My first knife
- Thread starter slatroni
- Start date
Frank Hunter
Well-Known Member
As for improving, the first thing I'd recommend is better photos so prospective buyers can pick out more detail. It's a process, takes practice, and I'm hardly qualified to give advice. With the angle of the shot, it's hard to see if the joint between your blade and guard is cleanly soldered, and the light is a little bright - this will disguise a lot of things. As for the hamon, it looks like you've got a fairly heavy etch on the blade still, it should brighten up with more hand sanding at finer and finer grits. The guard may be a little large, but that's just my preference.
If the knife is tightly fit with no gaps, uniform grinds, finish and hand work, correctly heat treated and such - from there it's a never ending quest for style.
If the knife is tightly fit with no gaps, uniform grinds, finish and hand work, correctly heat treated and such - from there it's a never ending quest for style.
BonhamBlades
Well-Known Member
Geez, that's your first, nice job. Now get back to grinding and lets see #2,3,4,5,6...........
Justin Presson
Well-Known Member
I'm a complete newbie here too. I think it looks good the only thing I don't like is the guard, to big for my taste. I like the handle
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk
Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk
J. Doyle
Dealer - Purveyor
Nice job for your first. The blade looks nice with nice lines and proportions. You did a good job lining your spacers and handle up with the ricasso of your blade.
The handle looks a little straight and a little too round, at the butt end especially. But it doesn't look uncomfortable. Probably feels pretty good in hand.
Personally I think a guard has always been much more useful at protecting its own user's hand from slipping up onto the blade. I'm not saying a guard has never been created for catching an opponents blade or one was never used that way, but I think a LOT of that is fairy tale and wishful thinking at best.
Plus, I don't see that knife as much of a true 'fighter'.
The guard is too long, especially the upper quillion, in my opinion. Your total guard length is almost equal to total handle length. That's long.
I also don't care for wood on wood spacers, though there have been a few exceptions. This is not one of them. The two woods on this piece don't compliment each other well and clash, to my eye. This is my own personal taste here so it doesn't hold much weight as a critique.
The hamon looks like it's there, looks like you got the back part of the cutting edge hardened and that's good. If a hamon is a failed attempt, the rear part of the edge is usually where it gets missed. But it looks like you did good there.
Good knife for a first. Make many more. Good for you for asking for honest critique. I don't think a maker should ever be past the point of critique. I know I still ask for it and welcome it on my knives.
The handle looks a little straight and a little too round, at the butt end especially. But it doesn't look uncomfortable. Probably feels pretty good in hand.
Personally I think a guard has always been much more useful at protecting its own user's hand from slipping up onto the blade. I'm not saying a guard has never been created for catching an opponents blade or one was never used that way, but I think a LOT of that is fairy tale and wishful thinking at best.
Plus, I don't see that knife as much of a true 'fighter'.
The guard is too long, especially the upper quillion, in my opinion. Your total guard length is almost equal to total handle length. That's long.
I also don't care for wood on wood spacers, though there have been a few exceptions. This is not one of them.
The two woods on this piece don't compliment each other well and clash, to my eye. This is my own personal taste here so it doesn't hold much weight as a critique.The hamon looks like it's there, looks like you got the back part of the cutting edge hardened and that's good. If a hamon is a failed attempt, the rear part of the edge is usually where it gets missed. But it looks like you did good there.
Good knife for a first. Make many more. Good for you for asking for honest critique. I don't think a maker should ever be past the point of critique. I know I still ask for it and welcome it on my knives.
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TacticallySharp
KNIFE MAKER
Steve,
It's a fine first knife!
Now you can still reduce the top quillion by 1/2, the bottom one by a 1/3, and it will improve the overall look of the knife. Tape up everything but the guard and proceed with care.
