Stuck need ideas/inspiration

[cbr900son]

So I was at work and doodling some freehand outlines for knives and this one jumped out at me and i really liked it! So now i got my blank cut and smothing things out and thinking of handle layout and too many ideas are running thru my head now and now im completely lost. Acid etch grey maybe black handle and do a taticla theme or 30-45 degree slanted bolsters with nice wood or just wood with some spacers etc. Anyways i suddenly can't picture the knife as a finished peice

So being a hobbyist and enjoying my day off working on this I decided ask the pros (or people who know alot more then me) Been looking at pics etc for inspiration but just not there. Let me know what u think or any ideas u might have for it

[The Tourist]

Would a useable kitchen knife be an option? Take a look at some pictures of a Japanese gyuto and perhaps an idea will grow.

[cbr900son]

Actually that or a tatcial knife are kinda gorming thanks for input and any other input would be much appreciated

[Crex]

Hold the blank in your hand as if you were going to cut with it. Then "mock" try cutting different things and see where it leads your mind.
I think you'll find "kitchen Knife" out of the question since there is no knuckle clearance on a cutting board - with that profile design you'd wind up using only the first 1 1/2" all the time.....so what's the rest of the cutting blade for?
If you forged, you could draw the edge out for more "belly" so that you have the necessary clearance, but you'll not get there grinding.
Ergonomics is very important in a real using knife. Some "traditional" styles are just not that comfortable to use - ergo a knife that looks good.....in a drawer. If it's not a comfortable fit for the use intended then it likely won't get used much. Pretty simple, just study your go-to knife in the kitchen.
This goes for any knife, even "tactical", many designs out there are so hard on the hand if used seriously, they'll make you want to start carrying an axe!
I like a knife that I can pickup in the dark, know where the edge is by the shape of the handle, and use without thinking about how to hold it. ie.- no fumbling around in the chest cavity of large game or the fatted calf while the light is fading fast. Experienced hunters know what I mean.
So......give design a good thinking before shaping a knife blank.

[The Tourist]

Originally Posted by Crex

I think you'll find "kitchen Knife" out of the question since there is no knuckle clearance on a cutting board.

Very good point.

I bring up the issue since most cutlers and collectors seem to denigrate this section when contemplating edged tools in general. To this day I still get pasty little suburban boys asking me what is a good choice is for "knife fighting." They are willing to pay me 300 dollars for a Zero Tolerance knife (and 20 dollars per inch to sharpen it) for a tool they will never use, but they won't spend 100 bucks for a gyuto they will use everyday.

Two odd facts. Most of my serious work is on kitchen knives. Always has been.

And finally, my pocket EDCs are used mostly for preparing food and eating--and that includes my ZT0300. Opening UPS boxes is a distant second place finish.

[racinca]

Overall, I like this profile - I really like the long continuous curve down the spine and back of the handle. I would work on the handle shape just a bit though. The picture below shows one idea. These changes are quite subtle and you can see from the drawing overlaid on your picture, would require very little addtional grinding. But it will give you a more interesting and professional looking knife and the slightly swelled area along the bottom will make the knife much more comfortable to hold and use.

I think a nice stabilized burl wood like buckeye or box elder would look nice on this one. Or you could do the acid etch you mentioned and use black G10 for a more tactical look. In either case, I would skip the bolsters.

Good luck and make sure you post some pictures to show what you decide to do with it.
Tony

[Frankallen]

Please don't think I am being a Smarta$$...But If you are just getting started in Knife Making
I think you should start with smaller more simple Knives. Smaller,simple,type Knives are easier to make,Heat Treat,Handle, and a bunch of other reasons. You started off with a big Knife, without considering how it feels in your hand,the reason you made it,what style,.... Please don't take this the wrong way,but this Knife is not what you need to start out with. Keep it simple and do not try to re-invent the wheel.......Don't try to come up with any dramatic-type style...It's already been done..Just trying to help you btw..what is your name?



