You make a ton of great points. I am a hobbyist maker and have made about 150 knives in the last 4 years. One of the knives I make is a steak knife that I designed. I only make a couple at a time and have kept a number of them and really like the design. When I first designed it I did make sure that the wheel attachments I had for my grinder would be able to handle the curves. About a year age I wanted to find out what it actually cost me to make the knife. In doing that I wanted to buy a bar of steel and use it just for this one design. I found that if I just shortened the knife a quarter of an inch then I had no waste from the bar and I was able to get an extra knife out of it. The lesson I learned on tracking the cost of each process and materials I used was amazing. Some of the things I worried about were insignificant and others cost a lot more than I thought. Thank you for all of your great videos.

A masterclass in industrial design. Thanks for sharing!

Thank you for making this video! I was interested in design and had worked with CAD before I ever made my first knife, so my approach to the process is similar to yours. I don’t have the skill or equipment that you have though, so I try to compensate by putting more thought into it upfront. I agree - the bulk of the fun for me is in the design and the iteration.

100 bonus points for the additional footage at 39:07..All this blade making talent, plus editing skillz to boot! :P

Fantastic video Walter. Thank you for your time and effort.

Awesome content Walter, thank you

Nice to have more on knife design as there is not enough info on it... I always learn it by going out and copying something someone made.

Dear Mr Sorrells, You've published another lovely video explaining the processes on knife design and making. However, I take some exception to your comment of "not an interesting design" for your own 3D draft you chose to display onscreen. I find the basic shapes you chose interesting specifically for the clean functionality of the design. It's something I rarely see with inexpensive mass-produced knives. With some rare exceptions, to get the level of simplicity you show, I would have to shop well into the "boutique" or "custom" level of knife design. Knife designers these days appear to be enamored with swedges and exotc touches that badly affect functionality. Even the copycatters.

Video discription cracks me up! Thanks for this walk-through, Walter!

Coming frim the buyer's perspective, I enjoyed this. I watched your video on making the new tactical knife. The two videos effectively illustrate what I have learned throughout a lifetime. I admit I had no knowledge of design when I was yiunger. I often second guessed the design and the maker. It was just learned through trial and error and asking a lot of questions. 20 years ago I would have been that guy instantly wanting handle scales. I have a small collection now. I have what I need and even some things I just enjoy. For example I don't carry my Protech Runt 5 in public. I happened across Walter a short time ago. I could go on and on about why, but the Scout is one of 2 fixed blades I'm going to buy. It's all the work put into the design, then testing, perfecting that Kydex that sold me. I've had knives were close. That's why the search continues. I have been trying to explain this to some younger guys who are always playing "if only". You nailed it.

Great video I’ve been having trouble on the actual design part this helps a lot

Walter, ever just make demascus stock in a larger quantity for future use you haven't already planned for yet? Just to have the stock and make it faster when you do have a plan for it?

That straightening jig was the bomb, your design?

@waltersorrells honest question with your first statement about the “looking cool thing”. Do you think that only people that appreciate simple but functional knives are those who have either made a knife or used a knife as trade specific tool (ie: butcher, soldier, cop)?

Knidex, any videos on what ya need to work it?

I design knives analogue (sketch pads of varying size, rulers, and mechanical pencils for really precise lines,) and one of the most difficult parts of doing it this way is making curves- mostly the curves of a bushcraft or sæx knife’s cutting edge. It’s a struggle to make a curving line that perfectly mates to a point or another straight line, and doesn’t curve TOO much on its way to the tip but also doesn’t NOT curve enough. Lol or these things that I call ‘compound curves,” where the curve starts at one point and its very gradual, but then becomes really pronounced at another point on the line. Lol it’s TEDIOUS. I sometimes try to just take my metal ruler and flex it to a curvature that I like and try to hold it in place to trace that curve (this method is really finnicky, cause the ruler doesn’t wanna stay put or stay flexed into the curvature angle you want when you place it down on the paper. Make you have to hold it in place with muscles in your hand that you didn’t even know you had 🤣)

@rigajykra3159

4 ай бұрын

Perhaps you will get a better curve with the grinder

@rigajykra3159

4 ай бұрын

As in: get a rough curvature but ultimately refine it with the grinder

Never heard of seracoat(sp?), any videos on it?

Walter sir .nice video 😁👍🏻.i have a question ❓ when u combined.hard steel.with softer steel.how do u . know how much .to combined together?

I enjoyed the super nerdy stuff like this. I think a good video topic would be how to reach new clients.

IMO most new designs from major knife manufacturers are non-functional because they’re designed to look cool first. They have hot spots in the grip, no jimping or jimping that’s useless, stupid choils on knives that don’t need it and none on knives that do, and on and on. I’m a user and not a designer, and I think too often designers and makers aren’t users so they create cool looking knives that suck. Glad to see some designers actually take usage and ergo into account.

Hi i wanted to know if you'd be willing to give me a little advice. If so I'm trying to design a dive knife but I'm not very well versed in high end stainless steel, what steel would you recommend for something like that? I'm seeing a lot of people say 440c but i feel like there is better options out there.

Design is the exact reason I had to put the brakes on my knife making and reel it in… way too much wasted time and material meant lower bottom line. Even though it’s just a hobby, we have to think of costs

Netds unite

The whole cpu prog is incredibily boring imho. This is why makers overcharge. Imagine staring at a screen, scratching your arse then including that in time to create a knife... thanks for the vid walter but doesnt blow my hair back

@billwoehl3051

4 ай бұрын

Granted, it's not exciting, unless your interested in the information, but, when you're dealing with a customer who wants something specific, ya gotta give them something to look at, and a computer can come in handy for that. I personally just prefer to throw something in the forge and just start designing on the fly. However, I'm a BEGINNER BLACKSMITH, not a bladesmith, I've made a total of a whopping 2 whole bowie blanks, so.....what do I know? Nada.

@jamesx7424

4 ай бұрын

Hi Rob. Based on your comment history, it seems like you mainly just reply with negative comments on the channels you subscribe to. Quite a bit on Walter’s channel here. I used to be that way, but I’ve learned that focusing my energy in creating something, and less on trying to tear someone else down really makes an impact on your own wellbeing. I got a lot of interesting insight into Walter’s process here. Clearly he is putting a ton of thought into his design while he is “scratching his arse”. Come to think of it, I am typing this in a phone that was mostly created by people staring at computer screens, and I’m pretty impressed with the result. Have a great weekend.

@robsonez

4 ай бұрын

@jamesx7424 Walter is an excellent teacher and many of his tutorials have been a great source for learning. If you see only negative comments it's likely because they are constructive criticism. I don't have time to praise every single video I watch and enjoy, I do that through subscription and the like button, recommendations etc. That can be dozens of videos each day...

@robsonez

4 ай бұрын

@jamesx7424 and FYI, scratching arse comment is really in response to makers who wish to charge by the hour. If your process is terrible, you are inefficient with time and inexperienced - why should a client pay your hourly rate when a completed work takes you longer? This isn't specifically re Walters work...

@robsonez

4 ай бұрын

@billwoehl3051 sketching is also a thing. Some clients cat visualise a piece and I will sketch it. A sketch will take me 3 mins...

I also have an intention of you producing knives for my business where I do the handle and edge but I can email you about that when I’m more prepared