Suggestions/Tips/Advice Welcome

H

Harley Boatman

Joined
Jun 21, 2020
Messages
98
Hello everyone!

Just wanted to post a couple pics of some completed projects and see what everyone thinks. Hoping to get suggestions of how to improve- aesthetics, functionality, etc.

Still haven't figured out how to attach pics properly, so I'll apologize in advance.

This one is made to be an all around camp knife. 4" blade.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0lh8qvm05509lzi/HappyCamper5.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2vxgjctznecquar/HappyCamper1.jpg?dl=0

This one is basically the same, just scaled down a bit to 3" and a smaller profile
https://www.dropbox.com/s/hy8mg6kjua1c3o4/HappyCamperMini1.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/2hje0bpizdso5vx/HappyCamperMini2.jpg?dl=0

And this one I made to be my game processing blade, thus the ulu inspired blade shape
https://www.dropbox.com/s/jz9a3xbies7x9z5/BeerGut1.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ks62dse01e3qkgf/ BeerGut2.jpg?dl=0
 
p.jpeg


Odd shape, but someone will like it.

I see grit scratches in the plunge.

Quote my post to see how to embed a photo
 
Your handle shapes are, um, interesting. The handle on the last one looks the most natural, comfortable and practical. Everybody tries to put their own stank on handle shapes (and blade shapes). That's fine. We are all creative people searching for a way to express our ideas. But always try to remember when all is said and done that these are tools for human hands. What looks cool in a video game or on paper doesn't necessarily work in the hand. Lay your hand over every drawing to see if the features of your hand fall naturally where they are supposed to on your design. This can be quite subjective because the hand is very adaptive to many kinds of shapes. Just make sure that the contours of your handle are practical and comfortable, then turn up the style.
 
12345678910 said:
I see grit scratches in the plunge.
Click to expand...


Yeah, on just about all the blades I've stonewashed you can see there are left over grit scratches that I missed. I've yet to be able to see the difference between grits to know when its safe to move up to the next grit. I guess that comes with experience
 
Triple Stripe Knives said:
They all look sweet! One thing is that the mini happy camper looks very thick BTE.
Click to expand...

You are correct, I've messed up a couple blades trying to finish the bevel after heat treat so its nice and thin. I had thought this one would be good enough as is, but once I started putting the final edge on it I realized it was WAY too thick. My next go I'm planning on getting it thinner before heat treating. I'm hoping to find the sweet spot where it's thin enough to cut nice, but not so thin as to warp.
 
i4Marc said:
Your handle shapes are, um, interesting. The handle on the last one looks the most natural, comfortable and practical. Everybody tries to put their own stank on handle shapes (and blade shapes). That's fine. We are all creative people searching for a way to express our ideas. But always try to remember when all is said and done that these are tools for human hands. What looks cool in a video game or on paper doesn't necessarily work in the hand. Lay your hand over every drawing to see if the features of your hand fall naturally where they are supposed to on your design. This can be quite subjective because the hand is very adaptive to many kinds of shapes. Just make sure that the contours of your handle are practical and comfortable, then turn up the style.
Click to expand...

Very good advice. I've been trying to design a simpler overall blade and handle shape, but I keep getting frustrated thinking they all look too basic and plain. I suppose I'm getting too hung up on looks and forgetting functionality.
 
H Harley Boatman Are you doing any hand sanding before the stonewash? If not, that would be a good way to make sure you get all the scratches from the grinder out. Overall I think they look great. I especially like the look of the handle on the first one.
 
KingJace said:
I've yet to be able to see the difference between grits to know when its safe to move up to the next grit. I guess that comes with experience
Click to expand...
Are you changing directions of sanding so the new grit scratch pattern is going across the lower grit scratches? Something like 90 degrees? It shouldn't be hard to see when you're ready to move to the next grit if the lighting is at least OK.
 
KingJace said:
You are correct, I've messed up a couple blades trying to finish the bevel after heat treat so its nice and thin. I had thought this one would be good enough as is, but once I started putting the final edge on it I realized it was WAY too thick. My next go I'm planning on getting it thinner before heat treating. I'm hoping to find the sweet spot where it's thin enough to cut nice, but not so thin as to warp.
Click to expand...
Are you grinding at all post HT?
 
Do what weo said. I sand at a 45* angle towards the plunge from the edge Until all marks are that way. Then move up a grit and sand 45* towards the plunge from the flats. Then back at the next grit, etc.
 
I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said. I've never really understood the purpose of the exposed tang at the pommel. I've done one or two by request, but it just never really seemed practical for much of anything in realistic usage, other than a potential hot spot or something to poke me in the ribs if crouch down wrong with the knife on my belt.

Your makers mark is really cool looking, but it doesn't do much to help me find who made the knife if I were to see it in a magazine or on somebody's social media post. Something you might want to consider down the line.

For general "camp knife" use, I'd typically want a little less of a bull nose on the end of my blade, but that might be personal preference.

As for the good, your bevel looks nice and crisp on the first and second knives. I'd spend a little more time focusing on plunge lines, but that comes with practice. The handles don't look terribly uncomfortable to my eye, (pommels of the first two notwithstanding). Your sheaths look pretty clean for just starting out.

Keep it up and just make the next ones better than the last. ;)
 
Richard Coyle said:
H Harley Boatman Are you doing any hand sanding before the stonewash? If not, that would be a good way to make sure you get all the scratches from the grinder out. Overall I think they look great. I especially like the look of the handle on the first one.
Click to expand...
I bead blast before etching, but I haven't hand sanded unless I'm doing a satin finish. That's a good idea though.

Also thank you!
 
weo said:
Are you changing directions of sanding so the new grit scratch pattern is going across the lower grit scratches? Something like 90 degrees? It shouldn't be hard to see when you're ready to move to the next grit if the lighting is at least OK.
Click to expand...

Jrmysell said:
Do what weo said. I sand at a 45* angle towards the plunge from the edge Until all marks are that way. Then move up a grit and sand 45* towards the plunge from the flats. Then back at the next grit, etc.
Click to expand...

When I hand sand I change directions with each grit. I never thought about hand sanding on a blade that's not going to be satin. I figured the grinder would (or should at least) take out the scratches on the bevel. I guess I should ask what grit you guys grind to before hand sanding. I've been going to 220. That seems to be where I can bead blast and not get scratch marks showing
 
KingJace said:
I guess I should ask what grit you guys grind to before hand sanding.
Click to expand...
I typically to go to 400 on the 2x72, but the last few blades I've been playing with stopping at 220 then hand sanding starting at 220. After three blades, I think I'm going to go back to 400, because there seem to be some deep 220 scratches that take longer to get out. How I am gauging this is that when starting hand sanding at 400, it would only take ~ 1/2 sheet of 9x11 to clean up the grinder scratches and progress to 800 grit. The last 2 blades where I started hand sanding at 220 grit, I had to use 1 1/2 sheets of 220 before before being able to progress to 400.
I should say, I do only pattern welded blades, so I hand sand to 1500 (currently thinking about going to 3000g), etch then finish at 5000g. Much different than bead blasting, so take my response with the appropriate 'grain of salt'.
 
Triple Stripe Knives said:
Are you grinding at all post HT?
Click to expand...
I have before. And burnt the blades to a rainbow-y crisp. Since then I've been very weary of it. I did find out that super light pressure helps to not overheat the blades, but I still have a hard time getting the angle just right to get the edge nice and thin while keeping my bevel on one level plane. With these three the only one I did any grinding post HT was the Beergut. I wanted that one super thin since it would be a skinning knife.
 
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