Knife Design Advice

G

graycraig

Joined
Jun 12, 2002
Messages
12
After years of using other people's and company's knife designs and becoming somewhat frustrated in not finding that "one" knife that I really like I drew one up.

Are there any makers out there who would take a look at my drawing and give me their opinion? Use it yourself if you like, but I may take a knife making class in Georgia just so that I can make this knife and see if it works. before I do that I would like some advice from folks who right now know how to make a good knife.

If you have seen this design made by someone let me know.

If anyone out there would give advice to a rube contact me at: harr1502@bellsouth.net I'll send you my drawing by email.

Thanks,

Craig Harrington
Clarksville, TN
 
Craig, why don't you post your drawing here? If that's a problem for you email it to me and I will post it for you.
 
I agree with Robert. You may never build a complete knife from the old designs but you will use bits and pieces from each one. Any fool can grind a knife but a true custom comes from the detail. This is where your designs will come in really handy. I would like to see your design!
 
Ditto what Robert & Peter mentioned. When I come up with an idea (dream knife or out & out nightmare!) for a knife, it gets refined & defined several times. Probably go through 20-25 changes before I'm finally satisfied & ready to contact a knife maker for his critique. You do get a lot of help from knife makers and members of BladeForums. Take care & good luck with the creation - maybe we'll see it posted sometime.
 
Hey Craig, Here is your drawing. I gotta run, but I will try to comment later.

<img src="http://www.mclurkincustomknives.com/WebGraphic/Knife.jpg">
 
Craig, your note was real reminiscent for me and so is the basic design. My Dad gave me a Green River willow leaf skinner many years ago. I broke the tip off and the process of reshaping it created a very similar pattern to the one youv'e drawn. The "s" shape does get the blade down in front of the hand and it is pleasant to work with. I made that basic pattern and variations of it for the first several years I was at this. Like some of the other fellows have stated, the combination of ideas you glean here and elsewhere can develope into some very special knives. What many of these guys do with 1/8 of an inch is amazing. Good luck, can't wait to see the finished knife. Terry
 
Thanks for the comments and advice. I'm not trying to come up with something truly special or unique to market or even make, I am just trying to come up with a good working utility knife. If something else already exists that works great I'd be happy to hear about it or if some other design works better I'd like to know about that too.

So far I've heard one person say look at the Schrade Sharpfinger and above, the Green River Willow Leaf Skinner. I had forgotten about the sharpfinger, but like the Boye, Outdoor Edge, Grohman and a couple of handmades, you guys are right, the idea for "my" design is nothing more than "stealing" ideas from other knives that I have had my hands on, but wished that they were just a little bit different. I guess making your own, like I do sheaths now, is the only way to satisfy a curious mind.

Again, thanks for the help.

Craig Harrington
Clarksville, TN
 
I did a lot of fighting with myself about design. One of the things I did was take the demensions of pictures in knife mags and catalogs and using pratice stock try to duplicate the designs that I saw. As I would duplicate it seemed my own 'touches' crept in more and more.
Just what works for me.
Lynn
 
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