No holds barred critique on my knives

[TigerBlades]

Hello. I've been making knives for a about a year and a half. I'm a young guy with a tiny etsy shop.

They're all handforged, with 1080 carbon steel,
Maple, Walnut, one birch handle, the older knives have leather sheaths, and the newer ones have kydex. I was told to have my work rated to learn some more about it. All tips are helpful, thank you.

 

[billf]

Ok - I'll jump in here.

Obviously, you are just starting out, so...

1) not much info on knives - what steel, how you heat treat, handle material etc
2) knives are very...."crude" I guess is the best word. Maybe "rustic"?
3) your prices are low, which may tempt buyers who are not knowledgeable but based on pictures and info, no one who knows anything about handmade knives will be tempted.

Most important thing is that you are trying. My suggestion would be look thru the "stickies" here, as well as the WIP threads to see how you might up your game.
Finding a maker near you would help A LOT

without being too harsh....I'm guessing you are hoping to sell enough to buy more materials/tools....but you'd really be better off, IMHO, to learn how to make a good clean basic knife before trying to sell anything

Bill

 

[TigerBlades]

Thank you Bill. I've made around 20 knives. Older ones are the cruder ones. Would you recommend taking them off of Etsy, selling the newer, better finished ones? Or just revamping them?

 

[J. Doyle]

Thank you Bill. I've made around 20 knives. Older ones are the cruder ones. Would you recommend taking them off of Etsy, selling the newer, better finished ones? Or just revamping them?

Can we see some of the newer, better finished ones?

 

[TigerBlades]

Best roast ever man. Those are the newer ones lol.

 

[IronRidgeOutdoors]

Starting off, I made a few crude beginner knives that looked similar to what you have pictured. I still have them in a drawer. Personally, I didn't think they were good enough to put my stamp of approval on. In other words, I didn't want my name associated with, what I thought to be, a sub-par product.

In my opinion, I would work on your fundamentals before trying to sell. The patchy forge scale on the bottom one indicates an uneven heat treat. Also, your bevels need some more love.

Design wise, the bottom two look like they have promise. The top knife looks odd. The harpoon and double finger choil just don't flow. Also, the handle looks disproportionately large in relation to the blade.

Have you tested your knives at all? How's your edge retention? What does your grain structure look like?

Going forward, I'd focus on getting clean bevel lines, making sure your surfaces are nice and flat, and think more about ergonomics and design; i.e. what makes for a comfortable, good looking working knife. Find commercial knives that you like, and take inspiration from multiple to come up with your designs.

Good on you for trying to get criticism and improve. Cheers.

 

[TigerBlades]

 

[J. Doyle]

Best roast ever man. Those are the newer ones lol.

Lol....sorry my friend. I was being serious not intended to be a burn.

But....since you asked....I personally would not be comfortable selling those yet. I'd attempt to do a little more refinement first.

I would just focus on clean, simple lines, good proportions and good finishes. Forget about multiple materials, spacers, accents or embellishments of any kind. Just nail the basics.

Find some makers that make clean simple styles and try to emulate those. There's tons of info available on this now.

Don't be discouraged. Keep asking questions and never take critique personally. Some of the harshest will be some of the most lasting and most valuable you will ever get.

Kudos to you for starting this thread.

By the way.....where are you located?

 

[TigerBlades]

Lol....sorry my friend. I was being serious not intended to be a burn.

But....since you asked....I personally would not be comfortable selling those yet. I'd attempt to do a little more refinement first.

I would just focus on clean, simple lines, good proportions and good finishes. Forget about multiple materials, spacers, accents or embellishments of any kind. Just nail the basics.

Find some makers that make clean simple styles and try to emulate those. There's tons of info available on this now.

Don't be discouraged. Keep asking questions and never take critique personally. Some of the harshest will be some of the most lasting and most valuable you will ever get.

Kudos to you for starting this thread.

By the way.....where are you located?

Oregon Coast. I forge my bevels then use a worksharp, I don't have a belt grinder yet.

 

[IronRidgeOutdoors]

Oregon Coast. I forge my bevels then use a worksharp, I don't have a belt grinder yet.

I used a 1x30 for a long time, and made some really nice knives on it. I highly recommend you get one. Harbor freight sells them for under $50.

 

[Mecha]

Oregon Coast. I forge my bevels then use a worksharp, I don't have a belt grinder yet.

