Honest opinions please - first prototype

stephanfowler said:
one thing that will help TREMENDOUSLY as a knifemaker:

NEVER be afraid to tear a knife apart to fix something you don't like,

if you think you can do it better then by golly do it better.

keep trying until it matches YOUR idea of how it should look COMPLETELY
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I couldn't agree with this more. I really started making strides when I wasn't afraid to "screw up" a knife in order to fix it. Once you grab on to that fact , you'll really start learning and fear will fly out the window.
Later,
Iz
 
Firstly, I want to say that I like this knife and sheath design. You said you can take a punch and seem truly willing to listen to what people are saying, so I'll point out the things that I think could be addressed. I want to be clear again that I think the knife is well done, I tear into myself every time I make a knife and often wonder if I'll ever be happy with my own.

On pin spacing - I think a thong hole would fix the pin spacing problem, I think your forward pin could be back some and your rear pin could be forward some. Even if the pins didn't seem too far apart, I think they would seem too close to the ends of the scales. Continuing on the pins, I think you should leave yourself some more stock to dome completely into your counter-sunk hole, I can see some space there. Doming pins is a pain to get right for me also, for what it's worth.

As to the handle itself, I think it should be a bit slimmer. Something seems off-scale in relation to the knife blade. Perhaps tapering more at the butt and a little deeper toward the front.

As to the grind and blade finish, I would like to see the grind come higher on this knife. I see a fruit/pairing knife having a thin blade nearly all the way up. That's just a personal preference, however. I agree with other comments about file marks, try to remove all marks you didn't put in on purpose and get whatever scratches you leave even and going the same direction.

Looking down the profile of the knife I see scratches going width-wise instead of length-wise. You'll have a much nicer tang/spine finish if you run length-wise. I also feel this way about blade finish, but others will disagree with me. In my opinion, however, there is not much room for disagreement on the profile, they always look unfinished if scratched width-wise.

I wanted to make one comment about the sheath, other than the bit about me really liking it. I was doing a sheath over at a friend's shop the other day (OK, he was doing most of it), and I took over stitching. He came over after I was about half-way through and says "hang on, I want to show you something", he pointed out that my stitches were higher than the ones that he'd done and commented "that's one way you can tell a pro". This wasn't him saying he's a pro, just that the stitching is a subtle thing to get right on a sheath. Keeping all of your stitches tight and below your mark will help the stitching wear better, last longer and have a tight, finished look. Also, although I can't see the edges, I think it probably needs some more burnishing. Do you use a boning tool and gum on the edges?

I hope this comes out as I intended, having people tell me point blank what they don't like about my knives is tough, but I think it's helping me improve.
 
Again I can't state it enough that I appreciate all of the comments. I have starting shaping out my next two blanks and I will try and address as many issues / critiques as I can in this post.

1. File marks left on - This should be an issue, because I'm not using files from here on out and will be ordering proper annealed steel from here on out.

2. Plunge lines and grinding - No more free hand, I'm going to try a more mechanical process (jigs) to help get a nice full flat grind, hopefully it will assist in the overall appearance and eliminate the newb convexing issues.

3. Rounded broomstick type butt - I have redrawn a more squared off butt, more like a strider (see new drawing below).

4. Pin blow outs on the slabs - I think the best way for me to handle this issue is to drill the hole with a smaller bit and then go to the 1/8 bit and drill from the finish side to the epoxy on side.

5. Squaring up the spine - I think this was an issue using too much slack, I'm going to try and avoid convexing and go with more flat. Running the spine vertical while finishing sounds like a good idea and should also clear up any rounding issues that may occur.

6. Pin spacing - A lot of people felt the pins were too far spaced and this shouldn't be a problem on the next one, I have moved the pins more into the center on my redraw.

7. Thick slabs - I was planning on going with a thinner piece of ironwood for the next ones, starting with a 1/4" rather that a 3/8" slab.

8. Finger slippage - I have increase the choil area to create a more defined area and provide a more secure grip.

9. Added a 1/4 hole to provide a lanyard tube, this should help with the balance. I still have to pick up the tubing, so I'm not 100% on the 1/4" hole until I get the material.

All the sheathing tips and trick have been great, I will have to look into the gumming the edges. There is still a lot to learn working with leather, but I will strive to get better and do the best that I can.

I have already started profiling out 2 more blanks based on everyones input. I should finish shaping them up tonight and then work on my jigs before I start on the grinding.

blade_design_edc.jpg
 
IH8U, you have a great attitude and a fine work ethic and willingness to learn. I think your last post is a great checklist to think through when designing and building a knife. Keep up the good work, we all want to see your next project(s) :thumbup:

JT -- formerly known as GibsonFan
 
You may also want to reduce the handle width near the butt. The best way I can describe the way I design handles is for you to grab a handfull of clay like you would hold a knife. The clay will be narrow at the front and rear and thicker in the middle. Also as a rule the handle should be wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, like an inverted "V".
 
