Need Some Feedback for an Idea

L

lloydxmas250

Joined
Apr 5, 2013
Messages
31
Hello all. I'm nearing completion on my first project which is just a full tang blade I bought, some diamond wood and pins. My second project will be a gift for my father-in-law who is an avid fly fisherman. It will be a fillet knife with cocobolo scales and nickel pins and a deep red spacer. Now I'm slowly starting to plan the third knife and I'd like some feedback.

First off, this will be a gift for my stepfather who is an avid hunter. So I'm thinking a skinning knife. Now I'm still not sure about making the blade for this one myself yet. I may buy another pre-made blade. That's in the air right now. What I do want to do for sure is a hidden tang knife using ebony and ivory colored wood. I would buy blocks of each and then cut the blocks into fourths, length-wise. I would then take two of each color and assemble them back together in a checkerboard pattern when looking from the butt of the knife. Another idea that I'm floating around is using a black and white layered spacer between the four pieces for a nice effect. And lastly, I'm wanting to put a brass hand guard on it.

What I'm curious to know is what is the consensus on the difficulty of this kind of project. I should also put it out there that I have never soldered anything so is have to learn to attach the guard. I'm just curious if this is a modest project or something I should keep in my back pocket for a while. Or if I can lose things that may make it harder like the spacers.

Looking forward to hearing some feedback. If its hard to grasp my idea in words I can sketch out some designs and post them tonight. Thanks in advance.
 
12345678910 said:
http://www.ramanon.com/forum/showthread.php?69980-Wood-mosaic-handles-tutorial-(High-graphic-volume)
Click to expand...

That's an awesome tutorial but not really what I meant. What I mean is there will be four long pieces. From the sides and the top and bottom you would see half black and half white. From behind you would see all four. Black over white on the left side of the tang, and white over black on the right side.

Checkerboard2x2Blue.jpg


Like that but black and white.
 
Last edited:
First knives are generally speaking, not known for their amazing quality and good looks. Unless you have a lot of experience and skill in working with metal I would recommend going with a pre-made blade. I think making the handle that you are visualizing will be challenge enough for now.

I'm not gonna let you off the hook so easily though. The next thing you have to do is draw up an idea for your first knife and begin making your first COMPLETE knife and become a knife MAKER rather than a knife assembler. (Just my humble opinion).

- Paul Meske
 
lonepine said:
First knives are generally speaking, not known for their amazing quality and good looks. Unless you have a lot of experience and skill in working with metal I would recommend going with a pre-made blade. I think making the handle that you are visualizing will be challenge enough for now.

I'm not gonna let you off the hook so easily though. The next thing you have to do is draw up an idea for your first knife and begin making your first COMPLETE knife and become a knife MAKER rather than a knife assembler. (Just my humble opinion).

- Paul Meske
Click to expand...

I completely agree with you. I'm no knife maker at all. And I'm not trying to pass for one. These knives will be given to family with the knowledge the I made the handles and assembled them. To me, the handlework should be the easiest part and I wanted to make sure I can handle that before getting too invested in making the blades as well. I don't want to start making blades if I can't even put handles together. I'm using them as a way to progress because I've never worked with files or epoxy or much wood.

I'm still thinking out the first blade I can try, I'm just not sure I'm ready for that yet.
 
Go for it! Worst that can happen is you won't like it and you'll have to tear if off and start over.

Check out Goldsmithy's tutorial on soldering guards.

Personally, I prefer symmetry on the left and right sides of the handle, but whatever floats your goat.
 
lloydxmas250 said:
...I'm no knife maker at all. And I'm not trying to pass for one. These knives will be given to family with the knowledge the I made the handles and assembled them. To me, the handlework should be the easiest part and I wanted to make sure I can handle that before getting too invested in making the blades as well. I don't want to start making blades if I can't even put handles together. I'm using them as a way to progress because I've never worked with files or epoxy or much wood.

I'm still thinking out the first blade I can try, I'm just not sure I'm ready for that yet.
Click to expand...

You're doing what a lot of people have done including myself. Continue doing what you're doing but I would encourage you to start working on making your own blades even though they may turn our less than perfect. You're depriving yourself of a lot of fun by not doing so.

- Paul Meske
 
I have made checkerboard pattern wood products. It isn't that hard. The way to make it work is to put away the power tools, and get a small precision hand saw, and good quality plane. Sharpen the plane to perfection. You will have to look closely at the end grain to make it look visually correct, reorient the blocks so the end grain either makes an X or a diamond. Mark the pieces carefully, plane to perfection, and glue the pieces of each half together. Then plane the mating surfaces of the halves and glue them together. This will give you a gap free joint. Do not try to glue all 4 pieces in one block.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top