Critique Request

N

nifegrinder

Joined
Nov 6, 2008
Messages
160
Good? Bad? Ugly?
All opinions appreciated (my wife already commented in person on the state of my fingernails so you can all skip to the knife).

DreadedDaughter037.jpg


DreadedDaughter036.jpg


DreadedDaughter035.jpg


DreadedDaughter026.jpg


Details shmeetails:

7/32" S30V @ 58Rc
Blade w/ ricasso-6.25" x 1.3" with a 10" diameter hollowgrind
Handle- a little over 5.5" full tapered tang
Guard is black linen micarta with 3/16" pin of the same material
Handle scales are black canvas micarta with black spacers and pinned with
two 1/4" black canvas micarta dowels and one 1/4" stainless thonghole tube
 
Last edited:
Bad and Ugly are two adjectives that certainly do NOT apply here! Great looking knife!
 
I like everything about it (lots!) except your novel approach to the plunge cut. It makes sense, and shows good grinding ability, and sets it apart from the crowd . . . but it just doesn't sit right with my eyes for some reason. Purely a matter of personal preference, I'm sure others will feel the exact opposite.
 
Just as fishface suggests, count me as one that especially likes the plunge cut. My preference would be for a more narrow ricasso and maybe shifting the blade slightly up so the spine aligns more with the top of the handle. The handle looks good to me and neatly avoids the full on micarta guard that I dislike.

Thanks for the look!
Dave
 
I like it. If I could change one thing it would be more of a "belly" in the center of the handle.
 
First let me say that I REALLY liked your first and second knives you posted here a while back. Both were similar knives and I have posted a Photo below just to refresh folk's memory.

Now in regard to your knife above, I like your handle profile and your blade profile forward of the racasso. I share fishface's opinion on the plunge cut and feel the racasso is too long. I also feel the handle to blade proportions are off with the handle appearing too large for the blade. In my opinion, pair that handle up with a larger blade of the same profile and you have a super knife. The handle looks VERY comfortable.
Will you share the dimensions?

Mind is just one opinion for you to toss around.

Otto_knife2_2.jpg
 
It is very originally looking knife, nifegrinder. I like it, your grinds and tapering look great, but you asked for critique, so here it is. In my opinion the ricasso is too long and too narrow. Also I think that using red or white spacers instead of black ones would add a contrast (probably white|black|white between the guard and the scales).
 
Blade shape is great, grinds look great, handle looks great :thumbup:


However I feel that this area has too much going on, and the shapes all look a little odd together :o
iPhoneUpload-47.jpg


:cool:
(sorry fo the crap iPhone screen cap :()

I think maybe making the neck a little shorter and the plunge cut roll in like a normal grind would clean this area up a little.
 
Kevin,
Thanks for finding and posting the pic of my second knife. The dimensions for this knife are at the bottom of the original post.

Thank you all for the excellent feed back. If any of you very kind people are worried about my feelings, don't be. I started this knife 2 years ago as an exercise to play with a few ideas. I immediately started having problems and it spent about a year and a half in the dead project pile.

Two weeks ago I decided that finishing it could help to work out design questions in version 2.0, and might even turn into pretty nice knife.

I'm actually pretty happy with how it worked out. Some of the suggestions in this thread already exist or are planned for on the knife coming together on the bench, and because of your feedback, the spine of v.3.0 will probably line up more with the top of the handle.

Thank you all for your comments, and please keep 'em coming.

Cheers,
Matt
 
The handle is beautiful. I can't help but think the overall blade looks "long necked" due to the ricasso, though.

To me, this one is very close (tantalizingly close), but not perfect. I want to see version two.
 
I think overall its an awesome knife. However, if I were to buy it I would change a few things. great job!

DreadedDaughter037.jpg
 
I like that you are trying new things :thumbup:


Keep up the good work! :cool:
 
One thing is for sure, you aren't afraid to experiment and you have the skills to do it. :thumbup:

Wider blade, shorter ricasso, raise the backspine to the handle--they've all mentioned what I would see, too. Great treatment to the butt end of the handle.

I LOVE the dual bevel grind, though. Sure it's unnecessary, but it's also a real eyecatcher and I can't see a notable downside. Keep it up.

Coop
 
BlazenGem said:
I think overall its an awesome knife. However, if I were to buy it I would change a few things. great job!

DreadedDaughter037.jpg
Click to expand...

That's more along the lines of what I was trying to describe regarding my preference.

Thanks for the spects nifegrinder.
 
Nice neat work! Like the top one best. Look forward to seeing more of your work!!:thumbup:
 
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