Numero Uno!

K

KFU

Part Time Knifemaker, Moderator
Joined
Sep 10, 2007
Messages
4,255
I am hesitant to even post this in this forum but I wanted to get some criticism and give thanks. I have always wanted to make knives and just recently had the means to buy some basic equipment and the time to do it. I wanted to thank all you makers that have taken the time out of your days to answer my questions and help me along the way. I have listened with open ears to makers like Bailey,Farmer, Marchand, Kentucky, and most of all Bill Akers. They have all offered sound advice and I have helpd me get through my first one. Bill was gratious enough to invite me up to his place for a weekend and show me first hand what goes into making knives and offered his tips on what he has found to work for him. I just finished this knife and am proud as heck of it. I ran into a couple of problems along the way and it isn't perfect but it gave me an understanding of all the processes needed to finish one. Here are some crappy phone pics as my camera was eaten, literally, by my 2.5 year old!(these are after I beat it up for about an hour to see if the edge would hold up)
Aldos 1095 1/8 stock
8 1/2 overall full flat grind
Koa scales. Thanks to Joel at exoticcraftwoods on ebay for the killer Koa!
Heat Treated by me in a propane forge with thermocouple and pyrometer.

Its funny, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to make the knife, but it is alot harder than I thought to get the fit and finish that you all have and I still didn't come close!


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man, thats dandy for a first knife, sure looks better than my first knife..LOL..Good job.
 
Thanks guys. I had alot of fun making it .
 
Looks good to me, I would have LOVED for my #1 to look like that!

What are the issues you see with the knife and can you take pics of the "issues"?

I'd say it's time to start/finish #2!

Charlie
 
Ill tell you what,when the man came to my shop he only knew what he had read about knife making, i showed him the process he immediatly picked up,i free hand grind,thats how i learned,i had know help,no one to show me,guess what,he had help but he freehand grinds now,i didnt stand looking over his shoulder saying ,no,dont,stop,ect. I just walked away and let him do what he wanted,if he had a question,he got ansewered,i put no pressure on him,as a newby he is doing damn good,and i know he is gonna be a dandy knifemaker in the near future,keep them coming bro,you did an awsome job on this one! Sell a knife and buy a damn camera!!lmao
bests bill
 
Your knife looks awesome. Grats. I am working on my first knife right now and hope it turns out half as nice as yours.
 
Thanks guys. Charlie, the issues are aesthetic mainly. One of the pin holes got buggered up on drill out because I was drilling into a hole in a block of wood. I also got into the spine a fraction when I was trying to thin out the edge after heat treat. I need a steeper angle at first I guess. One thing I am proud of is the plunge is pretty much dead center. That is what I was really focusing on.
 
And I am buying a camera Bill...jerk!lol
 
I forgot to include Kevin and Stacy as people who have responded to my emails and have offered their help. sorry guys.
 
Fantastic looking knife! Now go make another one!
 
Great looking first knife for sure! This forum is such an incredible source of valuable information, support, and generosity. Hope you make a bunch more!
 
Better looking first one than me! :thumbup:
It's good that you are able to identify mistakes.
As Darrin said, welcome to our addiction and let's see the next one.:)
 
Great job on your first knife! You must be a natural if you found it less difficult than you imagined; I think finishing my first was about the most challenging thing I've ever completed (and they don't seem to be getting that much easier for me either ;) .)
 
Thanks for the comments guys! Like I said earlier I was hesitant to post since it was my first. I finished up my second one today, a Nessmuck. It turrned out much cleaner as I shoeshined the handle instead of profiling with the belt sander. Im gaining confidence and am not worrying about screwing up anymore. Like Bill tells me, if you screw up just chuck it, you will drive yourself nuts trying to fix it. Make it into a kitchen knife or something and start over
 
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