Justin, handles and guards are a challenge for me also. I've often said that I wish I could just forge the blades and let someone else do the rest. You seem to already know what you need to do different. When you start your next knife, put these knives where you can see them. As you work, look at what you think is wrong and make an effort to do it different on the new knife.

Dale

Justin,

As Dale said, you already have a good idea of what might be changed.

I have a suggestion. The next time you make a knife, draw it out on a sketch pad, in detail. Make sure that the knife in your drawing is one you really like and not be tempted to change along the way. Then make a pattern of the blade that you have traced from the drawing. I make mine of plexiglas, then trace that onto 1/8 aluminum. Take the pattern (again, mine is aluminum)to the forge and use it as a guide to forge your blade, including the tang. This will help you get the tang positioned so that it will have the right drop to match your drawing. Then do the same process while making the handle. If you refer to the drawing and make the adjustments before it gets too late, you will likely see better results.

Your knives look good for the time that you have been making. I'm really glad to see that you have some intuition for the changes you need to make already. That shows you are developing your eye and shows your inclination is to make changes for the better. This is great.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Dale, it's not that I don't like making the guards and handles, I'm just not that good at it yet. That's a good idea looking at the last knife. I patterned the second drop point knife after the first, and even though I have heard mostly good comments on the first I knew the handle wasn't quite right but managed to make the exact same mistake. Hopefully next time I will have more forsight.

Lin, thank you. I followed your advice from an article you wrote on drawing the knife(with the second one) but didn't go back and compare until it was forged. I think the idea about an aluminium template is a good one especially with setting the angle of the tang. I also want to thank you for your excellent article on fitting guards, that was my main source of information on fitting guards.

Can anyone comment on the fit of the guard on the second drop point? I know a picture is not ideal but does it seem o.k. How about kitchen knives for ABS test knives? Has anyone done it? I am a chef and Japanese kitchen knives, especially gyutos are among my favorite types of knife. I didn't see any rules prohibiting such a thing but would it stand out in a good or bad way?

Again Dale and Lin, thanks for your comments. This is exactly what I was hoping for when I suggested the idea for this forum. If all goes well and I can find the time I will have a couple more knives to show in a few weeks. -Justin Carnecchia

Hello Justin. I must say for early knives they are pretty good. Just as Lin states, it is good that you are already noticing things on the knives that draw your eye. On the hunter, I do notice that the handle looks too large for the blade and the raised hump in the handle. Just like Lin, I also draw things out. Trace the blade outline when you get it done and then you can try different handle shapes. I have gone through a lot of erasers. Another thing, yes I would make the guard longer, and is the guard slanted forward? It is hard to tell from the picture but it looks that way. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it takes the right type of knife to pull it off. The brass between the stainless and ironwood looks good. It sets off the color of the ironwood. I also like the hamon and the way you carried it back into the ricasso, good job.

I am also a big fan of kitchen knives especially the japanese styles. The santoku is nice. Good job on the hamon. I know what you mean about horn, it can cause problems. You have to work it very slowly. Most of the time when I use it, I use files to avoid problems, then hand sanding. As far as using a kithcen knife for a test knife, I would not have a problem with it, as long as the fit and finish are good. There is nothing in the rules saying you cannot do that.

Now the fighter. Yes the ricasso looks too long and draws your eye to that area, also the handle, which you have already mentioned both. The guard fit looks clean, but it looks like you did not polish the face of the guard. I would also thin out the guard from side to side, it looks fat in comparison to the ricasso. As far as the false edge, that is your call. Again the hamon is nice and it looks like you have utsuri or a ghost hamon above the main one, thumbs up for that.

Not bad at all for just starting out, and it is good that you are catching these things. I look forward to seeing more of your work. And please do post the swords and tanto. I am interested in seeing what you have. Did I mention I like japanese swords and hamons.

Best regards

Brion

Thank you Brion, I think I got the pic sizes right. Next time I will pay more attention, lets just say it is a lot easier to put them in the right size in the first place. I am learning, but computers are not my strong suit. Good news on the kitchen knives, they are among my favorite and probobaly the knife I make the most. When I got into knives I was looking for a new chefs knife and came across a couple Japanese gyutos. I imediatly fell in love but couldn't afford one. Soon after I found an article on making knives so figured I could make one. Well I guess I can but it hasn't saved me any money <img src=' http://www.americanbladesmith.com/ipboard/public/style_emoticons//smile.gi f' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':)' />. While looking at those Japanese kitchen knives I noticed some with hamons and googled them and discovered modern Japanese swords. Well knives and swords have been something of an obsession for me ever since.

Yes I have forged several swords, two cracked and the third one, forged out of cable survived. It has been a pretty good sword for using, lots of fun, but I never finished it beyond shaping and sharpening. I messed up the kissaki and the taper is too severe. That was last summer, a month or so ago I gave it another try and forged one out of W2 and another out of cable. I have left these rough forged, as I have decided to wait until I have proper facilities to heat treat and temper them. Hopefully sometime this fall.

I will post some pics of some of my other work maybe tomorrow, now I have to give my son a bath. Thanks again Brion, your feedback is very helpful, and I apreciate you encouragement. -Justin

Hi, Brion suggested that I post pics of some of my other work so here it is.

The first is a folder I did last spring. It is the first knife I finished as a complete knife. It is forged 1084fg with titanium liners and g-10 scales, and is a liner lock.

The next pic is of three swords I have forged. The top one is cable, the middle W-2, and the bottom cable. The first I made last summer, but due to grinding mistakes I won't finish it. Lots of fun using it though. The next two I made in july, but I am waiting to finish them until I have a way to temper them.

This is a cable tanto I did in the end of june. Unfortunately I clayed the blade based on my experiences with W2 and wound up with an undefined diffuse hamon. My next project(after the two I'm working on) will be another cable tanto.

(edited to make room for pics on other topic)

The last pic is of one of my current projects, a pattern welded hunter of 1095, 15n20, and a layer of mild. probobaly around 60 layers. I should have done one more fold, but live and learn. It has been etched in vinegar, but I am planning on getting some ferric and redoing the etch before I finish the knife.

I am also working on an integral cable fillet knife. I'll keep my fingers crossed I can pull that off.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time looking, and your feedback is always appreciated. -Justin

Justin-

Great looking work you have there. I like that last Sendero type hunter-hope it finishes out well for you. I noticed you're up in Sandpoint-any chance you'll make it down to the knife show in Boise at the end of October? It should be really good with some outstanding makers there.

Jeremy

Jeremy, Thank you. I am trying a couple new things with that hunter and am excited to see how it turns out. Mostly I am happy the welds all came out ok. No I will not be able to attend the show in Boise, I have to work. I have not attended any shows or hammer-ins yet but am planning on starting to next spring. I can't wait to see some other peoples work in person. I can get a sense of the quality and fit of a knife from a picture but it isn't the same thing. Thanks again- Justin