Knife #2 Finished. All Opinions Wanted!

go mike

go mike

Joined
Dec 5, 2008
Messages
1,597
I finished my second knife today. I am requesting that everyone who views this thread gives their opinion about this knife.

Here's the specs:
Blade length: 5.5"
Overall Length: 10.625"
Blade Steel: O1 tempered to about 60 RC
Handle Material: Black Poison Wood
Pins: Brass
The blade is a two step grind.


All opinions wanted! Don't sugar coat it. Don't hold back! Tell it like it is. And, NO APOLOGIZING FOR YOUR THOUGHTS! Thanks :)


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Nice knife Mike, looks a lot like a Fogg Shiv.

A few things since you asked.

Clean up your plunges, not sure of the blade finish but the plunge looks different from the rest of the blade.

Clean up the front of the scales, take a small piece of brass, sharpen one end like a chisel and use it to clean around the front of the scales.

This is a personal preference but the butt end of the handle needs to be rounded off at the spine a bit more.

This would be a good 10th knife much less a 2nd knife. Great job overall!
 
Mike, I think the design is great. It looks like the shape would be a good one in the kitchen. Overall, very nice.:thumbup:
 
I think it looks very good--with practice the plunge lines will get cleaner but the overall size and design looks like it would be very comfortable to use. I really like thumb ramps like this one that are an outside instead of an inside curve, and this one is in the right spot--many seem to be ground for people with far shorter thumbs than mine. I really like the forward taper to this handle, also--it makes fine control much easier for me.

If this one was for me, I would want it with a lanyard hole, as I have an experienced-based paranoia of my hand sliding up on guardless knives and so like a little loop to hook a finger through, but that is obviously personal preference.

With a deep pouch sheath to slide it in I'd happily haul it out to the woods.
 
Will: Yes, the plunges didn't get buffed the same as the rest of the knife. My buffer scares me (3500 rpm, I need more like 200)

t1mpani: I will think of a lanyard hole for the next knife I do.
 
Will Leavitt said:
This is a personal preference but the butt end of the handle needs to be rounded off at the spine a bit more
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Mike,
What he said. Round the butt off more. That's the very first thing I noticed, and that's because it looks out of place. Don't worry about not getting your pins to go flush. They're not that big and they're brass. You won't have any problem.
I think it's a nice knife, I just don't think you're done yet.
Don't quit now, you're almost there:thumbup:
Matt Doyle
 
I rounded the butt off more. I'll post pictures of it after the finish dries.
 
Mike great looking knife, awesome for #2!

I used to have to clean the plunge lines when the only grinder I had was a Craftsman 2X42. I used an 1/8" piece of pin material and sandpaper to clean up the plunge. It was tedious, but needed to get to the level of detail needed.

I like the unique blade shape, looks like it is ready to cut a juicy steak!:D:thumbup:
 
Big Smitty said:
Mike great looking knife, awesome for #2!

I used to have to clean the plunge lines when the only grinder I had was a Craftsman 2X42. I used an 1/8" piece of pin material and sandpaper to clean up the plunge. It was tedious, but needed to get to the level of detail needed.

I like the unique blade shape, looks like it is ready to cut a juicy steak!:D:thumbup:
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I'll do that with the plunges! Ahhh that's great! Thanks!

It cuts apples wonderfully, but now there's an extra large slit in the cutting board. :)
 
Mike,

Nice job for a second knife. I think it's a cool design, and looks handy for the kitchen. I agree with what's been posted above for the most part. For my personal taste, I think there is a lot of space between the front and rear pins, so another pin in the middle or perhaps even a mosaic in between would look more balanced.

What do you mean by a 'two step grind'? I'm not familiar with that term.
 
I think it is excellent for a second knife. Plunge lines are the first think I look at on a knife. I am on my 9th knife and I still have trouble keeping them straight. I found that if I wrap a piece of masking tape around where I want my bevel to stop it helps.
So, how long did it take the rest of you to get them straight on every knife?
 
Very nice blade for your 2nd knife Mike. Great job. Can you add a spine pic? My first thought was the front of the handle slabs looked too thin compared to the back of the slabs. A little too "drastic" of a taper it seems maybe. As someone with bigger then normal hands, I like a beefy handle, but that's more a preference thing.
 
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Updated pic of the plunge a little better, and the handle rounded more
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Spine pic (I think it looks too tapered, but it's comfortable in my hands)
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Looks like a fine knife for the kitchen. I think you did a good job. Finish work could be touched up a little as mentioned but other than that, nice 2nd blade!
 
I'm posting before I read the others' responses, so forgive me if I repeat them. Thought I would give you my gut reaction.

CONS:
Plunges look rough. Make or buy a file guide to help you get them straight and even. Get them clean before you start finishing the blade. Once they're set, NEVER go back and forth with your length-wise sanding; always start at the plunge and work towards the tip. Otherwise you'll get fishhooks that will drive you bonkers later. :o :grumpy:

Fronts of the scales look rough. For a knife without a guard or bolsters, after getting the scales/tang drilled, hand-sanding the blade and I know the scales will sit flat and true, finishing the front of the scales is the very next thing I do before any other shaping. I take them right up to the finish grit at this point, because you can't do much with them once they're affixed. It looks like your scales are ground right down to the ricasso; that's a cool look if you can get it perfect, but I can't, so I leave at least a 1/16" of material up front. Makes it easy to keep them clean-looking.

The front of the handle is a bit on the thin side, viewed from the side. Now I'm just being nit-picky. :D

PROS:

I like the small rounded guard right at the bottom of the plunge. Just enough to keep your hand off the blade without digging into your finger. Nice attention to detail. Putting the plunge just in front of the guard would work, too.

Same goes for the mild thumb-ramp on the spine. Handy without being too radical. It adds to the smoothness and functionality of the design.

I love the arrangement of the pins. It looks balanced. The two rear ones could maybe be an 1/8" forward, but the front one looks just right, and using three mimics the lines of the handle nicely.

That poison wood looks great. The handle shape fits the blade; not blocky at all. If it was larger, I'd suggest more rounding-off on the bottom side, but I don't think it's needed for a knife like that. Brass is a fine choice, colorwise, although I find brass pins kind of a b!tch to keep shiny.

MOST IMPORTANT: Thin is in, baby! When I look at that knife, I think small-game, bird/trout, kitchen and table knife (precision cutting, not rough use). I love a full flat grind and with thin stock like that, it should slice very efficiently. :thumbup: It also looks like it has some distal taper; I'm a big fan of that. Again, the smoothness and "flow" of the knife appeals to me. EDIT: P.S. I love the sharp tip. A precision knife should have that.

Overall? Mighty nice, friend. It's a pretty knife that looks like it was made for a purpose. You have a good eye for design. Keep it up! :)

As always, take my words with a grain of salt; I've only made a few more than you, so I may be completely wrong. But I know what I like, and I like that knife!
 
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Thanks for the pros and cons James! You must have been writing that since noon!
 
Naw, it took me about 20 minutes. I'm full of, um, ideas and can throw 'em out pretty quick when I need to. :o I appreciate the chance to think about your example, so I can apply it to my own work.
 
I agree with most of the earlier comments. Nice profile, use of design, pin placement. The way the handle slabs thin out at the front is interesting; I'd have to handle it to see if I like that or not. The one other cleanup point I can add is that your spine pics show a pretty rough finish on the tang edges. You really should get all the crosswise scratches completely out and just have fine, uniform lengthwise scratches. Yes, it's a pain.
 
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