Will Leavitt said:
The best way I can describe the way I design handles is for you to grab a handfull of clay like you would hold a knife...Also as a rule the handle should be wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, like an inverted "V".
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I like handles shaped as Mr. Leavitt described, similar to a common machete handle, and I also like handles that are wedge-shaped, meaning they are thinnest at the guard, dropped below the spine, and widest at the butt, like a typical ABS bowie. But then again, I also like knives with one or more finger-grooves... I've found I like the more smooth/less-contoured handle on big knives; I like to balance the knife on my index finger and give it that extra wrist-snap when doing heavier cutting. On smaller knives, a more contoured handle can be really nice, since you're usually holding it firmly, not swinging it.

So what's my point? They're all cool as a polar bear's backside, so make several styles and see which you like best.
 
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Flat grinds are accomplished at angles from 2 to 4 degrees relative to the surface of the platen.
Four degrees is steep enough to develop the edge; the flat blade surface itself is ground between 2 degrees, which is extremely flat, to 4 degrees, which is extremely steep.

To help you get an idea of what two to four degrees feels like; cut yourself some wedges on a miter saw and rest them on the platen to help you develop your approach.

Good luck, Fred

Never be totally satisfied with any knife you make; there's little room for improvement if you do.
 
I think we're all interested in seeing the next batch! For what it's worth, if you back your scales with a piece of wood or put a piece of tape on the through side you can usually minimize blowout.
 
Fred.Rowe said:
Flat grinds are accomplished at angles from 2 to 4 degrees relative to the surface of the platen.
Four degrees is steep enough to develop the edge; the flat blade surface itself is ground between 2 degrees, which is extremely flat, to 4 degrees, which is extremely steep.

To help you get an idea of what two to four degrees feels like; cut yourself some wedges on a miter saw and rest them on the platen to help you develop your approach.

Good luck, Fred

Never be totally satisfied with any knife you make; there's little room for improvement if you do.
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This advise on the the flat grind angle was spot on and saved me an ass heap of time. I'm using a simple wood jigs, until I can come up with something better. I ripped out a piece of 2x4 at a 3 degree angle, screwed the blank on to it and went to town. What a time saver. :thumbup:

I was able to grind one out, heat treat it and temper (2 one hour, fifteen minute cycles at 425 degrees). It came out so much better and much cleaner and symetrical. I did have to fix the plunge lines with a file and got them very square. My only problem was when I went up to 120 grit, I just nicked one the the plunge lines and rounded it out a bit, it still looks much better than the proto. I should be able to finish it up tonight or tomorrow morning and will post pics. I hope you guys like it and see that your advise and critiques did soak in.
 
Can't wait to see your progress. Also from personal experience think twice and drill once.
 
IH8U said:
blade_design_edc.jpg
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A lot of the guys that do the Loveless drop hunter also do a tapered tang for weight and balance.

I went back and looked at the dimensions and I guess it's a bit small for a hunter, but scale it up and it's a dead ringer for a loveless style hunter.
 
I hate digging up older threads, but I promised pics of my 2nd blade and here they are. I did a pocket sheath for this one and will be using it as a tester to make sure my HT and temper was done right. Using a jig for the flat grind helped out a lot, but I still had to use files to make them even. There are still obvious noob errors, but I felt this one came out much better and my skills should keep improving. The desert ironwood burl is some of the nicest I have seen.

Let me know what you think.

EDC_0.jpg


EDC_1.jpg


EDC_2.jpg


EDC_3.jpg


EDC_4.jpg


EDC_6.jpg
 
nice little knife

BUT

I love the first sheath bro

very well done


however the second sheath looks thrown together just to have something to show with the blade

it detracts from the knife IMHO
 
IH8U said:
Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.

File work - that would be a whole new animal for me. I'll look around for some tutorials to check the difficulty level.

Lanyard hole - cha ching, that may be what I need to balance it out a bit better. I'll pick up some tubing and give that a go.
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Seriously, simple file work is really not too hard. When you start doing really complicated, intricate file work then it gets more "talent/skill" involved.

Just take a smaller round file, or triangle file, mark off set distances, and go to town.

Try it, you will like it.



Also, I like the square sheath. For some reason, I don't know, square sheaths appeal to me.
 
that looks very nice,

Now comes the eternal project of learning "GOOD" fit and finish. there will always be something you could clean up just a little bit more, it's the nature of the beast
 
Thanks Will, John, and Rev!

Stephan, I really agree moving up to a higher grit to quickly is a no, no. Trying to remove scratches with a higher grit just doesn't work. I did rush the final stages of this one, due to a busy weekend and meeting lots of friends to show off a bit.

The non knife nuts really like this little blade, but I think its due to the DIB scales that really sets it off.

I did learn a few things with both knife making and sheath making on this one that will help me in future.

Leatherface - The sheath was rushed, but is very solid and since I plan on beating the hell out of this blade for testing the HT, a simple pocket sheath fit the bill. It took about half the time as my prototype sheath, but that was a gift so I wanted to make it look decent.

Bigfattyt - I do think this knife needs some thumb grooves and I will be giving it a try here very soon. I also have a backpacker model almost profiled and it begs for thumb grooves, so I will have to come up with something.
 
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