New Full Size Design

[LLeith]

Here's one of my own designs that isn't a mini. I modeled it after the nose of a C-130 in profile in honor of my son who works with C-130s in the USAF. 1095 high carbon steel, beveled on an industrial belt grinder, heat treated, cocobolo handle.

[Crex]

Nice utilitarian design, should prove to be a workhorse. Guessing by the size of the pins and handle, it's a fairly small knife. I would recommend taking the bevels up much higher, or even a flat grind on the smaller blades. They will cut/slice more efficiently.
What media did you use for the etch? Is that a "mustard swirl" patina?

[cbsmith111]

I really like the blade finish. Nice looking knife. Is there a reason you left the ricasso so long? Not that it really looks bad, I'm just curious if there is a reason or that's just the way you like it.

[LLeith]

Crex- The knife is small, but not teeny, similar in length to a Swiss Army Knife with the blade out. Thank you for the advice on a higher bevel. I usually make my husband's designs, so when I get to make my own I'm trying to set them apart from his without looking foolish. My first efforts where rather Picasso in nature, lol.
I'm still learning about edge geometry. So I'll share with you the inspiration regarding actual use for this knife and you can tell me if I'm on the right track. I saw an Australian movie where a guy was trapped in his own house by his wife who had left him. She had had a security company put bars and thick, steel sheeting on the windows and doors, etc. My husband told me at the time, the guy's an idiot (and not just for his choice of psycho wife..), because of the materials the walls were made of. He said you could take a sturdy knife to the walls of most modern homes and dig your way out if you absolutely had to. There were clearly knives in a block in the guy's kitchen, and he grabbed one when he thought someone was in the house with him. (Someone was!)
I made this knife thinking that even though I can't imagine a scenario where I'll ever have to carve a hole in a wall to create an escape route, what kind of easy-to-carry knife could do it and still be useful for more practical purposes? We use edge quenched, 1095 high carbon steel, which is sturdy enough, but if I had to scrape mortar or punch through something, I thought it would be good to have a top heavy blade to support hours of continuous abuse. Am I at least on the right track?
My husband came up with his own method for the patina. I can't dish on the process (at least not if I want to stay married, lol) but I can tell you it's not mustard or acid, and that it's a three-part chemical process.

cbsmith- I like a long ricasso. I have big hands for a woman, and I like to feel wood in my palm and steel on my fingers. I choke up on most blades I actually use.
My husband made me a hand-forged, chefs knife to my own specs when we first got engaged (when I was just starting to learn how to make knives.) It's a cross between a Bowie and a chefs knife (I watch too many movies.. what if there were intruders or zombies while I'm in the kitchen making scalloped potatoes?) He's an actual blacksmith by trade, so he started with a very thick piece of steel at the handle, and the long, scary, drop point blade has a gorgeous distal taper. The ricasso is ridiculously long by other people's standards, with ebony handle and mosaic pins. I told him not to sand the handle beyond 220 on the belt grinder (ironic for me, since I'm OCD when it comes to hand sanding finish work on every other knife), so it's not a knife he would ever make to sell. But I think it's the most bad-azz chef's knife I've ever held and used.
The most bad-azz chefs knife I've ever seen so far was on Ray Rogers' website. It was a custom order with a brass knuckle-type grip. Sa-WEET!!!

[cbsmith111]

You know what they say about women with big hands...they use big knives.

[Crex]

Your husband is right. Study construction just a wee bit and you can see how easy it is to break in or out. Best tool in my opinion is a battery powered sawsall.....rip a hole and walk right in or out. Especially through the crawl space, dampened noise and out of sight.....no, I'm not a burgular, but I do think about these things from a safety/security standpoint.
While that knife will get it done, you might need to pack a sandwhich as it will probably take a while. I'd use that pretty little knife for squirrels and rabbits. Did you/are you going to make a sheath for it?

[Cthulhu]

Husband and wife knifemakers....my idea of heaven. Got a sister?

[LLeith]

Crex- lol! Yes, I do have a problem with finding the easiest route between Point A and Point B. But it was fun to make a knife with that thought in mind. I usually don't make them with such unlikely scenarios as a goal for usage, so there's hope for me yet;-) I do want to make a sheath. In the meantime, it's on my desk, where it won't do me a ton of good if I'm trapped in a building...

Cthulhu- Sorry, no sisters;-) I do feel lucky that Cupid tossed me a blacksmith/knifemaker willing to take the "He-man Woman Hater's Club" sign off the workshop door when he met me!