Design Critique and Materials?

orangehero

orangehero

Joined
Apr 15, 2010
Messages
129
Howdy,

I'm planning on making a knife for myself in my spare time. Just wanted to share my design for some feedback. I'd appreciate any comments and suggestions.

Knife01_02.jpg


I was wondering if anyone can point me in the right direction for getting the sweeping plunge line using files...I may just get a belt sander though.

The design is for full tang construction. Any comments regarding using copper as spacer material? I'm also thinking about making my own pins with copper tubing stuffed full of copper strands and epoxied up...sort of like thick stranded cable. For the handle maybe some ironwood or a nice stabilized burl...something that will be highlighted by the copper spacers.

For steel I'm leaning towards D2, but I still haven't decided. Maybe I will go for 1095 with a hamon.

Also, I have a big chunk of 6Al4V Titanium that I was planning on using for the bolster and pommel. I don't think I've seen a single custom knife with titanium bolsters. Is there any particular reason it is avoided besides it being a complete pain to machine?

I hope to get into forging in the future, but for now this will be stock removal method and I'll probably hire out the heat treat.

Thanks!
 
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Nice design, much better than the usual first post.

The ricasso seems very small, how about making it big enough to put your name on it?

Copper makes pretty spacers

titanium bolsters and pommel
How are you going to attach them?
Not by soldering, that leaves pins or screws
I don't think screws will fit that design, and with pins they may not/ will not match perfectly as they age.
This is especially true if the pin and bolster alloy or batch are different.

Besides, the cooper and ironwood wont' match the ti as well as keeping that same colour throughout.
I'd keep your chunk for a different project.
 
I don't know your level of knifemaking expertise, but that style bolster/guard on a full tang is not an easy build. The four piece guard/bolster you have drawn is almost always installed on a hidden tang. This can be made to look like a full tang by making a frame and doing a frame handle construction.

If you are planning on making this with files and simple tools, I would suggest a straight plunge line, and a basic bolster or pinned "U" guard. The pommel will be pinned,too. I would recommend nickel silver unless you have the skills and equipment to work 6Al4V.

The shape and look is nice, BTW.


Filling out your profile might be a good thing to do, also.
 
Thanks for the tips. My level of knifemaking expertise is zero, but I'm well aware that the design is not easy to pull off. I don't have the skills or equipment for titanium either, but I'm hoping that time and muscle can make up for that. This is a project with no deadline.

I was thinking full tang and didn't think about how to attach the fittings. I've seen some fittings that have inline pins to hold everything together. Would that be strong enough to hold the front piece of the guard on and then send two peened pins through the second fitting? I understand that you can peen CP Titanium. I don't think it would look bad if the pins are visible too.
 
With skill, simple tools and slow work can make almost anything, but in practicality, attempting too big a step on a first knife doesn't work out well.

Titanium isn't the easiest metal to hand drill/cut/shape. It may be better to use nickel silver or 303 Stainless steel.

I would suggest that you simplify your first attempt. If you want such a large knife as a first project, OK, but realize that the more steel there is in the bar, the longer and harder it is to made it into a knife.

The handle style as drawn will be a great looking knife, and I think you should try it someday...just not today.

Going with a smaller version and a full tang with simpler one piece bolsters will make a beautiful knife with minimum tools, lots of patience, and many hours of filing and sanding.
 
Thank you again! I think I will keep it a little simpler to start.

I've been reading about the supersteels and it would be interesting to make several iterations and see how they perform for myself.

I was looking through another thread, and I was wondering if it is not recommended to make stick tang knives out of stainless steel because you cannot make the tang softer? Or is it just for large choppers? Do all stainless steels have this property? How would these steels perform in a knife this size?

Also how about CPM M4 steel? Elmax?

http://www.nsm-ny.com/images/knifesteel.jpg
knifesteel.jpg
 
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To my taste the belly is a bit edgy. I'd round it a bit more.
And no way I'd go for 6al4v hardware but if you pull it off I'll take my hat off for you :)

The handle looks comfortable
 
Any issues with making a stick tang profile like this with Elmax or M390 stainless steel? Any recommendations on how to heat treat it?

Knife01_HiddenTang.jpg


Made the handle a little longer and softened the belly. Next step is to carve a wooden dummy to see how it fits the hand.
 
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