Need advice and critics: knife design

I

ikuyadas

Joined
Mar 23, 2010
Messages
211
Hi all, I'm a 2 weeks Inkscape beginner and drew these knives yesterday
Do you think it will work for carving, fishes, food prep and some kind of skinning?

Actual size is here
Inkscape09.png

Red one is for single carry, and orange one would be paired with 7" blade


Notes;
1. Still no idea of handle shape and thickness
2. I don't have big hands and any experience of hunting
3. Blade thickness would be 1/8" to 5/32"

What I'm worrying about;
1. Handle is too short and narrow?
2. No guard is dangerous, or small hilt is nonsence?
3. Reverse grip would be unstable?
4. Spine need to be more straight for batonning?
5. Too short straight part of the blade?
6. Point should be more dropped?
7. Mora is more functional? :D


Thank you for your critics.
 
If the handle is designed right, no hilt is OK, and in my opinion preferred. You can form an integral guard at the ricasso. Don't drop the point any more-you have a good working point with lots of belly, it is fine where it is. Straight part is fine for a small knife.
 
I think they both look quite useful. The only thing that occurs to me is that the handles look very small/slim. I have big hands and just looking at this (at original size) tells me it's gonna be uncomfortable (Might well be different for people with standard-sized hands). Of course this also depends on the 3d shape of the handle, and you can only really tell whether it is comfortable when you have used it for some time IMO.

l.
 
These last two look like great skinners/game processing knives. Would probably be great in the kitchen as well. For my medium-sized hands, the red/top version would be a better fit.

I would encourage you to make a design trace/cut-out on cardboard or better yet some cheap sleeping/exercise mat material (open or closed cell foam). The foam, to me, provides a much, much better model of how a knife will fit in hand.
 
fmajor007 said:
I would encourage you to make a design trace/cut-out on cardboard or better yet some cheap sleeping/exercise mat material (open or closed cell foam). The foam, to me, provides a much, much better model of how a knife will fit in hand.
Click to expand...

+1 on that.

The green version looks much better to me now!

If I was designing this I would make the handle length between the green and the red, but a bit fatter/higher.

But this only has to do with experience/estimation, I agree that a model is the way to go. (The one and only knife I have designed so far took 3 models of cardboard, kitchen towel and tape until i found it to be perfect.)
 
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I like them. these type of designs have been around for a long time and will continue because of the shape being such a great working knife design. From camp to kitchen they will serve you well.

You going to make them or are you going to have someone make them for you?

Bryan
 
sicily02 said:
I like them. these type of designs have been around for a long time and will continue because of the shape being such a great working knife design. From camp to kitchen they will serve you well.

You going to make them or are you going to have someone make them for you?

Bryan
Click to expand...

Glad to see your words, these are too much for me :p
I'm just drawing and wondering right now, most of others are still N/A like this :confused:

1. Steel type: No supersteels, never VG-10, D2 is concerned about sharpening, but not yet focused to carbon steels
2. Handle material: "Easy to wash" is very important and synthetics are heavy and cold, and natural color or visible
3. Stick tang or holed full tang: Neutral balanced lightweight as possible, exposed tang is cold to grip, but hope it's easy to make
4. Handle shape: Egg? Oval? Front part tapered? Fat middle part? Like an ambivalent puzzlebox
5. Sheath design and material: Hate kydex and nylon prefered, but sturdy leather is also my favorite, compact vs. one hand draw
6. Thickness and grind: Maybe 1/8" but convex level is undetermined, nearly full flat? where does it start from?
7. HT: Factory whole plain HT with stainless is enough? Some kind of black patina coating with carbon steel?


lightleak said:
If I was designing this I would make the handle length between the green and the red, but a bit fatter/higher.
Click to expand...

Like a blue one, or should it be aligned to the spine curve like a purple one? Thank you for your suggestions!

Actual size
Inkscape12.png
 
You have alot of info there and things to think about. Like I said that design is a good solid design. Started on something like that this morning for a fellow.

IMG_0542-1.jpg


That pic is of it just shaped and with the pin holes drilled into the handles.

I have the grind ground in and heatreated it and it is tempering right now.

The thing with the design is it just looks like a woodsmans knife. You can see why old Nessmuk really liked that shape for his blade.

It is really neat to see the different handle colors you were able to put on yours.

I hope you are able to get it made up. You will love it.

