"My very first knife" - post up!
- Thread starter Bruce Bump
- Start date
J. Doyle
Dealer - Purveyor
This is a great thread. Thanks for starting it Bruce. And thanks to everyone for posting up.
Here's my first knife completed two years ago. Though it has decent lines and looks fairly "knife-like", it's wrought with problems. It's thick and heavy. The plunge lines are terrible and don't match up at all. The handle is too large and too thick (and made of dymondwood
), the stamp is awful, the blade finish is bad there are scratches in the handle that are buffed over and I have splitting mauls with thinner edges. But I was (and still am in a way) very proud of it when I made it.
And here are, not my very latest, but two very recent favorites of mine.
Here's my first knife completed two years ago. Though it has decent lines and looks fairly "knife-like", it's wrought with problems. It's thick and heavy. The plunge lines are terrible and don't match up at all. The handle is too large and too thick (and made of dymondwood
), the stamp is awful, the blade finish is bad there are scratches in the handle that are buffed over and I have splitting mauls with thinner edges. But I was (and still am in a way) very proud of it when I made it.
And here are, not my very latest, but two very recent favorites of mine.
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Bruce Bump
Forum Owner-Moderator
John, the first one looks good from the picture but if its like most everybody else "first" it does have those problems only a mother could love. I used to love dymondwood wood. I was digging in my safe the other day and pulled out our daughters knife I made her back in 1992 or so and guess what, yep raspberry colored pakka wood handle scales. I think it would be popular today if Pakistan wouldnt have bought a boatload of the camo colored pakkawood and put it on every $3 knife they made.
Hey those last two are sure awesome.
Hey those last two are sure awesome.
Bruce Bump
Forum Owner-Moderator
Lerman, the top one is awesome. I can see you've not left it at home either. What a workhorse.
rhinoknives
Well-Known Member
This is a great thread. Thanks for starting it Bruce. And thanks to everyone for posting up.
Here's my first knife completed two years ago. Though it has decent lines and looks fairly "knife-like", it's wrought with problems. It's thick and heavy. The plunge lines are terrible and don't match up at all. The handle is too large and too thick (and made of dymondwood
And here are, not my very latest, but two very recent favorites of mine.
J. Doyle,
Yep! all of our first's have those "Issues" that only a mother could love! LOL
I had a fad with the pakkawood stuff too! And then I woke up! I also just had the too thick of a handle issue just a couple of days ago after 15 plus years of this journey It was on a small Damascus knife I was making for fun!
I really like those last two of yours! Incredible improvement for only two years!
Tom Militano
KNIFE MAKER
The knife with the watch in the picture is a good looking piece of work.
McCleland blades ask about a gut hook that was only a gut hook and nothing else no sharpened edge.
I wanted to let him know that I have made several gut hook folders that one blade was a skinning blade and the
other one was just a gut hook. Kindly a neat looking trapper design. I don't have pictures but when I make another
one I will take a picture.
Our home burned down this last march and I lost all of my pictures then.
Percy
I wanted to let him know that I have made several gut hook folders that one blade was a skinning blade and the
other one was just a gut hook. Kindly a neat looking trapper design. I don't have pictures but when I make another
one I will take a picture.
Our home burned down this last march and I lost all of my pictures then.
Percy
Bruce Bump
Forum Owner-Moderator
Sorry to hear of you unfortunate house fire.
The gut hook and field dress trapper sounds like a great idea. I'd like to do that sometime myself.
The gut hook and field dress trapper sounds like a great idea. I'd like to do that sometime myself.
I was going thru some desk drawers and found this!!! It was made from a big ole hacksaw blade. This was made I dont know how many years ago. Made the sheath as well. The handle is cocobolo I believe. It was my first attempt at a knife, but this darned thing still has quite a good edge on it and the sawtooth edge will cut down a 3" sapling in short order. As rustic as it is, I still enjoy this knife.
rhinoknives
Well-Known Member
That looks Deadly!
And the Alligator sheath makes it all dressed up and no place to go! Cool!
Quite a contrast with the two. lol
Laurence
www.westsidesharpening.com/
And the Alligator sheath makes it all dressed up and no place to go! Cool!
Quite a contrast with the two. lol
Laurence
www.westsidesharpening.com/
Steven Long
Well-Known Member
Thanks for bringing this thread back to the top so us newbies can see it.
