UPDATED: You ever see something wrong

C Craft

C Craft

Well-Known Member
When you are drawing up a knife. Have you ever seen something wrong, something that bugs you but, you can't quite figure out what that something is!! It is that little voice in the back of your head saying, "that is not right"! I have had a drawing of a Bowie I am working on and try as hard as I might there was something about it, I just did not like!

So today I had a little time to sit and stare at the drawing and it hit me. I did not like the guard for the knife. As many times as I looked at that drawing I couldn't figure it out what it was I didn't like!! Today I was determined to find that problem or scrap the whole project.

This will be the first time I ever drew a knife out to proportion and designed with repeatable measurements!! I think it was John Wilson told me that he does a proportionate drawing for every knife he builds and matches the pieces/parts to the drawing.

Like I said I may do a drawing but not a proportionate drawing. Sometimes that works for me and sometimes it doesn't!

When it doesn't it usually creates a mess that has to be worked out on the fly. Sometimes that can be a real PETA!

I think I am gonna like the idea of doing a proportionate drawing! Drawing a knife on graph paper really does work!! Thanks for the advise John!!
 
Last edited:
I’m glad you found some value in that, Cliff. I began doing it for the very same reason. What looks good on paper almost always feels “off” in my hand. When I draw to scale there’s no way to hide what’s “off”. Or when I make a cardboard template and it feels wrong in some area at least I can go right to the drawing and fix it. It keeps me from having to tweak nine versions of the knife until I get it to feel right.
 
Some guys see in 3d and some don't....I have to draw in 2d to see it in 3d...the better i draw it the easier i see it.
I think for some people drawing is a hinderance...My brother can make about anything with no drawing...he just gets to making. I would scrap everything that way...lol
 
i seem to design on the fly. i see a picture of a knife that looks interesting, note dimensions, then start cutting. sometimes i will download a knife picture, then print it actual size on graph paper. this is still just a guide. i try to make all my handles 25% larger than finished target and slowly shape until the "feel" is right, something you can't get from a drawing. personal bias comes in too, especially on handles. I don't like a handle that makes me put my hand where the maker thought would be best.
 
John Wilson said:
I’m glad you found some value in that, Cliff. I began doing it for the very same reason. What looks good on paper almost always feels “off” in my hand. When I draw to scale there’s no way to hide what’s “off”. Or when I make a cardboard template and it feels wrong in some area at least I can go right to the drawing and fix it. It keeps me from having to tweak nine versions of the knife until I get it to feel right.
Click to expand...

John, I think this idea is gonna be my new way of creating! Thanks again!

opaul said:
OK, lets see the drawing! :)
Click to expand...

OP, be careful of what you ask for. As of present my camera is inadequate! The drawings were erased and redone several times so there may be some sign of that!! The guard, ferule and the handle are outlined in Red. To help rid the ghost images from the alterations to the guard!!

Smallshop said:
Some guys see in 3d and some don't....I have to draw in 2d to see it in 3d...the better i draw it the easier i see it.
I think for some people drawing is a hinderance...My brother can make about anything with no drawing...he just gets to making. I would scrap everything that way...lol
Click to expand...
Ted, I use to would try to explain things in my carpenter, furniture work. Some can see the vison, some had to have a drawing, and there were those who I just had to tell them to trust me, and if you don't like it I will change it no charge. Never once had to eat that last!!

I am learning that this drawing to proportion could easily be a new found asset! I have always winged it in the past but, this time it has helped me to work thru something I did not like. Perhaps I could have done that during the build but,...……. now I feel like I have whipped it before hand!!

The drawings turned out to be longer than the graph paper so I had to add some to the length. To which I found out there are subtle differences in the graphs, page to page. So if you see lines that don't quite line up it is the graph paper it's self!!

Well I spent about three hours last night trying to upload some photos that the forum kept telling me OH OH, something is wrong, too large. Anyway to make a long story short I need to replace the batteries in my camera so it knows how to size pictures again. I will however get some new batteries Monday and I will post the drawings!!
 
I do both. If I get an idea for a knife and dont put it down on paper I forget key design elements! Then times at the grinder I'll design on the fly fixing what I dont like about a blade as I go. Like to think I have a good eye!! LOL!!
 
OK so I finally got pics, actually I am not sure how they will look. I had to resize all of them to get the forum to accept them!

So here is the redrawn drawing! This knife was large enough I had to cut and tape an additional part of a page to the graph paper! I ended up highlighting the entire guard, ferule, and handle area in red. Since I had made revisions when I realized the guard was not looking right to me!!
IMG_3265.jpg

So here is a close-up of the revised area!
IMG_3264.jpg

Here is where I am at with this one. I have the blade profiled out and have the handle drilled and broached out to receive the hidden tang.
IMG_3268.jpg

IMG_3266.jpg

So still have a ways to go on this one! The pace at which I work it could be some time before I can get to finished rough in stage but, I am working at it!! :p
 
On the bottom portion of the guard, if there is only 1/2 inch of clearance, it will be difficult for your finger to reach the guard in that area. I personally would make that bigger. Otherwise, I really like the knife and design. Going to be really cool when you get it completed.
 
Dennis Morland said:
On the bottom portion of the guard, if there is only 1/2 inch of clearance, it will be difficult for your finger to reach the guard in that area. I personally would make that bigger. Otherwise, I really like the knife and design. Going to be really cool when you get it completed.
Click to expand...

Actually Dennis, that is 3/4", to the ball area and the ball is 1/2" in diameter!! That may be tight as well may have to do a mockup to see how it fits to the hand!! My measurements are slightly off at that point! If it is 3/4" to the ball and the ball itself is 1/2" in diameter, that would be an 1 1/4". Not the 1 1/8" I have wrote in the wrong place on the drawing. That measurement should have been moved to the next line out or the outside of the guard! Since it doesn't quite add up correctly it should have been wrote, 1 1/8" +/-. I use to love to see that on blueprints on the jobsite!! Plus or minus means the draftsman realized his measurement don't quite add up but, he don't want to admit it!!

See I told you they had been revised several times!:eek::D Thanks for the insight!
 
Last edited:
Well done, Cliff! I love graph paper because I can glance at my drawing and get rough dimensions without always measuring. Someone knew what they were doing making paper covered in little 1/4” squares LOL.

I also tape pages together like you do to get a big enough area for my drawing. Even though I’ve done autocad, etc I am still a pencil and paper kind of guy.
 
Thanks John. I really have never done it this way but do feel it could be an asset! I just hate that "well that didn't turn out like I thought it was going too" and then it is scramble to fix on the fly or scrap it and start over!!!
 
OP, never took formal drafting classes I learned by watching my Father he never finished High School as he was needed on the farm. But he could draw up a blueprints for a proposed job, that would have rivaled anything a trained draftsman could have done.

I am self taught at drawing up plans. Sometimes I do OK and sometimes I struggle to work in a 3D aspect!!
 
Dennis Morland said:
On the bottom portion of the guard, if there is only 1/2 inch of clearance, it will be difficult for your finger to reach the guard in that area. I personally would make that bigger. Otherwise, I really like the knife and design. Going to be really cool when you get it completed.
Click to expand...

Dennis I mocked up the handle tonight and you were right, even though I told you I had 3/4" on the bottom of the handle at the S guard. It was too tight ended up having to open that 1 1/4". You know for those with big hands. Nice catch and thanks!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top