First Knife Designed using CAD

Justin W.

Justin W.

Well-Known Member
Hey guys i designed my first knife using a CAD software and i wanted to get some opinons from the community. This knife is based off a design that i sketched up and showed to you guys already. Im probably going to go with 1/4'' 5160 for the blade and a walnut handle thanks for any and all feedback.KD kukri.PNGKukri picture.PNG
 
Looks good! I think if your plunge line tilted forward it would match the handle better. Also some plunge lines look good with a tight radius at the top and some with a more generous radius...I think yours might benefit from a bit bigger radius as that design has a lot of "flow" to it.

CAD stuff: (not really a critique...just noticing)The radius where the guard area is is not full on the CAD it stops short where the vertical line is. would look better full imo...but easy to correct at the grinder. The top of the grind line looks like two mis-matched radius'...once again not an issue...and won't look like that when you grind.

The blade look stubbier in the CAD file than the sketch. I personally like the sketch better...but all this knife stuff is subjective and perhaps more guys would prefer the the CAD version. I think the butt of the knife is much nicer in the CAD version. On a big swinger like that it's nice having a stop at the rear...Shorter handle and longer blade might look good...but just an idea...

One thing I do with a sketch that helps me is scan the sketch and then import the JPG. into the CAD as a background image and create my lines right over the sketch. Maybe you did this? But if not, worth checking to see if your CAD allows this. Keeps you real close to your original design intent.

Real nice looking.
 
Smallshop said:
Looks good! I think if your plunge line tilted forward it would match the handle better. Also some plunge lines look good with a tight radius at the top and some with a more generous radius...I think yours might benefit from a bit bigger radius as that design has a lot of "flow" to it.

CAD stuff: (not really a critique...just noticing)The radius where the guard area is is not full on the CAD it stops short where the vertical line is. would look better full imo...but easy to correct at the grinder. The top of the grind line looks like two mis-matched radius'...once again not an issue...and won't look like that when you grind.

The blade look stubbier in the CAD file than the sketch. I personally like the sketch better...but all this knife stuff is subjective and perhaps more guys would prefer the the CAD version. I think the butt of the knife is much nicer in the CAD version. On a big swinger like that it's nice having a stop at the rear...Shorter handle and longer blade might look good...but just an idea...

One thing I do with a sketch that helps me is scan the sketch and then import the JPG. into the CAD as a background image and create my lines right over the sketch. Maybe you did this? But if not, worth checking to see if your CAD allows this. Keeps you real close to your original design intent.

Real nice looking.
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I completely forgot to radius those lol I will be honest this knife took me like 2 1/2 hours to design using the CAD program. So now that I kinda know what I am doing I'm gonna go back in and do a little bit more blade work and see what I come up with. Thanks for the well thought out answer
 
Do not be too quick to change the design because one person does not like it. Gruff would agree with this so its not a dig on him. In a knife store I would never pick that particular knife because to my eye the shape runs more into fantasy inspired blades and that is not my thing. That being said I know a lot of people personally that would love to own that knife. Make it and see what YOU think. That is the way to develop your style. Gruff and I are old and set in our ways it does not mean we are the only opinion or even the correct one. The only thing use wise I see is I wonder if the handle is too skinny. For a big knife like that your handle will likely be thick so if it is too skinny it will seem round in the hand.
 
Chris Railey said:
Do not be too quick to change the design because one person does not like it. Gruff would agree with this so its not a dig on him. In a knife store I would never pick that particular knife because to my eye the shape runs more into fantasy inspired blades and that is not my thing. That being said I know a lot of people personally that would love to own that knife. Make it and see what YOU think. That is the way to develop your style. Gruff and I are old and set in our ways it does not mean we are the only opinion or even the correct one. The only thing use wise I see is I wonder if the handle is too skinny. For a big knife like that your handle will likely be thick so if it is too skinny it will seem round in the hand.
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Chris is right Justin. It is just that I have never seen a need for a chopper knife so my opinion is based on my preference for knives that cut or slice and hatchets for chopping.
 
Please do not take this as me being rude.
Personally I do not like the actual look of the blade, it looks like someone is attempting to be clever instead of realistically designing for a purpose of work, In my eyes a knife is a tool.

However I am not an expert but a newbee learner, if you like then stick to your guns and make it, after all it only needs to be a one off for a showcase.

Good luck.
 
I like it.
make a pattern of it from thin, cheap sheet metal and see how it feels.
 
I like it too...not my style...but an excellent first design!...and worth seeing through. Every knife you make is like a "tutor" for the next one you'll make...you have to pay the teacher if you want to learn...tape that design to a chunk of cheap wood and get to makin'....It will show you a lot.
 
I'd eliminate the "straight" point at the finger guard / ricasso area. The rest of the knife is nice and curvy, so I think that part should have some curve as well. I also might soften the deep curve inside the back of the handle just a bit, and widen the entire handle out ever so slightly. Maybe just raise the whole rear profile about .060 to .125 inches or so, if that makes sense.

Mostly just personal preference really. Looking forward to seeing where this one goes.
 
Drew Riley said:
I'd eliminate the "straight" point at the finger guard / ricasso area. The rest of the knife is nice and curvy, so I think that part should have some curve as well. I also might soften the deep curve inside the back of the handle just a bit, and widen the entire handle out ever so slightly. Maybe just raise the whole rear profile about .060 to .125 inches or so, if that makes sense.

Mostly just personal preference really. Looking forward to seeing where this one goes.
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I think that would make it flow a lot better so I will definitely play around with adjustING that
 
Von Gruff said:
Chris is right Justin. It is just that I have never seen a need for a chopper knife so my opinion is based on my preference for knives that cut or slice and hatchets for chopping.
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I completely understand where you are coming from and to be honest in real life If i come across a downed tree on the road I'm grabbing a chainsaw not a chopping knife lol but with that being said I AM A KUKRI FANATIC maybe it's because of my youth I'm just naturally drawn to that big hunk of steel or maybe it's the decades of history and the legends that surround the weapon. Needless to say I am a fan boy and I know this blade isn't as practical as a good hatchet or axe but this project is 100% inspired by the ghurka kukri. I'm not one of those guys who is gonna spend five hours killing myself to prove that a kukri can skin a deer LOL but I still have a lot of respect for a knife style that has that much history to back it up.

Sorry for the long winded answer Love ya Gary
 
Well, the blade does really "jump out at ya'" and I really like the looks of the blade (from a looking viewpoint). That harpoon portion I like - been wanting to do something like that myself. As mentioned, the handle is just to skinny for me - remember, I do wear an XXL glove (and sometimes XXXL when I can get them). I think even the finger groove might be ok if rest of handle was wider.

All in all - looking good.
 
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