Knife Drawing

CRW

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I had a skin cancer treatment on my face today and there was a little over an hour wait for the medicine to take so I had some time on my hands, I found a cheap knife in my truck and borrowed a pencil and following Carl Bleile and Steve Lindsey's suggestions I begin to sketch. After I got home I refined the sketch and did a little shading. But all I had was a sharpie, which is a little large.
Enough on the equipment. I would like some input on the drawing and layout, I drew the pins in after I got home and arranged the drawing the best I could around them. 2 of them are smack dab in the wrong place.
Steve I hope you don't think this is too much of a copy of your work, because it is really the style I would like to pursue.
All of you, give me your thoughts.
 

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Winstonklein

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Very Original .I Like it, I'm Looking forward to see the final product.
 
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CRW

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Thanks for the reply. I know its going to take me some time, but I am going to get there, because I have the will power and stamina. Don't know how long it will take, but I am not a quitter, and I really have a passion for metal engraving. It is all that is on my mind, I am eat up with it.
Thanks
Carl
 

Sam

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Carl, you're a man after my own heart. I draw constantly when I'm not at my bench. It seems like there's always a sketch book nearby.

As for your layout, I would like to see a bit more looping and intertwining elements in your design. I think it'll be much more interesting. As it is now, I find the large leaf element to be a bit overpowering.

Keep up the art work...it will pay off handsomely.

~Sam
 

CRW

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Thanks Sam
Coming from you I find this a great complement. I do see where the large leaf is overpowering and will work on it before I start cutting. I need to find my repidiograph to practice the shading. I have one with a 00 tip if I can locate it. It has been put up for several years and I am not sure where I put it. I am sure others do not have this problem of finding things:D I can only get better and will as time goes on. Like I said previously, I have the determination.
Thanks for the post Sam
Carl
 

KCSteve

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One minor thing - you might want to look at having the flow go toward the tip of the blade when the knife is open. It looks to me like the scroll is flowing away from the blade (but that's a guess based on the shape of the bolster).

Amazing how much fun sitting around making a bunch of scratches on some metal is, isn't it? :)
 

CRW

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Steve,
Thanks for the input, and it is a bunch of fun as well as fascinating. :D
The flow is going toward the open knife, the notch in the drawing is for opening the blades (2) On the other side of the knife there is a Fid that opens the other way. Therefore the big nose on the bottom of the knife is for the hinge of the Fid. Let me explain for those who don't know a Fid is a tool for splicing rope in the marine industry, I may have the spelling wrong, but that is the way it is pronounced. It is round and tapered to open the loops in a rope.
This is a cheap and ugly knife that I have had for years, but it is smooth and will make a good practice piece.
Thanks again, I always enjoy input from you pro's
Carl
 

KCSteve

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Good!

That's why I mentioned I was just guessing based on the shape - didn't know it was a linesman's knife.

In Carpentry they say "Measure twice, cut once". In Engraving it's more like "Draw 20 times, cut once" (although over time experience will let you 'reuse' some of your old drawing ideas).

I keep an eye out for the really cheap 'counter' knives at hardware stores and such, Someone on the forums pointed out that if you can find the metal handled ones they often make good cheap practice plates. If they cut well and come out good you've got a nifty little gift for when you need it. If they cut like mud, or just come out bad, well, they only cost a buck or two so it's not that bad a loss.
 

CRW

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My thinking exactly Steve. Thanks, I enjoy the comments.
Since I worked on water a number of years, when I saw this knife while working on the Mississippi River in Iowa, I saw this knife in a hardware store and had to have it. I think I gave about 6 bucks for it. I had never seen one with a Fid before, or since.
You have a great evening Steve.
Carl
 

Powderhorn

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CRW:
They are called a Boatswains knife and are available at some of your better ship candlers. The US Navy still issues them to to Boatswains Mates ( aka Deck Apes, or Anchor Cankers ).
 
