First Stock Removal Blade Critique.

DarthTaco123

DarthTaco123

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Mar 28, 2013
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Looking for some constructive criticism of this knife I drew up. I've been thinking about debating trying stock removal for a while now and this is what I came up with. Any and all criticism is welcome!
image-9.jpg
 
I think the overall blade profile looks fine. Personally, I'd shorten the ricasso a bit, and I'm just not feeling the handle style. It would maybe work on a chef's knife, but not so much the camp/hunter style you've got going on. If you're going to stick with a hidden tang with guard, I'd suggest adding a bit of drop to the butt of the handle; give it some subtle curves, and maybe choose a thinner stock for the guard. I'm not trying to rag on you, but the overall handle design needs some work. As it sits right now, it kind of looks like a maglight with a blade sticking out of it. ;)

-nathan
 
Haha I figured the handle is what'd get ragged on first. I'm going to redraw this a few times before i draw it out on the steel.
 
This is a Utility knife or Hunter?

Its fine for a first attempt. I suggest than you give some more thought to that handle. Put some curve in it. Its a bit too stick like. It also looks short. Drop the rear of the handle so that it would fill in your palm.
Look at the handles on some of your favorite knives.

As far as the blade goes, You are going to flat or hollow grind it? I would move up the bevel height on the blade.
You have too much steel on top not serving any purpose.
 
Toyed with the design a bit. The blade is the same, but I'm thinking I'll go full tang with it instead. I added some curves with shoddy free hand. The knife itself is a general purpose knife, probably used the most as a hunter/skinner.
image-10.jpg
 
Better. Now not quite so much curve on the spine side of the handle. In other words, let if flair a bit towards the butt. Also, increase the radius behind the plunge where your index finger would go. It can be similar to the first picture. Something like Willie posted.

--nathan
 
Not bad. Certainly better than the first picture. Still a bit harsh at the butt end. Would you want a woman who butt was that flat? :)
 
Okay, next step... get a fresh piece of paper and transfer the sketch. ;)

Looking much better.
 
Two pieces of advice... first, you're over thinking your design. Just roll with something... it doesn't have to be perfect, and chances are it'll look nothing like what you intended in the end (often in a good way). Plus, your design skills will improve drastically once you have a couple of knives under your belt. 10 knives from now you wont care what your first looked like... starting sooner with get you there sooner.

Second, buy a set of French curves for your future designs. Your curves are a bit awkward... they'll help you make your lines far more attractive.
 
Go figure, that'll make life a heck of a lot better than free handing them. Lord knows I can barely write let alone DRAW.
 
DarthTaco-
You are getting closer.
Take a good look at Willies re-drawn sketch. Notice how the top line of the whole blade is curved...not just the handle. You are trying to curve the handle and keep the blade spine hard and straight. It only takes a little curve to make things work and look better. I would print out his sketch and try to re-draw your last sketch using the blade curves of his as a visual guide.
 
The curve I drew might be a little off. The French curve idea is a good one. You can slightly flatten the centre of the curve and increase it gently toward the end if you are looking for a bushcrafter look. I prefer a light fast knife so I don't use the wide tip design. When drawing the handle, pretend you are wrapping your fingers around it, and make sure it is long enough at the bottom. I decide the final radius for the index finger as one of the last steps, with the knife in hand, so I leave a little extra there to start with (when finished, the ricasso should flow smoothly into the handle visually.) the full flat grind I drew will outperform the shorter grinds significantly. There is no comparison.
 
One thing I often hear is when designing a knife you should always consider how the knife is going to be used. Obviously, that is good, sound advice... but not something a beginner will be able to fully understand.

Consider the difference between a box cutter and a chef's knife. Sure, you COULD cut vegetables with a box cutter, but why would you want to? A Chef's knife is much more efficient for that purpose. Likewise, a chef's knife could be used to open boxes, but it isn't the best tool for that purpose.

Applying that same principle in more subtle design elements is an advanced skill. How much mass should the blade have? What edge geometry will work best for the material that needs to be cut? How large or pointy should the tip be? How many edges are needed? At what angle of approach will the blade typically be used? How should the handle be made to avoid hot spots or hand slippage?

Thinking of these points will help you avoid superfluous design elements that would potentially make the blade less useful. Things like bulges in the ricasso, for example, that prevent you from using the back half of the blade.

Designing a knife isn't just about making something pretty or cool. In fact, pretty/cool should be the last thing you think about, after you have figured out how to make it functional.
 
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