knife patterns

Nice! Thanks! I have thought about getting some of my tattoo artist friends to teach me some art skills, but then all my knives would end up looking like Trypper"s... :D :)

I'll try laying my drawings out like that. Thanks. I also remember Tai Goo's art discussion from awhile back. I appreciate when the art aspect of knives is developed, whether it be geometry, or ratios of curves, handle to blade lengths etc.
 
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Mike you need to make that one!

Just don't make your designs too sterile and plotted out... hope that makes sense?
 
Actually i kind of like that design lol...It just might happen...That might be the most "Sterile" design i have....If anyone likes it, feel free to use it....I am going to scan a ton of drawings and try to get Stacy to make a sticky thread of them...
 
When you're making knives for yourself, I don't think there's any shame in copying someone else's design (especially if it's your first). Once you've made it, you will start thinking about how you might have done it differently, and before you know it you've got a knife that's completely your own design.

- Chris
 
melsdad said:
Some times if I have a blank of steel I will be using, I will trace around that blank and design a knife to fit inside the blank.
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Melsdad:
I've done that too, but found I ended up making knives with blades larger than I like, just because the steel was there and I thought I should use as much of it as possible. None the less, I still make knives to fit the steel but I take care to make the knife that I want, not that uses as much steel as possible.

- Paul Meske
 
I start out with a blank piece of 1/4 inch grid paper, and a good white eraser. Then I draw in the piece of steel dimensions that I will use to make the knife from. After that it is draw a little erase a little until I come up with what my mind was trying to get my hand to create. The grid paper helps me a lot with both my straight and curved lines.
I free hand every knife I design, however you will find that no matter what you end up with someone else has already done something similiar in look but your dimensions will be slightly different 99.9% of the time.
 
Mikes method is a very good one to use. I do something a little different. I use some old art school exercizes. First of all, get a good comfortable position. No coffee or anything else that will make you jittery. Close your eyes, make some light sweeping marks on your prefered paper. Open your eyes and look for inspiration. If none comes to you, turn the page 90* or so and repeat. Maybe mix up your motions. This will obviously not give you a finished design (unless you are a savant or something) but it usually gives me an idea of something to start with. I draw almost entirely freehand and can usually end up withing 1/8" of some round number dimensions. Of course drawing/sketching any subject matter on a regular basis helps, but I also started my technical training in mechanical drawing. The tools to make it easier are a good set of pencils with atleast 3 leads (2B, HB/#2, 2H) either mechanical or wood, Staedler Mars white plastic eraser, french curves or the edges of the soles of your dress shoes if you don't want to buy curves, and an eraser guard for cleaning up your sketch. I don't have any pictures right now, but I could put some up tomorrow maybe of how i do this.


-Xander
 
Lot of good information, but unless I missed it I'd like to add that after drawing it out on paper I take scrap sheet metal and make a pattern. There are always subtle changes from paper to metal. This also helps me figure out the personality of my equipment and my abilities and to make the pattern repeatable.
 
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