Oh ya? Maybe not far from me!

I like the general shape of the second knife pictured.

Before selling the knives, IMO it's important to test them a lot, and to total failure, so you can dial in your heat treatment and get it consistent. You can do this with really simple bar-shaped blades, and it will also help with making refined planes.

 

[Lorien]

I think you should spend as much time as it takes to make just one knife as perfectly as you can, and give everything you've posted here to friends and family who will use them.
What I see here displays very little care for design and craftsmanship.
If it's just a fun hobby, make what and how you like. But I don't feel like any of these are anywhere close to being knives that should be exchanged for money.

 

[TigerBlades]

I think you should spend as much time as it takes to make just one knife as perfectly as you can, and give everything you've posted here to friends and family who will use them.
What I see here displays very little care for design and craftsmanship.
If it's just a fun hobby, make what and how you like. But I don't feel like any of these are anywhere close to being knives that should be exchanged for money.

Ooh, that's not painful. Anyways, I agree with the design, needs to be planned out.

 

[TigerBlades]

Oh ya? Maybe not far from me!

I like the general shape of the second knife pictured.

Before selling the knives, IMO it's important to test them a lot, and to total failure, so you can dial in your heat treatment and get it consistent. You can do this with really simple bar-shaped blades, and it will also help with making refined planes.

I'll make a YouTube video destruction test, and how I make them. Then I can just show a video instead of writing to everyone.

 

[Bigfattyt]

I used a 1x30 for a long time, and made some really nice knives on it. I highly recommend you get one. Harbor freight sells them for under $50.

I would second this.

A 1x30 grinder will be an improvement on what you are using now.

I think I got my old 1x30 5 inch disk combo for under 60.

Used it for years.

For sure, I would suggest more practice before selling.

You can hand file bevels straighter than what you are doing right now.

Here is the first knife I attempted (before heat treat) ...all hand filing and the pin holes drilled by hand with a hand crank drill!!)

A 2x72 belt sander is a huge step up in capability, and in my opinion, what you should be saving up for. (Once you get tired of the 1x30.

2x72 Variable speed...

I am no expert knife maker. Just a tinker. But I've been collecting and using customs for over 30 years.

I've made 6 knives.

Two forged.


I remember a few years ago, a hobbiest maker started posting his knives here.

He had years of custom knife buying and using.

He got a lot of critique of his work, and one of the most helpful things said by one of the guys here was something to the effect of "look at your nice custom knives you own and use every day..... compare that to your own grinds...lines....finish....you know what a good knife looks and feels like. Keep working until your knives start to look like knives you would buy with your own money.


Here is the 6th (most recent knife I have made).

This is my second attempt at forging.

That was a knife I felt was decent enough to give away to my Dad as a Christmas present.



Make sure your profile is filled out. Take advice...some local makers may be willing to help.


When I posted the first knife that I made with hand files and no power tools..one of the best living knife makers in the world offered to heat treat it for me, and gave me advice.. (I heat treated it my self ).


Work on getting even, straight bevels, and making comfortable handles with no gaps.

 

[TigerBlades]

I would second this.

A 1x30 grinder will be an improvement on what you are using now.

I think I got my old 1x30 5 inch disk combo for under 60.

Used it for years.

For sure, I would suggest more practice before selling.

You can hand file bevels straighter than what you are doing right now.

Here is the first knife I attempted (before heat treat) ...all hand filing and the pin holes drilled by hand with a hand crank drill!!)

A 2x72 belt sander is a huge step up in capability, and in my opinion, what you should be saving up for. (Once you get tired of the 1x30.

2x72 Variable speed...

I am no expert knife maker. Just a tinker. But I've been collecting and using customs for over 30 years.

I've made 6 knives.

Two forged.


I remember a few years ago, a hobbiest maker started posting his knives here.

He had years of custom knife buying and using.

He got a lot of critique of his work, and one of the most helpful things said by one of the guys here was something to the effect of "look at your nice custom knives you own and use every day..... compare that to your own grinds...lines....finish....you know what a good knife looks and feels like. Keep working until your knives start to look like knives you would buy with your own money.


Here is the 6th (most recent knife I have made).

This is my second attempt at forging.

That was a knife I felt was decent enough to give away to my Dad as a Christmas present.



Make sure your profile is filled out. Take advice...some local makers may be willing to help.


