IPO - my little secret

dogman

dogman

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jul 26, 1999
Messages
1,108
Hey, guys. I have kept this pretty much to myself, but for the last few months, I have been apprenticing with a professional maker. I have finished my first knife (well, I killed a few, first). Anyway, here are the gritty details:

Blade length is 3 3/8", OAL is 7 5/8"
ATS-34 blade
416 Stainless Steel Bolsters and pins
Stag scales
Hand-rubbed satin finish on blade and bolsters(I went to 220 grit because I like a more textured satin look but it is no problem to go to a finer finish)

Here are some pics:

first14sm.jpg


first15sm.jpg


first08sm.jpg


Here is a link to a bunch more pics: http://web.tampabay.rr.com/bbdogg/doggettcustomknives/

I have a couple more styles I am working on, but I am so busy, it is slow going. I will post pics of the next one ASAP.



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"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
George Orwell
 
Very nice Dogman. It looks like you have some talent and a good teacher. With that combo you should go far.
cool.gif


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Paul Davidson

Them:"What's that clipped to your pocket, a beeper?"
Me:"Uuh....yeah, something like that."


 
Well done dogman, you should be very proud, I know I would be if I made something as nice.

"People forget how fast you did a job-but they remember how well you did it."
Howard W. Newton
 
Beautiful work, you're right, the satin finish looks awesome to me!

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Don LeHue

Rome did not create a great empire by having meetings...they did it by killing all those who opposed them.
 
nice work!
to date, I have made one knife.
it doesn't look anything like yours
(I still keep it hidden in a drawer in the garage)
just curious- Who is guiding you on this?
 
If that was your first try, I can't wait to see number two. A future customer in the making. Try holding a white card over the blade while you take the photos. It will give a more even balance across the surface.
 
Hi, guys. Thanks for the praise; it is very meaningful to me. I am apprenticing under Michael J. Smith. I burned up two blades grinding (I thinned the blade too much...they will make nice bird&trout knives, though). I plan on keeping this first one, so I really went slow and methodical. Mike pretty much hung over my shoulder the whole way and stopped me before I screwed up. Don't let the stag and satin finish fool you...there are definitely flaws. As far as style, I don't have one yet. I made it the way Mike would have made it. Our tastes diverge a bit, so in time, I will definitely develop my own style. One approach I use is my experience as a collector. Everything I dislike about knives (as far as personal tastes go) I discarded. The funny thing is that I can pick out more flaws in my own knife than I ever did looking at other maker's knives.

Mike is a great teacher and very patient (as I killed drill bits, ruined a chuck, gummed up the scotchbrite belt with tape, etc.). His personal attention to detail in his knives allowed me to elevate myself and learn methods I imagine it would have taken me years to figure out by myself. I will start making folders in a few months, as soon as I finish this first batch of knives.

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"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
George Orwell
 
dogman,

GREAT looking knife. You should be proud. You should feel very lucky to have such a fine teacher as well.

Keep up the good work. I can't wait to see what you will be doing in the coming years. With more experience, you should go FAR. You are well on the way now.

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Barry
Jones Knives

Do you hear that?
That is the sound of inevitability.
 
Nice! Congratulations!

Be sure to tell Michael J Smith we like your first effort here on BladeForums. He must be a good teacher.
 
Well done Dogman.
Congratulations, on yet another area in Life you have choosen to Master.
biggrin.gif


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"This is the law:
There is no possible victory in defense, The Sword is more important than the shield, And skill is more important than either, The final weapon is the brain. All else is supplemental."

 
DM,
Just got back into town after my first vacation in 2 years and what do I see!
Sure is an awesome first knife.

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"Life is too short to carry an ugly knife." Steve F.
 
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