Help me with the knife design, please

Joined
Oct 19, 2017
Messages
325
Hi,

New to the knife making and the forum.

I would like your feedback on this knife design. I’m showing the dimensions, so please let me know what doesn’t work. What do you find aesthetically not plesing or were do you see any functional issues.
This knife is supposed to be a hunting maybe camping type knife with a strong bowie influence. Does this even makes sense? Blade is more of a drop point style.
The only difference between the versions, is the handle design, the blade is the same.

I’m particularly interested to know if the dimensions makes sense, like ricasso width and length, tang size, blade width and length and handle size. Do they work together?

I’m perfectly fine and welcome all the criticism, please don’t spare me, I’m here to learn.

Thanks in advance,
Constantin

Bowie-Large-Hidden-Tang-V1.png



Here is the progression based on the feedback received. Thank you all!
See post #14 for the details on the changes.

The yellow lines in the top version show the relative size of the whole in the handle with the curved tang. Please let me know if this is acceptable. I was worrying if I had a straight and just angled tang, in order to keep it relatively centred in the handle, that it would come too close to the bottom of the handle. What do you think?

Thanks again,
Constantin

Bowie-Large-Hidden-Tang-V2.png


Not sure if this is the best approach, but I keep adding the questions to the first post and reference the post #, plus another new post chronologically. Please let me know, if this is not necessary.

So here it is, post #15:

Since the consensus on the blade shape has been pretty conclusive, I’d like to ask some more questions to get me started with making the blade.

The blade will be made in a “stock removal" fashion. Maybe one day I’ll have the space to do forging, unfortunately not at the moment.

So, what do you think:

1. Blade thickness, out of 3/16 or 1/4? The blade will have a distal taper.

2. Steel. I already have a heat treating oven where I can properly control temperatures and soak times.
I have O1 and A2 at the moment at home. I can heat treat O1 already, but didn’t get into the A2 yet. No problem, I would be willing to figure that out fast enough and I already have aluminum plates and wise for air “quenching".

Also, no experience yet with stainless, but willing to learn fast.

3. I was also contemplating 1095, and perhaps try my hand at a homon, drooling already, and I know, quite ambitious, but hey, I’m willing to try it, part of the learning process. I just got some Satanite for that and welcome any advice you may have, especially on how to “paint” that Satanite on.

I also checked “i4Marc” website and WOW awesome workmanship by the way and really inspiring. i4Marc, I would really appreciate your opinion since you’ve been already working with lots of steels, including the ones I mentioned.

What do you all think I should go with? And don’t you try making it easy on me :).

4. Guard. What should I use in terms of metal. I already have some 416 stainless in proper size. Or should I use the same steel as the blade?
Would 416 stainless look out of place with carbon steel (never used it before) ?

Thanks again,
Constantin

NOTE:
Just realized, the top of the guard shows a curvature, inward, this is not the case, it is flash across the handle and blade. I'm doing the drawing in AutoCAD and when exporting it to an image, it looses accuracy.

Thanks,
Constantin

Here is a photo of a print I took, this is more accurate of what I see in my application.

Tang-V2-Print-Photo.jpg


As you can see, the top of the guard is just a little proud of the top of the blade, this is on purpose, because of the top curvature of the handle and guard.
Trying to fix a spell above as "on purpose" instead of "in purpose", but the program is fighting me... oh well.

Thanks again,
Constantin
 
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Looks like a good design to me. I would consider a different method of handle construction if your just starting. A full tang would be easier to make than a hidden tang with bolsters and a pommel. Either way i hope you post pictures when its done. Im my opinion the proportions are spot on.
 
Looks like a good design to me. I would consider a different method of handle construction if your just starting. A full tang would be easier to make than a hidden tang with bolsters and a pommel. Either way i hope you post pictures when its done. Im my opinion the proportions are spot on.
 
Intentionally or not, you have accomplished a detail I favor and many smiths fail to do. It's a centerline from handle to tip that acts like an extension of one's fingers. It helps in blind cutting, as inside an animal carcass when dressing and butchering.

The lack of that is why I dislike most clip points. Nice amount of belly, too. Useful for skinning.
 
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Derek:
Great, I really appreciate your feedback. I’m glad you thing I’m on the right track. Please keep the feedback coming, I am really appreciative.

