Just finished my first Knife (pics)

W

WillSwift

Joined
Jul 1, 2012
Messages
28
Hello everyone,

I finished this knife a little while ago, so I figured that it was about time to get a few photos posted so that I could get some opinions.
It is ground from cpm 154, and heat treated by Paul Bos to 59 Hrc. I took it really thin behind the edge before heat treat, somewhere around .05", and was worried that it would warp. It came back nice and straight, which I think really speaks volumes for this steel.

I've been carrying it everyday for the last 2 weeks and I am really digging the design. I don't see myself carrying anything else for quite a while. I'm very satisfied with my first attempt and have a few more in progress that I think will turn out even better.

Let me know what you guys think, constructive criticism is always welcome!

-Will Swift


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Here is what I see wrong with it..................ok, I got nuthin'. It's a super first effort. Looks well designed, clean execution, nice fit and finish. Looks like it was made by someone with far more experience. Very nice.
 
I don't know that I've seen a better first effort. You've obviously got a natural knack for this.
 
Will,
I like it also and agree with the above comments.
The curve of the knife is more than normal IMHO, but I think many new makers craft a knife that is too straight.
Interesting shape and I'm curious as to how it feels in hand.
Continued success,
Dozier
 
One piece of advice, when shooting/posting your knives always share one straight-on full view shot as it's hard to get a true perspective on proportions/ergonomics etc with only angle views.
 
wdtorque said:
Will,
I like it also and agree with the above comments.
The curve of the knife is more than normal IMHO, but I think many new makers craft a knife that is too straight.
Interesting shape and I'm curious as to how it feels in hand.
Continued success,
Dozier
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind words of encouragement.
The design itself was actually an excersize in using continuous curves to make a knife. I used a French curve to try and make a very organic and flowing shape.
It feels quite good in hand, and most natural when your thumb is resting on the spine. Because of the heavy curve in the handle it is almost a pistol grip, and the tip points very well. It all puts the edge in a nice position for slicing, which is what this one is all about.

Regards,
Will Swift
 
Kevin Jones said:
One piece of advice, when shooting/posting your knives always share one straight-on full view shot as it's hard to get a true perspective on proportions/ergonomics etc with only angle views.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for the tip, I've uploaded a picture from the top on a grid so that the profile is more visible.

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-Will Swift
 
I dont know dude .. your 1st knife? Ever? You just picked up a piece of steel and some micarta and knocked it out of the park? :eek:

I like them. Not my personal preference in flow/style .. but damn nice execution.
 
Not to be a ball buster but did you have any help ? For a first knife it came out excellent.
 
Very well done! I expect we'll be seeing more of your work soon. :thumbup:
Erin
 
Fantastic work! Great handle style and colors! Definitely not the same cookie cutter look of a lot of knives out there. Great to see unique! Love to see you sell some of these. I might be in line for one!
 
Wow, I'm amazed at the kind of responses I'm getting with this one, it's all very encouraging.

Yeah, this is really my first one. I played around with a few feet of mild steel barstock in the month prior to working on these ones, just to get the hang of the grind. These were the first blades that I completely profiled before grinding.

I had never touched G10 before doing the scales on this one, but I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to work with.

I had no help on these beyond the excellent*resources available on this website, though I am passing on what I learn to a good friend of mine and I expect he'll be helping me quite a bit in the future.

There is a total of 5 of these knives, one with the orange and G10 handle, one with a satin finish and peel ply, and one with stone washing and peel ply. 2 of them are currently awaiting handle material.

The other two that are finished can be seen here:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1102734-Finished-Knife-2-and-3-(pics)

Thanks for the kind comments!
-Will Swift
 
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