Please critique my latest and best

samuraistuart

samuraistuart

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Dec 21, 2006
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SAM_1183.jpgSAM_1185.jpgSAM_1186.jpgSAM_1188.jpg

Just finished this one for the fellow I bought my kiln from. 1080+ normalized and quenched in Parks 50. OAL: 10 3/8 Blade: 5 5/8 Thickness .160" Blade height: 1 3/16" Walnut handle, G10 liners. 30 degree total edge. He just came buy to pick it up and ordered another one identical to it! God is good.

Stuart Davenport of Carboknives
 
Very nice!
The handle looks great as does the blade.
The ricasso/guard area doesn't look exactly right. My eye gets stuck at the upsweep just in front of the handle.
 
Looks good. My only critique would be that it looks maybe a tad generic, but a newer maker's knives usually look that way for a while.
Your grinding looks straight and true from the pics.
 
The only thing generic about that knife is that it is a very practical and popular style. I like it.
Tim
 
It may just be the pictures, but it looks to have a pretty large final sharpening bevel. I've done the same thing many times, and it is typically from not taking the bevels down enough to thin the edge before sharpening. Or did you convex to the edge?

Otherwise, great execution!

--nathan
 
Thanks for the compliments. It was all done by hand. Cut out with hacksaw, shaped with files, wet/dry paper by hand. The pictures make the edge bevel look larger than it is. There is a thin coat of oil on the blade that kind of slid down to the edge of the knife while taking the pics, so it looks like the bevel is larger. But you are right, Nathan, it is a little larger than it should be. I was going to cut a swedge on the top, from tip to just behind the clip, but since I have never done one, I was afraid to mess it up. It doesn't look too bad without the swedge, tho.
 
That looks good. Sort of a chute knife look.

The main thing that catches my eye is the projections. It looks like they should be where bolsters would be attached. Try drawing the same knife without the projections, and if it doesn't look as good, try making the knife with bolsters or a guard.
 
Stacy, thanks for your compliment. Let me explain the "projections". The guy who commissioned the knife asked for a small size bowie knife. I told him that as new as I am to this venture, and with extremely limited equipment, for me to make a proper guard and fit it to the tang would take forever, and probably above my skill level right now (I don't know...never done one). I told him the time it would take me would really add to the cost of the knife, but I told him I could design some sort of integral type guard and he said go for it. I remember a thread (I think it was you, Stacy) where you commented on a guy's knife how it would probably look and (and work) better without it, that it would actually get in the way more than do good. To me, this knife needed it. The guy LOVED it, and ordered another for his father. As it turns out, and as I was afraid, these two knives will not see any use at all. He said they were going into his safe. Ugh. I nailed the heat treat. Kinda hard to NOT nail it with 1080+!!!
 
I agree that they fit the look of this knife. I don't doubt the owner was thrilled, as it is a good looking knife.

What I was saying was they are replacing an element that you should try to learn on one of your next knives. Bolsters and guards look terrifying, but are not as difficult as they seem.
 
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