Wrought san mai dagger *Sheath Pics Added*

M.Griffin

M.Griffin

Joined
Nov 8, 2007
Messages
460
Here is a dagger I just finished up. It is 1084 sandwiched between some wrought iron with a wrought iron "guard". The handle is stabilized redwood burl. OAL is 10.5" with about 5.5" of cutting edge.
I have never made a dagger before, nor had I ever hollow ground anything. I wasn't thinking real hard when I decided to check those two things off my list at the same time. Using san mai probably didn't help. There was definitely some frustration, but overall I am pretty happy with the results. I would love some critique on my knife and how the next one could be better. Please don't hold back. Thanks for looking.

-Mike Griffin

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Here is the sheath I made for it. It is a beaver tail inlay and a wrought iron stud. This one is going to a forum member here. Thanks everyone. (Not sure what I will do for pics when it starts to rain and the grass greens up)

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Awesome knife! I dig dags, and this unit has a lot going on that I like.
I'd like it more if the handle had a slightly more dramatic shape- maybe a little wasp waist.
Fantastic effort, and great job.
 
It's absolutely gorgeous! I would also like to say I appreciate the photo, and the very subtle statement they make; it is a needle in a haystack :D
 
I like the blade, but would prefer if the guard was a flared shape and the handle tapering into it.

Peter
 
peterinct said:
I like the blade, but would prefer if the guard was a flared shape and the handle tapering into it.

Peter
Click to expand...

I agree. This is about the only critique i can think of. I love the blade shape, and the san mai looks great

that blade looks like it would make one HECK of a spear point
 
A very nice piece, and for your first dagger and hollow grinds I'd say you knocked it out of the park!
 
Great piece! I would be proud to own that!

I do like a guard on a dagger, but I also don't have any use for a dagger in the "gonna poke something" with it.

Honestly, I very much appreciate a clean "guard-less" look on many knives. It makes my fingers twitch a bit (probably because I have cut my self pretty badly before).

Visually I like the "guard" you chose for this piece a lot.

I think, if I was ordering one, the only thing I would change would be to make the guard protrude about 1/4 of an inch at least.


Thanks for sharing, and keep making daggers!
 
Thanks for the replies and critiques, it is much appreciated. I hear you all on the guardless design. I was thinking that it would probably end up on someone's desk as a mail opener, but from a dagger design point of view, a guard is defnintely the right thing to do. I just really liked the idea of a slim dagger and probably didn't think quite practically enough.
Lorien, my drawing had a bit more of a "wasp waist", but I kinda changed it on the fly as I was shaping the handle.

-Mike
 
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