Recommendation? Resources for Designing a Knife?

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nailcreek

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Sep 21, 2003
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Knifemaking seems a bit like golf or archery ... once you have the basics down, the rest of the game is between your ears. While I'm struggling with those basics, I'd like to understand the "why" and artistic design principles when designing a knife. While the first step is "to what purpose will the knife be used?", I'd welcome suggestions as to what's next. Books, YouTube, etc. - all are appreciated
 
I too, am early in My journey......

Ive immersed myself in various passions in life.
I Love to love things. And knife making feels deeper to Me than simply making a tool.

As I kid I grew up Outside.
We were told just come home before dark.
That was my generation, and everything turned out OK.....

If you were a little kid, id suggest to go outside and find your favorite stick (we All had one) and play with it. Why is it Your favorite?

as an adult.....What's your favorite knife?
Or, better still... what do you Not like about them?

How/what are you going to do differently than the other makers?

I can't tell you what is the perfect knife.
Each of us as consumers, and as Makers have a different journey down that path....we all start at different places, and we all go in different directions.... Sometimes, we share a moment or two.


Good Luck.
I'm curious what you all come up with!!! :D
 
That's like saying that a sculpture is just chipping away the unwanted stone. It is the artistic and design that is the hard part.

Some tips:
Looking at tried and true shapes is the best start. The Bob Egnath profiles are easy to find online (IIRC, They may be in the stickys).
Look at hundreds of knife photos in The Gallery.
Sketch all knives on graph paper full size. Liik at them and if they differ in some way from what is seen in the knives you looked at figure out why tere is a difference.
Cut out the designs in cardboard, thin plywood, or aluminum and see how it feels in the hand. Pretend you are cutting things and see how it works. Are your knuckles clear of the cutting surface. Does your wrist bend at an odd angle. Is the handle comfortable.

In the beginning avoid lots of bumps and curves on the spine and handle. A simple palm swell on a handle will be the most comfortable and will fit most every hand. Finger grooves may look cool, but rarely are comfortable. Same with the spine. A smooth line or slight curve is waht looks and works best. Dips for the thumb and harpoon tips rarely help the knife work better.
 
There are good chapters about design in Jason Fry's "Next Level Knifemaking". Chapter 18 especially addresses proportions, scale, lines, & flow. You can find it on Amazon. A good book of basics (and some more advanced tips) compiled from several big names and industry leaders.
 
Plus one on Jason Fry's book!

One more idea. Get Murray Carter's book 101 Knife Designs. (I'm not a big Murray Carter fan, but his info is really, really useful and well thought out).

Read his design ideas and criteria. His stuff might sound simple and obvious .... it isn't. Then make some of the templates in the back of the book and use them yourself. I learned so much about when to have a flat edge, what the belly shapes are good for what, angle of edge vs. handle, etc.

In fact I've made some of his kitchen knife patterns, then forced my wife to use them (by hiding all her favorite knives). It's an eye opener.

For example, I've made some Santuko's of my own design. They were fine. It looked simple enough, what could go wrong? Then I made one with Murray's exact pattern. Subtle changes, but profoundly different usage experience.
 
Study traditional knives, not modern "transformer" looking stuff.
Knife patterns developed over hundreds of years, for very specific purposes. Some of today's makers-both factory and custom, are making knives that look like they are made of Legos and have ridiculously stupid blade grinds- because they "look badass."
 
Great suggestions ... books are on order. I've been winging it for the most part, thinking about what I'll use it for and what I've found useful. Apart from a kitchen knife I just finished for my wife, the other ones are for hunting.
 
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