First Knife WIP

G

grayisawsm

Joined
Feb 26, 2013
Messages
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Merry Christmas guys! I thought it was a good time as any to start making my first knife after months of lurking, with the occasional comment. I ordered some 0.156" by 2" by 48" piece of 1084 high carbon steel from Aldo, and thought I'd get started on some sketches.

My plan is to profile the blade with files and a file jig I built from Gough Custom's video (Thanks for the help by the way). I'm not sure if I'm going to send the blade in to be professionally heat treated, or if I'll try it myself, it really depends on what you guys think. Im also not 100% sure if my design needs to be changed at all, but if anything needs to be altered, please let me know. My design is largely influenced by the Kershaw Leek, as I love the ergos and look to that knife, it just really flows. I know everyone says to do a 3" drop point hunter for their first, but something just really attracted me to this sketch, and I feel like I have to do it. Thanks in advance guys!
20131225_154112_zpssy7nsw2s.jpg.html
 
Very workable. IMHO I would get rid of the angle on the back of the blade and opt for a slight curve along the whole spine.
 
A knife like that only needs steel 1/8 to 5/32 thick at the maximum with the 1/8 I feel being ideal for making and use. Your blade design on the other hand looks fine ! Frank.
 
Yeah, 0.156 was the smallest Aldo had in stock, so I bought it, and I hope it will work. Thanks for the reassurance, and I will fix the spine so that it's a steady curve throughout the knife. Thanks for the input guys.
 
Looks like a nice clean design. No reason you shouldn't be able to accomplish that with good results... Make a WIP for help along the way.

In the future, get bigger steel stock... You should fit the steel to the design, not the other way around...

Cheers, good luck!
 
Something I've done is the grind without cutting the spine when I have a finer tip such as yours. Maybe that's because I'm a noon bit its safer for me lol. I hope you can stick to the design. I usually do my design don't like it on the metal and modify it as I go. Good design.
 
Thanks a lot for the words of encouragement guys, I really appreciate it. I'll try to keep you posted on the progress as much as possible!
 
I worked on the knife for about an hour and a half today, with not a ton of progress. With a hacksaw and a 12" file, I managed to shape the lower part of the knife, but I'm not really happy with the curve of the blade. Currently, it's a more abrupt angle to the tip of the knife, I'd like to make that more subtle.

 
I like it. I would suggest you go to HF and get an angle grinder for 15 bucks. money well spent IMO
 
With reading some of the other posts and seeing what angle grinders can do to people I am glad I go the drill and hacksaw route. Good tension hacksaw with the right blade and hold drilled around the profile makes a really easy and quick job IMHO. I've went the angle grinder route once, and pneumatic cutoff, and sill prefer to drill and saw. But to each their own :D

Nice design, keep updating it for us to see your progression.

For me, and I am far from expert, I like a deeper choil, but thats just me :D
 
I feel the same way about angle grinders Matt. I don't trust them, and to me, for the extra amount of time and effort with the hacksaw is worth it for the precession alone. And depending on on the feel, I may deepen the choil and raise the spine.
 
jobasha11 said:
Isn't it only called a choil if its on the ricaso?
Click to expand...

I have thought the same thing, thought it was a finger groove, but I was reading where multiple makers were calling the front groove a choil so to be honest I am not 100% sure
 
Your drawing looked good. The blade you are making has deviated from the drawing enough to make it less wonderful. Get some dykem and scribe the shape in the steel and it should be a perfect transfer of the drawing.
 
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