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CRW

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Powderhorn, Thanks for the info, I was never in the service, so I did not know the correct name of the knife.
It sure is handy for small rope. On the bigger stuff I always used a wooden Fid about 2 inches at the big end down to nothing at the small end and about 16 inches long. Matter of face, I still have one in the tool box on my truck.
I will remember Boatswain as the name of that type Knife. Sure did't know that you could still buy them. I'll bet they are a lot more expensive than 6 bucks now days. :D
Have a great day
Carl
 

carl bleile

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Carl, try putting a piece of tracing paper over the original and make changes, this can lead you to a lot of different ways of doing it, then you can pick out the best or combine the good parts. The more you work at it the broader your knowledge.
Carl Bleile
 

CRW

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Thanks Carl B. Sam, and all that gave me a post, your comments are worth their weight in gold to me.
It's been a long time since the drawing but after a waste basket full of crumpled paper I think I finally have what I want to cut. The tracing paper idea really helped. I am sure there are more changes I will make before the final draft, but it is getting closer. I really need some drawing pencils and a repidograph with a fine point. The shading is hard to do with a pencil or sharpie and make it look right.
Sam commented that the large leaf in the original was a little overpowering, in which I totally agree. So mainly thats the part I have been working on, that and the looping. The top drawing is the one that was done at the Doctors Office, the bottom one is the last attempt.
Ya'll please tell me your honest opinion, that really means a lot to me.
Carl
 

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Ron Smith

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There you go CRW now squint your eyes and look for balance within the boundaries of your design. I see some void in the background. Always black in your drawings and put a border around the design even if you don't intend to cut away background. This will expose unequal background masses and unbalanced leaf masses.

Negative space is just as important as your design and actually part of the design.......Always keep it in mind when drawing.

You got a good design going there.

Ron S
 

Mack

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I was a sailor and acutally it is a marlinspike. Have owend several knives like that. A fid was a wood spike that was used for large operations and kept around the mast. Sometimes used as a weapon and even thrown when boarded They looked like a short billy club.
MaFid - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A fid is a conical tool made of wood or bone. It is used to work with rope and canvas in marlinespike seamanship. A fid differs from a marlinspike in material and purpose. A marlinespike is used in working with wire rope, may be used to open shackles, and is made of metal. A fid is used to hold open knots and holes in canvas.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fid · Cached pageck Not that any of that matters. Mack
 

CRW

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Thanks Ron for the advise, yes I do see the void spaces and will work some more on them when I have time.
I usually like to draw after a bath and supper. It is relaxing for me. I'm sure I will do several more drawings before the final draft. I just ordered a set of repidograph's, 7 pens new on ebay for $31.00. I thought that was a heck of a deal, I couldn't pass it up.
Mack
I have worked on the water all my life and I remember some people referring to it as a Marlinespike, but the terminology Fid was more common around the people I worked with. I was in hydraulic dredging. Anyway, thanks for the link and the correct terminology.
Carl.
 

Ray R Negron

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CRW,
I think it has a good layout I am sure it will go through some refinement like all drawings before the final cut. I normaly draw on a mylar and lay it over the blade to see how it look as I do the changes.

Ray
 

CRW

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Ray
Yes there will be many more drawings. I plan to draw on it this week end. I do not work in the wood shop on week ends. So during this time of building the Murphy Bed, and only getting to practice an hour a day, I still have my week ends.
Thanks for the post
Carl
 

CRW

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Good evening to all
Here is a couple of drawings of the knife that I have been working on. The one at the top was the first then I decided to change a few things and did the one at the bottom.
If I could get some comments tonight then I can make changes tomorrow if needed. Tomorrow is the only day I will have a lot of time to doodle on it, because Monday I will have to go back to the wood work.
Ya'll tell me what you think of the design, as a layout, negative space, too much coverage, not enough or whatever your thoughts are. I am anxious to hear you opinions. It really makes me work harder at what I am doing.
Thanks for looking and I am waiting to hear from you

 

Mack

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Holy smokes, I don't know anything about, it but I think it is a great improvement. I like it. I was in the Navy and carried several knives of this type with the spike or fid on it. Mostly used it for turning turnbuckels to batten down life boats and the captains gig on deck. I sure would have liked to have one with that engraved on the side of it. Mack
 

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