- Joined
- Aug 4, 1999
- Messages
- 2,596
About 3 weeks ago, I posted a topic asking for input on a tactical knife design. Jim March, Steve Harvey, C. Rushing ,S. Douglas and Joe Talmadge were kind enough to offer many Ideas and thought provoking input! As a maker that mainly specializes in hunters, I appreciated all the ideas. As a result of one of the suggestions, I am now calling it something like a "Defensive Utility Knife"!!
I tried to use as many of the suggestions that I could and still come up with a knife that I could make with my style of grinding. This is what I came up with in the first three prototypes ..D2 steel, 8"oal,3-3/4 " recurved blade. One carries the hollow grind to the point, the other two go from hollow grind into a "tanto" point. (had to through in a radical factor). The hardest thing was to come up with the most comfortable top and bottom integral guards as possible. An Italian ergonomics engineer provided me with a "split ,two fingergrip" and a slight pinky catch at the end of the grip. He had designed fighter plane controls and all kinds of neat stuff!!!!
I am torn between the "split two finger grip" and the common single finger notch. I should be able to make both available. Everyone that has handled the "split" grip says it holds better but indexing takes some getting used to.
I would also like to thank Chiro for his help with the Kydex suppliers and helpful hints! I just finished sheaths for the 3 protos.
I will be taking some pictures and should have some ready to Email by the weekend or early next week. Let me know and I will be glad to show them off!!!
Thanks again for all your ideas and input!!!!!!
Neil Blackwood
I tried to use as many of the suggestions that I could and still come up with a knife that I could make with my style of grinding. This is what I came up with in the first three prototypes ..D2 steel, 8"oal,3-3/4 " recurved blade. One carries the hollow grind to the point, the other two go from hollow grind into a "tanto" point. (had to through in a radical factor). The hardest thing was to come up with the most comfortable top and bottom integral guards as possible. An Italian ergonomics engineer provided me with a "split ,two fingergrip" and a slight pinky catch at the end of the grip. He had designed fighter plane controls and all kinds of neat stuff!!!!
I am torn between the "split two finger grip" and the common single finger notch. I should be able to make both available. Everyone that has handled the "split" grip says it holds better but indexing takes some getting used to.
I would also like to thank Chiro for his help with the Kydex suppliers and helpful hints! I just finished sheaths for the 3 protos.
I will be taking some pictures and should have some ready to Email by the weekend or early next week. Let me know and I will be glad to show them off!!!
Thanks again for all your ideas and input!!!!!!
Neil Blackwood