Show me your first knives!

[Jonas Liebel 30]

Greetings gentlemen,

I think that we all remember our first knive very well, and that it has a special place in one's heart. It reflects the early beginnings, the struggles and the will to create something.

So, I am hoping that I can hereby start a thread where many people will share their very first work. Maybe with a little story behind it!

I'll start with mine:

It is made out of a sawblade and has scales from plum wood that was meant to be used as firewood. Looking back, I am very happy with the way it tourned out, especially with the handle. I did not know very much of knive designs and just went with the flow wile grinding it on a small bench grinder. If you look closely you can see the remains of etched lines on the blade, I tried myself in some etching using nail polish as a resistant.

 

Show me yours!

 

Jonas

 

 

[Chris C-S 148]

Good effort mate. Well done.  

[JeffM 75]

Attached is a pic of the first knife that I made.  I came to bladesmithing in an odd round about fashion...I spent almost a decade reading and making fixtures for grinding and holding my work contemplating what I wanted for style....then I finally took the plunge and said enough reading and making of fixtures time to take the plunge and give it a try.

I used some D2 tool steel heated in my forge and hammered down the taper before many many hours of filing to set the final taper....the guard is over sized because I learned by accident that trying to cut with that knife makes a deep cut in the palm of your hand when it slips...and the tooth pick handle is made from red oak....I literally just pulled the handle design out of thin air on this one...As a side note once the D2 tool steel is quenched and tempered it makes an amazing blade that can take a lot of abuse and stills tay sharp

[Charlie Meek 54]

My first forged knife and first forge almost 10 years ago. Posting is still on the forum. 

[Charles dP 496]

First knife - made earlier this year. I have numbers 2-4 on the go at the moment but my new job is taking up a lot of time.

[Garry Keown 989]

I would have to go back to thye 70's when I used an angle grinder to make this one from a piece of shattered bandsaw blade from the sawmill. Is till have it and while it may be fairly crude it has done a ton of work and would still do if it was the only knife i had for any number of chores.

 

 

[RBradshaw 5]

Well, here is my first knife. Really I have only made a few blades, and only completed two. Work takes up alot of time so it takes me a while. Anyways, Im new here so here it goes. This was made out of a railroad spike and the handle is carbon fiber. Although its little more than a letter opener I was still pleased.

[Jeff Harold 6]

Hello everyone. My name is Jeff and I am just starting out making knives as a bit of a hobby. I'm not a blacksmith (although I would love to try) so I just use the stock removal method. This is my first knife. I'm interested in bushcraft so that is the type of knife I lean towards. I went with a flat grind for this one because I thought it might be the easiest. I've since made 2 other knives and am working on one now with a Scandi grind. This knife is 01 tool steel with walnut scales and a black G10 liner. The sheath is also my first. Well, I say it's my first ... it's the first one I completed. Third time is the charm lol

Any helpful criticism would be great! Thanks in advance.

[jheinen 41]

This was my first. It's a seax made from 1095 with a curly maple handle. The bolster is a piece of damascus that I made in a damascus class. It definitely has some issues, but I learned a lot making it.

[Jonas Liebel 30]

Its nice to see you all share your first work! There is an interesting story behind each one of them.

[DBain 15]

First knife other than a RR spike KSO, forged from 1095 reclaimed blade steel from our sugarcane harvester. 

 

Finished with Kirinite Patriot scales and Nickle Silver pins.

[Chris C-S 148]

This was my first, currently working on No. 2&3 simultaneously, see sub thread father son pair for WIP. 

[Garry Keown 989]

Is that a copper plumbing cap you have used for the bolster Chris ?

Edited August 14, 2017 by Garry Keown

[Chris C-S 148]

On 14/08/2017 at 1:10 PM, Garry Keown said:

Is that a copper plumbing cap you have used for the bolster Chris ?

No, it's copper connector but short on one side so the groove was already there. I just enhanced it. 

[Zeb Camper 782]

I just stumbled across my very first knife just now! You guys don't laugh too hard! That's where it all started. A campfire, a claw hammer, this railroad spike, and a rock. The thumb groove on top and the false edge are a nice touch right? made a many of railroad spike tomahawks out of a wood fire too before I graduated to coal, power tools and spring steels. God I miss those days. Back when I found all my materials and whatever I sold stuff for was all profit. That paid for my gas money and lunch in high school. It's only been 2, maybe 3 years, but it seems like a lot longer. Man, what a wonderful find. I'm gonna hang this somewhere!

[Troels Saabye 42]

[Wesley Alberson 138]

The first knife that I have ever made was forged on my railroad track anvil 3 years ago. It is a stick tang knife with a handle & scabbard made from some red cedar. It has the worst edge geometry, extremely convex, but it could still cut/split things. I ended up putting 2 magnets on the face of the scabbard to keep it on the blade. Even now when I open the knife I can still smell the cedar.

[Zeb Camper 782]

Still putting my track anvil to good use! It sucks, but it works better than the rock 

[Adam Betts 47]

This was my first. It was made from a circular saw blade-- like I just cut it out and put handles on it. It doesn't hold an edge worth a damn, but it felt like a huge accomplishment.
Ignore the "copyright" on the sketch, I think that was just delusions of grandeur on my part.

[Jon Cook 55]

My first. Finished in May, been in daily use since. Sorry for the quality, my phone is not aging well.

[David Forsman 7]

I started this knife 8 years ago for a Leo friend who wanted something to carry that could be used for stabbing. We both lost interest and it sat in a box. Six months ago I got interested in knife making from a coworker and decided to give it another shot. After alot of reprofiling I arrived at the  current incarnation. Steel is 5160, parachord handle wrap, leather sheath. 

[Jim Pierce 53]

Not first, never photoed and then destroyed, but second.