Knifemaking

Fellows, i've been playing at making knives for a long time.
I'm thinking about making a knife that i'll eventually put up for commerce.
One knife for true survival situations. One knife for every Bug Out bag.
Many decades ago when i was in the service a lot of guys took fighting knives with them and in reality those great pieces got torn up doing the menial labor of boots on the ground deployment. Recently i've had both young and old friends whove been deployed and have brought back the same story. So, i'm not looking to make a fighting knife. But a knife that an individual can count on in every circumstance.
I also know, one piece of steel can only do so much; so i'm looking for suggestions.
What features would your perfect Deployment or Survival tool have.
Steel, size, grip, finish,.....
Any feedback would be appreciated.

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Originally Posted by DVC357

What features would your perfect Deployment or Survival tool have.
Steel, size, grip, finish,.....
Any feedback would be appreciated.

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If it is going to be used as a tool, the blade should be thick and sturdy. I prefer a carbon steel blade myself because I find it easier to put an edge on and maintain that edge. A stainless with a higher carbon content would be my second choice. Size? Maybe a five or six inch blade? Grip should be durable and slip resistant. I prefer some kind of pommel to help keep the blade where it belongs and not in my hand. I like a non-reflective finish of some sort. Either bead blasted or coated black in some fashion. I prefer a plain edge with no serrations myself.

Hope that helps. [Beer]

My go to knife is a 4" drop point with a full tang. It has a full tang and a good bolster to protect my fingers from slipping. I also prefer to have a lanyard hole for when I am skinning a larger animal. The hollow grind is great for reducing weight and blood run off, but it is not as strong as the traditional wedge or angle grind.
I have several smaller KBARs, and they do a great job. They hold a good edge and are fairly easy to sharpen. The blades are a little to thin for being a good survival knife. I also have a 6-7" Bowie that I love, but the blade is just too long to be great for all around use.
When you begin building these knives, please post some pics, as I might be interested in one.[Beer]

Thanks for the input guys, i really appreciate it.
I'd like to hear from anybody that uses a blade even if it's just to prune backyard foilage.
Also, i will post pictures when the prototypes get more finalized.
I lean towards 01, D2, or 1095 tool steels just because i've had good success hardening them. I personally like REAL hard blades and since i've bent more then broken under test conditions. They also take a good and durable edge. Plus, they are reasonably priced and my goal is to price them out at an affordable level. I might even make the grip with a ParaCord wrap and make Micarta an option.
I'm looking at a 5-6" blade, 1/4" thick with more then one type grind for different purposes.

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Originally Posted by DVC357

my goal is to price them out at an affordable level.

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While everyone's idea of "affordable" is a bit different, I have pretty much given up on buying anything priced too low for fear of it being "cheap". My last two knives that I picked up for "survival"/field use were a Cold Steel SRK and an ESEE-4. The first was right at $100 and the later was around $135. I was very impressed with both of them.

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Originally Posted by DVC357

I might even make the grip with a ParaCord wrap and make Micarta an option.

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I'm not a paracord fan when it comes to knife handles. I do like the micarta though.

Whelp, i know affordable is subjective.
Being a person who lives on a lower middle class blue collar budget
i appreciate a good buy. Fit and finish will be impeccable, but, I'll tell you right now, i'm not going to spend hours polishing it. My goal is to produce a durable, Colorado handmade tool. A tool good enough to be the last field, bush, survival, deployment knife you'll ever need, and sell the base model for under a $150.
I too prefer Micarta,...but Micarta costs more so might be optional. In my mind, Micarta must be properly fit, properly shaped, and then properly textured to be worth while.

Sounds like you're on the right track. [Awesom]

I look forward to seeing the finished product.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DVC357

Whelp, i know affordable is subjective.
Being a person who lives on a lower middle class blue collar budget
i appreciate a good buy. Fit and finish will be impeccable, but, I'll tell you right now, i'm not going to spend hours polishing it. My goal is to produce a durable, Colorado handmade tool. A tool good enough to be the last field, bush, survival, deployment knife you'll ever need, and sell the base model for under a $150.
I too prefer Micarta,...but Micarta costs more so might be optional. In my mind, Micarta must be properly fit, properly shaped, and then properly textured to be worth while.

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So the base model comes without air-conditioning I'm guessing? [Tooth] I'm just starting to tinker a bit with building knives. FWIW, I think polishing the type of knife you're considering is way over the top. It's supposed to be a working knife, not a wall hanger. OTOH, if you could see yourself in the blade you could leave the camp mirror behind and save weight. ;)

No, no polishing for me. But, you gotta take out any scratchs or dings thatll allow moisture to penetrate the surface and allow the start of corrosion. So, I'll wheel out any nasty scratchs till nice and smooth, then bead blast.

I've been picking up knives in search of one good all around utility knife for a long time; and oddly enough the one I found that comes closest to that for me is the Cold Steel True Flight thrower. Carbon steel, good utility profile, built like a tank. I'd like it better if it had a better shaped handle with micarta scales, a small utilitarian guard, a hammer pommel, and a splitting edge on the back up toward the point. It wouldn't be a thrower then, but I don't use mine for that anyhow. Oh, and a kydex sheath. Going further out on the dream sheet, it would be nice if it had a Melonite surface treatment.

I guess what I'm thinking of would be sort of a combination of features from the True flight, a Puma White Hunter, and an AF survival knife.

Second place, so far, goes to my Becker Campanion.

I'll be curious to see what you come up with. I may be interested in one, so let me know when you have something.

I am parcial to a 4-5" blade. I like strait up plain edge, easy to take care of and sharpen. I would go for micarta or g10 for the handle even though I like wood. I would leave like a 80-120 grit finish on the handle if you want some grip/texture though. If you want it to be a tool, a pommel might not be a bad idea considering if you want to hammer something. O-1 and 1905 have proven to be a good steel for everything if you take care of it. Finish could be about 240 - 400 grit, you can even Cerakote it to have a protective cover, but it would scratch off with use.

Like the idea but have yet to see a knife that would take care of all. Maybe 2-3 knife set.