Design proposals for the IFG members knife.

[dev]

Please reread the phrase 'total idiot' and you'll understand. Been watching Don and Big Boss whatelse do you expect ?

Apologies any way for the offensive word, slip of thumbs.

Regards,

Dev

I am a total idiot when it comes to sharp edged weapons...

Who the dickens is talking about weapons? Don't you chaps ever learn?

As for the knife, if there is no response in terms of drawings, discussions, etc. there wont be any knife. It's either a combined effort or nothing.

Mack The Knife

[Ranjeet Singh]

Is that supposed to be a gut hook near the hilt? Ask one of your German hunting friends to demonstrate how a gut hook is used.
Mack The Knife

yeah the gut hook is normally on the top of the blade, but somehow this 'fishing knife' had the gut hook right there where I have drawn it...

Thanks for the sketches but now design something that does not need a hilt, pommel, etc. - keep it as simple for the village smith. Imagine you had to make a good working knife with the least amount of work.
Mack The Knife

Well, The design that you have proposed is really good and practical..I would really want to go with it... And that kind of design would ensure we get what we design..

Thanks
Ranjeet

[Mark]

That was not a gut hook on the other knife, that was a "line cutter".

You use them to cut line and cord, it is sharpened on the inside radius like a gut hook is. Even so, I do not like them at the base of the blade like that, as I am of the opinion that it will weaken the blade there, and if the blade breaks that is where it will snap. I prefer the line cutter to be on the back side of the knife towards the tip, it makes a stronger blade and if it does break you still have somethng useful and not just a handle.

OK Mack The Knife, here is a design I would envision for an IFG knife....



I didn't put dimensions, but the blade length is 4", blade width is 7/8" (22 mm?) and thickness is 4 mm. Handle is also 4" but anything from 3 1/2" to 4 3/8" would fit proportionally. I saw your comment about not wanting a guard so I left it out, otherwise there might be a small guard that extended on the bottom and top 5mm or so.

The lanyard hole is made from 10mm tubing. I like a lanyard hole but do not keep a lanyard attached to anything, if I need one I'll use a piece of cord. A large hole is a lot easier to fish a piece of twine through than a small one. Also note it fits into the upper handle radius, when you use a knife with a lanyard where you actually NEED the lanyard you want to keep the lanyard loop small so if the knife slips from your grasp it does not move far and you can grab it back easily. If that upper corner is not radiused that corner always bumps you in the wrist and is a distraction at best, at worst if you have to use the knife for a while it will chafe a red spot on your inner wrist.

In regards to finish, since these may not be made in the most sophisticated of places a great finish would be sandblasting and then bluing, and then the handle made from either a light colored wood, bone, or antler. It would be a striking color combo and also hide any minor surface irregularities in the finish.

Remember those pictures I posted of the knives with mirror finished blades? The polishing took longer than building the rest of the knife did!

Anyway, begrudgingly since you asked this is what I would do. A knife of this size and shape will not only skin deer or butcher pigs, but also the blade is slim enough to clean fish. Of course, it is also a good shape to make sandwiches, which is what I suspect most people will use their knife for!

[Ranjeet Singh]

That was not a gut hook on the other knife, that was a line cutter.You use them to cut line and cord, it is sharpened on the inside radius like a gut hook is.

Thanks Mark, Finally I know what the picture of that knife in the american enclycopedia was..indeed a fishing knife, somehow i liked the shape a lot and remembered it.

Now I also know what that is used for...

ah now i see what Rusty meant to ask my friends to show me how a "gut hook" is used

Thanks
Ranjeet

[Mack The Knife]

Thank you, Mark.

You can add a very subtle sort of guard that is integral to the blade rather than an add on. Both my sketches show this to some extent.

Well chaps, is this it? I expected a lot more participation than this. Perhaps some other time.

Mack The Knife

[Sujay]

I expected a lot more participation than this. Perhaps some other time.

Mack The Knife

Is this a polite way of saying that the project is being freezed ?

