Critique: What did I do Right/Wrong on this Knife?

[AlaskanHunter]

This is my latest knife, and the first one I have been proud enough to post pics of. Please critique and advise how I can improve my skills on my next knives.
1084 steel, brass bolster, stabilized black walnut handle. Overall length: 11.25", blade length: 6.5", handle length (including bolster): 4.6", blade height: 1.12".
I'm not so sure about the wood though. I sent a box to K&G for stabilizing, and when I got it back some was obviously stabilized (notably heavier, a "wet" appearance, and cured resin on the wood's surface) but some looked the same as when I sent it (pale dry appearance, still fairly light, and sanding dust on its surface). Out of curiosity I used a piece that one side appeared to be stabilized, and the other not. When I got into it I found that the grain and pores of the wood were still open. It doesn't seem right to me, but I don't want to be hasty in grumbling because this is my first time working with stabilized wood. Am I finishing it wrong (sanded to 400 grit), or just misunderstanding how the process works? I thought one of the selling points was that no other finish is needed?
Back to the knife. I hand sanded the blade to 400 grit, bedded the tang with Acraglass and used a single 1/8th brass pin that I proceeded to over-peen.
What I see:
Plunge lines just off center
Over peened the pin on one side, with some small cracks due to it
Bolster not quite square to the blade
Small gap around one side of the bolster-to-wood joint

Sorry for the poor quality photos, I'm still trying to figure how to take pictures of knives.

 

[Fred.Rowe]

I like the blade shape itself even though upswept tips are not that useful. The handle relative to the blade do not seem to match. Or it looks like the handle should be lifted at the butt so. With this type of knife you can't go wrong with a line projected from butt to along the spine. The notch behind the bolster is unnecessary. It looks chopped. The butt of the handle is knob like.
Your eye is pretty good, the pin looks to be in the right place relative to the rest of the knife.

A couple of things that will help you. If you make the blade first, using a file folder, draw several handle shapes on one side of the fold, cut a slot in the folder so you can stick the tang of the blade in the slot, then you can look at the handle and how it will look with the blade. i try three different handle shapes. Its easy to cock the blade up and down and see how the over all knife looks before you commit to the handle shape.
if you have a chance to go to shows and look at handles by some accomplished makers. If you like one pick it up and see how it feel in your hand then take a closer look and see what makes it feel right.

ON the plus side, I see just down the road some very nice knives coming from you. Its the little things that make all the difference.

My third knife looked no where near as nice as yours, but I stayed at it and now a thousand knives later, I feel fairly confident in my skills. You will as well.

Regards, Fred

 

[AlaskanHunter]

Thank you for your critiques and comments. I have been tinkering with knifemaking since highschool (now 25). I wish this was my 3rd knife, (more like #13 or 14) but sometimes I learn slowly. I have learned most of what little I know since discovering this site. Thank you for taking time to teach those of us who are beginners in the craft.

 

[A C Richards]

Some Walnut will not take stabilizing very well. K&G was the only one who would actually try and do it. They do a good job but it does not look or feel like Stabilized maple or koa. There are several other species that will not take at all. If when you grind it, you can smell the compound it was done.

 

[Matt Rochester]

Looks good overall. As far as finishing the handle there really isn't a wrong way. If you like a matte finish then you're there. If you want it shiny then sand it up to 1500-2000 and buff it.