When I posted the first knife that I made with hand files and no power tools..one of the best living knife makers in the world offered to heat treat it for me, and gave me advice.. (I heat treated it my self ).


Work on getting even, straight bevels, and making comfortable handles with no gaps.

My very first knife was beveled with a file, took ages and I made it way too steep.

 

[TigerBlades]

I would second this.

A 1x30 grinder will be an improvement on what you are using now.

I think I got my old 1x30 5 inch disk combo for under 60.

Used it for years.

For sure, I would suggest more practice before selling.

You can hand file bevels straighter than what you are doing right now.

Here is the first knife I attempted (before heat treat) ...all hand filing and the pin holes drilled by hand with a hand crank drill!!)

A 2x72 belt sander is a huge step up in capability, and in my opinion, what you should be saving up for. (Once you get tired of the 1x30.

2x72 Variable speed...

I am no expert knife maker. Just a tinker. But I've been collecting and using customs for over 30 years.

I've made 6 knives.

Two forged.


I remember a few years ago, a hobbiest maker started posting his knives here.

He had years of custom knife buying and using.

He got a lot of critique of his work, and one of the most helpful things said by one of the guys here was something to the effect of "look at your nice custom knives you own and use every day..... compare that to your own grinds...lines....finish....you know what a good knife looks and feels like. Keep working until your knives start to look like knives you would buy with your own money.


Here is the 6th (most recent knife I have made).

This is my second attempt at forging.

That was a knife I felt was decent enough to give away to my Dad as a Christmas present.



Make sure your profile is filled out. Take advice...some local makers may be willing to help.


When I posted the first knife that I made with hand files and no power tools..one of the best living knife makers in the world offered to heat treat it for me, and gave me advice.. (I heat treated it my self ).


Work on getting even, straight bevels, and making comfortable handles with no gaps.

Also, do you need a jig along with it? Never used one.

 

[BladeMan]

Hello,

After some 20 years of knife designing only, i started to make knives a little over 2 years ago. So just a little longer then you.

My "shop" for the first year was a tiny old table on the balcony and the kitchen table, a small cheap vise, a drill press and a bunch of files and tons of sandpaper.
That said, this is what i made, with files and sandpaper only. You mentioned it took ages, tell me! I made everything from heat treated Titanium!

My very first knife:

My 4th knife, first time with handle scales:

My 5th knife, first folding knife, a Lockback, all parts made by myself (except screws):

My 22nd knife, still everything made with just files and sandpaper only on a balcony and kitchen table:

What i try to say and show here is, don't use the "i have files only" as an excuse for lazy or unclean work. As mentioned here, try your best to make it as perfect as you can no matter how long it takes. You will also learn a lot this way. Making a clean knife can be learned, but you have to want it. Sure, you may need a little bit of skill too but IMO the most important thing is patience and passion. When it comes to selling, i have big problems selling something i can't stand behind 200%, so any blemishes, scratches, imperfections, gaps are a no-go. It also should not be your first priority, just saying how i think about it.

 

[TigerBlades]

Hello,

After some 20 years of knife designing only, i started to make knives a little over 2 years ago. So just a little longer then you.

My "shop" for the first year was a tiny old table on the balcony and the kitchen table, a small cheap vise, a drill press and a bunch of files and tons of sandpaper.
That said, this is what i made, with files and sandpaper only. You mentioned it took ages, tell me! I made everything from heat treated Titanium!

My very first knife:

My 4th knife, first time with handle scales:

My 5th knife, first folding knife, a Lockback, all parts made by myself (except screws):

My 22nd knife, still everything made with just files and sandpaper only on a balcony and kitchen table:

What i try to say and show here is, don't use the "i have files only" as an excuse for lazy or unclean work. As mentioned here, try your best to make it as perfect as you can no matter how long it takes. You will also learn a lot this way. Making a clean knife can be learned, but you have to want it. Sure, you may need a little bit of skill too but IMO the most important thing is patience and passion. When it comes to selling, i have big problems selling something i can't stand behind 200%, so any blemishes, scratches, imperfections, gaps are a no-go. It also should not be your first priority, just saying how i think about it.

Ok, thank you. I definitely have more than files. Those are beautiful by the way. What grit did you take it up to?

 

[TigerBlades]

I also looked up "no holds barred". The person neglected to tell me what that meant, but it all makes sense now. I also took off all the knives I wasn't "200%" confident in, even if I personally liked them. More knives for me I guess!