Question about latest knife.

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

Hello all, time for more Newbie questions. If you would be so kind would you be able to tell me what you would pay/sell the following knife for (pretend it was one of your first to get past the rookie mistakes). I built and sold it to a classmate for her new boyfriend's Christmas present and even though he loved it (apparently) I would like to think that I gave her a good deal.

Here are some pics:

Stats: 7" OAL O1, 4" blade, elk stag (cut and dyed by me- my first attempt), Rc 60.5 (HT by Ranger Original) with black and green liners. The sheath is 3 position Kydex (no rivets, feathered fold over design with belt loop I did not make). 400 grit satin finish, extra fine DMT final edge capable of shaving arm hair, cutting the words off of one side of a newspaperand sever a freestanding paper towel tube. It was an older blank that I cut out years ago that my classmate chose the options for.


Was not totally pleased with how thick the handle turned out, but the scales were the largest I had and they were thinned down as much as the design allowed (learning for next time).

Any suggestions on applicable price ranges, as well as how to improve for the future (even though the new owner's friends and family think I should drop out of Massage School to make knives full time).

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

100 views and no opinions- I'll take the hint.

 

[CWendling]

Problem with asking opinions like that, is that some folks dont want to be critical and hurt feelings. But if you want opinions, I will give you mine. I think the handle looks fine, hard to see maybe in the picture, but the thickness looks ok to me. And again, maybe its the picture, but i looks like the entire blade is the same thickness, except for the grind at the bottom 1/4 or so, which to me seems like it would not make the best form, and it might not look as bulky in the middle of the knife if the top curve came back farther toward the scales instead of stopping in front of the hole in the blade. I also would not have folded the edge of the sheath over, I prefer to rivet Kydex. But thats just my opinion, its obvious you put a lot of time and effort into it and if the end-owner is happy with it, then thats all that really matters. Price is always hard to speculate i think. I think the first few knives sold for most people is around $50-75 which covers most material and a little extra to buy more.

 

[Jim Adams Customs]

Nice design. Tweak it little bit. It will make a hell of a skinner.

 

[JasonSCarter]

Problem with asking opinions like that, is that some folks dont want to be critical and hurt feelings. But if you want opinions, I will give you mine. I think the handle looks fine, hard to see maybe in the picture, but the thickness looks ok to me. And again, maybe its the picture, but i looks like the entire blade is the same thickness, except for the grind at the bottom 1/4 or so, which to me seems like it would not make the best form, and it might not look as bulky in the middle of the knife if the top curve came back farther toward the scales instead of stopping in front of the hole in the blade. I also would not have folded the edge of the sheath over, I prefer to rivet Kydex. But thats just my opinion, its obvious you put a lot of time and effort into it and if the end-owner is happy with it, then thats all that really matters. Price is always hard to speculate i think. I think the first few knives sold for most people is around $50-75 which covers most material and a little extra to buy more.

:thumbup: agreed


Jason

 

[Mark Knapp]

I think it looks nicer on the Kydex if you just use 1/4 inch overlap on the fold-over and do-not make the cuts. It is really quite easy, and looks great. Otherwise, nice looking knife, work a little more on edge geometry.

 

[gusval]

I love the knife
the sheat does not complement the knife
I see a leather sheat for this knife
it hard for me to put a price on other people work
this a great knife to have though

 

[CUTS LIKE A KRIS]

Thank you for the replies- I will take them into consideration for future projects. I have only completed one leather sheath thus far and felt that the practicality of the sheath would be better served in Kydex, and wanted to try a bit of a fringed leather look in a kydex sheath- usually my fold overs are much less intrusive. Based on responses here and in PM I feel that I did not overcharge for this knife- which was the main worry of mine, less so than the profit/loss margin.


I understand not wanting to hurt feelings, but I asked, am a big boy, and will not learn what others expect with lip service.

Again thank you.

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

An edge applied to a full thickness blade profile is what we call a KSO (knife shaped object). Most knives need bevels ground to give the cross section a thin V wedge shape, leaving between .005 - .050 thickness at the edge that is then sharpened.

