Starting do some research and design now i am falling down the rabbit hole.
I am starting this Topic to group information about Knives.
I am looking to have a custom knife made.
I have a few different knives but my go to is a multitool or a utility knife. Recently a friend of mine had a custom fixed blade knife made which spark my interest in getting one made too.
So I drove right in yesterday and started designing a few knives and as of last night 3d printed one to try fit before I have one made.
What do you have going on with knives?
Do you have a favorite? a EDC?
Have you made a knife before? Are you currently making a knife?
Any comments on the knife I am trying to design for myself ( post below ) ?
Any good knife stories? did it save your ass once?
( I reminded of the book " the hatchet " typing that question )
If you could make yourself a perfect knife how would that look ?
Are you Currently make a Knife? Let see it!
Are you using a Langmuir system machine to make parts for a knife?
A hobby I have always wanted to get into… oh boy another hobby.
I am excited to see what you end up doing.
I had several friends at one time that used to make blades. Before I had my langmuir one would bring us old sawmill blades with the pattern already drawn out. We would hand cut his blanks.
I will not making any knives just prototype with the 3d printer to get my design worked out.
Once i am settled on a design I’ll send my prototypes and plans to my buddies knife smith and let him work his magic from there. 350-400$ budget range.
Yes. just purchase a 45’ semi trailer for more storage.
A couple more years and I would like to start another bigger shop. A 100’ x 200’ pole barn is the dream.
A buddy of mine has a farm and his barn is 1 acre under cover but you can still hardly move around in there. Seems like a man is predestine to fill up all the space he has.
Oh, don’t I know that story! Same with boats: As soon as they hit the water, they shrink.
I really like this design. You get the good puncture/plunge capability but can still put pressure on the back of the blade to steady the blade and for a longer cut.
This design would not allow any touch on the back of the blade:
I guess it is all decided on your primary, intended use.
“The Abraham” which the working name of the knife I test printed would be great for castrations and burnt offerings.
A real biblical swiss army knife.
I notice there are all sorts of names used for parts of the knife so I was going to circle the part that I really like on this illustration, but I thought it would be better to use the name.
Then I encountered this:
I would say I really like the Bolster/Guard and Front Quillon on this knife:
It gives outstanding protection for your hand and allows you to apply lots of pressure with one hand. Not as versatile for approaching a patient, poster, volunteer that is to be circumcised or relieved of ones testicles.
The Japanese make really nice cutlery. Do a search and check out some of the images for shape ideas. I could kick myself for making so many trips to Japan for work and not purchasing a set.
My Dad was into knife making and he found that industrial band saw blade material was great for knife blades. He made bone handle stuff using deer antler. He never got really good at attaching the blades and handles together though before his health failed.
What’s your goal for how you’ll use your custom knife? Those design are all over the place in terms of practicality for various tasks. You should think about what it will be for you, and be honest. If it’s going to be a display piece, go wild, but if it is going to serve some specific purposes, look to design in a way to maximize the utility when possible. You’ve got good starting points for a variety of styles.
The design and function will inform the decision for what material to have the blade made from. A fat bruiser made to split coconuts and whittle trees into toothpicks will have very different needs than one for cutting cardboard or actual whittling.
Handle shape should be something that feels good and serves the purpose. If you’re going to skin deer with it, you’ll need a lot more texture/grip than if it’s for opening cardboard boxes and daily chores, where an aggressive texture may be a nuisance in the way it can grab at clothes and abrade skin and fabric. If the knife is made for handling in multiple grips, it’ll need to have a more rounded shape, versus something you’ll use with gloves or that have a heavy duty use that may need a shape that helps it stay locked in one position to keep the blade pointed the right way.
Just some food for thought as you design and make a plan.
