First Fillet - Help with handle

[Brock Cutlery]

I've been eying some kayak fishing lately and getting stoked on that, so I felt somewhat driven to try my meager skills at a fillet knife.
Below is the result. For all it's shortcomings it came out ok I think. It's done is CPM S30V, a piece I've had around since buying my grinder, waiting to get good enough to even attempt a blade with it.
I'm still sanding, and am at 180 grit currently, and not half way through that yet. You sure use a lot of paper when your final belt grinds aren't too good.

The only thing I'm not thrilled about is again my handle design.
Does anyone have any feedback they might give about refining this shape a bit?
Also, what would you do with pins on this one? I intend to finish it out in desert ironwood. I don't plan bolsters, but who knows.

Thanks up front for any suggestions.

 

[viral]

Just make your handle thinner on the bottom side, and not make that belly so big. You want a few beers a night belly not a 12 pack a night belly. Best of luck. If my tapatalk app could upload pics I'd upload the general handle I use. I love it.

 

[Brock Cutlery]

A couple more pics outside.

 

[Brock Cutlery]

Just make your handle thinner on the bottom side, and not make that belly so big. You want a few beers a night belly not a 12 pack a night belly. Best of luck. If my tapatalk app could upload pics I'd upload the general handle I use. I love it.

Thanks Viral. I'd like to see your handle when you have the time.

 

[viral]

Give me a minute and I'll fire up the Dinoputer

 

[viral]

I couldn't get mine to upload, the files are so small you can barely see anything. So i took yours to paint and used my awesome skills.
So just making it thinner all around makes it more aesthetically pleasing. And making that hump smaller feels better in hand, atleast to me. Just remember, thin is in and sleek is neat.

 

[Brock Cutlery]

I couldn't get mine to upload, the files are so small you can barely see anything. So i took yours to paint and used my awesome skills.
So just making it thinner all around makes it more aesthetically pleasing. And making that hump smaller feels better in hand, atleast to me. Just remember, thin is in and sleek is neat.

That does look much nicer. It looks like a different knife. I appreciate the help on this. I think this will help me a lot with my general knife handle frustrations.
Thanks for taking the time sir.

 

[viral]

That does look much nicer. It looks like a different knife. I appreciate the help on this. I think this will help me a lot with my general knife handle frustrations.
Thanks for taking the time sir.

no problem man, I have like a 10 inch contact wheel and I will just cut in the 2 humps then put it on a slack belt and smooth them over. once you design a handle that you like, you can almost use it on anything. by the way, that grind looks good! what kind of scales are you gonna use? I think you should update the thread with a finished photo! those are the best.

 

[Brock Cutlery]

I will update this. I intent to use Ironwood as I have a bunch of that laying around.
Thanks for the grind complements. Honestly, I don't know how it came out so good. I've ruined so many in the learning.

 

[Brock Cutlery]

This and one of two blades I've been happy enough to bother hand sanding. Just a couple of things about hand sanding.

1. Good grief!
2. New respect for all who make knives. Sanding is a real art in itself.
3. Thanks to Nick Wheeler and all the others who have created video to help us rookies get through the learning curve.

 

[viral]

Yea, hand sanding can be a bear. That one little scratch just never wants to leave!

 

[Brock Cutlery]

Yea, hand sanding can be a bear. That one little scratch just never wants to leave!

That one scratch! You have it too?
Man, makes you want to take a lot more care on the final grind. And maybe go a bit further with the grit progression.

I did a few hours yesterday with a block of oak wood and sandpaper and let me just say the glamor was starting to wear a bit thin.
After watching Nick W's videos I went back to the shop and whipped these up. Sooo much nicer.
If you don't have a good sanding setup, do yourselves a huge favor. Amen.

 

[Drew Riley]

personally, I don't see very much wrong with that handle. I'd maybe radius the index finger just a touch more, and shave a little off of the birds beak pommel, but really, it's not too bad. You most "function" and comfort will come from how you shape the scales once they are in place.

 

[Brock Cutlery]

personally, I don't see very much wrong with that handle. I'd maybe radius the index finger just a touch more, and shave a little off of the birds beak pommel, but really, it's not too bad. You most "function" and comfort will come from how you shape the scales once they are in place.

I appreciate your input, and I partly agree. I ground out another blank with the newly suggested shape, and I can't say it feels a lot better in my hand. I may not have executed the shape very well.
It has slightly less meat at the pinky grip end, and that doesn't feel as comfortable.
Someone posted a comment about someone's profile design, noting that the pinky didn't have enough support. Maybe I am just overly aware of that right now.
But as far as the general shape, I could almost go either way. I think I'll make them both, and as you suggest, trim down the bird beak a bit as it does seem a little exaggerated. Then see which one actually feel and/or looks better in the hand.
These are certainly early experiments on my part, and gaining a good lesson in handles is better than having a great fillet knife at this point for me.
Thanks again for the comments.

This is the new profile, and I can't say I'm happy with the belly yet, toward the bolster area. I may change that a bit yet.

 

[Brock Cutlery]

I've sanded this down to 400, maybe a bit too far pre-heat treat, but I don't really know what I am doing, so I figured it couldn't hurt to get the experience on soft steel.
Anyway, I think I'm about ready to drill the fasteners and am thinking something like this placement. I think I have one end or the center off a bit in my measurements and I'll straighten that out.
But roughly, what are your thoughts on this layout for ironwood scales?
I plan to use brass corbies.
Does this make sense for ironwood?
Look ok if I get them spaced right?

