First Knife You've Made

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ConneA98

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As a beginner knife maker, I would be interested in everyone's first works. I think it would be great to use these to compare to whatever I end up making!:D
 
I can't show off my works because photobucket is currently FUBAR in nature. But my first knife was a primitive styled bowie knife.
 
I'm thinking of either a large Natchez-style Bowie, or maybe a Americanized tanto. Good idea or no?
 
Here is the first knife I made. 5/32 O1 with osage scales. I used a hand file and half rounds to profile and shape the entire thing. I made this little guy about 5 years ago and still like playing with him and seeing how I have improved.

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I dont have a picture of it, but i was 13 when i made my first knife. It was made of rebar. Ended up looking like a prison shank but i was sooooo proud of it.
 
First, let me start by saying I am not a knifemaker. I've been a professional gunsmith, and have a background in cabinet making. Back in the 70's I was doing a lot of blackpowder/buckskin/survivalist type stuff. Making my own gear, tanning hides, long minimalist trips in the outdoors, etc. I made a couple knives during that time. This was the first, and the only one I still have. Made around 1975. I was maybe 15.

I don't know what the steel is. I copied the pattern from a catalog; made a photocopy the size I wanted and then transfered that to the steel. I was going to do something else with the handle but I had this Acraglas sitting around...I made a lot of mistakes. The lines aren't as clean as they should be, but the blades profile is pretty symetrical. This was stock removal, mostly with files and a rotary sander. I had a couple grinding wheels too. Blued it in the shop. Sheath was from some stuff we had laying around. It used to ride in my cowboy boots pretty well. Holds a decent edge.

It's funny, because this was a pretty rough job by my standards today, but it'll probably outlast me.

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My first knife.

ATS-34 with Desert Ironwood Handle. Made it about 5 years ago. Gifted it to my father.

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Mike L.
LoGiudice Custom Knives
 
Here's my first:
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I call it the Ranger. It's 3/16" A2, 4" blade, just under 9" total, with black canvas micarta.
I did almost all of the work with a cheap 1x30" Harbor Freight belt sander. While it was at the heat treater I picked up a KMG, so it was finished on the KMG.

Later I came up with my maker's mark. The mark isn't real exciting but I like it.
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Thanks. It took me probably over 40 hrs to make it though. I'm getting a whole lot faster...
 
I just wanted to say...everybody is different. I have an ability to make things really well even on the first try, but I'm sloooooooooooooooooooow.
Don't let my, or other people's work discourage you. It'll probably take you just as much time to make your first 10 as it does for me to make 2 and by then the quality will probably be comparable.
 
Haha. Thanks for the advice. I plan to make denim micarta handle scales on a natchez or tanto, probably out of 1095 or 5160. I need something for relatively large work (batoning) so that's why I'm considering the Bowie.
 
my first knife:

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The handles came off after some abuse so I had to epoxy them back on. It no longer has the blued and bleached finish. It still holds a great edge and chops like the dickens, though.
 
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