Comments and suggestions please

U

unky_gumbi

Joined
Aug 28, 2009
Messages
7,951
So I just received my piece of pattern welded steel today, and after 3.5 hours of playing around this is what I came up with.
Patern_weld_knife.jpg
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I scanned the piece of steel and imported it into my graphics software. I am limited by the size of the steel and I am trying to get the best match of the blade to the pattern. I can make small tweaks but not that much. My thoughts are full flat grind with brass pins on some redwood burl. I am hoping to be able to make the 15n20 pop out nice and bright to the darkness of the 1084 and redwood scales
 
I lile the looks of that and after holding a ruler in my hand the dimensions seem just right.
 
Patrice Lemée;8093919 said:
I would use a smaller font size for the dimensions myself. ;)
Click to expand...

I got right on that hows this
Patern_weld_knife_2.jpg

I aim to please.
Normally I work in a much larger scale and then shrink everything, with this one there is a curve in the steel so I just went actual size and didn't even notice the large dims:o
 
Knife looks really good. Good overall design and dimensions.

If it were mine, I would define the transition on the spine of the blade a bit more. Where it starts to clip to the point. I would also make the clip point straight. As its drawn, it has a bit of a gentle curve. That could be just personal preferance though.

Also, I would make the finger choil a little shallower and a little wider.

Just my two cents as you asked for comments. Doesn't mean it's right. :p

Nice design though.:thumbup:
 
Looks good for a $9.00 knife....


it is a $9.00 knife right? 5 bucks for the handle and 4 for the blade? ;)




Just yankin yer chain. Looks like a very serviceable piece!
 
I agree about the finger choil being too short and abrupt, but also think the handle is a little too long.

Consider this alternative:

Patern_weld_knife_2.jpg


Otherwise, I love the handle and the clip just as is. Good design.
 
Yeah yeah make fun of my precision measurements, I normally get the set out to 4 points when working on other things, habits die hard.
Considering the little piece of 10.75"x1"x.13" pattern welded steel cost $60 with exchange and shipping, but the handle material cost about 2 bucks. I got an amazing deal on pin material 7 cents per inch, so I wont even count that into the cost, and then there is my time and I don't come cheap, heck I can't even afford to pay myself I am so expensive, this knife is going to be priceless.

This is one knife I have no intentions of ever selling, if someone wants it they are going to have to wave a big wad of cash in my face. I have always wanted a smaller pattern welded knife and this is the one way I can get it, I might even give an attempt at file work in the tang, nothing fancy just a simple vine
 
black mamba said:
I agree about the finger choil being too short and abrupt, but also think the handle is a little too long.

Consider this alternative:

Patern_weld_knife_2.jpg


Otherwise, I love the handle and the clip just as is. Good design.
Click to expand...

I might try shortening the handle a bit and lengthening the blade, I think it will help the balance. I like the rounded clip, to me it give a bit of a forged look to it even though its going to be a stock removal blade. The finger choil will be made to fit my finger, I do my templates and designs in that area on the small side on purpose, I can take material away but I can't put it back. The more experienced I get I think I will start bringing that area closer to finished in the design stage but for now I like to play it safe. Next thing I have to do is find someone to precision grind it for me, it was sold as being .13" thick but I am not sure if it was measured at the thicker center area or on the edge.
Thanks for the input:thumbup:
 
draw in your plunge line on both designs . You will see that black mamba's drawing will look more porportional . I also would use nickle silver or S.S pins , not brass .

Just my thoughts .
 
George, if your going to keep it for yourself, then make the handle the length that's comfortable for you. I liked the original 5" handle because I have big hands, that would've worked for me. Since I will never use that knife, and either will anyone else, by what you said, just make it to your personal specifications. I like the flow by the way, that is coming from my untrained eyes of course.:D:D:D

Jeff
 
ONeill said:
draw in your plunge line on both designs . You will see that black mamba's drawing will look more porportional . I also would use nickle silver or S.S pins , not brass .

Just my thoughts .
Click to expand...

