First Knife looking for feedback and advice

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Pie-Bald

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May 4, 2014
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I have loved knives as long as I can remember and lately I got a bug to try my hand at making one. My thought is to make a full tang, hunting / skinning knife. If I keep at it, I will probably make the same design 3-4 times so I can refine my technique a bit.

I have been loitering around the forum for a few days. I have read the Count's advice to new knife makers and have watched some of the videos he links to. Also, I have been watching youtube videos of knife making for several months. I think I have watched Walter Sorrels and Trollsky each make the same knife about 2 dozen times.

I don't have a proper workshop, just a tool shed, but I do have the following tools at my disposal:
  • angle grinder
  • drill
  • chop saw (currently setup for wood but I could put a cutoff blade on it)
  • bench vice mounted to my work bench
  • Files (I will probably invest in some new ones as mine are showing their age)
  • disc sander

My plan at this point is to make the first one or two by hand using files, sand paper, and the angle grinder where appropriate. I have a list of some specific questions but I am sure the list of questions I don't know I should ask is longer so please feel free to chime in with stuff I have not thought of.

1) I am thinking of a finished blade thickness around 1/8 inch, based on the knife I was inspired by. Is this a good thickness for this type of knife?
2) Is a bolster necessary? I much prefer the way a knife looks with a bolster but I am worried that it will be a huge pain to work one with hand tools.
3) Handle materials; I have live oak and pecan (from my mom's house in SC) at my disposal but I am not opposed to buying scales either. I much prefer the look of wood to synthetics. Are either of these good or should I buy some scale material?
4) Should I use corby fastners or brass rods in the handle? I don't have an anvil or other solid metal surface for peening so I am leaning toward corby fasteners.
5) Probabl the most important question; Should I go with 1084 or 440? I know that stainless would be a better choice for outdoor use but I think there is just something classic about a "high carbon steel blade". Also if I go 1084, I read in the Count's advice that it is possible to harden and temper myself. Is this as easy as it looks on youtube?

Ok now that all of that is out of the way, here is the design I cam up with along with the knife the inspired it. I should say that I also tried to draw on the Hunting knife that Walter Sorrels made in his youtube series.



Thanks so much in advance for any advice /input.
 
My main concern in the curve in it. It would be difficult to make especially with files. It may be worth a shot but deffinatly pretty hard. I do like the look of it though.
 
Lets talk about practicality and usability of a knife and compare those things to what you have drawn. The first things you need to consider when you design a knife are function and good ergonomics, not shape and looks.

1) Look at the blade edge on the one you have, compared to the one drawn. The edge is a smooth curve to the tip after 2/3 of the blade being relatively straight. The one you drew with a radically curved and bulged edge will cut very poorly, as it only will cut at the apex of the curve.
2) The spine on the original is not so drastically curved downward, either. Your drawing shows a knife that will try to "flip over" in your hand. It will be uncomfortable to use, because you will, have to grip it harder to keep it from turning.
3) The rivets on the handle should be a tad farther apart.
4) All those little choils, sweeping plunges, 1/2" wide bolsters, and pointed butt tip should be left for knife when you have a lot more skills.

Make a nice basic drop point hunter like the one shown for a first knife. Perhaps a bit smaller ricasso would be better, and leave off the gut hook and jimping, but the basic shape of the one shown is good.
 
Blade, Thanks for the feedback. I spent some time looking at dozens of pictures of drop point hunting knives and then got intimate time with my new french curves today (don't tell my wife!:)) and came up with three new possibilities based on your comments.

Here is #1


#2


#3


A couple of notes. I took what you said about choils to heart but I really like the look of a Spanish notch and thought to accomplish it with a drill the way Walter Sorrels demonstrates in his youtube video.

Also, with regard to the ricasso, I shortened it on #1 and #3 but #2 just didn't look right with a skinny one.

All of these are meant to have no bolster, the space between the ricasso and the scales is open tang (is there a more proper term for this). The idea came from a picture I saw here

http://makestuffwithyourhands.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/lovelesscopy.jpg

I am not planning any jimping and from a hunting experience standpoint, I find gut hooks to be a nuisance as it adds a spot for the blade to hang up on things and I tend to use the blade itself for gutting and skinning anyway.