Bryan
 
I like them how they are. The only thing I would change (on the last picture) is the guards. If your handle provides enough traction, I don't really believe you should need them. However, that is personal preference, and I do love guards on some knives because I feel it makes my hand safer.(On some knives, not all)
 
I like them! I actually just made a smaller EDC that is similar. I really liked how it came out and its currently on a passaround over on our forum.
004.jpg

002.jpg
 
I think that sketch is about the happiest melding of a Canadian Belt knife and a Nessmuk that I have yet seen. I think all your questions come down to personal preference, though I think your current handle is just about perfect. I too would suggest removing the guard and just contouring the ricasso into a small rounded finger guard.
 
Thank you for your comments!


PayetteRucker said:
I think that sketch is about the happiest melding of a Canadian Belt knife and a Nessmuk that I have yet seen.
Click to expand...

Yes I started from tracing CS Canadian Belt knife for instant kitchen EDC. But size and handle traction idea was my problem....
Inkscape05.png


TheGame said:
The only thing I would change (on the last picture) is the guards. If your handle provides enough traction, I don't really believe you should need them. However, that is personal preference, and I do love guards on some knives because I feel it makes my hand safer.(On some knives, not all)
Click to expand...

That's a short story. When I showed orange one to my mother she said "Can you put ∩ shape notch at the end of the blade?". I asked "That's so dangerous that I have to put a guard on it!" After that total balance was crashed, blade length was extended, referred from Randall Alskan Skinner, etc,etc.... red one was born :eek:

So this guard is not "Essential to put" designed at beginning, and basically I don't like guards and fingergrooves.
But this blade starts with a bit downward angle from the handle, that seems not to be secure for index finger. And I concerned about this kind of tasks, it is from 1:50.

[video=youtube;sA3_E5kIMMI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA3_E5kIMMI[/video]



But anything like a KFU handle as PayetteRucker said, if this is not my misreading.... I'll try another.


PayetteRucker said:
I too would suggest removing the guard and just contouring the ricasso into a small rounded finger guard.
Click to expand...

(Just for a quick comparison if his handle is 4.5" long. Thank you KFU!)
KFU.jpg
 
No problem man. I think your sweeping handle will work fine. I make a couple of models with it and its comfortable. Ive found if you sweep it with less curve so that the butt is larger it feels better
 
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Guard removing WIP, sorry for pic heavy
I think No.12 looks easier to make, but No.7 is still better at the edge side of handle bottom

Actual size
Inkscape13-1.png


Actual size
Inkscape13-2.png



....But after that I noticed that I could hide a guard with my finger on display!!

Actual size
Inkscape14.png


Took several hours to understand but it becomes much more closer to my favorite.
 
I made a cardboard model of No.13. It was easier to make than I thought, just it was to curve with puukko.


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Handle feeling:
1. Spine side fits in my palm and thumb is comfortable to put on.
2. Handle length is appropriate. Choil/Short/Middle/Long grips are available.
3. Fist grip is unstable. Got a plenty room inside a palm that seem not to be supported by handle thickness.
4. Edge side of the bottom is painful. Downward scuared part will be removed to be more rounded.
5. Scuared part of the pommel will be used for reverse grip. Point keeps a good angle to stab.
6. Guard hooks middle finger at choil grip and groove fits thumb, but it might be too small or needless.
7. Index finger cannot be extended on the spine, at least it is not so comfortable.

Blade impression:
1. Point would not be so stressful for drilling and stabbing.
2. Blade length is my favorite but it's bit a distant from the point. 4" might be better.
3. Downwarded butt will work for rope cut but it will need thumb-assist for carving.
4. Wide area of the middle part will be useful for draw cut but its curve might be slightly too deep.
5. Wrist had to be rotated to use the tip. It won't work as wharncliffs and droppoints.
6. Batonning would not be impossible, but stress might be concentrated to front pinhole of the handle.
7. Spine will be a good scraper and useful for firesteels.
 
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No.12 modelized (still imcomplete).


2011-12-19%25252002.20.47.jpg


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2011-12-19%25252002.22.08.jpg



Now I can feel secure without a guard on it. But handle shape seemed to change the knife itself to be under a different concept for me.
Not sure which is better so that I'll trace both again for comparison.
 
Too late to follow up but like this KFU? Or is it about overall curve of the handle?
I think wider spine-side bottom of the handle might help for firmer grip and easier reverse grip, and balance with a width of the blade.

Thank you for your suggestion.

KFU%252528suggestion%252529.png
 
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