Finished one for critique at the Blade Show

Whit

Whit

Joined
Dec 27, 2001
Messages
729
Well I finished up a hunter in 1084, nickel silver and curly maple just last night. I'm bringing it to the Blade Show and I plan on asking for some critique from some Mastersmiths. I've only done that once before and I'm just now recovering from the emotional scars! Anyways, I think this represents my best work to date and you have to hear the bad news in order to improve, right?

If you have any thoughts on it here please let me know or at the show. There can't be too many guys with a high and tight haircut and Boston Red Sox hat on, can there?

Thanks for looking.
 

Attachments

  • 100_4630.jpg
    100_4630.jpg
    98.2 KB · Views: 213
  • 100_4628.jpg
    100_4628.jpg
    101.9 KB · Views: 192
  • 100_4634.jpg
    100_4634.jpg
    49.6 KB · Views: 158
Lookin good. I'll be there. Look for a average height average weight guy with brown hair and brown eyes....
 
That's the one. Thank God for grinders, huh? I'll look for you at the show.
 
Whit, from what I can see from just photos of it I would say You Nailed It! I like everything about it from tip to pommel. Nice work.
 
:D
Whit said:
Anyways, I think this represents my best work to date and you have to hear the bad news in order to improve, right?

If you have any thoughts on it here please let me know or at the show.

Thanks for looking.
Click to expand...

It's Crap!


:D

No J/k, it's awesome!!!!




but in the interest of honesty (I hope you were serious)and p.s. its better than anything I've made,

but if you really want tio know the things that stand out to me, without me being mr. positive... and I I've been drunk posting all night:D (so take that into consideration...


It may be the pix but your makers mark seems a bit off centered and something about the tip (maybe the sharpness just looks off...not pointed enough?) BUt your Handle looks 100 times better than a lot of others, and over all I'd be proud to own it,
Any way I'm no Mastersmith, and my eyes are blurry:eek:

Great knife man!
 
Looks good, Ryan, I like it. I thought you were strictly a stock removal guy. When the heck did you start forging? :)
 
Nathan S said:
Looks good, Ryan, I like it. I thought you were strictly a stock removal guy. When the heck did you start forging? :)
Click to expand...

Thanks Nathan,
I am a bladesmith at heart, but sometimes a stock removal guy by necessity! I can't really forge living on base right now, so the only forging I've done this year is either up at Trackrock or at Will's place.

Whit
 
Great looking Knife Whit! Maybe I will see it at Blade - be there tomorrow!
 
I really like it Whit! I have no suggestions, seeing as how you've had a MS in this thread look at the photos. I'm just a lowly Apprentice, working of JS.
 
Looking good there Ryan. Each piece gets better and better.

Hope to see you at Blade on Saturday.

Robert
 
Whit said:
That's the one. Thank God for grinders, huh? I'll look for you at the show.
Click to expand...

Wow, very nice... so I guess you didn't like my idea for a large spearpoint EDC? :rolleyes:

Ryan is a much better smith than I am, he's just not used to hammering on a moving anvil :D and we have very different forging styles, guess that's a function of our teacher's backgrounds. :p

Can't go to Blade :barf: have to work due to some equipment difficulties at the plant forcing some of us quality control pukes to double check vehicles. Our managers keep telling us how lucky we are and that everyone would love to have our jobs.... they all want it before the track ride, noone wants it afterward :(
 
Will Leavitt said:
Can't go to Blade :barf: have to work due to some equipment difficulties at the plant forcing some of us quality control pukes to double check vehicles.
Click to expand...

Dang Will,

I hate to hear that. I was hoping to meet you. You and Ryan need to head up to Oxford some weekend. We will drive the neighbors nutz-o hammering out some stuff.

Robert
 
You won't hear any criticism from me, in part because I'm still a middling beginner. Looks like you did a great job.

ps Mariners won 2, Boston 1 in the Seattle series just completed.
 
Never forged, hardly stock removed somebody about to put his 2 cents in. I really like the handle and blade, but to me (and apparently to me alone) the guard is a bit too big. I've come back to this pic a few times and that is what sticks out to me (but I am not a fan of guards in the first place so that could be my bias coming through).

You can critique all you want (and I hope you do so) when I post my wedding knives in the next less than 2 months! Fair is fair!
 
I'm back from the show, and what a great time! As for the critique.... I showed this knife to 5 Mastersmiths, 1 Journeymansmith, and a couple of "regular guys" who happen to be damn good knifemakers! :D

Here are a compilation of the comments.

1- The fit up of the handle and the guard underneath has a very slight gap, and sort of square edges.
2- There are a couple of divets on the spine which I never saw until those dreaded Blade Show lights shined on it!
3- One side of the handle is just slightly thicker than the other, so it appears that the blade isn't straight. (if that makes sense)
4- The back of the handle and guard are too square.

One MS told me that in 30 minutes time I could have it good to go. I felt a whole lot better about this critique than the last one I did, that is for sure.

As for the comment about the large guard, I asked a few people about that. They said it's personal preference as far as they are concerned, which I guess is good news. I think I typically like the look of the larger guard on a knife like this. So I'll be off to the shop to try to re-work a few things on this one and then hopefully have it in the For Sale Forums.

Oh, and about the Mariners fan comment............I like minor league baseball too! :D

Thanks again for the input here and at the show!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top