Yes, I was wondering about the plunge. I ended up making the finger cutout on my knife quite a bit larger than the original drawing as things progressed.

I like the blade shape a lot--perhaps extend the clip back even a tad more?

How about Corbys instead of pins? I'm going to try them on my next project.
 
I like both renditions. Were it I, I would make it a sharp, pointy transition from the spine into the clip. The swoopy clip looks great, just be sure to not make the point too needle-ish if you intend to use this as a working knife.

The plunge cut, if I was doing it, would start in the middle of the choil and disappear just before the spine.

I would definitely NOT go with brass for the pins. With the silver/grey coloration of the blade, it would look better with silver/grey pins. I did see a guy the other day that used black micarta rod for the pins. It looked really good - blended well with the wood handle and stayed with the dark metal look. I'm going to steel that idea. Promise.

Oh, and don't do any decorative file work until you've done a lot of practice on a steel/aluminum blank. You'll screw up that nice knife in a heartbeat! In fact, I'd recommend that you do the entire rough profile in aluminum just to get the final dimensions right BEFORE you start on an expensive blank!
 
So here is the latest rendition, this is a screen capture from my graphics software with the steel in scale as a background bitmap.

PWS.jpg


I lengthened that blade a bit, shortened the handle to what I feel I will be comfortable with.I moved the front edge of the handle so it would add a little finger protection. The finger choil is now approximately 1/8 bigger them my index finger compressed. My intention is to have the plunge line at the forward edge of the handle and follow the same angle,. It will be flat ground to the spine.

theamazingdrew: I cant add the little bump you suggest because the steel just wont allow it.

In the long run I plan on this to be a usable show piece

VaughnT: I definitely intend to practice doing any file work on a similar sized piece of mild steel. Fortunately I am fairly handy with a file:cool: I have done a little decorative file work on brake levers for a couple of custom bicycle choppers. Alloy brake levers are much easier to work then steel, I also did the levers free hand with no set pattern, for the knife I will want it to be exact.

Funny thing is I ordered the steel with the intention of making a light and delicate bird and trout knife and now I have a 9 1/4" knife:o I tend to favor larger knives any how so I think that is coming through. If I am lucky I will be able to use the little end pieces as spacers on a couple of hidden tang knives I am working on.
 
I like the bigger font better... :D

In my opinion - and this is only opinion - your original design is still the best. It has nice visual proportion and balance.

I'd stick with the full-flat grind and attempt to angle the plunge parallel to the front of the handle scales. If I were to make any changes to your profile, it would be to shift the blade tip very slightly forward to be more centered with the visual axis.

Instead brass pins, I'd use mild steel and darken/etch them so they blend well with the redwood accents and also work with the 1084 in the blade.

Again, these are just my opinions based on my own ideas of aesthetics... and no offense is meant toward those who have already voiced opinions contrary to mine. It's all good. ;)

I would love to see what you come up with.

Erin

Edited to add: I just missed your previous post with my response. Your modifications do look good.
 
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Erin Burke said:
If I were to make any changes to your profile, it would be to shift the blade tip very slightly forward to be more centered with the visual axis.

Edited to add: I just missed your previous post with my response. Your modifications do look good.
Click to expand...

The tip sits at about the 2/3 of the total height of the blade and is pretty muck in line with the switch between the wider pattern in the middle and the thinner pattern on the edges. I had the tip sitting at about an 1/8 of an inch lower but it just didn't look right when placed over the steel, to my eye it made the tip look droopy. It looked great and balanced on its own though, with the tip lowered. It is one of those things I can tweak while profiling it though. If I make a non-pattern welded version the tip will come back down that little bit for sure.
 
Mr. Bad Example said:
I like it! I'm not 100% sure how the angled plunge is going to look, but the blade is perfect.
Click to expand...

Slightly forward of the front of the scales with a radius to blend in smoothly to the scales. Every knife I have made so far has had that smoothed out plunge line. I just like the way it looks. What I end up doing is rounding out the inside of the plunge with a needle file, then I sand out the ricasso plunge line edge till it blends together.
 
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