First knife - thoughts, critiques?

Nice.

Thickness? Blade height?

The tang's height seems short. Would someone with larger hands find its grip lacking?
 
I like it. Definitely very good for a first attempt.
I hope you enjoy hand sanding; you have a bit ahead of you to get the grind marks out of the blade :D
 
TravisH said:
Nice.

Thickness? Blade height?

The tang's height seems short. Would someone with larger hands find its grip lacking?
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Handle seems a little thin, but certainly a nice job on your first knife, make sure to post pics as it progresses
 
Thanks guys! Really appreciate your feedback.

3/16" a2 steel. Blade is 1.5" tall, the tang was meant to be about an 1/8" or a little more wide, but I messed up haha. The next one will be wider. BUT it's still quite comfortable to hold and with some scales I think it'll be ok for numero uno. I would say at the thinnest the tang is just shy of an inch wide without a ruler.

Yea I had a hard time getting the grit marks out of the blade's center, so I guess hand sanding is the only way to do it without risking messing up my grind? What's the grit progression you'd use to get the marks out?

Anything else I should do before sending it off for HT?

Again, thanks for yalls feedback! And I'll definitely post some progress pics when I move forward.
 
Csalmon said:
Thanks guys! Really appreciate your feedback.

3/16" a2 steel. Blade is 1.5" tall, the tang was meant to be about an 1/8" or a little more wide, but I messed up haha. The next one will be wider. BUT it's still quite comfortable to hold and with some scales I think it'll be ok for numero uno. I would say at the thinnest the tang is just shy of an inch wide without a ruler.

Yea I had a hard time getting the grit marks out of the blade's center, so I guess hand sanding is the only way to do it without risking messing up my grind? What's the grit progression you'd use to get the marks out?

Anything else I should do before sending it off for HT?

Again, thanks for yalls feedback! And I'll definitely post some progress pics when I move forward.
Click to expand...

When it comes to the specifics you'll get better info in the Bladesmithing Q and A subforum. I have submitted a report for the mods to move this thread there :)

I think you're off to a good start (and welcome to the forums! )
 
Better than my first. Put some thick scales on the handle and the handle will be fine. Maybe do some draw filing with a fine file to set up for sanding.
 
Overall it's a nice design. Like stated, thick scales & it should feel good in hand. I would buy one to give it a go. Look forward to seeing your progression.
 
Thanks for the kind words!

3rd hole and thick scales. Got it. I'm thinking the python micarta would look cool.

I bought a few Nicholson files, 10" flat bastard, 8" half round bastard and a round and triangle. Would the 10"
Flat bastard be considered a fine file?

Gonna attempt to make the gough hand sander then I have to figure out how to get the grit marks out of the blade... I figured my run with a 120, 220, 400 would have got the 60 grit marks out :grumpy:
 
It looks like the top line of your grind does not properly follow the curve of the blade edge leaving the tip too thick. Otherwise, great first blade!

-Peter
 
Hurt'n'Broke said:
Overall it's a nice design. Like stated, thick scales & it should feel good in hand. I would buy one to give it a go. Look forward to seeing your progression.
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Once I figure this one out, I'll try to crank out several more like it to start :thumbup:
 
P. McKinley said:
It looks like the top line of your grind does not properly follow the curve of the blade edge leaving the tip too thick. Otherwise, great first blade!

-Peter
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Haha you're correct it's a little thicker towards the tip! Dime width everywhere else. What's the fix for this? More pressure in this area?
 
Csalmon said:
...What's the grit progression you'd use to get the marks out?...
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Most folks start out with something in the neighborhood of 32 or 60 grit and then roughly double the grit until you get up to at least 220. Going beyond that is a personal choice in regards to the finish that your looking for. So for instance you may progress from 32 to 60, 120 and then 220 as an example. From 220 you may wish to go to 400 and 800. It really boils down to a personal choice and like so many other things about knife making...what works best for you.
 
The blade is really good for a first attempt. The others pointed out the main thing needing attention - the addition of a third rivet hole.

Most first knives have a blade far too wide. 1.5" is a lot of width that isn't doing anything. The edge is what cuts. The rest is mass behind it for a chopper, but of no use for a slicer. I find 1" to 1.25" a much more useful and comfortable blade size.

Because you had a wide blade, the tip had to drop rapidly to the edge. This made a fat tip. A narrower blade would allow a more fluid ( and better cutting) edge.

Also, the choil often looks best when it is bisected by the plunge. The difference is small, but can add a lot.
 
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Finished product! Thoughts on numero uno?



And in hopes of receiving positive criticism, here's my second finished knife.

 
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