Critique Request CRKT Small Eros SS

Jonathans

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I'm feeling a little emboldened and want to move (soon but not immediately) to working on a knife rather than on practice plates.
This is my first drawing attempt and I need to know if I am doing something rather stupid around the pivot on the knife. I couldn't lay down a "starter" scroll at the lanyard end, so I kind of utilized one of the screws as "part" of the first backbone.
Getting back to the pivot, would I just be better off just doing leaves around it?
The whole knife, closed, is only 3" long.
IMG_0209.jpg
Here's the actual knife
IMG_0206.jpg
 
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Sam

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I don't care much for the pivot area.
On the other end it's generally not good to grow a large scroll from a smaller one.
Also watch your spirals. You have some wonky ones.
 

Crossbolt

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I'm certainly no expert but with regards to the pivot area if you want to surround it with small scrolls the examples I've seen like that grow from the pivot like ones growing from a border. You can find examples on English shotguns particularly around the striker pins of Churchill guns I think.
Jeremy
 

speeedy6

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{Tighten up your metering just a hair. Metering is a set of vertcal lines that you want each scroll to fit into at a certain spacing.}

Tex, can you explain that metering? It sounds like it helps one get the right size scroll for the space available. Is that right ? I think that's a trick I need to learn how to use.

Jonathan, watch that finish ! I cut a Swedish made folder through the finish and it looked great but had tiny, almost microscopic chips at the cut line . I ended up sanding off the rock hard finish and recutting my work. It looked ok but wasn't what I wanted .
There's lots of instruction available on proper scroll shape or construction. You may not think a book is necessary to draw such a simple thing but I can say It really helped me when I started seeing and understanding what I was doing wrong.
You'll learn lots about layout, design ,material and more when you start cutting real items.
 

Jonathans

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Thanks for the suggestions. I have quite a few books and dvds on scroll layout but couldn't figure out how to get the rules to work with the limitation presented on the work area presented. Would I be better off starting in the middle with a starter scroll, and working both directions out to the ends? If I indexed my small scrolls around the pivot better will that be acceptable, or is a different pattern around the pivot a better idea?
 

dhall

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I think you'll find more flexibility if you use a starter scroll somewhere in the middle area. Because you can vary the location of a starter scroll, the possibilities multiply accordingly.

You have essentially two options, design around the pivot/screw/assembly features, or ignore them, and simply let them interrupt your design. Because the assembly features are so obvious, many feel obliged to work around them, but it is not mandatory. You might be surprised at how forgiving the eye is, if a beautiful design is interrupted with a few openings. The viewers eyes will usually complete the flow of a design, if it is compelling enough. As you are discovering, it can be challenging trying to incorporate random, static elements, in addition to unusual outline shapes.

I would venture a guess that you'll see more designs incorporating the assembly features, but you can readily find examples of the other style.

Best regards,
Doug
 

Jonathans

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Well I didn't get to the central starter scroll concept yet, but found time to de-wonker the scrolls (I think) and rework the scrolls around the pivot.
IMG_0211.jpg
 

monk

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i see no reason the origin couldn't begin at the left pivot hole. since the hole is there, one simply cant ignore it. i dislike the entire design concept. the small cluster of scroll for ex., they thrust out at too- steep an angle. if you go with the idea, they should "grow" out gracefully from the hole. besides all that, the pivot pin could be engraved, and be a physical part of your overall design. it is great that you do this on paper first. a sheet of paper with a design flaw is easy enough to toss. doing direct draw on the part is great, but one must be more careful than ever.
 

Jonathans

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i see no reason the origin couldn't begin at the left pivot hole. since the hole is there, one simply cant ignore it. i dislike the entire design concept. the small cluster of scroll for ex., they thrust out at too- steep an angle. if you go with the idea, they should "grow" out gracefully from the hole. besides all that, the pivot pin could be engraved, and be a physical part of your overall design. it is great that you do this on paper first. a sheet of paper with a design flaw is easy enough to toss. doing direct draw on the part is great, but one must be more careful than ever.

Thanks for the frankness. It's funny how when you're first starting out you can come up with something that you (I) think is quite good, but when seen by trained eyes it doesn't work! I'm ok with that, and will keep working on it!
 

Jonathans

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I am finding that when I start at the pivot, the knife gets progressively larger, but bigger scrolls shouldn't start from smaller scrolls. The knife is already tiny, so I wasn't thinking of filling it with two scrolls for its width for its length. Confused.
 

Jonathans

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Yet Another

Here's another keeping clear of holes and screws. Second one with scroll going the wrong direction was a mistake.
IMG_0222.jpg
 

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speeedy6

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Jonathan, your pattern is looking better but, you keep putting the scrolls in the wrong direction. The small scroll in the center is your starting tendril. Each new scroll should come off that one like the exit ramp off an interstate. Take your pencil and " drive " along the backbone away from the small scroll.
 

Jonathans

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So the center scroll that is ear shaped goes in two directions. Is the direction from the larger end dominant, or do the scrolls coming off of it follow the direction depending on which side of the starter scroll it comes off of?
Here, I started at the Small end of the starter scroll, and it all flows properly toward the pivot, buts it's wrong if the flow starts at the larger starter tendril (toward the lanyard end). Is this correct, or do I need to flip the tendril that's on the far right over?
Thanks for helping me with this. I really appreciate the leg up.
IMG_0223.jpg
Here's one with my concept of direction of flow from the starter scroll.
IMG_0225.jpg
Here goes! Did I get it?
IMG_0228.jpg
 
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Bluetickhound

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The last one on the bottom looks good to me. Not too busy, scrolls flowing correctly and good negative space. The symmetry of the scrolls could use some tweaking but the overall design is good.
 

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