First folder: Ti, carbon, and hamon

Knifemaker87

Knifemaker87

Joined
Jan 2, 2006
Messages
1,073
hey everybody..
this is my first attempt at a folder. i have gotten alot of help from yall in the "how tos" and this is a hats off to you. thanks for all the help
as it is my first folder i am gonna hold onto it, but hope to make more, what can i do to improve?

.63 Ti liners
.005 bronze washers
torx screws
1095 blade w/hamon
carbon fiber and G10 handle

what do you think?

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thanks for looking!
~chris
 
That is beautiful. If you decide to sell that one let me know. I want to get one of your knives before you get too famous and I think that is inevitable. Really really nice my friend.
 
Very nicely done , all of your work on your site is extremely clean with nice flowing designs.

Love the hamon on the blade as well.

Great job.
 
Looks great! I really like carbon blades on folders. I like the built in guard on the blade. The work on the thumb stud is nice touch as well. Fit looks fantastic, very tight.

Never would have guessed this was a first folder, can't wait to see more.
 
What can you do to improve ? Simple, make more :D

Very nice folder. I like it.
 
Chris, please take my suggestions and comments with a grain of salt;

I like the finger groove that the blade and handle make together, as opposed to some, which have a finger groove only on the blade, (like Strider)

The tolerance between the blade and liners is very close, which on the one hand is really cool and shows a lot of attention to detail, but on the other I could see lint and crap getting stuck in there easily. For being such a big knife, it is a good idea to assume heavy use and ease maintenance by design.

The domed stub looks really nice, but some traction is always good. I like thumbstuds with concentric steps, (like benchmade uses) the most.

I'm a fan of dovetailed bolsters. Not many guys do it, but I think it's the hallmark of a guy who knows what's up.

The shape, thickness and grind of the blade is very nice.

The shape of the handle is very nice.

I don't know if it's a trick of photography, but somehow the blade looks larger than the handle, and that is a rare thing to find in a folder. That's something Ken Onion does really well, and he is my all time favorite designer/maker when it comes to this genre of knife.

How is detente and release?







P.s- Just give me the word, and I'll trade you a bike for it!:D;)
 
Good looking folder. Personally I would prefer some other handle material, but it's very nicely made. Congratulations.

Kind regards,

Jos
 
Lorien said:
Chris, please take my suggestions and comments with a grain of salt;

I like the finger groove that the blade and handle make together, as opposed to some, which have a finger groove only on the blade, (like Strider)

The tolerance between the blade and liners is very close, which on the one hand is really cool and shows a lot of attention to detail, but on the other I could see lint and crap getting stuck in there easily. For being such a big knife, it is a good idea to assume heavy use and ease maintenance by design.

The domed stub looks really nice, but some traction is always good. I like thumbstuds with concentric steps, (like benchmade uses) the most.

I'm a fan of dovetailed bolsters. Not many guys do it, but I think it's the hallmark of a guy who knows what's up.

The shape, thickness and grind of the blade is very nice.

The shape of the handle is very nice.

I don't know if it's a trick of photography, but somehow the blade looks larger than the handle, and that is a rare thing to find in a folder. That's something Ken Onion does really well, and he is my all time favorite designer/maker when it comes to this genre of knife.

How is detente and release?


P.s- Just give me the word, and I'll trade you a bike for it!:D;)
Click to expand...

Lorien,
Thanks for the feedback.

the tolerence on the blade and handle was a pain.. mostly because i used bronze washers instead of nylatron, which is what i will prlly use next time.. unless it is a fancy folder. i like the smoothness of the bronze. but what you said about lint make perfect sense.. see? this is the kinda stuff i need help figuring out.

i really like the benchmade thumbstuds too. this one has two grooves on the side wich gives your thumb some grip.. but i agree.. that can be improved.

i haven't tried dovetails bolsters yet... but now i want to try it.

one of the things i hate about pocket knives is that very often the blade looks too small for the handle. i hate that.. it is soooo ugly. so.. i wanted a bigger blade than handle. yes.. the blade is wider than the blade.. which presented its own problems.. but yes... it is wider.

