Spyderco Forums

Sometimes I like to share recent design sketches, any feedback from you all appreciated. Would this be an interesting design for you?
This one is meant to be a relatively thin but stout work edc fixed blade, modified sheepsfoot/drop point blade, 3.5”, I try to keep my designs simple, standard, and functional. (Observing in house spyderco designs has taught me a lot and influenced me).

Looks like a good no-nonsense knife to me. What type of grind are you thinking of - sabre? hollow?

Halfneck wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 03, 2024 11:54 am

Looks like a good no-nonsense knife to me. What type of grind are you thinking of - sabre? hollow?

Thanks halfneck, that’s what I was trying to go for.
I was picturing a nice deep hollow grind in this concept. Also fine jimping up to the swedge on the back. For the handle I was picturing polished linen micarta with flush stainless pins and ringed lanyard hole. Those would just be my personal cosmetic preferences

I think I got the design pretty good to how I like it. I’ll probably cut it out on a denser material to test the shape a little more before deciding I’m done refining it

I might actually prefer ffg for pure edc versatility..

Il just keep this thread updated as I make some major changes to the design for those who may be interested. I do plan to make some of my designs in the future and this one will probably be a priority design

I really like that “modified sheepsfoot/drop point” blade shape. I would love to see that worked into a folder with a Spydiehole!

Thanks for the support Nick,
I’ve actually since ‘sheepsfootened’ the blade up a bit.
I really like both variants, spear point/leafshape and sheepsfoot blade shapes for edc, primarily for low tip and minimal belly making it a very versatile shape. Sheepsfoot blades I think make great dedicated work knife shapes, where tip strength and ruggedness are an attribute. But more accute points are great and very useful too.

Tristan_david2001 wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 03, 2024 3:13 pm

I might actually prefer ffg for pure edc versatility..IMG_4574.jpeg

That's the version I like.

Add some wood scales with contrasting pins, maybe osage with black pins, and you got a nice EDC fixed blade.

Tristan_david2001 wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 03, 2024 10:44 am

Sometimes I like to share recent design sketches, any feedback from you all appreciated. Would this be an interesting design for you?
This one is meant to be a relatively thin but stout work edc fixed blade, modified sheepsfoot/drop point blade, 3.5”, I try to keep my designs simple, standard, and functional. (Observing in house spyderco designs has taught me a lot and influenced me).

I like the first one and make it into an edc fixed blade

Your more recent design is much nicer looking to my eye. I am picking up on the sheepsfoot profile now, where as with the earlier design not so much. This blade profile is more unique looking, and I like the move to full flat grind for both performance and looks.

Your handle looks functionally spot on, neutral enough but still having swells and curve in the right places to make your hand feel secure. Aesthetically it is a little too rounded overall to me, but that is per my particular preference. I like to have some sort of straight lines somewhere on a handle. Here is an example of a Fiddleback Forge knife that has a couple straight cuts that shape the pommel. That just finishes off the look of the pictured knife for me.

I very much appreciate all of you taking the time to give your feedback. I’m glad many of you enjoy the design. I hope to be able to show you all a real knife out of it someday soon.
Thanks for sharing that scandi, that’s a very pretty knife. I often draw my knives with very rounded handles to try to achieve optimal ergonomics, since there are no perfectly straight angles in the human hand. For e.g if you wanted to reverse grip the knife with ur thumb on top of the pommel, my handle design is rounded in that spot so it doesn’t create a possible ‘hotspot’. And I’m very glad you like the current blade shape. That’s the main thing I’m still kinda torn on, go more leaf, or sheepsfoot? I quite enjoy the function and looks of both shapes

You are absolutely right that the pommel on the knife I posted will not feel very good when putting your thumb on it. In my case, that isn't a grip I use, but your design is definitely ergonomically optimized to work with the widest variety of grips. Certainly a design preference I can support, especially because I know when a knife feels good in hand, it is the one I use most.

I am strongly in favor of the sheepsfoot design. It is not a pattern I see a lot, and to my eye it just has a balance with the shape of the handle. To me different handle shapes and blade shapes have to agree with each other to achieve the right visual balance, that one just feels "right." It is a shape that instantly makes me want to pick it up, feel it, and cut something with it.

I'm sure that everyone has a different interpretation of what looks and feels right, but that sheepsfoot really has the right effect for me.

Also I'm very curious, is it something that you are thinking of trying to make yourself?

I think I’ll stick with a modified sheepsfoot blade profile. And that’s the plan scandi, after I’ve saved up enough to set up my own little workshop and the get the materials I am gonna make some knives, my dad is big into knives too and is gonna work with me. whether that turns into any kind of career, not sure, I don’t have any set in stone plans, kinda just doing it for fun right now.

Sweet, I have been doing some serious research into getting tools for making knives myself. I have a very constrained budget, so I had been looking around for the cheapest way to make a good belt grinder. Not sure if this would be useful in your case but I was considering this design I came across:

https://usaknifemaker.com/no-weld-grind ... rsion.html

It is a no weld build-it-yourself grinder that uses mostly rudimentary, cheap materials but is still capable of having a few different configurations for platens, a contact wheel, or a slack belt.

Also just for reference this design has a 3 1/4” cutting edge and a 4 1/4” handle.

Thanks for the link and suggestion scandi, I’ll see what it’s about.

I'm not making an attempt to tell you what the dimensions it should be of course, just a bit of input from my own experience/preference on handle length, I think it could be good to add an extra 1/4 in. to the handle. I know that is not much extra but it seems to be a sweet spot for the vast majority of people. For any knife that is intended to have a full grip, I really like to have a minimum of 4 1/2 inches of handle. With those dimensions you would have a perfect all around knife for non-concealed edc and a general outdoors/hunting knife in my opinion.

Of course you very well may have figured out exactly what length feels right for you, so again, don't take this as me trying to tell you what to do, just giving my own input in hopes that it might help give another perspective.

Thanks for the input scandigrind, very fair points, in my design preference I choose to go a little on the shorter side with my edc fixed blade handles to make them more comfortable and concealable to carry on the waist. I think a shorter handle can be very comfortable if shaped in way that doesn’t incorrectly confine to your hand.

(Still a ruff draft)This is a design I currently am working on that I made for my dad, I did all the drawing but we collaborated a lot on the design decisions.
We’re going to be working on knives soon