The Drawing Board

[Rupestris]

Nice, Mike. :thumbup:

Reminds me of a knife that popped up on BF a few years ago that I really liked. Once in a while I see something that brings it to the surface. Your jimping did just that.

It was made by SDS Knives and is much more of a Nessmuk than a drop point but, the original had jimping on the top of the "hump". The later version had a finger cut-out and jimping at the thumb rest and toward the front.

Post #8 has the photo that your design reminded me of.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...t-round-of-my-Pay-it-Forward-SDS-knife-review

 

[338375]

Perfect thread for it Mike, we can work on a bunch of designs in here and start specific build threads when that time comes.

I agree with a lot of your points, prefer drop point, despise recurves (though I've seen some gorgeous ones, not a fan functionally), like forward control, a solid area for my index finger, and prefer smaller blades. We should be able to come up with something.

I can see where you're going with that design I think. There's a woman in a nice sun dress in there, we just gotta work on her posture.

Let me soak this in and I'll riddle you with a thousand annoying questions

Sounds good John. I like your analogy of the woman in the sun dress

Nice, Mike. :thumbup:

Reminds me of a knife that popped up on BF a few years ago that I really liked. Once in a while I see something that brings it to the surface. Your jimping did just that.

It was made by SDS Knives and is much more of a Nessmuk than a drop point but, the original had jimping on the top of the "hump". The later version had a finger cut-out and jimping at the thumb rest and toward the front.

Post #8 has the photo that your design reminded me of.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...t-round-of-my-Pay-it-Forward-SDS-knife-review

Thanks. I wish I could take credit for the idea to add jimping on the forward area of the spine, but I can't..
I like that knife you posted

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

On our first design (off Rupes suggestion), I cut out a quick model and I'm gonna add a little length to the handle, our bump makes my finger want to naturally get in front of it and that puts it to close to the edge. The back of the handle needs to rise just a bit as well I think. But I think we're on the right track.


In case theres any ladies out there that think were pigs for always referring to knives as women, it should be taken as flattery, not chauvenism. We're men, we refer to cars, ships and things with flow in the feminine. Knives are no different, on a nice knife that's designed well, we don't instantly figure out which feature it is that we like, everything just flows. Like a beautiful woman in a sun dress, our minds go "Whoa", and then we try to reverse engineer why, sometimes it's easy, sometimes its not.

Then again, maybe we're just pigs

 

[338375]

On our first design (off Rupes suggestion), I cut out a quick model and I'm gonna add a little length to the handle, our bump makes my finger want to naturally get in front of it and that puts it to close to the edge. The back of the handle needs to rise just a bit as well I think. But I think we're on the right track.


In case theres any ladies out there that think were pigs for always referring to knives as women, it should be taken as flattery, not chauvenism. We're men, we refer to cars, ships and things with flow in the feminine. Knives are no different, on a nice knife that's designed well, we don't instantly figure out which feature it is that we like, everything just flows. Like a beautiful woman in a sun dress, our minds go "Whoa", and then we try to reverse engineer why, sometimes it's easy, sometimes its not.

Then again, maybe we're just pigs

Yep, we're pigs

As I read this thread, it has really made me think about things. Back when I was building race cars, I could draw plans on a scratch pad,
and many times just pencil something out mentally and know if it would work or not...

Typically when you change the design of something on a car, it will affect several other things, and each of those needs to be taken into consideration
before the fab work starts.

With knives, it is awful hard to know if the idea will work or not, or if it will feel the way we think it will, until after the work has been done.
I have always had a great deal of respect and admiration for true craftsmen, but when I truly understood this, it gave me an even greater respect
for those that make knives.

About once a year my wife will say, " You should start making knives ". You had people that were willing to pay you large sums of money to
build race cars, and cars are a lot bigger and more complex than knives, so it should be easy for you....

Uh, no... I'm sure if I set my mind to it and practiced I could eventually do it, but I always have to remind her, they are two totally
different things. I do appreciate her confidence in me, and her willingness to support me trying new things though.

I have noticed something lately. While I have always done it, it seems that since I retired I ramble on more than I used to, and
have a tendency to drift off topic

 

[Rupestris]

"I can't paint you a picture, I can't hit a ball out of Fenway and I can't play piano."

[video=youtube_share;RKu_QQVHJLA]http://youtu.be/RKu_QQVHJLA[/video]



With a CNC machine and all the latest software and more time than I have, I could make "knives".

I can't make knives like Nick Wheeler or T. A. Davisson or that John whatshisname.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

That's the best part of having a subforum, we can thread drift and ramble all we want without having to stay on topic, we get back to it eventually.

 

[338375]

That's the best part of having a subforum, we can thread drift and ramble all we want without having to stay on topic, we get back to it eventually.

