Question: Am I still on the rails with this design for a bolster folder knife

[KCSteve]

Arnuad

That came out quite lovely!

Roland's trick is even easier - you just print the design out on plain paper and set the piece of paper over the area to be engraved.

 

[Marcus Hunt]

Well done Arnaud, that came out extremely well! Dare I say that you might improve it with a little cross hatching to some of the shading? Some engravers don't like to cross hatch, but if used in moderation it can help build character and extra dimensional depth to what can appear quite flat shading. Personally, I can see several places it would help bring what is already a very nice piece up to the next level, but of course it's up to you if you choose to leave it as is (it's also to easy to, as we say in England, "Over egg the pudding," which means you can end up ruining something by putting too much into it).

Very well done!

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Thank you Marcus, it is a pleasure for me you like it as well.
I know about the cross-hatching and Christian DeCamillis explained me how to use it properly.
I must say I'm not a big fan of it, but you are probably right, if added not to much, it can make the engraving look more dimensional.
As you say, about the eggs, less is sometimes more, but I will keep it in mind when engraving the other side.

arnaud

 

[Sam]

Bravo, Arnaud! Congratulations on completing this project.

I agree, a bit of crosshatching with add some depth to the shading in certain areas. If you decide to do this, remember that the first few lines are not actually cut, but made by pushing the heel of the graver over the surface of the metal, making the lines heavier as you progress, and then cutting the rest. Consistent spacing is very critical with crosshatching. Too much space between two lines makes a light streak, and two which are too close together will make a dark streak. Care must be taken to space all lines accurately.

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Thank you Sam, I'm glad you like it too.
I will consider the crosshatching in some areas, and take your advice with it.
But I think it is best to first do the other side, as it only can be better.
I also had to find out about the shading lines, to thin can't bee seen, even when there are more lines, to thick shading lines and the total tone would have been to dark.
So I think when there is less space to shade, on e has to be careful whit the amount of shading lines.

Sure the cross-hatching can add more depth, but you also should see this one in real, as it is not that easy to make a photo of it that comes close to the real one.

Christian DeCamillis told me to cross-hatch more diagonal, so the shapes look more like diamonds instead of squares.

arnaud

 

[Sam]

Christian DeCamillis told me to cross-hatch more diagonal, so the shapes look more like diamonds instead of squares.

arnaud

Yes, there has been a lot of discussion whether crosshatching should be done diagonally or perpendicularly. I've done both and I agree that diagonally seems more natural when done to follow the growth of a stem or leaf, and I now do much of mine that way. Of course there are still elements which (I think) look best cut straight across, like certain overlapping stems, etc.

 

[Ron Smith]

Arnaud,

Personally I think a line parallel to the wood line at the back of the bolster would set it off, to include some backgrounding in the appropriate places that border line would cause. Just my opinion.

Ron S

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Yes Ron, I have thought about that and in one of my first designs I did that.
It helps to add some contrast between background and the border leaves.

arnaud

 

[Kevin P.]

I may be totally wrong on this but Chris' statement on his "bulino" DVD seemed to me more narrowly directed to shading in bulino work as opposed to the crosshatching discussed in this thread on scroll work.
Kevin P.

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

I may be totally wrong on this but Chris' statement on his "bulino" DVD seemed to me more narrowly directed to shading in bulino work as opposed to the crosshatching discussed in this thread on scroll work.
Kevin P.

Kevin, I know some about that from Chris.
And it seems some of us should engrave / execute my design differently than I did.
I have no problems with that and I learn from that, even if I shouse my way.

And I admit that the suggestions who are made could improve my result on this one, but that is not anymore basic engravings but refinements.

arnaud

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Finished as a present for my dad

In between all my other work I have finished the Herbertz knife.
I got back to my basic sharpening of my gravers like Sam explains in his tutorial.
I have one C-max graver and it is my best one, and it is the only one I now use. I reshaped it to a 120° as that way I have more black like Chris told us.
Also the parallel heel, I don’t use it anymore as it does not have any advantage to me anymore.
So life is quite a lot easyer now.

While doing the other side of the Herbertz using the 120° C-max, al the cuts looked more black than the first side.
And as Sam did some effort telling about fine shading and crosshatching, I also added some crosshatching.
After that I had to redo also the first side, also using the 120° and adding some crosshatching.
Some of the shadow lines also where to fragile on the first side, so I cut them again.

And because my father, now at the age of 81 and living in our house for almost two years now, is my biggest fan, I will give him this knife, that is why there is his name on it, “Jepâ€￾
His name is Joseph, but almost everyone calls him Jep.

Once again I learned a lot working on both design engraving and shading, I like the knife, and I hope you do too.

I know it was an option to do some outline shading on some parts near the border, but I didn’t try it.

Arnaud

The first side I did and re-did

The second side

 

[Kevin P.]

How nice is that for a father to get a knife like that from his son.
Nice work Arnaud.
Kevin

 

[Marrinan]

A lost knife becomes an heirloom - very nicely done congratulations on a wonderful design Fred

 

[pilkguns]

I think you have done a wonderful job on this.

 

[ddushane]

Very Nice job Arnaud! Sweet gesture, giving it to your father, I wish mine was still alive so I could do something like this. Thanks for all the posting of the progression of the design. Dwayne

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Very Nice job Arnaud! Sweet gesture, giving it to your father, I wish mine was still alive so I could do something like this. Thanks for all the posting of the progression of the design. Dwayne

Thanks Dwayne.
Indeed I'm lucky to be able to give this as a present to my father.
He will be 82 in December and giving it for his anniversary was an option, but although my father is in good health I could not wait until December as I would not be unable to give it to him.
arnaud