My First Knive .. Design And Materials Selection

Hey Everyone,

So here bellow is the design i came up with for my first knife build. Its a bushcraft/survival knife
i would like to have some input on the desing geometry to be able to finalize it.
what do you guys think of the top grind line on the bevel should i lower it a bit?
also im unsure of the little finger gard by the choil if i shoul make it shorter or leave it as is?

Material i was thinking going with 1095 and G10 for the handle with stainless pins.

im going to make the knife by hand with files (i know its a big knife for hand grinding and i will suffer haha)

im going to send it out for heat threat and i was thinking of doing a cerakote coating on it.

let me know what you think

Thanks
Eric

 

For a bush craft , beat the heck out of it knife I would leave a 1/4" to 3/8" range for the spine.
A tapered handle will look nice if you still have feeling in your arms when done the blade and the balance can be brought back with a stainless steel pommel.

Something I have thought of but not tried is a hidden pommel in a manner of speaking that is half the handle material thickness and covered along the sides. Almost like an integral bolster but covered, would get some weight on the butt however handle material would run full length.

Nice modelling and render, what software are you running?

 

Nice knife but I find the handle a little short and I don't like the finger notch in front. When you have to chop with it I find it not so good. But each his own.
For steel I cant say how good 1095 will hold up I only ever made one knife with it. All of my big choppers and camp knives get made out off 3V or z wear, and i don't coat them .
G10 is the best going for ruff use, Put a hole in your blade just head off your handle on top for your safety line. At the back it's no good. Make sure your G 10 is will rounded because it will be a pain in your hand if not.
For pins I use corby 3/16 Canadian knifemakers sell them .
For your blade I like it and the over all look is nice.
To grind it out by file man I wish you all the best just glad I don't have to do it .But all the more power to you.
No need to go over 1/4 and most I do these days are .207
And for just a camp knife cpm35 vn stainless will take a lot at 60rc . I've been testing one for the last two years.
I test them at my moose camp not my shop. There as been a lot of knives died there lol

 

Thanks For the input John. I use Autodesk fusion 360 cheap and easy to learn couple of you tube tutorial and your on your way. i like designing with that software i feel like it helps me put my ideas out and its easy to come back and make changes afterwards.

 

Thanks Kevin will for sure consider and incorporate some of your input in my knife i need to order some steel today or tomorow and get filling

 

I'll be looking forward on seeing it all done. Happy filing

 

In my humble (and often poo-pooed opinion) I would make a much smaller first knife.

There is some experience behind this.

I taught guitar for a few years and soon learned the main reason why people give up is "their fingers hurt." To combat this, I insisted they limit themselves to 10 minutes of practice a day max for the first month.

"What? But Dan, I am going to be a guitar hero Slash and Joe Satriani!"
"Uhmmm, ya...maybe...IF you keep playing."

In many ways the same is true with knifemaking. Ask an excited new knifemaker to shape a giant blade and they will labour long and generally not be happy with the results. Thus a high percentage will find another hobby. (You still have that karate uniform and ham radio in your closet?) Ask them to make simple a 3-1/2" blade that they finish in one evening and they are totally excited. It usable and showable. These regulated ones will descent the slippery slope that is knifemaking and become hooked.

Like pressing guitar strings, shaping steel is hard work and can burn the finger and ego at any time.

My nickel advice only.

Your design looks really good by the way. I do like the lanyard hole and blade shape in general. I would make the handle about 4.5", with less hot spots and shorten the blade for more of a bushcraft application. 3/16" stock thick is plenty for a bush knife. Remember you have to carry every ounce when hiking. My body cannot afford to carry a one kilo knife when climbing up a mountain, even if my knife is my hatchet. ;-)

Cheers,

Dan

 

Thanks for the input i think you guy's got me convinced i will try out a few smaller hunting knive first to get a hang of it and enjoy the process a bit more
i will also keep my planing to a minimum and just design something that feels good as i go more of a (freestyle) method lol.

i am ordering some steel today il grab a couple different kind and thickness just to experience and see the different.

thanks for the help its appreciated

 

This is what I was talking about by putting your safety line ahead of your handle.

 

It's the only way to keep your knife from slipping out of your hand. On the blade shows everyone as them that way too.. When it's fixed right you don't need a lot of grip for it to stay in your hand when your not cutting with it.

 

Nice knife and go do have very clean lines . I cheat and puts my grind lines right up to the back less head ache for me lol.

This is how I fix my line. The pink on the blade is there because this was a test knife that didn't make it.

 

What the heck were you chopping with that an anvil?

 

Lol nope but I have worst ones in my shop . I was just seeing what it would take high Rc with a thin blade but man it would cut like a laser.
Will be making a new on in z wear this winter to test out.
So far 3V hold up very good and I'm surprised cpms35 vn is holding up pretty good for a med chopper.

 

Have you tried the CPM M4 material? see a few competition choppers use that but supposed to be very hard to work with when sharpening.

 

No I haven't tried M4
Ones that I have tried in choppers
1095
5160
K890
Elmax
Cpm 30
Cpm s35vn
Cpm 3V
Z wear
Next one I will try will be PD1
Today I would only make a chopper out off 3V or z wear. But than's just me.