Decided to make my own knife...advice would be welcome

Proteus, I don't like your designs at all (I tend to go more for elegant than badass), but whatever I might think about all of that you seem like a pretty cool dude. Most of the stuff guys have said here is pretty much right, but they've not necessarily been tactful or kind about it. It would be easy to become insulted by the way you've been spoken to in some of these posts, but instead you seem to just dodge the potential offense and try to incorporate the meat of what is said. Good on you. Your attitude is nothing short of outstanding.

I don't have anything to add to the design discussion other than that I'd suggest spending a lot of time looking at custom knives online (particularly of the non-tactical variety) just to get an idea of where a lot of these guys are coming from. You might see something you like, and you'll almost certainly see how simpler designs can look great and be functional.

Keep at it, man.
 
Travis Fry said:
Proteus, I don't like your designs at all (I tend to go more for elegant than badass), but whatever I might think about all of that you seem like a pretty cool dude. Most of the stuff guys have said here is pretty much right, but they've not necessarily been tactful or kind about it. It would be easy to become insulted by the way you've been spoken to in some of these posts, but instead you seem to just dodge the potential offense and try to incorporate the meat of what is said. Good on you. Your attitude is nothing short of outstanding.

I don't have anything to add to the design discussion other than that I'd suggest spending a lot of time looking at custom knives online (particularly of the non-tactical variety) just to get an idea of where a lot of these guys are coming from. You might see something you like, and you'll almost certainly see how simpler designs can look great and be functional.

Keep at it, man.
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Thanks Travis! I will deff take a look at some more of the custom knives and see if there are others that I like. I do tend to lean towards the tactical designs more so then the simple wood craft ones. And it would be silly to get upset, I mean I did come in here to ask for peoples opinions. So I try to take from it as much as I can and learn as much as I can.
 
proteus375 said:
With all that said here is version 4 with some of the suggested changes.





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nice improvement,
now picture the middle handle curved bud end on the top blade will make a very nice chopper, the curved bud end will make it less slip out off your hand while chopping,
and use the more strait upper handle bud end on the middle blade ,
to lower one... meeeh looks completely out off proportion
( my opinion )

are you limiting your design to available flat stock material ?
 
firebolt said:
nice improvement,
now picture the middle handle curved bud end on the top blade will make a very nice chopper, the curved bud end will make it less slip out off your hand while chopping,
and use the more strait upper handle bud end on the middle blade ,
to lower one... meeeh looks completely out off proportion
( my opinion )

are you limiting your design to available flat stock material ?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the input I can deff add some more curve to the upper one and take a little off the bottom one. Ill try and draw version 5 up and post it in a bit. I am not limiting myself to any type of stock. I can get pretty much any type of metal in any configuration I want. I was originally planning on just having the blanks laser or waterjet cut from 1/8" or 1/4" sheets/bars but I am open to other suggestions as well. I can even get it milled in a 5 axis CNC but would rather go the simpler method and do more of it myself. What are you thinking?
 
Food for thought........... Handle design can make or break a great knife.

A knife may feel great in the traditional "Edge Down" cutting position, BUT WHAT-IF you needed to cut something Edge Up? If you turn the knife over in your hand, would it still be comfortable to use or would it feel awkward and have hot-spots?

A knife must be designed from tip-to-butt with intended use in mind. A large "chopper" may never be used Edge Up......... But it might be. Give the total design a lot of thought and go for it.
 
proteus375 said:
Thanks for the input I can deff add some more curve to the upper one and take a little off the bottom one. Ill try and draw version 5 up and post it in a bit. I am not limiting myself to any type of stock. I can get pretty much any type of metal in any configuration I want. I was originally planning on just having the blanks laser or waterjet cut from 1/8" or 1/4" sheets/bars but I am open to other suggestions as well. I can even get it milled in a 5 axis CNC but would rather go the simpler method and do more of it myself. What are you thinking?
Click to expand...

ok also like Robert suggestions!

on material, i see sometimes knifes made trying to get the most knife out off a piece off flat stock, and so limiting there design to the material, because to much material is waisted ( needing a 4 " piece off flat stock for a 2" wide blade for instance )
something i stumbled on my self ordering material... and got me in a catch 22
 
The twin humps on the spine is going to feel awkward with the thumb if gripped forward of the handle. I also think the choil is way too big in all the three knives- again depending if you plan to hold it with your finger in it. I would also lose the glass breakers especially for the two bigger knives. They are big enough and safer to smash through any normal glass using the spine.
 
