Designing Aids

D

daniel77

Joined
Sep 3, 2013
Messages
5
Just curious how y'all go about designing knives. My artistic abilities end at drawing flies after a long day. Drawing out designs is a long and arduous process for me. So, my dad told me about french curves and I've been playing with them. I have to say that they make that phase a LOT easier, for me at least. What do y'all do?
 
I sketch by hand. Drawing is not a problem for me. I then scan it into the computer and trace/tweak lines and proportions in a vector graphics program (Adobe Illustrator). This way I can print the designs out at different sizes until it fits my hand properly. I can then trim and mount to a piece of Masonite hardboard in order to make a template.
 
I posted this picture before but here is what I use.

knifedrawingtools_zps07f3bb32.jpg


I use the large french curve, the plastic cup lip, coins, and the rt triangle the most. Don't really like the flexible curve. The 3/16" wooden dowels are the best thing I've found to get big radii, increasing/decreasing and constant, for the spine of the knife and for sori on tanto and kwaiken. I used to cut notches in the ends and used a string with knots to adjust the curvature. Now I just bend a bunch of them and pick the one that matches what I want.

I draw a lot, and don't plan to make most of what I draw. Mostly it is an exercise to help learn size and proportion and how lines and curves interact with one another. I'm still learning how to translate what I see in my head to paper. Turns out there were more holes in my mental designs once I started having to put all the pieces together on paper than I had thought. Hope this is helpful.
 
Last edited:
I started out freehand but have been using CAD lately. LibraCAD is a decent free 2D CAD program. It takes a little while to get used to if you haven't used cad before. I used AutoCAD in college so I had some experience but the interface is slightly different.
I still like to start with a freehand sketch and then redraw and refine in cad.
 
Typically hand draw to get a feel and develop "character" for the knife. Then reproduce it on a vector program. I won't scan and trace it, because I feel there needs to be a "lost in translation" kind of feel to the process. Its the whole art thing for me.
 
Try inkscape, I use it for friction folder designs. It took me about 2 hours of practice to master everything i needed to know. And it's FREE!!! :thumbup:
 
I draw everything on quarter inch graph paper. Someone here suggested draftsight, free cad software, I don't recall who it was though.
 
There is a program out there called the "Knife Design Toolkit". Sorry, I don't have a link. It uses Inkscape as the vector program and has many blade shapes that can be modified in Inkscape. I have it, but I haven't used it much as I have too many designs in my mind that have yet to be made.
 
Perrin said:
I posted this picture before but here is what I use.

knifedrawingtools_zps07f3bb32.jpg


I use the large french curve, the plastic cup lip, coins, and the rt triangle the most. Don't really like the flexible curve. The 3/16" wooden dowels are the best thing I've found to get big radii, increasing/decreasing and constant, for the spine of the knife and for sori on tanto and kwaiken. I used to cut notches in the ends and used a string with knots to adjust the curvature. Now I just bend a bunch of them and pick the one that matches what I want.

I draw a lot, and don't plan to make most of what I draw. Mostly it is an exercise to help learn size and proportion and how lines and curves interact with one another. I'm still learning how to translate what I see in my head to paper. Turns out there were more holes in my mental designs once I started having to put all the pieces together on paper than I had thought. Hope this is helpful.
Click to expand...

I recently added that post and photo to the standard reply


Great summary, and the plastic cup is a little bit of genius.
 
12345678910 said:
Great summary, and the plastic cup is a little bit of genius.
Click to expand...

I see I'm not the only one who relies heavily on a drill gauge, pocket change and various cups. I often find them quicker to use than an actual compass.

Graph paper is very helpful. Last time I needed some I bought it all bound together in a spiral notebook, so I'm less likely to misplace a drawing here or there... instead I can just lose them all at once. :p
 
I am watching this thread closely.....

I use google sketchup, a hold over from my other hobby - wood working. HOEWEVER I find sketchup to be more that a bit aggravating. Originally an architecture program, it does not handle dimensions under about 1/2" very well. It can also have issues when you are only trying to make a 2D drawing that I won't go into. But they are frustrating.

Would LOVE to see what SOFTWARE others are using to design knives.


Barry
 
Metasequoia is a free CAD program that is pretty popular. I'm not sure how it will work with knife design, but knives are 3D so it should be fine. You can pay for extra features (that you probably won't use). But there is a free version as well.
Now, can I post a link?
http://www.metaseq.net/en/index.html

Go to the download page, scroll to the bottom, and you can download version 3 for free. There are lots of tutorials available to help you get started.
 
I tend to draw everything freehand on graph paper, then I transfer the design to a piece of MDF (1/4" thick) and refine the profile as I hold it in-hand... Once I'm happy with that I put the profile on a scanner, put the outline into Solidworks and do up a clean CAD drawing...

I take great care when I'm doing my CAD drawing to resist the urge to make everything perfect. I generally leave holes and such where I drilled them as opposed to adjusting them so they're 'exactly' right. I think it keeps the hand-designed feel of the knife a little better. That will likely change once I start doing folders though!
 
12345678910 said:
I recently added that post and photo to the standard reply


Great summary, and the plastic cup is a little bit of genius.
Click to expand...

Wow, thanks. It's nice to have contributed in a small way to a place where I have learned and am learning so much.

james terrio said:
I see I'm not the only one who relies heavily on a drill gauge, pocket change and various cups. I often find them quicker to use than an actual compass.

Graph paper is very helpful. Last time I needed some I bought it all bound together in a spiral notebook, so I'm less likely to misplace a drawing here or there... instead I can just lose them all at once. :p
Click to expand...

Before I had the set of french curves, I had this stash of plastic cups, margarine bowls, serving platters, a hula hoop! However then my wife started to show displeasure when unable to find various round objects. I laid low and played dumb, the usual tactic. Then she found the stash. So I bought the french curves, flexible curve and I currently have three perfectly sized plastic cups (nested together so as to appear as one) hidden away. I can always just go get the big popcorn bowl if I need it.
 
That cracked me up Perrin. Sounds vaguely familiar, although some far, for knife designs, I just (mostly) freehand the entire piece of steel while grinding. I've found that adjustments from making little errors have nullified my drawing anyway. Things like dropping the knife point first onto the concrete floor and lapses in attention while grinding play pivotal roles in how my knife has turned out. :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top