First knife please critique

P

Possum1st

Joined
Dec 15, 2013
Messages
5
Hello every one on BF! Noob here, so I've been trolling for about a year and I have a few knifes in different stages but this is my first finished knife. I used a TBF for heat treat. A HF 1"x30" and drum sander attachments for my cordless drill for the majority of the shaping. I just have to thank every one for sharing there different techneiques and advices it has helped so much.
3" blade
6 1/2" over all leingth
Brass pins
Cocobolo scales

image_zps1jm4pifm.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]


image_zpswe7w3ke0.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]

image_zpsxbb7we8w.jpg
[/URL][/IMG]
 
Last edited:
That's a fine effort for a first knife. You seem to have avoided some of the things that a lot of new makers do. Your grind is nice and high, your handle isn't blocky and the knife has a nice flow about it. Sure, the grind could be a bit flatter and the finish could be a bit finer and the plunge could be a bit more crisp. But if you got all those things right too it wouldn't be a first knife. I think it's well done.
 
for a first knife that handle is awesome! love the way you used the grain as well. nice work
 
OK, you asked for critique.

I like the fact that you fully rounded the handle edges, all the way to the spine. It will be much more comfortable in the user's hand than if you had finished it with blocky edges.

The sweep of the blade is a bit over pronounced. I assume that this is a hunter/skinner. A rounded belly is useful in skinning/caping/gutting (the Alaskan tribes used round knives) but the very rounded edge may seem unconventional and awkward to many people. A little bit less sweep will may it a more utilitarian knife, while still most handy for hunting.

The sharp thumb rest on the spine is a bit too sharp. This could be an immediate source of a thumb blister. Round it off a bit, and it will look and function well.

Your pin placement is along the center line of the knife and looks good.

You may try hand sanding after grinding to get the grit lines lengthwise.

Great job though. It is a work to be very proud of.

The sheath looks very good. I like the stain.

Mike L.
 
Oh, space your leather stitches a bit farther apart. A general rule of 5 stitches per inch for the seams will make your sheaths look a bit better too.

Mike L.
 
I agree with logem on those points. That is a great first knife.

There is one major issue that hasn't been mentioned yet:
It looks like you cut the wood for the handle scales on the end or cross grain. That looks great, but is very weak in many cases. Added to that you have a thin point at the front of the handle. This will snap off the firstborn second time it bumps something in cutting. Whenever possible, use the long grain, as it is many times stronger. Also, use curves or straight lines for the front of the handle scales. Avoid and thin projections of wood.
 
I agree with Stacy and Logem, specifically Stacy's observations on the scales. At least with cocobolo you'll likely be OK. I've had a few nightsticks over the years made from cocobolo. It resists cracking and splitting fairly well. I see what you were aiming for, and glad you mirrored the angles on opposing sides.

Pin placement and size look great. That is a usual first pitfall. Did you peen the pins at all? The overall shape is reminiscent of a Shrade Sharpfinger only more exaggerated. Looks very Arabic. I have a Sharpfinger I use quite often and they do make a good skinning knife.

I agree with the finish critiques as well. A uniform longitudinal pattern on a blade looks very clean and serves to lengthen the appearance of the knife. Or go fully polished or some media blast/tumbled/etched non-directional finish with it. A look I like quite a bit is an etched/blued finish on the flats, and a vertical mid grit finish on the bevels.

I really like the sheath. Nice rustic look. What kind/thickness/etc leather did you use?

Great first effort. Welcome to the club!
-Eric
 
I didn't mention the sheath. I can't quite tell from the photo -does it have a glued up welt? If not, the stitching won't last long and you could get a bad cut.
 
Awesome looking for knife for you first as well as the sheath. I can relate with trying to do them on the old HF 1x30. I guess it builds character or at least I keep telling myself that when I am grinding on that little thing. Hope to see more of your future projects.
 
I will take note of the stitching and using end grain. I didn't peen because I'm a little slow on understanding how I would go about peening the pins with the handles are rounded. No I didn't glue the welt because I was concerned about the glue drying in the holes while I was sewing it together. I'm sure there are simple salutions o these problems but like I said I'm a noob still.
For the sheath I used Veg Tan Tooling leather 8oz. I used a antiquing gel from Tandy for the finish. I had planed on stamping a border or something but I had ran out of time.
 
Normally, you glue up the welt and sides and then trim the edges. After that, you mark and punch the stitching holes.
 
You might want to put a couple more rivets on the sheath to help from cutting through your stitches
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top