the detent and release are solid, however i ground a bit too much on accident where the blade hits the stop bar. so.. before, the blade would be pulled against the stp bar by teh detent when it "sucked in" not there is a little bit og give till it hits the bar. the detent holds it firmly, however you can flip the blade out. you can also just flick your wrist (hours of playing with a knife) to get it to open but it wont open without meaning it to.

so.. take that with a grain of salt knowing i couldbe BSing this whole thing to make you think it is better than it is. it would be better if you could flip it yourself.. but you will just have to take my word for it.
*grins*
thanks for the advice and thanks everybody for the kind words
 
You better not sell this one--pretty soon you won't be able to afford your own work! :eek:

Very nice. I really like the blade/handle proportions you got here. It's also the same reason I like Bailey Bradshaw's "dropped choil" folders so much.
 
Chris - Fantastic job - especially for your first folder. What is the blade length and overall length? Full flat or hollow grind? How thick is the blade at the spine? How wide is the blade from spine to edge? What's the knife weigh? Could you snap a pic of the knife closed?


Most of this has already been mentioned, but I'll list some of my thoughts...

  • First of all, I love the overall look of the knife.
  • I *love* a carbon steel blade. You just don't see that many around on folders.
  • The hamon is great as well, and another feature you don't see on folders. It may or may not be a useful feature on a folding knife, but I like the look, and it never hurts to show off your skill and make the knife stand out in a crowd.
  • I like the choice of handle materials - it's not the usual "grey turd"
  • Love the high grind on the blade as well as a very useful blade shape
  • The rounded bolster is a nice touch
  • For my money, I'd like to see you stick with the bronze washers and tight tolerances. My large micarta Sebenza doesn't have any trouble with lint or dirt.


Some suggestions...

  • Dovetailed *and* rounded bolsters would be especially nice
  • I'd like to see the top of the handle curve down a bit more and cover more of the blade tang, creating an even more secure (and wider, more comfortable) finger guard
  • I like the thumb stud, but would like some texturing for a more secure purchase when opening
  • Maybe it's just the picture, but it looks like the top front edge of the liner lock is sticking up higher than the blade tang, which could lead to a hot spot on your finger when gripping the knife. I like to see the liner and bottom of the tang even.
  • If it's a knife I'll ever carry and use, it MUST have a pocket clip. I don't have a spare front pocket to drop a large folder into, so it HAS to be clipped to my right front pocket. The clip doesn't have to be one of the deep carry/almost concealed variety, but it should be mounted as high up on the bolster as is practical.


Some other general thoughts about things I like in a folder...

  • NO BLADE PLAY IN ANY DIRECTION - open or closed
  • I like a nice, crisp, strong detent. I like the blade to get sucked in when closing, you know what I mean?
  • The blade tip should be centered perfectly between the liners when closed
  • For *my* use, I need a nice thin edge that's razor sharp more than an edge that can withstand a bunch of abuse. I need to be able to cut up the occassional cardboard box or plastic zip tie, but I'm not going to be slicing open a 55-gallon plastic drum, you know?

Last question - when will mine be ready? :D;)
 
Chris,
I liked your first attempt (such a first is an amazing fact in itself) and,
thanks to Lorien, this has become truly pleasant and to the point discussion
of your work.
This too (even in itself) makes this a thread that sets a new and long
needed standard in knife critique on the Forums.....

Thanks everyone!

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
 
That is one of the nicest folders I have ever seen. Considering the quality of of your tanto's I can easily see the attention to detail. I have yet to own a custom folder but love this style of new world materials (carbon fiber and G-10) and more simple steels like 1095 being blended together masterfully.

Make more! :thumbup:
 
Very nice :thumbup:

I like the choice of handle materials and blade shape alot.
 
Hey Chris, thanks for taking my post in the spirit that drove it. And David, thank you for your kind words, as always:)

I have talked with other makers, in confidence, who WILL NOT post photos of their new work in this forum due to the bickering and flaming which has characterized the exchange of ideas here in the past. I am hopeful that this forum is moving beyond that and it seems to me that the 'regulars' are practicing some policing of sorts to make sure the rabble keeps its comments in check.
 
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