Jan
I really really like the dagger design that could be a stunner.
But the scroll I am going to stick my neck out here it just doesn't suit the piece its lifeless to me just a suggestion but trace it without the blade and just look at the handle as a canvas I think it need thought .
Ray
Thats a lot better but has a lot of negative space ?
Ray
I think Thierry's comment on flow applies to your second design as well. The flower nearest the blade is fine, but the flower at the tip of the handle acts too much like a punctuation mark, suddenly stopping the eye, interrupting the flow to the point.
Perhaps you could try it again without the second flower, or, in the alternative, use a progression of flowers. Keep the flower you now have near the blade, add a second, smaller, less mature blossom near the center of the handle, and finish with a gold rosebud near the tip of the handle, the rosebud pointing toward the tip of the handle and directing the eye onward, thereby maintaining a proportional and directional flow that complements the shape of the handle.
What method will you use to anodize, heat or voltage? Anodizing close to a metal such as silver which is highly conductive using voltage may be a problem. Best to make a sample before doing that.
Now that's getting g really close the best way to view is blade down handle up then it starts looking the business.
Ray