Knife #2 Finished. All Opinions Wanted!

Forget about fit, finish, and other appearance issues for a moment. That looks like some hard thin O1. I'll bet that thing cuts like crazy. You have made yourself an excellent kitchen knife or similar. The only thing I would change is how thin the grip is at the working end. My fat stiff hands would cramp up after a little while
 
Love the design. Was this a stock removal, or forge? Either way, good work. I wish my second looked this good. I'm glad of the tips you are getting about the plunges and front of the scales, beause I am going to use them also!:D
 
Mike I am breaking from the norm on this one. You ask everbody that views this knife to give their opinion so here ya go. My first thought is that it actually had 4 pins and the top front one cracked the wood so you simply ground the spine down instead of replacing the scales. The plunges are over the top which just helps support my theory. I also think the scales are contoured too thin in the front. It looks like my hand would slide forward on the grip.
OK I told you what I think at the risk of being an Ahole. On a positive note I love that blade shape.
 
go mike said:
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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Mike,

All the lines are soft and they wander, except the spine picture where the the lines of the handle after rounding the butt have a nice flow. The edge coming into the plunge-cut/ricasso juncture has a little curl in it and it shouldn't. The thumrest doesn't end anywhere and it should. It doesn't have to meet the top line of the blade at a hard corner but it needs to have definition even if it's a 1" radius at the change point.

What I mean by "lines are soft and wander" is there are few places on the knife where the lines lead or transition to anything. To me, the whole thing looks fuzzy.

If you want to mess with this, put your knife on a blank piece of paper and trace it with a pencil as exactly as you can (5mm or 7mm mechanical with HB lead is a good tool)... tracing the blade while the handle (and paper) hangs off a 90deg. edge will get that part close. Measuring the handle at even intervals and correcting the handle tracing will get that part very close. Do a top and bottom spine tracing or scaling, too. Once the tracing is really close, ink it. Then use a mechanical pencil to make little changes here and there... you can erase over the ink and make changes. If you screw with it long enough, you will get the lines to have grace AND have the knife that you wanted to build. It seems to me you know where you want things to be. If you come up with a modified drawing with lines that you like better, build another one. In the end, if the lines work on a concept that works, the only thing left is fit and finish. All of those things is what a really fine knife is.

Mike
 
I like the blade profile but there's something off-putting about the skinny handle where it transitions to the blade. In the pic of the spine the top butt pin looks crooked.

If you want to work with it or change it I might suggest grinding the spine smooth and making a 4" utility/paring knife.

Either way, I'm sure it will be a fine and useful knife.
 
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