To me glass breakers are not really needed with a knife (I can see LEO, and Rescue needing them sometimes). If, and I mean IF you are ever in a situation where you have to break glass to either save someone or save yourself the last thing going across your mind is "I wish I had a glass breaker so I don't ruin my blade." If I was in a situation like that I would careless if I break the tip even if it is a million dollar knife, it can always be fixed, the loss of human life cannot. So with that I say for almost any person a glass breaker is just a "Cool" thing to scratch yourself with.
 
Here are the latest designs. Please keep the good ideas and comments coming! Thanks for all the feedback!





 
FullyTorque said:
Check out Becker's BK1, BK10, and BK16. That's what your last design set reminds me of. Becker's are also relatively cheap (you could get that set of three for about $250, if you can find a Bk1 for sale) so you can beat on them all day without feeling bad. Excellent performance for price too.

What specific gripes about the Busse's do you have? Sometimes there's more than one way to fix a problem.
Click to expand...


I love my Busse knives...i think they are fantastic. They hold a great edge and do very well at pretty much whatever I do with them. Its not that I am trying to fix anything or think they are missing something. The really nice ones I have i dont want to ruin and its maybe a difference of style more then anything with the busse knives that i do have.
 
proteus375 said:
Thanks for the input I can deff add some more curve to the upper one and take a little off the bottom one. Ill try and draw version 5 up and post it in a bit. I am not limiting myself to any type of stock. I can get pretty much any type of metal in any configuration I want. I was originally planning on just having the blanks laser or waterjet cut from 1/8" or 1/4" sheets/bars but I am open to other suggestions as well. I can even get it milled in a 5 axis CNC but would rather go the simpler method and do more of it myself. What are you thinking?
Click to expand...

IMHO waterjet and 5-axis are both great tools, but take away from the 'custom made' aspect of it. I think you would be much happier with yourself if you cut it out by hand... This goes back to the heart of what we have all been saying. If the design is beyond your skillset, develop your skillset to reach the goal. Don't shortcut to get there. You don't learn anything that way and might as well just pay another maker to do your work for you. And always fit the steel to the design, not design to the steel. You hinder yourself that way...

Your designs are getting there. I'm sorry if my assumtions were wrong, but I too clean and take care of my gear, but wear is wear... I won't run down my resume for you, just suffice it to say I have spent a little time behind the wheel of my knives and my guns... So my assumptions of what is a normal amount of use are probably even obscured... And I also have my own personal feelings about the modern 'tactical bushcraft' movement... but to each his own.

What Robert said is spot on. And true of almost any tool. A handle can make or break a tool. The reason your designs garnered such a response was the other makers here, like me, could see the design in their hand almost instantly and see why it would be uncomfortable and unwieldy. You still need to develop that eye, whether that means spending more time using knives or looking at knives or what.
You mentioned making models. Before redrawing any more, or asking for further opinion, go make a model. Exactly as you have drawn... Play with it and keep whittling away until its comfortable. That will at least get you into the shop and off the paper. And read and follow the Count's post and the stickies. Part of the reaction you have received has been because 70-80% of your questions have been covered there.

Cheers and good luck. And forget the notion of not taking a $1200 knife into the woods... If you are like a lot of us, by the time you get good tooling, supplies, and your hourly wage calculations, you will certainly have more than that invested in at least some of your knives... lol.
 
Rasksasa said:
The twin humps on the spine is going to feel awkward with the thumb if gripped forward of the handle. I also think the choil is way too big in all the three knives- again depending if you plan to hold it with your finger in it. I would also lose the glass breakers especially for the two bigger knives. They are big enough and safer to smash through any normal glass using the spine.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback! How big should the Choil be on the knives? Wasn't really sure on that I have seen some that are bigger some that are smaller. Is there a rule of thumb so to speak? by the twin hums are you taking about the thumb ramp right in front of the handle or the hump in the front section of the blade?
 
LucyCustomKnives said:
IMHO waterjet and 5-axis are both great tools, but take away from the 'custom made' aspect of it. I think you would be much happier with yourself if you cut it out by hand... This goes back to the heart of what we have all been saying. If the design is beyond your skillset, develop your skillset to reach the goal. Don't shortcut to get there. You don't learn anything that way and might as well just pay another maker to do your work for you. And always fit the steel to the design, not design to the steel. You hinder yourself that way...

Your designs are getting there. I'm sorry if my assumtions were wrong, but I too clean and take care of my gear, but wear is wear... I won't run down my resume for you, just suffice it to say I have spent a little time behind the wheel of my knives and my guns... So my assumptions of what is a normal amount of use are probably even obscured... And I also have my own personal feelings about the modern 'tactical bushcraft' movement... but to each his own.