:thumbup:

 

[David Stifle]

Should we put less curve in the handle? Straighten it out and lessen the top curve?


Gonna be working on a thin Zulu design after some more research.

Since this is a guardless knife, choking up on the blade comes naturally; for that reason, I would extend the ricasso to more or less fit a finger. The short recasso on it now would allow the finger to encounter the sharp edge. I would also like to see the handle dropped a bit more.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

Good points David, I'm gonna tweak it a little more and try another model. That's what concerned me when I cut out the first model, I think if I extend the handle and move the bump back so your finger can get in front of it without being so close, it might work out and still give you an index point. I'd like that plunge to ride high for a clean edge without any ricasso drag, similar to a paring knife, I was thinking about just radiusing the back portion, but I don't know if that will be enough. A textured handle would help keep your hand where it needs to be, some heat stippling might help there. One of my concerns is how to make the sheath without that edge slicing the welt up since theres no plunge meeting the edge to protect it.

 

[David Stifle]

Good points David, I'm gonna tweak it a little more and try another model. That's what concerned me when I cut out the first model, I think if I extend the handle and move the bump back so your finger can get in front of it without being so close, it might work out and still give you an index point. I'd like that plunge to ride high for a clean edge without any ricasso drag, similar to a paring knife, I was thinking about just radiusing the back portion, but I don't know if that will be enough. A textured handle would help keep your hand where it needs to be, some heat stippling might help there. One of my concerns is how to make the sheath without that edge slicing the welt up since theres no plunge meeting the edge to protect it.

Rather than a bump, why not go with an honest to goodness finger cutout? Similar to what you see on Sebenza'a?

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

We may have to go that route, a slight cutout. We were going for a sleek thin bird/trout/paring knife kind of thing leaning towards a paring knife feel. We wanted to try to keep the contours of the Corsair, just with a smaller, thinner blade. I'm gonna try to go between the bump and a full cutout and see what works out.

 

[mitch4ging]

What if you bring your ricasso/plunge line down to the heal of the edge? That would also give you a little more room for your finger groove. Just a simpleton's thought.

 

[David Stifle]

We may have to go that route, a slight cutout. We were going for a sleek thin bird/trout/paring knife kind of thing leaning towards a paring knife feel. We wanted to try to keep the contours of the Corsair, just with a smaller, thinner blade. I'm gonna try to go between the bump and a full cutout and see what works out.

Oh, a paring knife size, I've never made anything that small. I have made bird and trout knives, but I usually make them with long handles and quite narrow blades. I'll set back and watch you fellas at work on this project.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

What if you bring your ricasso/plunge line down to the heal of the edge? That would also give you a little more room for your finger groove. Just a simpleton's thought.

That would work Dennis, we'll get something worked out.

Oh, a paring knife size, I've never made anything that small. I have made bird and trout knives, but I usually make them with long handles and quite narrow blades. I'll set back and watch you fellas at work on this project.

We were working off of this idea from Chris and seeing what we could come up with.

Toss a Corsair in a room with a paring knife. Light some candles. Play a little Barry White...
Handle: 3.75" to 4"
Blade: 2.75" to 3"
Blade height: 3/4"

 

[David Stifle]

Oh well, if it's Chris inspired we gotta make it great!

 

[Rupestris]

Oh well, if it's Chris inspired we gotta make it great!

Thanks but, I was just trying to get the ball rolling.

I think the little bump could be moved back as opposed to a finger cut out. Either way, I think I'll be on the hook for a tweaked one with no finger cut out even if it does end up with one. If possible of course.

 

[David Stifle]

Thanks but, I was just trying to get the ball rolling.

I think the little bump could be moved back as opposed to a finger cut out. Either way, I think I'll be on the hook for a tweaked one with no finger cut out even if it does end up with one. If possible of course.

When you get right down to the tiny details, it's not easy. I can't tell you how many knives I've drawn, erased, and redrawn.

 

[Redmeadow Knives]

....
I think the little bump could be moved back as opposed to a finger cut out. Either way, I think I'll be on the hook for a tweaked one with no finger cut out even if it does end up with one. If possible of course.

This is what I'm thinking too Chris, moving that bump back.
Don't feel obligated at all brother, it started from your idea but that doesn't mean I expect you to buy one, you know I'd be more than happy to make you one though when the time comes.

When you get right down to the tiny details, it's not easy. I can't tell you how many knives I've drawn, erased, and redrawn.

The devil's in the details, I've killed a few trees worth of graph paper and a few pounds of erasers!

 

[Melvin-Purvis]

Sew, sew, sew your boot. er, boat. er, sheath...

 

[Mack]

An idea that may or may not appeal to you. One of the, in my opinion at least, coolest and best designed working knives is the Randall/Bowles skinner. I don't know if anyone else makes something like it or how difficult the grinds are but...