Critique please

G

GRapp

Joined
Nov 14, 2022
Messages
197
This is the first knife I've made worth posting in my opinion. Please tell me what you see that could be better.
1084
yaupon handle because it is free from my property, and the interweb says it's dense, tough, and hard

Things I am aware of:
plunge lines are not even side to side
pin spacing could be better

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Your images are too bright to see some details. Try editing the exposure, contrast, brightness, and highlights.
1) The blade looks like it could have been sanded to a finer grit (or coarser grits completely sanded out before moving up).
2) Can't really see the jimping clearly, but the spine shot of it seems "off". A closer and better focus shop may help.
 
What's the main purpose of the knife?
That's how I gauge things....
I think it looks great if that's what you want.
Hopefully the wood is good and dried? I'm not familiar with that one
Things I'd change are just based on Me. My personal opinions about knives.
*I don't like jimping, so I don't put it on knives.
*I don't like choils, so I don't include them.
* I don't like large riccassos? So I bring the edge as close to the hand!e as possible.
Other people make like Those things.
Those are just my personal views. I think Your knife looks nice.I

Good Job
 
Another way to get good images is taking your pics outside in natural light (but not directly in bright sunlight). It’s an easy way to get a decent no-glare image while you are perfecting that process indoors with artificial lighting.
I like the profile of your knife.
 
It has a kitchen knife look to it for me. It looks usefull .
Maybe have the ricasso a bit narrower
 
What's its purpose? Replace the CHEAP (trash, won't sharpen) knives in the block at the property in the woods. We have good kitchen knives here at the house but down there is the very first set I bought myself years ago. This particular one is a steak knife. Over time as I use stainless and get better, these will be replaced as well but I had to start somewhere.
The jimping, I tried an X pattern and failed, going back to straight saw teeth.
The large riccasso, I'm going to try and shorten that and lengthen the handle that 10-12mm.

No Mr. Devin I didn't check in the night but I did think of it first thing this morning and take what I hope are better pictures.

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I appreciate everyone's input.
 
GRapp said:
What's its purpose? Replace the CHEAP (trash, won't sharpen) knives in the block at the property in the woods. We have good kitchen knives here at the house but down there is the very first set I bought myself years ago. This particular one is a steak knife. Over time as I use stainless and get better, these will be replaced as well but I had to start somewhere.
The jimping, I tried an X pattern and failed, going back to straight saw teeth.
The large riccasso, I'm going to try and shorten that and lengthen the handle that 10-12mm.

No Mr. Devin I didn't check in the night but I did think of it first thing this morning and take what I hope are better pictures.

Dr2FsD2.jpg

x9qdSfk.jpg

Owv6Gqs.jpg


I appreciate everyone's input.
Click to expand...

All good points....
if I were you, I'd keep this one as is, and enhance your Next one with those little tweaks.
 
Keep it as is, looks like a good utility/steak knife. Practice your jimping on more of these if you like jimping. And yes that holly wood is extremely tough, have seen some amazing bowls turned from it. You can also make tea from the leaves.
 
On the jimping, have as many file strokes from left to right as from right to left. It realy helps keeping them even
 
All of the above.
The very tip seems to dip. Maybe you are letting the tip hit the belt when you pull the knife back grinding the spine. Or it could just be the light in the photos.
 
Looks like a good first knife (better than my effort :p ). Given it's a steak knife you'll probably need a few, so make another one or two as practice
Looks like the scales or tang needed to be flatter, and it looks like the pin holes were a bit oval. Someone else is probably better placed to offer advice on how to do that, i don't tend to do full tang knives
 
You got a nice joke and compliment from Mr. DevinT. It’s a good compliment to get from a man like him. :)

It’s a great job for a first go to show us! I would try for crisper line between the bladestock and the grind.

Keep at ‘er! 👍🏼
 
it never ceases to amaze me that when I finish a knife and feel pretty good about it, invariably by the time I finish the next I see more clearly all the flaws of the one previous. I count this as a good thing, it helps keep me motivated to improve constantly.
 
Looking at your pic of the spine, it looks like maybe one of the scales wasn’t completely flat before assembly. I see an uneven gap between scale & spine on one side. Probably won’t hurt function or durability. But it’s a little quality control point to think about.
 
Roamad, I noticed that as well after I'd posted the pictures. What's the best way to get a good flat surface, flat platen? Seems I still might be able to push harder in one area and not get really flat. I've got a 6x48 grinder as well, might that be better for a good flattening?
 
I do that bit by hand with a flat, hardened steel sanding stick and one layer of sand paper. A good flat platen on a grinder with good technique would also do it. Some people use surface grinders, but that seems overkill to me
With that knife you're also limited by the surface finish; a finer polish will allow you to get a more distinct line. All the Japanese swords you see with very clean lines are done with whetstones

I also noticed just now you have a bit of a re-curve ahead of the plunge line. Something to focus on when grinding, it's a practice thing, you probably don't have the right pressure.
 
my main focus is the ricasso is much too large.
 
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