How much work BEFORE heat-treat

[kdiver58]

Just how much more work would you do on this blank I made before heat-treating it?
This is my first home made knife. I machined the bolster and sub-hilt on just to get a feel for where I wanted the sub-hilt. The piece of Damascus steel I had was the width of the bolster area.
I just wanted to pick your brains to see what you have had the best luck with. heat treat as it is or start forming the hollow before heat treat ..

 

[Mr. Bad Example]

This really belongs in the "Maker" forum, but generally you'll want the profile complete (which it looks like have), the plunge cut and most of the bevel. A rule of thumb is to leave the edge at least as thick as a dime--the thicker it is, the less the chance of warping during HT. You'll also want to get any handle holes drilled and chamfered. Sharp 45* angles like you've got on the front of the guard can create stress risers and lead to cracks. Sanding up to 400 grit pre-HT is common to help reduce scale.

Looks nice--good luck and post pictures when it's done.

 

[kdiver58]

That's all I needed