Roundhouse: Part Deux

Lorien

Lorien

Nose to the Grindstone
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Dec 5, 2005
Messages
27,860
First of all; much respect to all the mothers of the world, and happy Mother's Day!

This knife design started off as a folder, which was produced by Boker a couple of years ago. I wanted to follow up that folder with a fixed blade version, (which Boker will not be producing 😭) and this is what I came up with. It's a compact knife with a scout style sheath for unobtrusive carry.

The steel I used is A2, finished to 1000 grit. The tang is skeletonized for weight savings and it has a nifty hidden lanyard dock at the butt of the handle. The tung oil finished koa scales are bonded to .5mm G10 for stability and it's all held in place by bronze pins. I'm pretty sure the beautiful koa was sent to me by the generous Mr. B billf Flynn, and hopefully I'm correct or I'll be embarrassed.

I guess there's not much more to say about it, but if there is feel free to let me know :)

ps. I just realize there's still some schmutz in the handle jimping, guess I better clean them out!

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Thanks for looking!
 
You’re right, there isn’t much more to say about it. It looks to be a comfortable knife that will not cause fatigue with extended use. The choice of wood adds class to an already good looking knife. Well done.
 
Grenock said:
I’ll take it!


Seriously though, outstanding work LA. Can’t mention the Roundhouse and not think of Bing. I bet he would be proud of what you have done.

Now, more seriously, I really will take it! 🤪
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I think about Bing a lot. We talked many times about making and/or designing knives professionally, and we always encouraged each other. I like to think about talking to him about it now that I've chosen to follow this path- he was always wrestling over the idea of going full time, so I learned a lot from his trials and tribulations. I think if he were still with us, he may have taken that step- he felt like he was getting close. Bing was the one who brought my design across the finish line with Boker, and although their Roundhouse folder has since been discontinued, that whole experience launched me into a new trajectory. There aren't many people we meet in our lives that can have this kind of impact, and I'll always regard Bing as that rare bird who impacted mine in such a meaningful way.

thank you all for the kind words- it means a lot to me!

ps. I don't and will never know how well it will throw or not 🤣
 
Really nice lookin' knife, Lorien. Looks well made too. Did a great job with the leather as well. Can you enlighten me why you chose to add the jimping under the rear of the tang? The handle seems a little round in the cross section. How does it feel in use? Does it want to twist on you or does it stay put?
 
i4Marc said:
Really nice lookin' knife, Lorien. Looks well made too. Did a great job with the leather as well. Can you enlighten me why you chose to add the jimping under the rear of the tang? The handle seems a little round in the cross section. How does it feel in use? Does it want to twist on you or does it stay put?
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thank you for that question!

because this knife is designed to be compact for carrying purposes, I wanted to make sure that the handle was small enough to be tucked away but also stay in the hand without having to hold it too tightly. Small handles tend to cause cramping when held in use for longer periods of time and my theory is that's because you have to hold them more tightly to keep them in place. The jimping in that area is designed to make your hand meat squeeze into the little pockets without much pressure. It doesn't really provide suction, per se, but that's kind of the idea. The contouring is also designed to lock the handle into the hand without requiring the user to grab onto it too tightly.

instead of a broad handle, as you say this one is fairly narrow, which is why it's a little rounder than ovoid. That said, there is a semi flat plane on the face of the palm swells, (the broadest part of the handle) which the tip of the middle finger rests on, allowing addition control over any twisting that could occur in use. Narrow handles do tend to twist in the hand, while broad flat or ovoid handles resist twisting, and this is particularly true when the handle is wet and/or gooey. The trade off of a flatter and broader type handle of course is more material is required, adding more weight and real estate. For a knife designed for heavy work, that sacrifice is a no brainer. But this knife is intended for self defence and for the hunter who parts out/processes their game in the field. In either case, a small knife can do the job and is preferable because it's more easily carried.

the canted relationship between the handle and the blade does a number of things, primarily it keeps the knife from twisting in your hand. You cannot lose track of where the edge is on a knife designed like this. From a weapons standpoint, the cant provides a mechanical advantage which allows the user more control and power in a slashing cut. In a reverse grip, the edge is presented ahead of the knuckles and for all you knife fighters out there who combine punching and cutting, this might be a handy characteristic. From a hunter's perspective, where cuts are targeted such as jointing and skinning, the forefinger has a place near the tip of the knife while the handle is held in a pinch grip. The handle drops away, providing a bit more freedom of movement without having the end of the handle interfering with the palm.

this is all theoretical of course, since this particular knife is the only one of its design in existence, and I will not be using it. I wish I could, but my work at this point needs to provide an income. Like I said before, this was to be a sample for a production version that isn't going to happen. I chose to use that beautiful wood and a high level of finish for that reason. I think a highly wear resistant alloy and a composite handle would be more appropriate for this design. A2 is a great steel for prototype work, and really it's got a great balance of properties, but it's neither stain nor wear resistant.

ok, I think probably most people will have stopped reading this a few paragraphs ago so I'll leave it at that. Unless there are more comments or questions anyone would like me to address, which I'm all too happy to do :)
 
Great looking blade n pants too!!! I think you could make and sell a quick dozen on the forums!!!! I'd be in for a green canvas micarta and whatever steel version😜!!! Again beautiful job!!
 
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