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A nessmuk might be a good alternative to that crazy fantasy thing you designed. You get the chopping, the slicing and the weight all in one.
 
ob1korobi said:
Not my experience. took over a month to get my order and I got something completely different then what I ordered when I did get it. Was a simple 36 inch order of s30v. I was compensated with two 24 inch lengths but that sort of messed up my plans for the projects I was going to work on. I might give him another chance in the near future though once Also's new site is up and running.
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You are literally the first person I've ever heard with this problem. I guess everyone screws up once in a while, but I'd give him another chance. He really is a good guy.
 
Welcome Barry!

Come check out the W&SS forum sometime. Let those guys rip apart that design, too.... HA! Just messin... but not really... they will go nuts but you take from it what you want. We criticize but have good intentions in doing so. History has proven that with regard to wilderness/urban survival and hard use tools, simple is better. Lots of folks use the Tracker knife and swear by it.(I used one for 2yrs) The funny thing is that I've taken a few Tracker School courses (one was taught by TBjr, himself... which is rare) and I can tell you that neither Tom jr. nor any of his senior instructors/interns use the tracker knife. IMO, it excels at being barely adequate for almost any task you will encounter in the woods.:D:thumbup:
 
Thanks for the welcome. (love your blades!)

Thanks for the insight about the knife TBjr uses. I know that no one blade will be able to do any task as well as all others combined. That's why there are so many designs, but I hope to accomplish what the tracker has done, only better for me personally.

I've been torn apart enough for one week. I'm looking at getting my hands on some drops and feeling this thing in my hands. I'll know from there what works and what does not. I think my machinist friend can keep me straight on steels too.

Thanks all. Keep anything fresh coming.
 
build it exactly as your picture out of plexiglass, and I mean exactly!
Sawback teeth evenly spaced, and the same depth, guthook placement
do it exactly as you've drawn it, don't give up and say, thats close enough...if your able to make it exactly as your drawing then move to steel (I'm sure your machinist friend if he's a knife maker and familiar with knife steels will keep you straight, if he machines aluminum parts or mild steel parts well who knows) we don't know your machinist friend but the people on this forum that have posted in your thread are excellent knife makers who do this for a living that is something we DO know.

You have two weeks to build this exactly as you have drawn it up, out of ... say 1/4" plexiglass and post those pictures.
If you can do that my guess is you MAY have a couple questions that you ask KNIFEMAKERS (not machinists although on a very limited bases those are one in the same) your real world question, solve it THEN when you have a better grasp on it move to your piece of steel.
 
R.Rock said:
build it exactly as your picture out of plexiglass, and I mean exactly!
Sawback teeth evenly spaced, and the same depth, guthook placement
do it exactly as you've drawn it, don't give up and say, thats close enough...if your able to make it exactly as your drawing then move to steel (I'm sure your machinist friend if he's a knife maker and familiar with knife steels will keep you straight, if he machines aluminum parts or mild steel parts well who knows) we don't know your machinist friend but the people on this forum that have posted in your thread are excellent knife makers who do this for a living that is something we DO know.

You have two weeks to build this exactly as you have drawn it up, out of ... say 1/4" plexiglass and post those pictures.
If you can do that my guess is you MAY have a couple questions that you ask KNIFEMAKERS (not machinists although on a very limited bases those are one in the same) your real world question, solve it THEN when you have a better grasp on it move to your piece of steel.
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I apreciate where you are coming from and I've been very greatful fo all of the advice here, but I don't think you have been following me very well. The prototype probably won't have the saw back. I have my own deadlines to meet. Forgive me if I don't meet yours.

Plexiglass is a good suggestion though. I get scrap plywood for free though.
 
Go for it. Many here have given input from both full time maker and hard user view points. Sometimes the best lessons are those learned personally, you won't doubt their validity. I believe your current chosen path will teach you much about design, material choice and material/supplies/labor costs if you are open to it.

