design troubles

[AcridSaint]

Ok, my title is perhaps a little lacking, but I'm not really sure how to describe it in one line. I don't know how you guys go about designing your blades, but I have a sketch book that I go at just about every day. Sometimes my blades end up looking very similar and somtimes not. The designs also seem to follow some sort of pattern... one week I may be really thinking about geometric/angled/chiseled designs and then the next I'm drawing sweeping blades and skinning knives.

Anyways, what this post is about is sometimes I just can't draw it out... For days I've been thinking hawkbills but I absolutely can't seem to draw the blade. I don't have either lying around here, but I can see the blade in my head, I can even look at pictures on the internet, but I just can't put it down on paper, let alone on steel. Anyone else have this problem? Know a decent way to overcome it? I mean, I don't want to go out and buy one to trace it...

[Ray Rogers]

Well, no, I don't exactly have that problem. I am, however, familiar with what's known as writer's block and it seems you suffer from a variation of that. There are many things writers will do to try to overcome that block and some of them are just crazy. The most effective method is to just start writing - or in your case drawing - and don't stop. If you want a hawkbill, draw only one curve. Don't think of the knife, but just that one characteristic and draw that one curve. After drawing a few curves, you may feel like adding another line to it.......

[AwP]

If you're thinking that tracing the knife would help, what about printing the picture of the knife and tracing it so you don't actually have to buy the knife?

[chrisinbeav]

I would have to agree with Andrew.

Quite often I get my inspiration for knives from other makers. I make a point of not copying their exact design. I'll put my own spin on it in some way.

If you are drawing them on paper, one suggestion I have is to use graph paper. It makes it a little easier to replicate a patern for minor tweaking. Then once you have the specific design you're happy with hang that picture in your shop for reference. Quite often what looks good on paper doesn't always feel good in the hand. So you might change it a bit during production.

Chris Nilluka

[AcridSaint]

Sometimes I use graph paper too, maybe I need to get that back out and try it. I use the sketch book so I have something that I can copy the patterns from. Stick a bit of tracing paper over it and you have something you can cut out and glue to the steel... at some point I'll actually make solid patterns. Thanks guys.

[dudeinthehut]

I am currently working with old bastard files (making blades from them). I just trace the file on paper and see how creative I can be within those bounderies.

You may try inverting a good upswept skinner design for a good hawkbill start. (Just flip the profile of the blade making the spine the edge and vice-versa.) Some Boye skinners are good for this.

Good luck.

Andy