Need help with custom survival knife design

T

tmarsh388

Joined
Sep 20, 2009
Messages
19
handle and guard tweaked
New version: Nomad


Old version: 3.0

Perhaps the final version
NEW
Version 3.0

2nd version 3D model
Now that I have the model made Im not to sure about the handle. A revision may be in order.

2nd revision
NEW

New sheath concept.

OLD

no more wheel stud
Im going to implement a lever buckle system (sort of like a buckle on a ski boot) into the knife and sheath for an easy lock easy open instead of use a button. More on my locking mechanism soon
OLD


The Knife
I'm hoping to use a tanto style fixed blade for its tip strength and a wheel like thumb-stud. On the back of the blade I would like to incorporate an (interrupted blade) for cord cutting. The handle I'm not sure about the materials yet, but I'm think of using some sort of soft (comfortable) rubber on the back where your thumb and index finger webbing rest. hopefully to prevet blister from long term continuous use.the rest of the ha

The Steel
I'm not really sure what kind of steel to use, maybe 154CM stainless or CPM D2 tool steel. I'm not very knowledgeable about different types of steels nor do I know much about what steel type is better suited as a "survival" knife.

ANY INPUT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED
 
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I'm not understanding the purpose of the thumb stud on a fixed blade???

other than that it looks like an interesting design, not really my flavor though. I prefer a straightforward design without "extras"
 
1095 would likely be a good choice so you can sharpen it with a stone if needed, also is it a full or hidden tang?
 
tanto? if you like it sure but personally I think clip, or drop point is better easier to cut
 
ya for a survival knife i would go with a clip point or drop point, possibly upswept a blade steel like 1095 is excellent, rat cutlery makes their knives out of 1095 and they are amazing. some other steels could be s30v 154cm, D2 is a good choice but its hard to sharpen and rusts so i would stick with a high end stainless. youd want it full tang. some soft comfortable rubber for the handle sounds good but ive never heard of enything except what scarp yard sues resperene C, which is a soft rubber that absorbs impact well. you may want to look at g10 or micarta, they are popular survival handle materials or something more natural like stag or wood. now the part that concerns me most is that a 100mm or 10cm balde length is definetly not long enough. you may be worried about knife laws and thats ok, but you should generally disregard any of those laws when your talking about a SURVIVAL knife. i would recomend a blade thatds 5 inches or longger for chopping
 
I don't think that the tanto is as versatile as a drop or clip point...my preference being drop point. 1095 is fine, but if you'll be using it in a damp or wet environment then I'd think again. 154CM is a fine choice, as is D2. Go with G10 or micarta...tough stuff.

I also don't get what the thumb stud is all about with this knife...and it seems like it would get in the way of using the jimping (thumb grooves).

I like the general shape of the handle, but you might want to consider extending the tang by 1/4" to use as a window breaker / skull crusher. May not really be that useful, but I think it looks cool. :)
 
I would probably go with CPM S30V just because I like it better than anything else I have tried. I too would not use a tanto style blade. I find that a 5 inch drop point will do about anything I need to do and still be handy enough to be there when I need it. I pretty much use one for just about everything. Other's opinions may vary. :D The main trick to a survival knife is it needs to be useful enough for the normal times so that you will be carrying it with you when the stuff hits the fan.
 
I decided to re-design the knife concept and only leave a few things from the original concept. things I plan on changing are the blade style. I'm changing this because a tanto blade would be very difficult to create CORRECTLY and I found its almost pointless in a knife suitable for survival in the wilderness. I plan on changing the grip to ergonomically fit my hand PERFECTLY. I will not be using any sort of soft rubber, I learned that this causes blisters not prevents them. But with a handle molded for my hand I shouldnt have to worry to much about blisters anyways. Im leaving the wheel thumb-stud. I realize that some if not all of you have know idea why I'm you any sort of thumb-stud in the first place. I plan on creating a sheath self locking mechanism with it. (more details on the hopefully later) Back to the blade, I'm going to design an actual cord cutting blade on the edge side near the base of the blade instead of just have an interrupted blade on the back side. I plan on leave the interrupted edge where it is. I am also thinking of going with a ( what I believe to be) a modified drop-point blade style. (kinda of a crossover between a drop-point and a tanto blade.
pictures of concept soon to follow.
 
Im going to implement a lever buckle system (sort of like a buckle on a ski boot) into the knife and sheath for an easy lock easy open instead of use a button. More on my locking mechanism soon
 
The second design appeals to me far FAR more then the first.

Definitly interested in your sheath design, sounds kind of like using a buckle to increase the tension in the sheath so the knife doesn't move?
 
David_ESM said:
The second design appeals to me far FAR more then the first.

Definitly interested in your sheath design, sounds kind of like using a buckle to increase the tension in the sheath so the knife doesn't move?
Click to expand...

yes thats exactly what im going for. Im also trying to design a way to "release the knife easily with ONE HAND/Figure, but also prevent the knife from accidentally unlocking. My lever buckle concept is the best that I could come up with AT THIS TIME;)
 
Yeah I'm a bit embarrassed that I fell into the senseless marketing hype trap. I am however very new to special purpose knives. I have also NEVER designed an knife let alone crafted one before. So this is all very new to me. ANY input or help would be greatly appreciated. I will however though it out there that I am a huge perfectionist, and probably wont begin the creation process until the initial concept design is well, perfect. so please feel free to make fun or whatever. I dont really care just as long as its "constructive criticism" and Im able to learn from it.
 
It's looking a lot better to me. Just one note, if finger grooves are well defined they can limit the use of a knife because they can be uncomfortable to use in different positions. More subtle finger grooves are much more adaptable to different grips that might be used on a knife that will have to fill many purposes. Just me but I would probably take the back of the handle straight into the guard rather than having the dip, and smooth out the corners on the butt. I don't know how you are planning on carrying it but corners tend to dig into soft places.

I like the fact you dropped the interrupted edge on the back. If you leave the back of the blade corners relatively sharp it will be good for scraping things like fire starters, saving the edge or scaling fis
 
pound for pound, I'd say that Fallkniven makes the best utility oriented straight knives in the production market.
Take a look at this one for survival oriented design/spec; http://www.fallkniven.com/S1new.html

The company also sells blanks which you can put a handle on or have one custom made for.

I have found that if I want a usable, effective knife, then it has always been best for me to do research and incorporate existing design features into something a knife maker can live with having his/her name on.

It is important as well to research your knife maker to find out whether their style jives with your design. And also, their background will help you determine whether or not they have the experience to make a knife suitable to your needs. Part of that conversation will include the type of steel you'll use, so I wouldn't worry too much about that part.

The biggest thing I can say is that if you are going to get a knife custom made, be prepared to allow wiggle room in your design for the maker, or you will be disappointed. There is a reason why they are the professional in the equation.
 
I made a some what quick 3d model of the current concept to better understand what it will look like when made. I thought I might also help me visualize its current functionality.
Let me know what you think?
Now that I have the model made Im not to sure about the handle. A revision may be in order.
 
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