Justin Presson
Well-Known Member
Oh and yeah it might get a belt finish. So no need to sand out the grind lines 
Post here for design critique.
- Thread starter Daniel Macina
- Start date
Alden Cole
Well-Known Member
What do you guys think about this knife? It was kinda inspired by Murray Carter's book. Does it need to be shrunk down to edc size on the printer? I think it's a little big, but I also really like how it looks. Also any opinion on changes other than size would be great. Thanks!
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
It looks good as a dedicated skinner (caping knife) but I believe the bulbous belly at the nose needs to be more subtle for any other task. A slight recurve looks nice but this to me is a bit too exaggerated. It’s one of those things that looks great on paper but in use may not give you the versatility you may want.
Alden Cole
Well-Known Member
How is this? I took out some of the belly and also that little protrusion where a choil would be. I still think it could do with less belly, but that's something I can tweak as I'm grinding.
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John Wilson
Well-Known Member
Very nice. And as you say, there is plenty of opportunity for endless tweaks at the grinder based on what you want from that particular knife.
Von Gruff
KNIFE MAKER
If you want that to be a skinner then it also has to open up down the legs and belly and for that the belly is coming off too square from the nose.
I was away hunting for the last couple of days and had to skin 6 goats and the nose belly angle is one of the most important when it comes to starting the process.
I was away hunting for the last couple of days and had to skin 6 goats and the nose belly angle is one of the most important when it comes to starting the process.
J. Doyle
Dealer - Purveyor
The finger well looks really narrow and tight. That point just behind it could be pretty uncomfortable and its quite sharp......it will almost certainly cause you problems with breaking with any type of wood scales.
I like the lines and curves for the most part......though I agree with the others about too much belly and not enough point.
Personally I'd reduce the belly quite a bit. I've found that I have made my own knives in recent years with much less belly than I did earlier in my career.
Less belly gives a sharper point and a sleeker, more aggressive look that most of my buyers like. It really doesn't take a ton of belly to make a good Skinner either. I often found myself wanting a sharper, more piercing point in field dressing use, but can't recall a time I wished for a blade with more belly.
Alden Cole
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the replies! Here is mod three. What is wrong with it... please keep on pointing the problems out. For some reason the camera seems to make the blade look thicker and the belly more pronounced than it looks on paper. The knife at it's thickest point is around 1 inch.
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I like it. That style could really benefit from a fade in plunge vs the straight in plunge drawn.
John Wilson
Well-Known Member
I think what J Doyle was referring to was this point. Let it get rounded out on the small wheel as you dress the tang during handle shaping. Sharp angles in the hand never feel good. You can achieve the same visual even if you allow for rounding all corners.
Having your scales come forward to the ricasso as in your original design will be fine.
Attachments
Smallshop
KNIFE MAKER
I thin you need a bit more wood down near the ricasso...John was spot on in describing softening the point on the finger well as per John D.'s suggestion.
Your original handle looks very nice...just add a bit of radius to the tip of the finger well...or broaden the finger well Like John D did and that flattens out the tip there...
as always...jmo...and it always free...lol
Your original handle looks very nice...just add a bit of radius to the tip of the finger well...or broaden the finger well Like John D did and that flattens out the tip there...
as always...jmo...and it always free...lol
Alden Cole
Well-Known Member
Alright thanks guys! I think as I'm making it I'll just round out the finger well a little and maybe make the blade a little pointier.
J. Doyle: Thanks a lot! I'd like to use that design sometime soon.
J. Doyle: Thanks a lot! I'd like to use that design sometime soon.
Kevin Zito
KNIFE MAKER
This is 100% FACT!
Kevin Zito
KNIFE MAKER
Shouldn’t we have a forum for design? I don’t want to jump the gun, but this seems to be a broad (and FANTASTIC) topic. I’m thinking individual threads may be more search-friendly. Just a thought.
Justin W.
Well-Known Member
Yeah I think that's a great idea I just had to sort through six pages to make a post lol
Sean Jones
Well-Known Member
I like the design, however I think a 3 1/2" handle is a bit small. But that could depend on who you are making it for also. If they have small hands 3 1/2" could work. However for me it would be a bit small. Just a thought.
Von Gruff
KNIFE MAKER
I think that there is often a misconcepton of what a hunting knife is needed to do, or at least what type of hunter is going to be using the knife and how he or she hunts.
Is the hunter going to field dress a large or small animal?
Is the knife going to be used after field dressing to skin the animal?
Is the knife expected to be used for the start of breaking down of the animal?
Is the animal going to be broken down to packable pieces or into nearly freezer ready pieces?
Is the knife for a small person or a large person?
Are you hoping to make a one size knife and call it a hunter as that will not work accross the board?
Even down to what size/type of animal is the hunter going to be hunting as this will make a difference.
I have just counted 13 different knife patterns on my board and they all have specific purposes while many will work on a number of different aspects of the hunters needs,so dont try and make a one size fits all as far as design goes. Think about what you intend the knife to do and work toward that particular aspect of design.
Is the hunter going to field dress a large or small animal?
Is the knife going to be used after field dressing to skin the animal?
Is the knife expected to be used for the start of breaking down of the animal?
Is the animal going to be broken down to packable pieces or into nearly freezer ready pieces?
Is the knife for a small person or a large person?
Are you hoping to make a one size knife and call it a hunter as that will not work accross the board?
Even down to what size/type of animal is the hunter going to be hunting as this will make a difference.
I have just counted 13 different knife patterns on my board and they all have specific purposes while many will work on a number of different aspects of the hunters needs,so dont try and make a one size fits all as far as design goes. Think about what you intend the knife to do and work toward that particular aspect of design.