What Robert said is spot on. And true of almost any tool. A handle can make or break a tool. The reason your designs garnered such a response was the other makers here, like me, could see the design in their hand almost instantly and see why it would be uncomfortable and unwieldy. You still need to develop that eye, whether that means spending more time using knives or looking at knives or what.
You mentioned making models. Before redrawing any more, or asking for further opinion, go make a model. Exactly as you have drawn... Play with it and keep whittling away until its comfortable. That will at least get you into the shop and off the paper. And read and follow the Count's post and the stickies. Part of the reaction you have received has been because 70-80% of your questions have been covered there.

Cheers and good luck. And forget the notion of not taking a $1200 knife into the woods... If you are like a lot of us, by the time you get good tooling, supplies, and your hourly wage calculations, you will certainly have more than that invested in at least some of your knives... lol.
Click to expand...

I really appreciate your feedback and you taking the time to lend your knowledge. I think i will stick with the latest iteration and try cutting it out and molding the handles out of the clay I just got. I should have a working model done maybe tomorrow and i can see how it all feels in my hand. Once again thanks!
 
Good job not getting discouraged by the advice you've been getting. Knifemaking can be very fun, and it's worth sticking with it.

A few comments from a hobbyist who's been making only for a couple years, and remembers being where you are now...

First, be safe. Make sure you get a respirator for anything that will make dust, PARTICULARLY for any work with G10. Protect your eyes too. Steel dust gets everywhere when grinding. I've also burned holes in a few pairs of pants from the sparks. If you like your clothes, get a shop apron to protect yourself.

Second, the handle thickness and the blade thickness seem a bit out of proportion to me. Part of my dislike is just from aesthetics, but part of it is also that I know how front heavy those blades are going to turn out to be from my own experiences. My guess is you're looking at a balance point around 3-4 inches from the top of the handle scales on the biggest one. Definitely make a mockup from wood, and make scales for it too while you're at it so you can get the feel for the ergos of your design. Even just cutting it out quickly from cardboard will give you a good sense for where the hot spots will be. I think the hump in the middle of the handle may be a little too pronounced to get a good lock with your pinky. You may want to give it a little more real estate around the butt area.

Third, take things SLOW and do your best not to get impatient with things. Seriously. Literally as soon as you get impatient, you'll end up ruining the blade, or otherwise making mistakes. Screw up slowly, not fast, and you'll end up with a much better project that you'll be a lot happier with. I've definitely spent months working on a single project. I've also gotten some done in a few weeks. The ones I spent the most time on are the ones I'm most happy with.

Fourth, ditch the talon holes. You will almost certainly be getting an unhappy call from Jerry Busse if you leave them in, and he'll try to make you grind them off. Save yourself the time and effort and don't put them in. They're trademarked, and you don't want the legal hassle.
 
I didnt read every thing up to this so this may be a repeat ,but all the books and stickies in the world cant make someone who cant work with thier hands a knife maker.If you can fix stuff and use tools you can do it. The places that will cut out your drawings will also grind your bevel . from your first posts,cutting blade to shape and length is the easiest part, buy some d2 , cut em how you want em then grind in your bevels and send them out for heattreat.Theres your perfect knives,watch out or you might get hooked !I only tried it once.
 
crimsonfalcon07 said:
Fourth, ditch the talon holes. You will almost certainly be getting an unhappy call from Jerry Busse if you leave them in, and he'll try to make you grind them off. Save yourself the time and effort and don't put them in. They're trademarked, and you don't want the legal hassle.
Click to expand...

Wait, are you serious? What are the "talon holes" again? The lanyard holes? (don't see any others)...

I'm gonna go make a folder with those holes, a hole for opening and an axis lock. See if I can get Jerry, Les or Sal to give me a ring. :D
 
ate1675 said:
I didnt read every thing up to this so this may be a repeat ,but all the books and stickies in the world cant make someone who cant work with thier hands a knife maker.If you can fix stuff and use tools you can do it. The places that will cut out your drawings will also grind your bevel . from your first posts,cutting blade to shape and length is the easiest part, buy some d2 , cut em how you want em then grind in your bevels and send them out for heattreat.Theres your perfect knives,watch out or you might get hooked !I only tried it once.
Click to expand...

Right off I'd say no, that's not true, but 'd hate to be wrong

Any of the waterjet and laser cutters, just do that

CNC double disc grinding is downright rare when I've looked for it.

Who do you have in mind exactly ?
 
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