Of course, I plan to post picture of the finished product and now that you’ve mentioned it, I thing I will post picture at different states of the build, so knife makers can help me along the way and perhaps stop me before I do something stupid, sounds like a great idea.


marchone:
WOW, you are so astute of the design.
I have never thought someone would noticed this, now please don’t get me wrong, I’m not an experience knife maker by far, just a beginner, but I did design the "hunting knife”, see below, with exactly these two parameters in mind, dressing and skinning, a best compromise in one knife.
Since it is based on a hunting knife design I made before (a 4.5” blade length, will take a picture and post it tomorrow), I wanted to ensure that when dressing an animal, while holding the knife chocked on the blade the intersection of the pointing finger and thumb finger point to the knife’s point, hence ensuring good feel and accuracy for the tip of the blade. You are spot on! And I’m lucky to think as you do, especially that you've been around for a while.
Also, I kept some belly for skinning, as you've noticed, which was also an important factor and somewhat a compromise, while I also wanted to keep that bowie influence.

So thanks again for your feedback, really appreciated! Please keep the feedback coming, I am really appreciative.
 
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You might consider just a touch longer handle. 4-and-change is a little on the short side for a 6 1/2" blade, especially when the guard is taking off some of that available real estate. On this size blade, it may be nice to have a little extra length for different grips. Were it me, I'd push that up to closer to 5".

Otherwise, looks like a fantastic design! Looking forward to seeing this spring to life.
 
Awesome, thanks for the feedback. I don't have large hands, so I always wondered what a good size grip size should be. Great information, exactly what I was looking for. And absolutely, I will post picture with the knife.

Thanks again,
Constantin
 
This is the second knife I've ever made (4.5" blade, measured from the scales). I tried all kinds of learning experiments with this version, like acid etching.
I also had to adjust the drop point angle, sharper, because I screwed up the end of the tip, so it is more towards a spear point now than a drop point. This is how it ended up.

Now, before this, I screwed up many more blades at the bevels making stage, and I’m sure I'm not done yet... :)

IMG-1588.jpg
 
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I like the top handle the best with the curved butt end. I also agree about the length of the handle-I’d go a bit closer to 5”. You can leave it a little long during construction and bump it down shorter as you go if need be. Nothing much worse though than making a great knife and then having a handle on it that’s too short to be comfortably used...

I like the overall shape and flow from blade to handle. It’s not a big straight line along the spine and handle-that’s good. I also prefer a smaller ricasso like you have in your design. For hunting (skinning/cleaning critters), the blade length is longer than I like to have, but that’s very much a personal preference thing. In addition, if it’s meant to be able to do other “camp” stuff, the extra length may be what you want. I made the mistake on an early hunting knife of having too little belly. It made skinning more of a pain-it was too easy to poke through the skin and it was just more awkward to hold to try and get the right angle for effective use. You don’t appear to be making the same mistake :).

Good job-can’t wait to see it finished up.

Jeremy
 
Great. I like the feel of it.

On the middle design, I would suggest not having sharp corners on the pommel - I am clumsy and expect I would cut my palm on a mis-grab.

The guard seems to have a subtle inflection point that I would prefer to smooth out. That is, there seems to be a bump where the handle meets the guard, and I would prefer that to be one smooth curve. It may change the way your forefinger seats in the handle - if it wants to slide forward or not. But you could adapt the design according to where you prefer your finger to seat.

On the non-threaded design, are you planning to put a pin through the handle? It can be helpful to plan the location out ahead just to see how it looks.

On the tang - it might be fine, but I'd be worried how an angle in the tang will fit into the handle during construction. Yours might be fine, but I'd be worried about making a hole wide enough to get a bent tang through.
 
Heli00,

You're doing great. I like the designs and you seem to be avoiding a lot of the beginner mistakes. I'd second a couple of the observations that have been mentioned already.

First is the guard to handle transition. The bottom design looks the best (to me) in terms of how the line flows from the tip of the guard up and over to the peak of the palm swell. It is the most fluid and will likely feel the best in use. I might even put a slightly larger radius in the corner for more comfort where the forefinger will rest.

Second is the shape of the tang. Keep in mind that twist drills make straight holes. For hidden tangs, make straight lines for your tang shapes. You can angle them but straight lines will be easier to accomplish with drill bits thereby making fitting the tang more accurate. Also modern epoxies are very strong but definitely add a mechanical fastener like a through pin. I like the length of the tang in your top design.
 
