Recommendation? Design Critique Request - Thanks!

Thanks everybody for the constructive critiques!!! (and the complements :)) I'm looking at the blade and drawing in the changes you all have contributed. It'll be a much better design.

There's a few common criticisms and I'll make those changes for sure. There's a couple of contradictory ideas, so I'll have to pick. As a couple of notes:

Alex Topfer Alex Topfer - I appreciate the sustainability issue, but I can't help myself. The blackwood gives an over all synthetic look at a distance. Yet, when you hold it in your hand you can see a slight grain and it becomes an organic experience.

Hengelo_77 Hengelo_77 I like the idea of non-50/50 on the pins. Cool idea.

Tapered tang. I don't do many of those and the look doesn't grab me. However, I think you all are right and it would add a little more 'tension' (can't find the right word) to the look. The tang will taper to the butt, but the scales will taper the handle to the front.

The handle is way too far forward. I'm playing with a few templates to find an alternative.

Again, you all have really made some great comments - very appreciated.
 
Sando said:
Thanks everybody for the constructive critiques!!! (and the complements :)) I'm looking at the blade and drawing in the changes you all have contributed. It'll be a much better design.

There's a few common criticisms and I'll make those changes for sure. There's a couple of contradictory ideas, so I'll have to pick. As a couple of notes:

Alex Topfer Alex Topfer - I appreciate the sustainability issue, but I can't help myself. The blackwood gives an over all synthetic look at a distance. Yet, when you hold it in your hand you can see a slight grain and it becomes an organic experience.

Hengelo_77 Hengelo_77 I like the idea of non-50/50 on the pins. Cool idea.

Tapered tang. I don't do many of those and the look doesn't grab me. However, I think you all are right and it would add a little more 'tension' (can't find the right word) to the look. The tang will taper to the butt, but the scales will taper the handle to the front.

The handle is way too far forward. I'm playing with a few templates to find an alternative.

Again, you all have really made some great comments - very appreciated.
Click to expand...
There are many well crafted knives like yours... and then I see the straight slab tang and I see a production pry bar

Tapered tangs improve the visual flow of the knife. Flow I think is a better descriptive word here than tension is.
 
Sando said:
Thanks Scott. I'll definitely round the butt. You couldn't see the existing bevels in those pics. Here's a better look:


View attachment 1698769

Should I make the bevels bigger?
Click to expand...

I didn't see the bevels at first, but now that I have I think they look really good and they're fine the way they are.
 
I disagree about the height being too much, I'd like to see the sharpening coil removed, a bit More blade height, and a nice long handle like you made deserves a bit longer blade..... I think.


But really love the looks. Good job.
And daring to boot.
 
Everything looks 'neat' ... and yet everything is completely missed :confused:
Reading the comments of other participants, everything listed in the suggestions is extremely maturely advised.;)
I suggest this becomes Sticky Tread:thumbsup:
Blade forums is a treasure trove of knowledge and experience, one such topic deserves to exist for a long time
model design and development might be a good discussion for Sticky
at the same time there are masters here (I mean primarily Lorien):thumbsup:
I am impressed with what he showed us and I believe you are too:)
 
Thanks Guys!

I incorporated every suggestion I could: tapering the tang, remove the choil, changing the 'guard' and false edge plunge line ... . FWIW this one is AEB-L and marbled G10.

I think your ideas made it much better - seriously appreciate it. Here's a couple quick photos just to show your ideas in action:

Cero Profile.jpeg

Cero Spine.jpeg
 
I'm a user, not a maker. Both designs look cool. Love the tapered tang. Don't love removing the sharpening choil. I'd like to see a bigger one than you had on the original design. I liked the wider blade, too.
 
fitzo fitzo Mike, you're killing me! 😜

Crag the Brewer Crag the Brewer had the idea of a longer blade, so 3D Anvil 3D Anvil , this one is actually longer and wider. The first blade was 1.10" wide and 3.75" long. The second one is 1.25" wide and 4.3" long. The optics makes it look narrower, but it isn't. Amazing what difference a slight dimensional change makes, even when the length/width ratio is the same!

As a practical matter, that marbled G10 is expensive .. like $50 for that knife. For the same price I could use exhibition Ironwood.

choil - no choil .... black or red licorice ... pineapple pizza or not .... I'll sharpen it and decide. Easy to add.
 
I want to say that general design/outline looks really good. Caught my eye immediately and had me taking a closer look. That is sleek and attractive.
Just to add my two cents...I thought the ricasso needed to be bigger...ie scales not coming so far forward and you addressed that on the second knife. BUT now that I look at the second knife your scale angle is shallower and looks a bit squarer (f thats a word). Jut my limited opinion but I really like the forward angle of the front of the scales on your first knife. Looks racy like a Ferrari. Sorry for adding more things to think about.
Generally though...pretty cool.
 
First knife
I like it.
Though I agree about grinding off the metal tab.
I wouldn't round the edges of the handle, but I'm partial to a blockier shape, and I think it matches the overall geometric look of the knife.

Maybe leave the handle and blade lengths and shapes the same, but add an 1/8 to a 1/4" to the choil.

Second knife
That looks nice too. I bet the tapered tang changes the "feel" for the better.
 
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R Randydb Thanks for the feedback and I agree totally. The angle change in the handle angle/plunge line is slight, yet it makes a big visual difference. I did it to aid in sharpening, but I didn't think anyone would notice! As Forrest Taylor Forrest Taylor points out I could make the choil longer to solve the sharpening problem. I thought about making a long ricasso, but definitely wouldn't look right.

the more I look at the plunge line on the swedge, the more I want to try a more 'sweeping' one. Number two is not as defined as the first, even so I think I'll go a little further.
 
Neither exactly look bad, so i guess you're finding out that there is a lot of personal preference in this :P

Where are the balance points for the knives?
 
Wow....both look great. I really really like the first one though. That angle at the front of the blade just makes me happy! Wouldn't be sad to carry the second one either though. I think it is so cool when you take the feedback and make a few adjustments and suddenly something that was "really good" is now even better. Very cool process to watch play out. Those are beautiful.
 
I like the thinner edge on the new one.
 
Thanks guys. Now that I see them in a photo side by side, it's actually easier to compare in 2D. Making plans for #3 ... I have an idea to solve the ricasso issue.

On a side note I'm using the first one as my EDC to test out Magnacut. Oh my goodness! I put a 12 degree edge on it and it's holding up just fine. I think I understand what all the fuss is about.
 
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