First knife build need help

Yeah I hear that. After using rod and lure most of my youth and switching to fly fishing I couldn't believe the difference. I kind of feel bad when I make people using those look like novice with my flies. Then I think about it and laugh to myself. It's addicting just feeling the difference in fighting strength between species. And if your in my neck of the woods definitely gotta hit some of michigans blue ribbon streams especially when the kings run :smile:
 
I'm down for that! Yeah, the spinner crowd doesn't get the feel of it all. Fighting a 13"-15" fish on a #2 line with a 6-7X tippet... Now thats fun stuff. Even little 7" brookies are fun on a light line. But alas, I do miss my big waters and #9 line throwing two-handed.

The big thing in CO was the big 20. A 20" fish on a #20 hook! Almost did it. 18"... lol. That took some patience for sure. And I don't do barbed hooks... unless I'm hungry for fish. :)

I still spin fish when the beer is cold or the kids wanna go. Seems almost like cheating now though... lol.
 
Having big fish hit small flies was what initially got me hooked on fly fishing. In the same day back when I started I had a 16" largemouth hit and about 100 yards it so down river had a 9 inch small mouth hit. As soon as he started running in my 4 wt I thought I hooked into a nice large mouth or a trout. Working on teaching my nephew how to cast a fly rod last year was a blast. Let him pull in the fish just to show him what it was all about. I just like when he goes fishing with the other side and comes back to tell me they don't know how to fish lol :smile:
 
440C ... you might get Orange peel with the 154cm
Read the stickies at the top it covers allot of territory
 
LeaderofthePack said:
Having big fish hit small flies was what initially got me hooked on fly fishing. In the same day back when I started I had a 16" largemouth hit and about 100 yards it so down river had a 9 inch small mouth hit. As soon as he started running in my 4 wt I thought I hooked into a nice large mouth or a trout. Working on teaching my nephew how to cast a fly rod last year was a blast. Let him pull in the fish just to show him what it was all about. I just like when he goes fishing with the other side and comes back to tell me they don't know how to fish lol :smile:
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My boys are hooked on bug chucking just like the old man. On a Crystal River or something Wal-Mart rods and reels. Not gonna trust em with a Sage, Orvis or god forbid my RL Winston yet... But nothing like passing it on to the kids. Knifemaking too...
 
Yeah if we don't pass it on to the next generation it dies with us. Seen to many of this next gen of guys that can't even throw a decent punch lol.
 
Ok weird question on the handle shape. Was cleaning off my truck after this last snow storm and choked up the handle more than normal but as I was cleaning it off I couldn't help but realize the grip felt incredibly comfortable. So on a screw around moment I made a rough mockup out if wood and really liked it. My question is should I just go with it?
 
chemistguy said:
Get an esse-4 in 1095 for $90, you will not regret it
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Yeah, but then he wouldn't be making it himself. Which is the idea of this whole subforum... Plus, I can make a better knife than some overhyped factory like ESEE... :)
Cheers,

To the OP, my suggestion is go with what feels good in several different grips. If it feels good to you, the end user, then you have keyed in on the whole goal of making a custom knife. If the mock-up works well in various grips, then go with it.

-Eric
 
Yeah I haven't put down the mockup for an hour. Been watching tv and flipping it around and smacking whatever I gave on my bench. Fits like a glove no matter how I hold it. Might tweak how I have the butt set up but that's about it. I'll post a picture once I get one drawn up. Kinda just grabbed some wood and said to heck with it lol. Thanks again Eric
 
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Well he said he wanted a camp knife...

Anyway, I just love the shape of the ESSE line. I'm going to make some blades with a similar shape.
 
LeaderofthePack said:
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That is a good and very functional overall shape. I can see why you are going to tweak the butt a tad, but otherwise that shape is usually pretty useful. With a nice flat grind they are good slicers and handy in the camp, with enough belly to do some skinning out. That shape also tends to carry enough weight forward to be a fairly good little chopper.

chemistguy said:
Well he said he wanted a camp knife...