Frank

[cbr900son]

Originally Posted by Frankallen

Please don't think I am being a Smarta$$...But If you are just getting started in Knife Making
I think you should start with smaller more simple Knives. Smaller,simple,type Knives are easier to make,Heat Treat,Handle, and a bunch of other reasons. You started off with a big Knife, without considering how it feels in your hand,the reason you made it,what style,.... Please don't take this the wrong way,but this Knife is not what you need to start out with. Keep it simple and do not try to re-invent the wheel.......Don't try to come up with any dramatic-type style...It's already been done..Just trying to help you btw..what is your name?



Frank

I'm always open to criticism! i want to learn not pretend that i'm awesome and have no flaws!!!! I understand what you are saying and yes style started it off but i need to change it to make it work. I like the pic above and seems like a good solution.

[CJS Knives]

i agree... i think Tony has come up with a good solution to yout problem!

i like to cut my designs out on cardstock... or carboard... to get a feel for how the knife will feel in my hand, and then make changes if needed. once i am happy with the looks and the feel then i willput it on metal.

[ARCustomKnives]

I'm really liking the redesign pic... really makes the knife stand out that much more, but may also increase some ergonomics for you too.

As far as starting knife making, or new designs for that matter, I found it very helpful to draw my designs onto a piece of scrap mild steel and profile THAT first.
That way I find I can get almost an exact representation of how the knife will feel/balance in hand, and if I needed to make any minor to moderate adjustments, it was a little easier to see where they needed to go.

As a bonus, you then have a template that you can trace onto your blade stock with and make 100 more knives if you want to. Another option is the ability to grind your bevels and get more practice witht he detail work without wasting a more expensive piece of blade steel.

[cbr900son]

Originally Posted by ARCustomKnives

I'm really liking the redesign pic... really makes the knife stand out that much more, but may also increase some ergonomics for you too.

As far as starting knife making, or new designs for that matter, I found it very helpful to draw my designs onto a piece of scrap mild steel and profile THAT first.
That way I find I can get almost an exact representation of how the knife will feel/balance in hand, and if I needed to make any minor to moderate adjustments, it was a little easier to see where they needed to go.

As a bonus, you then have a template that you can trace onto your blade stock with and make 100 more knives if you want to. Another option is the ability to grind your bevels and get more practice witht he detail work without wasting a more expensive piece of blade steel.

Good advice! I have lots of cheap metal from home depot ive been practicing different things like file work etc and never thought to make a cheap blank and "feel it out".
As for templates I really want my blades to stay unique and never make the same exact knife twice. I might repeat a certain style but i want each one to have its own unique "character" as most of these will be personal gifts to family and friends as I make them. In fact this one in this thread will probably go to a friend in the marines just back from iraq. I do this strictly for fun or I decided will sell a knife only to give proceeds to local church youth group I work with.

[cbr900son]

BTW my wife thinks i should etch my initials or something in them. Any recomendations on a decent etcher?

[DaveL]

Maybe a stamp before heat treat?

[ARCustomKnives]

Originally Posted by cbr900son

BTW my wife thinks i should etch my initials or something in them. Any recomendations on a decent etcher?

I built my own etcher based on plans from Chris Crawford's website. A lot of other knife makers on these forums have had good succes with the same etcher.

I did end up modifying the plans just a little bit for my own use, but you should get something very usable from the plans as they are. All in all, you should be able to get pretty much everything you need from radio shack for about 30 or 40 bucks.

Another option is just to get some basic letter stamps and punch your initials before heat treat. You just need to be careful not to grind the stamp off when cleaning the scale off from heat treat.

Personally, I prefer an electric etcher with a custom stencil. One stencil can easily last you for dozens of blades, and it's very easy to get clean, crisp, consisten results.

[ARCustomKnives]

BTW... if you want some quality stencils at one of the best prices you're likely to find anywhere, check out Ernie Grospitch at ErniesKnives.com.

I've used him a couple of times in the past, and I know several others who use him as well. Very great service, and very fast. He can do a single custom stencil for you, or a page of several that will last you for 100s of blades if taken care of and used properly.