new knife maker looking for some honest advice

[csknight]

Hey ya'll, I just recently started making knives (last month) and it seems to be getting more fun as time goes on. I make them in my dorm room at college with no power tools except a 9$ dremel from walmart(does absolutely nothing...at all, except piss me off). So these knives take around 100+ hours to just rough shape the handle.

I've made two so far I'm truly happy about. hoping for some advice for the future from you wizened old saints, but also will you help me price them? I have no intention of selling right now, but for the future if someone approaches me and offers for later work...
also, when classes end I'll be heading home where I have a sander and grinder, so I'd like to start from a billet soon. what is your preference in steel? (loaded question, I know)

I made this with indian ironwood, volcanized paper, smashed .22 shell casings as spacers. also I did an ivy vine on the spine and a mirror hand polish with 3000 grit sandpaper. this was my very first knife ever.


this is the second knife i've ever made. amboyna and brazilian rosewood handle. I grooved out a vine design in the handle with old nails, and inlayed it with 3$ turquoise necklace that I crushed to powder with a hammer. the design in the damascus blade was made from etching with a 9v battery and salt water. I also etched the damascus blade for 2 hours in etchant from radioshack.


criticism is very welcome, I want to get better.


thanks for looking guys. ya'll are my idols.

 

[rhinoknives]

Welcome to KD's.

You seem to have a nack for idea's and available materials. that's good! I would start with adding up your costs and then times the amount by three for a sale price.

That way you can make three more for everyone you sell. There are many other pricing systems. The times three will keep you in materials so you can slowly expand your tool lineup and get more knives built to hone your craft.

Get a Respirator first! Rose wood and all the other dust is murder on your lungs.
Have fun and stay safe.

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com

 

[csknight]

great advice, thank you.

 

[jkf96a]

Heck of a nice start. I'd suggest figuring out a way to clamp things down, to a table, desk, etc. and getting a few files. Compared to a dremel, a file will remove both wood and metal much more precisely. You fitups are pretty good considering what you're working with. As far as designs, I'd suggest looking through as many knife photos as you can. Try to make knives that have features you like that you see in others. Best I know to tell you would be to get a bar of 1084 and make 6 or 7 small knives out of it. Focus on getting the bevels even and the handle shapes more like you want them. Once you get a better handle on design, fit, finish, then get back to tackling damascus and burly projects. You're well on the way!