I just read every post and studied every picture and there is new found hope! I am currently working on my 4th knife and still haven't come close to completing one. The first three have horrible grinds and my fourth seems to be turning out about the same. The good news is that I am improving and learning. Reading through this thread has made me realize that most of you started out in the same boat as me (no offense), but after seeing your recent knives, I feel that there is hope in my grinding after all. I will get some pictures up soon of the first 4.
Thanks for sharing everyone!
I just read every post and studied every picture and there is new found hope! I am currently working on my 4th knife and still haven't come close to completing one. The first three have horrible grinds and my fourth seems to be turning out about the same. The good news is that I am improving and learning. Reading through this thread has made me realize that most of you started out in the same boat as me (no offense), but after seeing your recent knives, I feel that there is hope in my grinding after all. I will get some pictures up soon of the first 4.
Thanks for sharing everyone!
Bill Coye
Knife Maker
Bruce Bump
Forum Owner-Moderator
It's cool to see this thread breathing again.
Josh Dabney
Moderator
Great thread !
I intended to post here back when it first started but realized I lost all pics of my first when my old computer crashed but figured since I've got it laying around I'd snap a few news pics to post. Thanks for bring this one BTT Bill !
She's a tiny little thing made as a paring knife for my wife. Here's the specs-
2 1/2" blade
6" OAL
1/8" O1 steel Torch HT and quickly ruined with a propane torch temper. Boy those colors move quick once they start to run huh
Handle material is home made felt micarta in Steeler colors. The wife is from Pittsburgh and a proud member of The Steeler Nation.
Trailing heart electro-etch. Stencil made from electrical tape and cut out with a swivel knife.
FWIW for those just getting started this knife came from a 1/8" x 1 1/2" x 36" piece of O1 an it's the only survivor from the entire bar. The rest became scrap or dust
And this is what you get when you bump the top idler tapering the tang, LOL. No... Those aluminum wheels are NOT forgiving
That rough belt was hungry
Some of my more recent knives can be found around the forums-
http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?26560-8-5-Western-Chef
http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?26361-4-knife-set-(interested-in-feedback-good-or-bad)
Here's my current blade I'm working on which is an endeavor in symmetry It's only scrubbed out to 400 right now but should finish out nicely
I intended to post here back when it first started but realized I lost all pics of my first when my old computer crashed but figured since I've got it laying around I'd snap a few news pics to post. Thanks for bring this one BTT Bill !
She's a tiny little thing made as a paring knife for my wife. Here's the specs-
2 1/2" blade
6" OAL
1/8" O1 steel Torch HT and quickly ruined with a propane torch temper. Boy those colors move quick once they start to run huh
Handle material is home made felt micarta in Steeler colors. The wife is from Pittsburgh and a proud member of The Steeler Nation.
Trailing heart electro-etch. Stencil made from electrical tape and cut out with a swivel knife.
FWIW for those just getting started this knife came from a 1/8" x 1 1/2" x 36" piece of O1 an it's the only survivor from the entire bar. The rest became scrap or dust
And this is what you get when you bump the top idler tapering the tang, LOL. No... Those aluminum wheels are NOT forgiving
That rough belt was hungry
Some of my more recent knives can be found around the forums-
http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?26560-8-5-Western-Chef
http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?26361-4-knife-set-(interested-in-feedback-good-or-bad)
Here's my current blade I'm working on which is an endeavor in symmetry
It's only scrubbed out to 400 right now but should finish out nicely
McClellan Made Blades
Well-Known Member
Steven,
There was another thread done not too long ago that Bruce Bump did, because he had the fella that bought the 1st knife he made back for some "gussying up", let's say. Which gave Bruce the idea to do a thread he named First knife/ Last Knife , now if you want to see some hope, and I'm still a newb myself, I promise you everything your going through is the same thing we've ALL went through! The ONLY thing that makes a Knife Maker great is, ....ready for this? It isn't really a secret, it's more of a genuine piece of knowledge that is hard earned and it takes a lot of years to learn these types of things. .....so are you ready for this nugget, this gem of knowledge? Huh? Yeah? OK, I'm trusting that this information is going into worthy hands, ....here it is......, keep making knives! I promise the more you make, the better you will get. With that said, you