Major design flaw!

Self Made Knives

Self Made Knives

Well-Known Member
I don't know how many of you guys do this, but I have a few times and it has actually saved me. Sometimes with a new design, I make a mock up out of wood, or in this case fiberglass, that is very close in thickness to the final product. I do it so I can feel it in my hand before I commit to steel or titanium. It only takes a few minutes to whip out a mockup, but it might save you hours in the end. Here's a new design I'm going to tackle next:
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Much to my surprise, what looked great on paper, felt terrible in my hand! The last pic shows what I discovered, so glad it was in fiberglass and not titanium! So, a little redesign is in order.
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You've arrived at something that normally takes a lot of years to discover..... that being.... what looks good, doesn't always "work good". :) Tuck that away, and remember it whenever somebody asks you to make them a design that you know isn't gong to "work good".....then steer them in a direction that will. Doing so will make for happier customers, and much less grief for you! :)
 
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and it goes the other way also, especially with handles. I have made several that looked 'different', but fit the hand so well you barely felt it there.
 
so true. I have come to accept that what looks awesome on paper generally feels like crap in the hand. On the flip side, Anthony, you have big meaty hands. Guys with normal sized mitts may not find that handle to be an issue.
 
Some of the "meatiness" may be due to how close he is to the camera...lol. I notice most sport fishermen have very large hands in proportion to their bodies.....

If you were going to bevel those handles, how about a quick belt sand and try 'em again? Look like fairly sharp edges there? May be playing into the dislike factor....
 
I do have big hands, they go well with the 6'6" 300lb rest of me :) This design was purposefully a large knife, it's 8.4" long. The design flaw is that point on the scales ends up right under your middle finger. I drew it that way because I liked the way it looked when closed. I try to draw designs that look good open, half closed, and closed. Redesigned the scale this morning and will make new mock ups to try again.
 
I agree that it's a great idea to mock up a new design, and do so often; especially if I'm planning on making multiples, as I can then use the mock up to scribe onto my steel.

However, a mock-up isn't always a perfect representation of the final product, as it may not be contoured and blended the same way that a final piece will be, and that could make all the difference for a perceived hot spot. That said, I'd still move that "peak" up or down half a sausage finger or so... :biggrin:

In all seriousness, that's a good looking design otherwise. Looking forward to seeing the real thing!
 
Round 2. Made a couple new mock up scales to correct the design and they feel great. I think this one is ready for steel and titanium. Well, as soon as I get a little farther along on finishing the shop. Hoping to have things mostly sorted out by spring. Maybe summer....
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Haha Justin! I don't know if I'll ever get mine finished. It would be nice if we lived closer, sometimes a second set of hands can make a big difference. I've got a little over half of the walls insulated, covered, and painted. I'm starting on the ceiling next week, which is going to be a chore. My trusses are on 5' centers and 12' high, so it's going to be a challenge. I'm putting up white metal roofing for a ceiling so at least I can skip the painting part.
 
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