I'll play.....
About the website:
The statement on your home page mentions that you "quickly learned the art of bevel grinding" however it does not appear that you have mastered it. It also states that you only use "quality materials" like "high carbon or other performance steels". But then you tell us that in addition to O1(I like O1), you use lawn mower blades and files. There is also this line: "Although each knife is meticulously made, they still show signs of being hand made - often exhibiting little inclusions or character marks that add to their uniqueness". This does not scream "meticulously made" to me. I'm not trying to be harsh. My point is that perhaps the descriptions are optimistic. Maybe the text was written by a loved one or someone else who is proud of you and wants to put the best shine they can on what you do. Ok, fine. Just be careful not to oversell. The website itself seems to be nice and easy to navigate.
My remarks will focus mostly on aesthetics and ergonomics because I don't have any information about your particular heat treatments etc.
Picture one:
The proportions look off. Either the handle is too short or the blade is too wide. I like wide blades, but they need some visual balance with the handle. There is also not much practical reason for such a wide blade on a smaller knife
unless you need the real estate to have a lot of belly in the edge. I like a wide blade in larger knives that will do some or a lot of chopping. It puts a lot of mass and energy behind the edge for deep cuts. The middle pin looks a bit low. And watch the space between the lanyard hole and the butt edge. There is not a lot of wood there and this will be an area vulnerable to cracking or chip out. The grit of the blade finish looks a bit coarse. Otherwise it is a nice looking knife.
Picture two:
It's a personal thing with me, I don't like faux forged finishes. If you want a forged finish, forge the blade. Correct me if the blade is actually forged. Again, even though the style is rustic and primitive I think a little higher grit finish would be nicer. The fit of the guard to the blade needs some work. There are obvious gaps there. The face of the copper guard has kind of a hammered texture but if you were going for a hammered finish it could be done a lot better. Take a look at John Doyle's knife. Look at the the bronze spacer. That is how a hammered finish can look:
https://bladeforums.com/threads/w1-steel-hunter-with-stunning-buckeye-burl.1762743/#post-20170200
Picture three:
Again, the proportions are a bit awkward. The handle seems very narrow. Keep in mind, when the height of your handle is close in dimension to the width you end up with a very round or square cross section. This makes it difficult to index in the hand because you can't tell where the blade edge is oriented intuitively. It also makes the knife prone to twisting in your hand when performing tasks. Adding height/depth to the handle would look better aesthetically, feel better ergonomically and perform better functionally. Also, the spacing of your pins could use some adjusting. The front pin is ok but could move forward another 1/8-3/16" and the rear pin is too close to the butt for reasons mentioned earlier. I also think your grind could be more even and a finer grit.
Picture four:
This one feels pretty good. Plunge lines that run straight up the side of a blade are not good, even if they stop before they run off the spine. Visually they stop the "flow" of the knife dead in its tracks. A plunge that is curved or radiused at the top not only looks more graceful and refined, it also distributes stresses and lessens the chances of that plunge line becoming a stress riser and a point of failure. Your pins are out of line. The front pin is a bit high, the middle pin a touch low. Once again, you have placed the lanyard hole too close to the edge of the handle at the top. Your leather work looks good from what I can see but attention to the smaller details can raise your game. If you don't have an overstitch wheel and a small smooth-faced hammer, get them. After you have done your stitching, roll over your stitches with the overstitch wheel. It will even out the stitch spacing. Then take the smooth hammer and gently hammer down all the "push up" from drilling and stitching. This will give you a more finished and professional result. And use an edge beveler to take the sharp corners off the sheath edges if you haven't already.
Picture five:
I like this one too. But again, think about blending your plunge lines into your spines with a curve. The pin spacing is a bit odd. Bring that front pin up, maybe in the middle of the first finger cove or slightly farther forward. The middle pin is too high as is the lanyard tube. The blade finish appears to be a finer finish from what I can tell and looks better.
Like you said, you are trying to find your style and niche. Two years in is still very new to the game. You are doing well. Take your time and try to figure out what it is you like about other people's knives and your own knives. Don't try to make knives that other people want. You can't please everybody and you won't have much fun making knives. Make knives for yourself. If you like them, others will see that passion in your work and be drawn to it. Do not be overly concerned with selling knives. Be concerned with learning your craft. Do not cut corners when it comes to materials, fit and finish, heat treatment and other foundation skills. Your style will develop naturally over time as your skills, understanding and exposure to more experienced makers grows. Everybody has their own opinion but I feel it is better to make a handful of very well made and finished knives than a heap of mediocre knives. Always make the best knife you can make.
. O1 with Claro Walnut.
