Need opinion - grinding first knife

jwesthurl

jwesthurl

Joined
Sep 17, 2013
Messages
430
Hi guys, I finally got around to grinding my first knife ever and my plunge line kept getting pushed back. If you look at the photo you can see that the plunge line actually angles slightly backward toward the handle. Does it look funny? Should I try to change the angle or leave it as is? I know it's pretty far back so I don't know if there's enough real estate to change it.
At this point it's ground to 120 grit. Thank you
 
It doesn't look bad. If you try to straighten it out, you will end up just pushing it further back. As long as both sides are the same, I would leave it as is. Nice job for your first time.
 
speaking out of my own experience if there even on both sides id leave it. at a quick glance most won't even notice it once its finished , but if you feel you must i recommend using i fine cut file to slowly square it. cause if you use a belt sander you risk taking the bevels to far back. iv made that mistake a few times now
 
Thank you guys for your input. I'm usually hyper-critical of my own work, so I would probably just try to fix it until it was completely ruined. They are even so I think I'll move on to hand sanding. Thanks again!
 
Being critical of your own work is a good thing. It drives you towards excellence. Just be careful. The grinder is for broad strokes. When you get close to what you want, fine tune with files and sandpaper. Symmetry at the plunge shows control and attention to detail. The angle is not so important. If you look at plunge line examples from many well-known makers you'll notice the angles vary widely from maker to maker and knife to knife. If you can afford one invest in a good quality file guide. It will help you get the angle and symmetry you want in the plunge as well as nice even tang shoulders when you make hidden tang knives.
 
I definitely see the value in "getting close" with the grinder, then fine tuning. Things can get out of hand quickly! I will certainly look into a file guide. Thanks!
 
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