[Grumpy]

Obviously this isn`t going to be the `perfect` knife.......I`ve been looking for that for years and still haven`t found it........and there`s the fact that everyones ideas on perfection are different.
The only use that I have for a fixed blade knife is for gralloching deer....or jointing and gutting Rabbits/Hare. For this I think that there are two essentials - a plain point and a guard. Drop points are no use when you have to make a skin incision - especially with Muntjac which have really tough skin - and any knife without a guard is a dangerous liability when it`s tipping down with rain. The Bowie qualifies as a plain point if it is shapened on both sides......otherwise it`s better than a drop point but not as good as a plain.
Stainless steel is an advantage as blood is phenomenally good at causing rust - the only problem I find is getting a good edge on stainless steel after the initial edge has worn off. The hardness of the steel - by Rockwell Factor - is also important but again it`s a trade-off as the harder the steel the longer an edge lasts.......and the harder it is to sharpen.
The length of the blade only needs to be 3 or 4 inches. Big blades might look very macho but are singularly useless for practical use.
The scales need to be made of a non-slip material as well. Again, a highly polished grip is a liability in the rain. The various plastic materials don`t look too wonderful but some provide really good grip. Wound string grips can be very effective as well but need to be treated to stop it rotting or need to be of an artificial material.
I like to use a gut hook as it prevents accidentally puncturing the intestines but I`ve never seen a plain point combined with a gut hook.
I went out yesterday morning and forgot to take a knife and had to use my Leatherman instead. An uncomfortable and smooth grip combined with no guard and a very sharp blade made for some very careful work in the pouring rain I can tell you !
Just a few thoughts for you Dodger.

[Mack The Knife]

Is this a polite way of saying that the project is being freezed?

I'd like it to go forward but there does not seem to be much participation and that's the whole point.

Mack The Knife

[Mack The Knife]

Grumpy, I have noted your points and good one's they are too. I will try and come up with a sketch tomorrow - time and mood permitting. Right now, I am off to bed.

You can certainly have a guard but a small one and preferably one that isn't a slip fit. Just trying to keep things simple for the smith.

A very simple way to have a non-slip wooden handle is to stipple it in part or full. Plastic would be a problem in this particular case.

Incidentally, isn't Leatherman an anti-gun company?

Mack The Knife

[Grumpy]

Are they ? It would be remarkably stupid and hypocritical of them if they are as a substantial number of their sales are to hunters. When and if I have to replace it I`ll get the Victrinox version next time - it`s better finished and more comfortable to use.

[Vikram]

Mack The Knife, I am not much of a designer .I can only appreciate good things when I see one. Forgive my inability to contribute anything constructive apart from cheering you from the fence.Whenever you bring the project to fruition, count me in for one of them. Thanks.

Best-
Vikram

[Mack The Knife]

Are they ? It would be remarkably stupid and hypocritical of them if they are as a substantial number of their sales are to hunters. When and if I have to replace it I`ll get the Victrinox version next time - it`s better finished and more comfortable to use.

Well, there were some rumblings to that effect on AR a year or so back. Am I right Mehul, Mark...?

I have been using a Victorinox Swiss Tool Plus for some years and the opinion on the net, British Blades for one, is that whilst they are more robust than a Leatherman, the latter may be more comfortable to use.

Whilst all my friends here use some Leatherman model or the other, I have never really used them, so cannot comment about their ergonomics and tool layout.

Mack The Knife

[Grumpy]

The Leatherman is certainly well made......mine has put up with several years of abuse with no problem. The open sides of the grip are very uncomfortable though when you have to apply serious welly to something.
I gave up on AR almost two years ago because I was sick of all the arguments, flak and flaming. If someone was to say the sky was blue several others would deny it and heap loads of abuse on whoever suggested it was so. If someone - as Mehul often has - shows a beautiful custom rifle you can just about guarantee that others will revile it as unnecessary and ridiculously expensive. A shame because you can`t get balanced, reasoned argument. The membership includes several interesting and knowledgable individuals......and some absolute so-and-sos !

[Mack The Knife]

That's bound to happen on a forum of that size.

Any news of Walter? Would truly love to have him on board IFG.

I mean Ol' Sarge, not Saeed's friend. Though it would be hilarious to have the latter on IFG as well.

Mack The Knife

[Grumpy]

Walter has spent a good deal of this year having a studio/workshop/guestroom built, sorting out his garden after the building chaos and is currently workng Saturdays teaching graduate students in order to help pay for all the tools to equip his workshop. Needless to say he hasn`t exactly got a lot of free time at the moment !
He went to South Africa this summer again and took a Zebra amongst others....I can`t remember the rest.