My first knife, tell me what you think.

M

MunroClansman

Joined
Apr 16, 2012
Messages
130
First off, thanks for looking. I Forged the blade from a bar of 5160. The handle is desert ironwood, and the bolsters are wrought iron. The blade is 5" long and 1/8" thick, and the whole thing is 9.5". This whole bladesmithing thing is fun! :D

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The image quality isn't all that outstanding... but neither is my camera.
 
Same thoughts here, a fine piece and sheath is good too.
You should keep at it if something that interest you. Looks like you have the knack for it.
 
bevel geometry looks good, nice sweeping convex there but a grind that goes up past the spine is not something you want to repeat unless it's on purpose
the blade has a really nice, thoughtful polish to it
textured wrought looks very sweet and not too busy
design is simple and nice, useful drop point, versatile handle shape
hand stitched leather can't be beat and you did a nice job shaping it to the knife and wet molding it to fit- I'd like to see the back side of it
I think you ought to polish out that ironwood a bit, maybe not a full polish, but bring out a bit more of the gold

from now on, take your pictures in daylight!

That's a fantastic first effort man- especially considering it's a pretty complicated build, (compared to full tang) you forged it, (did you harden and temper it yourself as well?) and there is a nice underlying artistry evident in the design and construction. Oh, and you made the sheath, a decent one at that.

You might just be the complete package- better keep making knives to find out for sure!
 
Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate the feedback.

Lorien, that grind issue is definitely something I plan to address next time. That was one of those learn-as-you-go lessons, and the two little divots on the spine are nice reminders to be more careful next time. And I'm pleased with the way the iron turned out, as the stippling was a bit of an afterthought. Right before the final sharpening, I set it on a block of wood and took a ball peen hammer to it.
I did harden and temper it. I didn't do any formal tests, but I believe it's around 58-59rc. Next time I'm hoping to experiment with differential hardening.

Again, thank you everyone for the encouragement. As someone who's just starting out, it really means a lot.
 
very clean knife. A great start, I'd be very happy with that if it were my first..
 
Lorien pretty much hit it. I'd clean up the plunge line and get rid of the machine marks on the handle.

As to the photography.. these days having a 'bad camera' is no excuse! I take 70% of my photos with a point and shoot. Learn to use the manual controls and either turn off the flash or figure out a way to block it with something.. anything! Flash kills. And do your photography on a nice, cloudy day with a nice mossy background and any camera will work.. at least in terms of having presentable photograph that shows off your work.
 
I could echo Lorien, but really, keep at it! You should see my first knives...okay, maybe not. Great job!!!
Ben
 
That's a very nice knife. It's an incredible first knife. Please stay with it, as you definitely have the skills!
 
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