can't keep making crappy knives and expect them to get better! Knifemaking is all encompassing, it is all consuming. OK, for me it is, I guess there are other folks out there that can probably excel in several different things at the same time, that aint me! I have always been the type to be reading, studying what ever you want to call it, if I'm not looking AT knives, I'm reading ABOUT knives and if I'm not doing that, I'm MAKING them! Oh, I forgot, drawing, constantly drawing, even in my way to work, WITH MY WIFE DRIVING!!! There are so many that will say , "I can't draw?" Well, the only thing I can say to that is, that it's just like knife making the more you draw the better you'll get. The biggest difference between all those that incredible knifemakers out there, that awe us all with their incredible work, is one thing, they didn't quit! Steve, you are in whats probably in the top 10 to 20 area's to live to be able to get one on one help, possibly even a mentor. Texas has a pretty large amount of some of the finest knifemakers in the nation, with arguably Arkansas being #1. Lets just say there are a lot of great makers in Texas, so ya got a pretty fair chance to find some to visit. Knifemakers are some of the finest folks you will EVER MEET! If a maker doesn't want to help you, move on to the next one, I'd be willing to bet that you won't meet 2 in a row! SO look up the 1st Knife Last Knife thread, it was an awesome thread! One more thing, if you have any questions, feel free to ask, I'll be glad to help anyway I can, (just like every one else around here!) Rex
DonL
Well-Known Member
This is my first one. It was only about a year ago. Files, sandpaper and a piece of oak board from Lowes. The blade was suppose to be wider, but I screwed up and had to file the bad spot out which made the blade much narrower than what I wanted. The steel is 1/8th 1095 that I heated to non-magnetic and quenched in warm ATF. The knife holds a good edge and is used every day on my bench. Looks a lot worse now! LOL
As if I didn't have enough things to try and figure out, I also tried my hand at making mosaic pins. As you can tell, that didn't work out well either.
As if I didn't have enough things to try and figure out, I also tried my hand at making mosaic pins. As you can tell, that didn't work out well either.
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NJStricker
Well-Known Member
I guess I'll play. This is the first one I made. Off and on for a number of years I had made knives from blades I bought at Koval's when they were still open. After they closed I looked for another source of blades, found Texas Knifemaker Supply, and wandering around on their site found The Knife Network. This one went to someone in a KITH over there, I think this was around 2006. It's ATS-34 (TKS did the heat treat), with brass guard, a rosewood spacer, and zebrawood handle. I drilled/hacksawed the blade, used files to clean up the profile, filed the bevels by hand, then hand sanded from there.
Thanks for looking!
--Nathan
Thanks for looking!
--Nathan
McClellan Made Blades
Well-Known Member
Great thread !
I intended to post here back when it first started but realized I lost all pics of my first when my old computer crashed but figured since I've got it laying around I'd snap a few news pics to post. Thanks for bring this one BTT Bill !
She's a tiny little thing made as a paring knife for my wife. Here's the specs-
2 1/2" blade
6" OAL
1/8" O1 steel Torch HT and quickly ruined with a propane torch temper. Boy those colors move quick once they start to run huh
Handle material is home made felt micarta in Steeler colors. The wife is from Pittsburgh and a proud member of The Steeler Nation.
Trailing heart electro-etch. Stencil made from electrical tape and cut out with a swivel knife.
Josh,
I'm so happy to see that I'm not the only one that made his first knife for his wife! I only wish I had the knowledge then to have be able to put something as swanky as the heart design on mine. Hell, I basically made my wife a camp knife! A seriously SHARP Camp knife! That is still to this day, one of the sharpest knives I have made! It blows my mind now, knowing that the knowledge I didn't have back then, and I still made a knife that is as sharp as that one. I chalked it up to beginners luck...until the next one came out about as sharp. Much thicker steel on the next one made a big difference in how sharp I could get it.
I just wanted to say, "Kudos to you Brother, all of us married guys should take into consideration what our wives go through, if I wasn't a knife maker and couldn't care less about a knife, like most women out there, I seriously don't believe I could endure the things my wife has to put up with! Maybe we need to have a,
"Knifemakers Wives Appreciation Day"! I try to do that to mine everyday, but a day set aside for those women that endure way more than their vows asked of them, is truly a SPECIAL WOMAN! I just wanted to point it out and say Great job Bro', Rex