knife design

i use a cad program that I got free from the company that cust my metal, It is there program to use with there machine, but it is great!!!
I make Italian style switchblades and use it to draw up my knifes. It lets me check for collisions and it makes the tollarances just perfect I draw the knife with everything on it hammer and blade then copy one or the other and when it gets back to me they fit perfectjust a little sanding. I have come up with a few new designs that work pretty goodhere is one that is a lockback 3/16 blade thickness in 01 toolsteel, 1095 backbone and kick springdark waterbuffalo horn with solid SS bolsters and SS liners. I use the program to make my own fire button and sear pin also, and the tooling I need to bend them into shape

NEWSTUFF.jpg


newww08.jpg
 
I use a cad program that I got free from the company that cuts my metal, It is there program to use with there machine, but it is great!!!
I make Italian style switchblades and use it to draw up my knifes. It lets me check for collisions and it makes the tollarances just perfect I draw the knife with everything on it hammer and blade then copy one or the other and when it gets back to me they fit perfectjust a little sanding. I have come up with a few new designs that work pretty goodhere is one that is a lockback 3/16 blade thickness in 01 toolsteel, 1095 backbone and kick springdark waterbuffalo horn with solid SS bolsters and SS liners. I use the program to make my own fire button and sear pin also, and the tooling I need to bend them into shape this was all drawn up on my computer:)

NEWSTUFF.jpg


newww08.jpg
 
Nice knives! I love that style. After I have some experience under my belt, I'd love to take a crack at one of those!

Sorry for the hijack, I'll shut up now.
 
paper and pencil for me :) and I have design experience as a graphic designer for a long time. Great designs start on paper I think, then transfer to computer.
 
blgoode said:
paper and pencil for me :) and I have design experience as a graphic designer for a long time. Great designs start on paper I think, then transfer to computer.
Click to expand...


I completely believe that. But, some of us (like me) can't draw a straight line with a ruler. I was born with no artistic talent when it comes to drawing. My mind is capable of dreaming up really original stuff, but my hands aren't capable of putting it on paper. The tools offered in CAD or sketchup allows me to draw things I couldn't do freehand. YMMV.
 
nitsuj said:
I completely believe that. But, some of us (like me) can't draw a straight line with a ruler. I was born with no artistic talent when it comes to drawing. My mind is capable of dreaming up really original stuff, but my hands aren't capable of putting it on paper. The tools offered in CAD or sketchup allows me to draw things I couldn't do freehand. YMMV.
Click to expand...


You have to learn to make your hands follow your mind if you plan on drawing knives before making them. I rough sketch then use the french curves and rulers to clean up my drawings. I have a lot of big erasers that are all half worn down. A school that the Army sent me to taught us to sketch, the instructors said we really didn't observe things if we couldn't sketch them. I'm no threat to the artistic world sketching but it taught me a lot about coordinating my thoughts with motion.
 
I honestly believe it isn't something you can learn. It's something your born with in my opinion. Perfect example, music. My kid brother can make a guitar sing. He's awesome. I could take lessons from Eddie Van Halen 8 hours a day, every day and never be as good as my brother. He was just born with "something" that makes it all make sense in his brain. I fix and build stuff. Have my whole life. Been a mechanic or tech of some kind since I was 16. I was just always good at it. Give my brother a screwdriver and he's likely to end up in the emergency room. We were born wired differently. But thats just my opinion, I'm no sceintist. Plus, it' way off topic. And for that, I'm sorry. Back to your regualry scheduled programming.
 
But you can increase your capability and it will benefit you as a knifemaker. Just take a pencil and sketch a knife. I usually sketch knives point down for some reason, I just am able to see the flow better I guess. I've tried sketching them from different vantage points but they aren't like the ones I normally draw :D
 
Well, I'll try it since you guys know your stuff, but I'm not looking forward to my results. ;)
 
I agree pencil and paper is proberly the best way to go,and the few knives i have made i did just that and a friend drew them up in autocad before cutting them out.I just wanted something i could work with on the computer.Google Sketchup is easy to work with ,thanks for that fiddleback.I am also going to try mastercam x.

Thanks for all the help and advice,Keith
 
Start with a hand drawn bowie pattern glued to the steel.

When you get to 220 grit, notice the huge gouge where you are sure you did not do any grinding.

Respecify design parameters to a medium camp knife.

When you get to 220 grit, notice the huge gouge where you are sure you did not do any grinding.

Respecify design parameters to a field dressing knife.

When you get to 220 grit, notice the huge gouge where you are sure you did not do any grinding.

Respecify design parameters to a caping knife.

I believe this process lets the soul of the blade tell you what it truly wants to be.:)
 
The best knife pattern program is the one inside your head. I start thinking about a knife that I would like to make, and compare my ideas to knives that I have on hand or ones that I have made in the past.

I think about it for some time. It could take hours, or even weeks or longer. Then I look at the piece of steel that I am planning to use, and trace the piece of steel to paper. Then I start drawing out the design within that space on the paper. Look at it and study it, and then make any changes before tracing the final pattern onto the bar of steel.

Since I am using a stock removal method, I then cut and size the pattern onto steel. Then start grinding and shaping the blade. Often at this step I refine the pattern further making small changes.

During the whole process of bringing a knife to life requires making pictures of the knife in my head, and step by step make that knife a reality.
 
Though I posted a computer sketch earlier, I too usually make paper and pencil sketches to start. It's a really reliable and quick way to get started and make major design decisions on the fly.

Here's a little help for those of you who don't feel confident with your drawing skills:

If you want to make it a little easier on yourself when you are hand sketching, try using some graph paper. It will help you to gauge your proportions and give you some sense of size as you draw.

Also, begin by sketching lightly and loosely. Don't try to make just 1 line to start. Make a series of sweeping lines and then look at all of them together. You will start to see how the lines are shaping up and you can choose the best line. (Just look at it... you'll see it!) Just darken it and erase the lines that don't work. After you have made a decision on how the lines should look, THEN you can start the whole computer creation thing.

I hope that helps, now get sketching! :)
 
Rob! said:
Start with a hand drawn bowie pattern glued to the steel.
When you get to 220 grit, notice the huge gouge where you are sure you did not do any grinding.
Respecify design parameters to a medium camp knife.
When you get to 220 grit, notice the huge gouge where you are sure you did not do any grinding.
Respecify design parameters to a field dressing knife.
When you get to 220 grit, notice the huge gouge where you are sure you did not do any grinding.
Respecify design parameters to a caping knife.
I believe this process lets the soul of the blade tell you what it truly wants to be.:)
Click to expand...

Terrific. I'll end up with a shop full of carefully handcrafted, custom ground high quality steel toothpicks. ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top