Anyway, I just love the shape of the ESSE line. I'm going to make some blades with a similar shape.
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(Not trying to start some gradeschool internet argument here, and take everything I say as what it is. A salty old flatfoot being a smart aleck.)
So do you own any ESEE knives or just like the shape? A lot of people 'liked the shape' of the Tom Brown Tracker to the point it was copied beyond belief. But IMHO it didn't work worth a toot in the woods... It did several things satisfactorily, and absolutely nothing outstandingly. Neat movie though... hah.

Yes, he did say he wanted a camp knife, but I was going more by the fact he said he wanted to 'make' a camp knife... I was poking at the 'ESEE' (spelled E S E E, not E S S E... btw) line as they are respectable knives in their own right, however don't carry with them the pride of being made by one's self. I am right in ESEE's target audience as I am a tactical operator by trade, a quasi-professional outdoorsman, and defensive tactics instructor. I have owned and used several of them, and they do make a pretty fine knife... But, buying one and making one are two totally different animals.

I am hoping the OP sees his project through to completion, and joins us in this ever-bank-account-emptying hobby/profession and gets to have the pride of using something he made with his own two hands to complete some cutting related task. The first knife I made myself and used in camp was the best and most valuable knife I have ever held in my hands. And I have at least one knife in my collection that is worth 5 digit money... I have collected knives for nearly 30 years, but never knew as much about them as I learned once I started making them myself.

Cheers!
 
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Thanks again Eric. I may tweak the tip as well since I'll be probably cleaning more trout than hunted game. Still trying to figure out the handle as far as keeping the but flared enough to let it slide from right behind the blade to all the way at the back for chopping. That and it makes playing around with it a little easier :smile: . As fur the flat grind what kind of angle should I bring it down to?
 
Chemistguy, sorry, but have you made a knife before? What is your background in using them. Are you an outdoorsman? Just curious if you are coming from a place of knowledge or just 'like the shape?'... I am trying to give the OP good advice. Just telling him 'go buy an ESSE [sp] cause it looks cool' is not sound advice.
Cheers.

As for the angle question... it depends on the starting thickness of your steel. Ideally you should just shoot for a thickness post HT of .010-.015 for the primary edge. Then a nice long flat grind behind it. Thin wins. If you start to wonder if its too thin, then you are probably in the ballpark, lol.

Where you drew your bevel, height wise, is about perfect for that knife. Start with 1/8"-5/32" stock. Anything else would be overkill. Pre HT the edge will depend on steel type and whether or not you are HTing your knife yourself or sending it out.

If you will be chopping much with it, leave a little length on the handle with a good butt on it so you can hang on. A lanyard never hurts either...

-Eric
 
For that I would think you could go nearly to finished but call Peters to make sure. I can' advise specifically as I HT here. They can tell you exactly how far you can go.

Just for reference, there is another thread on here right now where someone completed a knife similar in design to yours. May check that out. I think you are going a bit bigger though. But similar functional design. I think its gonna be a good one!

-Eric
 
chemistguy,
Because you haven't enabled messaging or email, I have to say this in the forums.

You should read and listen more, and work on making knives. When you actually have some experience, people will then respect it.
Posting on every subject with no experience isn't helpful.

Also , as Erik pointed out, it is ESEE not ESSE. It is an acronym for Escuela de Supervivencia Escape and Evade. You use both spellings in your profile. In a thread of yours you show the knife with the proper spelling on the blade and still titled the thread ESSE-4.
 
I read in another thread that one of your knifes was basically used for a step Eric. Never in my wildest thoughts did I think a blade could withstand that kind of pressure from the side. I know it's not it's intended purpose but still kewl but of information on a blades actual strength. And as the handle is now I can get about a hand and a half/ two hand grip on it. Us that long enough? And welcome to the thread bladsmth. Thanks for pulling my head out of my back side on my original thoughts :smile:
 
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