As a hunter and fisherman I must say that I see no use for it in processing game, beyond perhaps quartering large game. How do I start my incision for gutting? Do detail work, either on large game or small game/fowl/fish? Sever a wind pipe from inside the body cavity?
As a bushcrafter I want a knife with a legitimate point. I want at least one blade that is very sharp, with a more acute edge than a chopper can tolerate, along its whole length. I want to do detail work, carve triggers, gorges, etc.
I see how this design allows chopping. I just don't see it (or any other singular design) doing all the other tasks - that's why I will continue to carry multiple tools that are task specific.
 
stevomiller said:
Go for it. Many here have given input from both full time maker and hard user view points. Sometimes the best lessons are those learned personally, you won't doubt their validity. I believe your current chosen path will teach you much about design, material choice and material/supplies/labor costs if you are open to it.

As a hunter and fisherman I must say that I see no use for it in processing game, beyond perhaps quartering large game. How do I start my incision for gutting? Do detail work, either on large game or small game/fowl/fish? Sever a wind pipe from inside the body cavity?
As a bushcrafter I want a knife with a legitimate point. I want at least one blade that is very sharp, with a more acute edge than a chopper can tolerate, along its whole length. I want to do detail work, carve triggers, gorges, etc.
I see how this design allows chopping. I just don't see it (or any other singular design) doing all the other tasks - that's why I will continue to carry multiple tools that are task specific.
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Great insight here, and yes, lessons learned the hard way are the most profound. I appreciate the point of view for which this knife is intended, the outdoorsman.

I haven't come away from this with nothing, but no changes will be made to the design (which isn't the same as the picture that has been linked which is why I didn't link one) until I get it in metal and see how it does out in the bush. I've mulled it over for 2 years now, and tested some of the concepts independently of each other for many years. I'm ready to put all of the elements together and see how it works in the real world.

Don't think for a second that I'm being defiant or that I think I know better than any person here. I've been looking at the blades made by the posters here, and there's no way I could do some of the things that each of you do. I'm not arguing that I can, but I can make this knife. I'm listening, I'm learning, but I'm confident that I'll get something out of this design path that will fulfill my objective, and I don't appreciate some of the condescension I've encountered here. I'm still here to learn, but there are no children or fools here, we are all thinking men, and we shouldn't talk down to each other.

I think it'll do for small game, the chief source of protein in the bush, but I generally nick small game to break the skin, and then render out by hand (no knife), cutting at the joints (if game is too large to eat all at once). It'll do. That's my driving force "it'll do it". The forward grip is a big part of that. You can choke up on the knife and use it like a skinning knife or ulu. This is a bush-knife, a light hatchet/bowie with other utility edges.

I'll say this once more, I know one blade will never do as well as many, but it will be lighter, and that is my goal, to cut weight in my kit. I'm tired of carrying 10 pounds of blades on my back.

I hadn't thought of fish, and it's no fillet knife, but it'll cut the head off, and get the scales off. That's all that's "required".

I want a very broad point for strength, but the point will be double edged to reduce any resistance gained by broadening it.

Thanks again for the constructive advice.

I'll know what drops I'm working with tomorrow, and I hope some of you will be kind enough to tell me which ones will be the best for a long bladed hard use knife.
 
R.Rock said:
that's unfortunate, I thought you wanted to make a knife.

so when do you think this project get off the ground?
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Let's not be snide with each other.

Short answer: I hope to have 2 prototypes by the 18th, and I will have the means to make more, faster, mid-late march.

I REALLY want to have this blade in steel (2 variants) by the time I go on my winter camping trip the 18th this month. If I can the steel I can have a couple blades cut out and beveled (not sharp) in a day. Then I have to wait in line for heat treating.

When I get my tax return I'll be getting the things to rebuild my forge and a few power tools to speed things along for future big knives.
 
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Are you leaning towards stainless still? Or one carbon steel 1080/1084, and one stainless?

My earlier post referencing Channel Lock pliers forgot to mention they are 1080 carbon steel.

I'm glad you are following your own path. Whether it's an art knife or a chopper/combo knife like this I enjoy seeing people make what inspires them. Even if I'd never make the same.

