One of my first knives Comments??

J

jdlange

Joined
Sep 23, 2002
Messages
27
This is one of my first knives (second to be precise). I would love to get some input on this. I have another finished as well that I will post. I will be selling everything I make for a while in order to make money for some newer equipment (currently I am doing everything by hand with files, charcoal forge and sandpaper.

Let me know what you think, the image does not do justice to the filework on the back of the blade unfortunatly.

1.jpg
 
Joshua,
That looks fantastic, especially for your second knife!! I tell new makers with limited equipment to keep things small and simple. Keep making smaller patterns until you develop a CONSISTANT finishing process. I made MANY of my first knives on a home made reversable disk grider, band saw, drill press and files. Every piece of new equipment will make things easier and expand your capabilities.

Keep up the good work. How 'bout a close up pic of that baby???


Neil
 
Thanks for the encouragement, here is a pic of another one I have been working on. With this one I am following a very tribal theme, all materials are natural or handmade. The handle is coyote bone, boiled leather and silver wire and the sheath is all leather, siler wire and coyote bone as well. This one still needs some work but already I think it is growing a unique feel and look, feels good in your hand as well. Right now I have no power tools except an old bench grinder but I am building a belt sander and a power hacksaw.

Unfortunatley the camera I have access to right now will not focus any closer than this so I can't post a close up until I find someone with a different camera.

My method is perhaps a bit weird. The way I design the knives is not to really make a design. I take a peice of steel and just stare at it for a long time and the blade design just sort of comes to me. Then I just refine it a bit while actually cutting and grinding the blade.

2.jpg
 
Any comments on the above guys? I am really looking for input so let me know what you think. (One way or the other, I can take critisizm!)

Thanks

Josh
 
That first knife is not my style at all and I would have to get a better look at it to make any judgements on it's quality.

Now, the second one is far mre interesting to me. I like the ulu style skinning blade. Looks to be a nice primitive style knife.
 
For knife #2 that is quite impressive. I make mine with files too so I know how much work that is. Keep them comming.:)
 
Thanks for all the feedback, it looks like this the place to come to get timely answers and advice. I will keep posting my work as I progress. I have gotten a belt sander up and running and am now working on putting together a power hacksaw so that rough cutting my blade blanks does not take quite so long. My next one (currently in progress) will be a large, straight backed hunting knife (made from the steel from an old file, anealed and reworked and then heat treated again) I will post some pics of it as it comes along.

Thanks again for all the feedback, keep it comin.
 
Very nice knives Josh! I dunno how I'd describe them, but they got that primal look, well, the skinner does at least. The filework on the forst one looks like it was tough as hell to do, keep it up.
 
Sorry, I guess I should clarify this. When I say second knife I mean the second one I have made by myself with no help or use of other peoples equipment. I have made a few in the past over the course of about 7 years or so but I had access to a jewelers shop and all the equipment and I always had help. These are the first ones I made completly on my own that I feel are of any note. Some of the ones I made before came out nice but I dont feel that I really made them as someone else was always there helping me with the work so they were not mine alone. Plus that was over the course of a number of years and were all for personal use. These are my first ventures into making anything to sell.
 
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