My plan is still to go with 1084 1&1/2 inch stock but I have not ordered it yet. I want to get the design down first. Tryig to take things one step at a time.

Thanks again for your help so far.
 
Personally I like the first knife better and in my opinion it would have more functionality, I would still wait on bladesmith and his final opinion.
 
Thanks East. From a purely aesthetic standpoint I agree, the first design is more appealing to my eye but Blade's comments were exactly what I am looking for because I would like to build something that I can carry in the field. Most likely, my first knife will not be my best so it is not going to be cased up and sitting in the safe. If the basic design is functional and I keep making knives, eventually I will get to the point where I make them in a manner that has both visual appeal and functionality.
 
As I always say, Its your knife, make it any shape you want. But if you want it to cut, shape it for function.

On the Spanish notch - If you want to use on, OK, but place it where it goes. The plunge line should bisect the notch. You have drawn the notch behind the plunge. The purpose of the notch is mainly to aid sharpening and allow for blade wear is repeated sharpening. Feel free to place the notch in the edge first and then file the plunge, but expect the plunge to end up somewhere else than the center of the notch. The notch should be filed in the edge at the plunge after the main bevels have been filed and sanded. I do it as the last step before HT when I use one.

On the fancy curved plunge lines - How did you do that on your last knife? Oh, wait a minute, this is your first knife (Just kidding).

With limited equipment and experience, start simple. Pick a simple shape to start on...and you will have the highest likelihood of success. Make that knife and learn where you have the most problems. Make the same shape knife four to nine more times to get the bugs out. Then you can try for a more elaborate knife style. Curved plunge lines are not easy to do eve for experienced makers.

#1 in the new set of sketches is a good shape, with two minor things to adjust - the curved plunge, and the point of metal sticking out. I would take the point off and make the edge and handle align, and make a normal plunge. That will give you a good project to start on.
 
Blade, Thanks again I really do appreciate the help. Here is the refined version based on your latest comments.



I drew it on the same page for easy reference. I think I understand what you're saying about straight lines being easier with handle tools and no experience. My one concern is that my hand would slide forward onto the blade when the handle has such straight lines. I've never had it happen in practice even on my Swiss Army Knife but the thought did occur to me. Am I worrying over nothing?

Thanks again.
 
Much better.

One more tiny change and it is ready to trace on the steel. Round the tip of the butt a tad (about 1/4" radius). That point will hurt your hand as well as chip the first time it gets bumped/dropped.
 
Blade,

Thanks again. I've made the change and ordered a 1" x 0.156" x 48" bar of 1084 from NJ Steel Baron. While I wait for for the stock, I will be gathering files and building a filing jig. I am going to follow the design that Gough lays out in his YouTube video.

I am also going to order scale material and pins. I am leaning towards walnut scales from Jantz, they're not too expensive and I like the look of walnut on gunstocks so I figure its worth a shot trying it on my knife. For pins, do you recommend corby fastenres or brass rod? I don't have an anvil but I'm sure I could find a piece of metal to lay down on my work bench to peen the ends. Also, is there a particular diameter I should go with or is it strictly personal preference?

Again, thank you for all your help. I'm sure I could have stumbled my way through my first knife on my own but I am equally sure that it would have sucked rotten eggs when I was done! Hopefully I am goiong to make something that will suck orders of magnitude less than that!
 
On your next order, get wider stock. 1" is pretty narrow. It leaves you no room for much curvature and will only make narrower knives. 1.25 and 1.50" are the most useful sizes.

Walnut will work fine. I personally use Corby bolts on most knives, but Corby bolts will require a drill press and the matching counter-bore for the bolt size you choose.
With your equipment and skills set, simple 1/8" or 3/16" pins work just fine on a small knife like this one. Use brass or nickel silver pins. Peening is good, and does not require an anvil. Any solid hard surface will work. You can lay a piece of steel down on the work bench, or get a scrap of granite countertop from a counter shop for this tack. The piece of countertop scrap is usually free, and a very handy thing to have in the shop for sanding, scribing centerlines, straightening warps, etc.
 
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