(I've also inked out what I plan to grind away of the shape).

 

[Matt Rochester]

Middle pin needs to come back a little. Ironwood is nice but is tough to sand. It will gum up belts and is easy to burn so take your time. Sand them to 1500 or so and buff. Other than the pin placement, looks good!

I've sanded this down to 400, maybe a bit too far pre-heat treat, but I don't really know what I am doing, so I figured it couldn't hurt to get the experience on soft steel.
Anyway, I think I'm about ready to drill the fasteners and am thinking something like this placement. I think I have one end or the center off a bit in my measurements and I'll straighten that out.
But roughly, what are your thoughts on this layout for ironwood scales?
I plan to use brass corbies.
Does this make sense for ironwood?
Look ok if I get them spaced right?

(I've also inked out what I plan to grind away of the shape).

 

[Brock Cutlery]

Middle pin needs to come back a little. Ironwood is nice but is tough to sand. It will gum up belts and is easy to burn so take your time. Sand them to 1500 or so and buff. Other than the pin placement, looks good!

Thanks for the ironwood advice. That will help.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I have watched this thread and agree with the evolution of the handle. I would slightly round the beak of the birds head when doing the final sanding of the handle (you don't want it pointed for comfort as well as it will make the wood chip easily). Corby's are almost a necessity on a fillet knife.

I have made a LOT of fillet knives, I used to use all sorts of fancy woods,....and still do on many of them. But by now I have learned that a fillet knife is a working knife. What matters is durability - most of all water resistance and wear resistance. Buffed finishes will quickly fade away under hard use, fish blood/guts/scales, and sand/dirt. Most wood will chip and crack under the constant soaking and abuse. These knives sit in tackle boxes, fishing bags, or kitchen drawers, not on display shelves. The very best material for a fillet knife handle is Canvas Micarta. Second best is G-10. For wood, the all time champ is dyed, stabilized curly maple. African Blackwood and Rosewood hold up well, also.

Now days, well over 75% on my fillet and other fishing knives have black, red, or brown Phenolic handles.




A second note on fillet knives:
Make sheaths that are robust. A liner of tough plastic ( kydex is good) or an aluminum "U" is a good idea.
These long, thin, and incredibly sharp blades will run through a leather sheath easily if shoved in wrong. Best case scenario - a ruined sheath...worst case, a severely cut hand when miles out to sea!
Stitching alone doesn't stand a chance of holding up well, so glue them up solidly with something like Leatherweld. I also heavily oil most sheaths buy soaking in neatsfoot oil.

 

[Brock Cutlery]

I have watched this thread and agree with the evolution of the handle. I would slightly round the beak of the birds head when doing the final sanding of the handle (you don't want it pointed for comfort as well as it will make the wood chip easily). Corby's are almost a necessity on a fillet knife.

I have made a LOT of fillet knives, I used to use all sorts of fancy woods,....and still do on many of them. But by now I have learned that a fillet knife is a working knife. What matters is durability - most of all water resistance and wear resistance. Buffed finishes will quickly fade away under hard use, fish blood/guts/scales, and sand/dirt. Most wood will chip and crack under the constant soaking and abuse. These knives sit in tackle boxes, fishing bags, or kitchen drawers, not on display shelves. The very best material for a fillet knife handle is Canvas Micarta. Second best is G-10. For wood, the all time champ is dyed, stabilized curly maple. African Blackwood and Rosewood hold up well, also.

Now days, well over 75% on my fillet and other fishing knives have black, red, or brown Phenolic handles.

A second note on fillet knives:
Make sheaths that are robust. A liner of tough plastic ( kydex is good) or an aluminum "U" is a good idea.
These long, thin, and incredibly sharp blades will run through a leather sheath easily if shoved in wrong. Best case scenario - a ruined sheath...worst case, a severely cut hand when miles out to sea!
Stitching alone doesn't stand a chance of holding up well, so glue them up solidly with something like Leatherweld. I also heavily oil most sheaths buy soaking in neatsfoot oil.

I was hoping you would post your thoughts on this one Stacy. I appreciate all the advice.
This is the one knife that I have the most experience with really, not making, but using. I've been diving and spear fishing for a good many years and I know just what you mean about the abuse.
We always kind of prided ourselves on having the most beat up, well used fillet knife.
I'm a little concerned about the ironwood handle and want to be very careful about it where it might get thin or on the protruding points as you say, the birds beak part. I'm half considering brass bolsters, but I have no experience there yet and am not likely to produce something nice.
I've also considered Manzanita, another wood I really love the look of. I think it might be slightly more pliable and stand up better than the ironwood. But for this one I'll probably just drive forward as planned and see how it goes. The experience will probably be worth more than the knife, and at my age I am not likely to be as hard on it as I once was.
The sheath channel is a very good idea and one I hadn't considered at all. I will probably go with a kydex inner on a leather sheath. In general I know the plastics will hold up better, but I think it may be some time before I can pull myself away from the leather and the wood. I think they just look so much better.
I expect to send this off for heat treating shortly and will post pics when I get it further along.
Thanks again for the advice.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Sounds good.