My 6th knife

[Rob Davis 10]

Getting better as some things.   Lots of room for growth.  

[Garry Keown 1,455]

Meant as a helpfull critique.

Not sure why you have the hollow in the edge in front of the plunge but it would take away from a power cut where the hollow would not impact as well as a straight section there.

The handle shape with the big swoops is not only very unusual but from a great deal of experience can say without equivication that it is not a handle shape that woudl be comfortable to use for any length of time. Our hand is wonderfully adaptable and CAN adapt to a great many differing shapes but that is one that woudl become very tiresome 

One thing to keep in mind is that if there are no knives in the commercial or custom field that have similar shape there is a very good reason for not doing so.

[Doug Lester 408]

From my experience, that dip in the width of the blade comes from an error in grinding.  I know that I started there on a grinding pass and with s slight pause or a little extra pressure, or both, and I took off a little extra steel.

 

I agree with Garry on the handle.  It has a neat profile to the eye but It looks like it would be uncomfortable to hold and make the blade difficult to hold.

 

Doug

[Alan Longmire 3,878]

One aesthetic comment not yet mentioned:  When you use three pins, the eye expects them to form a straight line or a triangle.  If one is off, it tends not to read as a deliberate effort, if you see what I mean.  

 

That said, keep it up!  You only get better with practice.  

[Rob Davis 10]

It started with the cutting of the tang.  Im not sure what I was thinking when I did that.   Spent a ton of time trying to get to force the handle to fit the tang.   Also had a few grinding issues.   Lot's of good feedback!  Thanks!   I learn more the fkups than what goes right.  I also believe the first pin is too far forward.   

[Welsh joel 83]

^ Rob, they make some good points...

But your response makes an even better one I think.

 

The best way to get better- is two fold:

 

1. The ability to recognize, learn from, and improve on mistakes & the methods that made them is the only way to get out of a rut of just repeating them.

You must keep trying to do all of the above! IE- keep f-king up. Lol...

 

2. The importance of understanding honest criticism from peers or seniors- and applying it without anger or attitude... is key to that improvement. 

 

As a sixth knife- it's still good enough for now.

The good points I see in it:

 

You have a plunge grind.

 

Your pins, though misaligned... look flush to the handle, not chipped wood around them. And are in place. Its easy to make an alignment error and not have them fit at all.

 

Looks like a good start on polishing techniques. There's no deep grooves, its smooth and obviously light reflective.

 

I wanna see your 100th knife.

I have yet to make mine! Lol