I'm gonna be straight with you on this one. Usually I don't say anything if I don't like a knife, but I like your approach and think you deserve unvarnished opinions.
A stock thickness of 1/8 for a 6" blade is very practical and I bet it's a nice backpacking type knife due to the light weight. I also think the proportions of the fittings are bang on and the etched iron contrasts really nice with the beautiful finish you put on that blade.
I guess to be fair, I'd have to hold onto it to really appreciate the nuances, but from the photo, that handle just does nothing for me. There's too much going on in terms of activity and coloring. A more homogeneous handle would look nicer I think. And the shape of the handle, well, like I said I guess one would have to hold it, but there doesn't seem to be much flow going on. It's just too lumpy.
Anyway, I have the best of intentions here in being straight with you. I hope you take my criticisms in the spirit in which they're offered
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I absolutley take that very well, and appreciate the honest opinion, not sure this is appropriate for a family viewing forum or not, but Lorien for someone to blow smoke up my a$$ and tell me how wonderful something is , when it's not "doing it for them", isn't gonna help a maker get any better, and there opinion must be at least taken into consideration, if a maker ever wants to build something desired by collectors. i hope that made sense.
It's the honest opinion, that im looking for, if someone is making garbage and is told how wonderful it is then they'll always be satisfied with making garbage.
that being said, The way i sculpted / shaped the wood for this knife, truthfully fits the hand rather well, maybe it's hard to tell from the photo, but when you hold it, the handle neck's down around the bottom of the guard and spacer, then from the top and bottom, goes into a palm swell, to give something to grip on firmly, then goes dips in to recieve the ball of your hand, and ending with a flared out butt, to aid in holding on to it if swung, and though it maybe a little unconventional looking, it's rather comfortable.
Since were speaking honestly, the only thing, i'd change about the handle would be , i'd add 1/4'' -1/2'' to the length of the handle.
the actuall handle part's probably about 4 1/8- 4 1/4'', and for my hands it fits just fine, and for most it will, but that extra 1/2'' goes along way......for a knife handle that is
, and also i'd detail the spacer, a little.
since this wasn't an order, and was just one of my own builds, i just made what i wanted and what felt good to me, but if someone want a knife similar but disliked the contour of the handle, ....no problem, i'd just shape there handle to meet there specifications.
lorien, thanks for speaking up, i like when people can be honest, and not just browse through the postings, and say how wonderful everything is , cause it's not, and i think constructive critism, presented properly, will make a so-so knifemaker, a damn good knifemaker one day................maybe
andrew
put the guard on upside down, and didnt realize it till next day (late night in shop)....any way i ended up breaking the tang, by bending back and forth numerous times and prying out on it , and the tang never broke free. those pins really help to lock the knife in place.