Great feedback, please keep it coming.

Based on your great feedback I made the following modifications and added an updated image in the first post, just to show the progression.

- Lengthened the handle. I’ll cut a plywood shape and see how the handle size feels. If needed, I’ll make it even longer.

- Added the pin on the handle, top version.

- Straightened the top of the guard so it is inline and flush with the handle, on the first and second version, but kept it the same on the third, just for easy comparison. And I agree, either a proper double guard or single. I like the look of the double guard, but I don’t think it lends well on a hunting purpose type knife, since in the way.

- Rounded the pommel to get rid of the sharp edges on the second and third versions.

Please let me know if I’ve missed anything.

Also, the yellow lines in the top version show the relative size of the whole in the handle with the curved tang. Please let me know if this is acceptable. I was worrying if I had a straight and just angled tang, in order to keep it relatively centred in the handle, that it would come too close to the bottom of the handle. What do you think?

Thank you all for such a comprehensive feedback and positive reinforcements, I’m really grateful and happy that I’m relatively pointing in the right direction. And thanks to all of you, this will
be so fulfilling if I can pull it off. This is going to be a good challenge, so many first things for me and I LOVE IT! Wouldn’t want it any other way.

Thanks again,
Constantin
 
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Since the consensus on the blade shape has been pretty conclusive, I’d like to ask some more questions to get me started with making the blade.

The blade will be made in a “stock removal" fashion. Maybe one day I’ll have the space to do forging, unfortunately not at the moment.

So, what do you think:

1. Blade thickness, out of 3/16 or 1/4? The blade will have a distal taper.

2. Steel. I already have a heat treating oven where I can properly control temperatures and soak times.
I have O1 and A2 at the moment at home. I can heat treat O1 already, but didn’t get into the A2 yet. No problem, I would be willing to figure that out fast enough and I already have aluminum plates and wise for air “quenching".

Also, no experience yet with stainless, but willing to learn fast.

3. I was also contemplating 1095, and perhaps try my hand at a homon, drooling already, and I know, quite ambitious, but hey, I’m willing to try it, part of the learning process. I just got some Satanite for that and welcome any advice you may have, especially on how to “paint” that Satanite on.

I also checked “i4Marc” website and WOW awesome workmanship by the way and really inspiring. i4Marc, I would really appreciate your opinion since you’ve been already working with lots of steels, including the ones I mentioned.

What do you all think I should go with?

4. Guard. What should I use in terms of metal. I already have some 416 stainless in proper size. Or should I use the same steel as the blade?
Would 416 stainless look out of place with carbon steel (never used it before) ?

Thanks again,
Constantin

NOTE:
Just realized, the top of the guard shows a curvature, inward, this is not the case, it is relatively flash across the handle and blade. I'm doing the drawing in AutoCAD and when exporting it to an image, it looses accuracy. See original post for an image update.

Thanks,
Constantin
 
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I'm liking the progression of your design and your thought process.

As far as the material for the guard, what are you using for the handle? Do something that complements the handle material choice. Copper is a nice match with ironwood, for example. Just a thought.
 
For the handle I have a few choices, african blackwood, cocobolo, shedua, walnut.
I’m thinking african blackwood or cocobolo.

I’m planning to add some thin spacers, like cooper or stainless and black G10 as well.
Maybe cooper spacers goes well with cocobolo and the stainless with the african blackwood.
 
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Cocobolo is a mother to finish, and no insult intended, but if this is the first in Coco, you will want to practice and try some finishing on a scrap piece, and do some research on finishing it. Walnut is not hard at all. Walnut with stainless and a black spacer.... sounds nice.
 
TRfromMT, yes, it would be my first time with cocobolo. Thanks for the heads up. it feels like a really dense wood.
How about the African blackwood, is it easier to finish? What about ebony? How do they compare to cocobolo?
The walnut piece I have is a 2”x2”x12, that I bought from a wood place. Doesn’t look too figured, maybr a bit booring. But I’ll cut a piece and see how it looks. I would probably also have to stain it.

Thanks again,
 
Blackwood and copper (or bronce) look good as well.

Blackwood or cocobolo, are no problem, just hand sand as high as you like.
Micro mesh it up to 12000 for stunning result! High grit sizes go fast.

Make the handle and guard with aligment pins and finish before epoxy
 
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