Carbon steel would be my first choice. Especially on a prototype. It would keep costs down and allow easy heat treat.

Are you sending out for that? I recommend Brad at Peters Heat Treat. Whether it's stainless or carbon steel.

Carry on!
 
Brian Ayres said:
Are you leaning towards stainless still? Or one carbon steel 1080/1084, and one stainless?

My earlier post referencing Channel Lock pliers forgot to mention they are 1080 carbon steel.

I'm glad you are following your own path. Whether it's an art knife or a chopper/combo knife like this I enjoy seeing people make what inspires them. Even if I'd never make the same.

Carbon steel would be my first choice. Especially on a prototype. It would keep costs down and allow easy heat treat.

Are you sending out for that? I recommend Brad at Peters Heat Treat. Whether it's stainless or carbon steel.

Carry on!
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I'm probably going with the cheapest suitable drop from my mach-shop friend, for my prototypes. He'll handle the heat treating, and I assume he's done treating on whatever the drops came off of. Thanks for the recommendations though. I hope to be doing my own heat treating/forging later in the spring.

I'll probably do whatever steel someone wants done for 'production models' or at least offer something in a simple high carbon, a stainless or 2, and D2, but I want something stainless, or D2 for my personal knife, I've got a few candidates, but I'm not sold out for any single steel, naturally, they all have their pros and cons. D2 is extremely long wearing and somewhat water resistant, but I understand that it may be too brittle for such a large chopping knife.

Thanks for the encouragement.
 
I hope I didn't come across as condescending. I truly meant what I said about those lessons: in some cases they will be right, in others you will be right. In the end, once it has been made and thoroughly tested, you yourself will know the truth. I have my assumptions, but they are based on my circumstances, needs, wants, and end use methods. Yours may be entirely different. I applaud your desire to find that truth.
 
stevomiller said:
I hope I didn't come across as condescending. I truly meant what I said about those lessons: in some cases they will be right, in others you will be right. In the end, once it has been made and thoroughly tested, you yourself will know the truth. I have my assumptions, but they are based on my circumstances, needs, wants, and end use methods. Yours may be entirely different. I applaud your desire to find that truth.
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No, no, was just being defensive about letting my feathers get ruffled.

I'm with you 100%
 
I didnt mean to start anything barry when I linked your post from another forum. It just helps us knifemakers give better advice seeing what you want to do exactly.
 
cbr900son said:
I didnt mean to start anything barry when I linked your post from another forum. It just helps us knifemakers give better advice seeing what you want to do exactly.
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That's alright. I know you were just trying to help. Thanks.

That was just a concept drawing, and some seem to take it as a blueprint. Truth be known it wasn't even my drawing. It was a drawing of one of my drawings. lol. I handed a computer artist friend of mine some of my pencil sketches and that was my favorite of his adaptations. It's not dissimilar from my design. My designs were laid out on a grid, point for point just exactly as other edges I had used, all measured in angles and inches, all function, little form. His version is just ever so slightly stylized, but I like the look. My hand will make something a little harsher looking, with less elegant lines, more bold geometric ones, but only ever so slightly, and that suits my artistic style anyway.

I altered the image a LITTLE, after I settled on a 9" blade instead of 7", I added length in the belly, but couldn't make the lines round, so imagine a more circular belly.

We've already discussed all the changes at this point, the remaining changes will be artistic, felt out for function. Where form does not hinder function form will remain.


Here are other concept images from the same artist, just for fun. I don't really remember whose concepts were whose, but they all look awesome.

Draft_X2.jpg


Draft_X1.jpg


Final_Draf_XH.jpg


This last one was his own adaptation of a couple of my concepts. This was his favorite, and he said I owe him one like this.

Will_s_Knife_Martin_Handle.jpg


Finger loop hole was all his idea :), and don't ask me how to do brads on a wrapped grip (the artist again!), looks sexy though!


Naturally, if someone wants one of the concepts, most of them aren't too different than the prototype or production, but the prototypes will be simpler, with the noted changes, with overall ruggedness and utility in mind.
 
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