Latest one off my bench.

weo

weo

Basic Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2014
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3,105
Hello all. Here's a couple of pics of my latest: O1/15N20 with spalted maple handle stabilized with cactus juice (thanks Kevin McGovern Kevin McGovern ).
20190408_181039.jpg20190408_181055.jpg20190408_181338.jpg20190408_181259.jpg

However something about the blade shape doesn't sit well with me, but I'm not quite able to put my finger on it. Any suggestions?
Thanks
 
The tip might be a little rounded off. Make sure you don't drag the tip all the way across and off the edge of the belt. That's how you round it off.

I'd taper the front of the scales a little further back on the handle. Looks like you might be using a wheel to do that as I might see a little hollow there and perhaps why you didn't bring it farther back. Round the tops of the scales a little more they are a tad blocky. Putting a liner in between the scales and tang would look nice. Can't go wrong with simple black liner for a little easy extra pop.

Very nice knife!
 
Maelstorm's got some good points

Outside of those...the tang steps/angles down slightly above/behind the ricasso, levels off, then angles down towards the tip; perhaps one continuous-curving line from scales to tip would help carry the eye forward?
 
Maelstrom78 said:
Round the tops of the scales a little more they are a tad blocky.
Click to expand...
It does feel good in the hand, but I think you may be right and I'll probably round them a bit more.

KillerGriller said:
perhaps one continuous-curving line from scales to tip would help carry the eye forward?
Click to expand...
If you're talking about the spine, the waviness in the pics are just from the glare and shadow, as it's a pretty straight line. If you're talking about my plunge, I did mess up a bit on the 2nd pic.

From a profile standpoint, I think Scott Hanson Scott Hanson has it, that looks a lot better to me. Now that I see the line, my original looks like it has a little beer belly.

Thanks!
 
What Scott drew was my thought exactly.

I am not sure I understand the layering on the blade? Is it a three layer (san-mai) billet? If so, the O-1 core should be showing equally ( more or less) on both sides. It looks like you need to sand/grind the tip down more to show the O-1.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Is it a three layer (san-mai) billet?
Click to expand...

sigh....Yes, but I'm still not an expert at san-mai forging and grinding, and wasn't able to keep the O1 centered enough. The blade was getting a bit thin, which is why I stopped grinding when I did.
Here's what I came up with though... Thanks for the re-profile and handle re-shaping suggestions. It feels much better in the hand now.
31 (2).jpg 31a (2).jpg 31b (2).jpg31c (2).jpg
 
Thanks all. Looks better to me too.
Now time to make a sheath and put it to use to test my heat treating.
 
It's a bit of a serendipitous error IMO. I know it wasn't your intent, but the result of the 15N20 cladding all spotty over the O1 actually looks really cool to me. Very nice handle shape and blade profile now...
 
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