighten the blade a bit by making it less-wide all the way to line "E" - interesting...

THanks for the comments and definitely fruit for thought!!!
 
Cool work up bud but remember what will be out soon. May come close to your needs.
Small-Beckers-12-1-11-001-XL.jpg
 
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