I'm still learning, but this is by far the best/nicest knife I've finished yet.

G

Gendry

Joined
Jul 19, 2014
Messages
92
1084 steel, nickel silver pins, yellow g10 liner, ebony scales.
I tried to take a good picture of it, but it's difficult. The scales just look black here, but really they are mostly black with great brown grain running through it.

I actually designed this one myself, I sat down and drew and drew and drew, and erased and repeated. I am a terrible drawer, but I did end up with a nice cardboard template that I liked.

Took me about 11 hours in total, I really tried to pay attention to detail at every step (but I'm still not much of a craftsman I'll admit...) I (tried) using a file guide to get a nice clean "hollow grind" I suppose you call it. First side was going absolutely excellent, however I messed up on the second side.
So I made a small "jig" out of a couple pieces of stainless steel and some bolts to that my plunge line would be even when I took it to the 1X30. Again, I messed up my hollow grind, I have little experience still with this grinder and I know it's not ideal for making knives anyways... So I went with a nice flat grind.
As far as heat treat, I followed the steps that were laid out here as I always do. The blade is extremely hard and resilient. I literally tried a "destruction test" with a piece of angle iron, I chopped at it about 25 times and checked my edge, it had lost sharpness but there were absolutely no chips or cracks, where as the angle iron had several significant chips taken out of it.
I also added a "choil" for the first time, still not entirely sure what the purpose of it is, but it gives the blade a little more style.

As far as finish goes, I used a sanding block and nice long strokes from 100 - 220 - 400 - 600 - 1000. Normally I would have gone to 2000, but I had only a little left and I wanted to save it for the handle, which also received the same finish except I took it all the way to 2000 grit. I then let it soak in canola oil for a few hours and then buffed it real nice with a soft cloth.
I hadn't sharpened it before I finished it, yet it was extremely sharp just from the final grinding, and it held most of that through the sanding (which I suppose makes sense actually.) So it didn't take long at all with the oil stone to shave my arm bald.

I will be keeping this one for myself as my new EDC, the old one is 2 years old and while it's held up well it's just not half the knife this one is.

I'm proud, but I realize there are flaws yet.

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My next knife, will be a similar length but a slightly more stylish profile. I plan to try a couple of new things, I'd like to put a brass guard on it for one, (like the "scale type" where you have a slab on each side, not a full "bolster?") Never done that before and I'm not sure how difficult it will be. I also want to do some creeping vine file work, it looks intimidating though so I may have to practice on some scrap first I think. If I posted a "work in progress" thread for that, could you guys point me in the right direction along the way?
 
Its this one of your first few? Nice job,
Now write a list of everything you want to improve on the next one.

Try photo shoots outside under a shade tree for a indirect but brighter light. Look around for tutorials on file work and the different patterns.

Its time to get started on the next one. :thumbup:
 
Good job on the knife. Knife photography is really difficult! I've not been very successful with knife photos myself. From all I've read from these folks here, a light box is almost a requirement for good knife photos.

Keep up the good work.

Ken H>
 
Here is Coop's tutorial for an inexpensive light box. I've been using this set up for my pictures.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-home-studio-tent-lightbox?highlight=Lightbox



I think you have done a really fine job. I'd be proud of it too. It's just that the details are a bit soft. With time and practice this will come into focus. Maybe on the next one try to leave a little radius at the top of your plunge line so it turns and blends into the spine rather than running straight up and off the top of the blade. The tip is a little "soft". It would add to the finished feel of the piece if the tip was a nice sharp point. you can do this by just sanding the spine down a touch above the tip until you get a crisp point. The flats of the blade at the ricasso and along the corners or edges seems a bit "buffed" or rounded. Having nice crisp flat areas and crisp corners, again, add to a more finished feel. Some might recommend that you even out your pin placement. I think it looks fine and adds style to the knife. The straight edge at the front of your handle scales is a preference issue. Some will like it some will not. I think it feels a bit stiff. A slightly rounded line there might give a better feeling of flow through the knife. All that matters is what you like though. We can give you our opinions but it comes down to what you want. The fun and challenge of making knives is putting together a design with the details that YOU want and then trying to hit that mark. If you do that then nevermind the critics.
 
i4Marc said:
Here is Coop's tutorial for an inexpensive light box. I've been using this set up for my pictures.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-home-studio-tent-lightbox?highlight=Lightbox



I think you have done a really fine job. I'd be proud of it too. It's just that the details are a bit soft. With time and practice this will come into focus. Maybe on the next one try to leave a little radius at the top of your plunge line so it turns and blends into the spine rather than running straight up and off the top of the blade. The tip is a little "soft". It would add to the finished feel of the piece if the tip was a nice sharp point. you can do this by just sanding the spine down a touch above the tip until you get a crisp point. The flats of the blade at the ricasso and along the corners or edges seems a bit "buffed" or rounded. Having nice crisp flat areas and crisp corners, again, add to a more finished feel. Some might recommend that you even out your pin placement. I think it looks fine and adds style to the knife. The straight edge at the front of your handle scales is a preference issue. Some will like it some will not. I think it feels a bit stiff. A slightly rounded line there might give a better feeling of flow through the knife. All that matters is what you like though. We can give you our opinions but it comes down to what you want. The fun and challenge of making knives is putting together a design with the details that YOU want and then trying to hit that mark. If you do that then nevermind the critics.
Click to expand...

Yes, the lines were much cleaner before the finish, but I had trouble getting the "scale" I guess, out of the plungeline and probably washed it away quite a bit. I see what you mean by tapering the plunge, I've seen that a lot and it does look nice, I'll try to achieve that next time.




Rhinoknives1 said:
Its this one of your first few? Nice job,
Now write a list of everything you want to improve on the next one.

Try photo shoots outside under a shade tree for a indirect but brighter light. Look around for tutorials on file work and the different patterns.

Its time to get started on the next one. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Alas, no... After seeing some people's "first knives" on here it's terribly depressing to admit this is somewhere between number 30-50... I'm not much of a craftsman, but I am trying.

Things I want to improve? Well I see several flaws, one of my scales slightly dips below the spine near the ricasso, and there are also 2 very small gaps between the liners and the steel. I don't think I peened the pins properly, one of them looks out of shape, not to mention they aren't exactly lined up and tidy. My plunge line is near exact on both sides, but there is a small difference when you look down the blade. I took the scales to the belt sander and ended up removing too much material in one place, so I had to comensate and ended up with a handle which kind of "leans" towards one side more. I could go on and on, but yes I do see the flaws and will try to do better.

I actually have a 15 minute tutorial for "creeping vine" filework on my phone, which I plan to reference at the shop while I try it.

Ken H> said:
Good job on the knife. Knife photography is really difficult! I've not been very successful with knife photos myself. From all I've read from these folks here, a light box is almost a requirement for good knife photos.

Keep up the good work.

Ken H>
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'll look into a light box.
 
It looks good! Like was mentioned before don't run the plunge all the way to the spine. Leave a little "bloop" to blend forward into the distal taper. I would also have the fronts of the scales a little further ahead. Be careful on the tip when hand sanding. That's when mine soften as well.

You are improving with each knife!
 
can you take some pics about 30 mins before sunset and repost? I would def like to see your knife in good lighting :-)
 
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