A common newbie mistake is to try to make something extremely original and different - often just to be different. It is an admirable goal, but most folks do better sticking to conventional designs until they master the basics. The reason being, there are good reasons that certain knives are often done a certain way. If you're going to deviate from the norm, you need to really have your head wrapped around the subject. Tai Goo makes some very unusual knife designs - but they work. This is due to years of experience and a solid understanding of the nuances of what makes a good knife. I'm not saying your design won't work well, I haven't tried it - I'm just pointing out this is a common pitfall.

 

[gordonquixote]

Here is my $0.02 from the personal viewpoint of person giving an honest aesthetic opinion (and you know what they say about opinions...):

The handle and the handle thickness seem great to me. I have large hands and having a good comfortable grip while working is nice.

The shape is very close. I think (forgive the lack of correct terminology) the top of the blade should either be a continuous arc from the handle forward...OR.....have a more pronounced transition like a false cutting edge or bowie tip. It is so subtle that my eye keeps stopping and goes "what's going on here?". Not displeasing, it simply seems to pop out aesthetically. I like the shape you are working on though.

Access to a proper grinding apparatus becomes crucial here......+1 to what the others are saying about the grind (taper, geometry, edge transition, etc).

Man.....that sheath is pretty hard to look at. I don't know any better way to say it. Maybe the design intent is simply lost on me (some people love VW Bugs....you couldn't give me one). The sheath gives the first impression and speaks to the general quality of the knife inside and the thought and time that went into both....generally speaking of course, but let's face it...we beginners need everything we can gain in our favor! lol

Kudos on the accomplishment....welcome to the learning curve. Vincent Van Gogh didn't paint Starry Night the first time he sat down at an easel.

$50-65......$70-80 w/better sheath.

 

[swilliamf]

I can only comment as a consumer.

1. The grind lines draw my eyes first. They are not perfect. I would spend some time there
2. The shape looks like a good skinner. I like it
3. The sheath is... well it falls far behind the knife. I would like to see a perfect Kydex or leather sheath
4. There are some finishing mistakes especially near the finger hole.
5. I do like the handle a lot!

Remarks: All in all you have made a good hard working blade! Spend just a little more time perfecting the finish.

I would think $75 with a different (better) sheath

 

[DustinHall]

I agree this knife would be complimented much more with a nice leather sheath and I would bring your bevel grinds higher up next time. Personally, I like to see plunge lines going at least 3/4 way up the blade. Fit and finish look alright and I think you did well with the the stag handle. It's worth whatever the buyer is willing to pay as long as they are satisfied you shall have no worries. Keep it up! I haven't even sold a darn knife yet... :foot:

 

[Nebulae]

I really like the knife nice job!
the kydex however looks slipshod at best disgusting at worst, its the kinda thing that on a knife that you made looks great to you, because you put so much effort and love into it, but to others not so much

 

[mdoyle]

In order to be truly functional a knife must have a decent cutting edge. I'm speaking of edge geometry here. Yours does not. In your defense, the finger hole in this design does limit how far up you can take your edge bevels. That doesn't change the fact that it needs a much better edge geometry though. So..... Back to the drawing board with ya. Your design is fully functional, and your handle is nice. You will have to either move, or rid yourself of the finger hole to accomplish a better edge profile. Your choice.
As far as the sheath goes, I throw up a little in my mouth every time I see a Kydex sheath with even a decent knife.:barf: Yours is certainly no exception.
Good on ya for askin for real advice:thumbup:
Matt Doyle

 

[dillon_b12]

Here's my take as a complete knife making newbie.

The finger hole is the limiting factor on your design. I would move it up and decrease the diameter some so that you still have room for your maker's mark . Moving it up will, IMO, make the knife a little nicer aesthetically and give you some extra real estate to put a grind on it and thin the edge. The way it is sharpened now makes it look like an axe more than a knife.

The handle looks comfortable to me, not thick like you say. It also seems to be pretty nicely finished though it seems there are some hard edges that could've been smoothed a little better.

I also think it would be nicer if the finger hole edges were chamfered or rounded to make it a little more comfortable during use.

The sheath needs work. The folded edges look really rushed. If I bought the knife, I would throw the sheath away and have a nicer one made.