I've seen quite a few round handles before. I think of it as the western "Wa" handle. A look at some bone and antler taper handle they have that same round like effect. When I started I made a few wood on wood style handles. I had seen then on a Scandi knife collection and believed them to really nice. I still do it from time to time on my Neo-Tribal work. There are some fine tutorials and WIP threads here, read them and...
..Remember the more you make, the better you will get!
Google knife photography, look for Burt Foster's photography tips on the ABS Channel as a starting point.
Good luck on the journey and have fun!
It's a fine first knife!
Now you can still reduce the top quillion by 1/2, the bottom one by a 1/3, and it will improve the overall look of the knife. Tape up everything but the guard and proceed with care.
I've seen quite a few round handles before. I think of it as the western "Wa" handle. A look at some bone and antler taper handle they have that same round like effect. When I started I made a few wood on wood style handles. I had seen then on a Scandi knife collection and believed them to really nice. I still do it from time to time on my Neo-Tribal work. There are some fine tutorials and WIP threads here, read them and...
..Remember the more you make, the better you will get!
Google knife photography, look for Burt Foster's photography tips on the ABS Channel as a starting point.
Good luck on the journey and have fun!
rhinoknives
Well-Known Member
Well then stay with the large guard!
Its your knife and one of the things I want to inpart to you after over 15 years of wrecking steel with a few sales is Dare to be Different!
Follow your own drummer as to the dimensions & materials you use. When I started knife making darn near EVERYONE around me was making clones of the late Mr. Bob Loveless's drop point hunters.
We were fortunate to be close to his shop and despite being the most cantankerous man i ever met, he loved to share his knowledge of knife making and considered imitation the most sincere form of flattery!
I made ONE Hollow ground 3 1/2" drop point hunter and then decided that if I was going to get any personal enrichment out of my knife making? It wasn't going to be from copying someone else's patterns.
Ok! OK! Time to take my medications!
Its your knife and one of the things I want to inpart to you after over 15 years of wrecking steel with a few sales is Dare to be Different!
Follow your own drummer as to the dimensions & materials you use. When I started knife making darn near EVERYONE around me was making clones of the late Mr. Bob Loveless's drop point hunters.
We were fortunate to be close to his shop and despite being the most cantankerous man i ever met, he loved to share his knowledge of knife making and considered imitation the most sincere form of flattery!
I made ONE Hollow ground 3 1/2" drop point hunter and then decided that if I was going to get any personal enrichment out of my knife making? It wasn't going to be from copying someone else's patterns.
Ok! OK! Time to take my medications!
Robert Dark
Well-Known Member
I don't think anyone has mentioned this yet................ If that is your first, whatever you do, don't let it get away from you. Keep it and if you continue making knives, pull it out every 6 months and compare it to your latest knife. You will appreciate the progress made over time.
Knife making is an ever evolving and improving process. Just when you think you have "arrived", you learn something new.
By the way............ Not too shabby for a first. Keep it up, don't give up, and always look forward to making the next one.
Robert
Knife making is an ever evolving and improving process. Just when you think you have "arrived", you learn something new.
By the way............ Not too shabby for a first. Keep it up, don't give up, and always look forward to making the next one.
Robert
Shawn Hatcher
Well-Known Member
Congrats on finishing your first, Steve! You did a great job.
Matt de Clercq
Well-Known Member
Wow, nice job Steve! You incorporated some difficult things to build in your first and that says a bunch about your skills and character.
If "they" knew where we live they would have said it needs a bigger guard, longer blade and the biggest flaw in your photo is there is now gun in it.
Looking forward to seeing the next one!
If "they" knew where we live they would have said it needs a bigger guard, longer blade and the biggest flaw in your photo is there is now gun in it.
Looking forward to seeing the next one!
Dennis Morland
KNIFE MAKER
Congrats on the first.
DeMo
DeMo
Keith Willis
Well-Known Member
Nice job for a first...I'm with Robert , keep it , weather it is ever worth a dime,it will always be worth something to you. and someday one of your children will enjoy it.
God bless
God bless