Help, please: design help or critique please

[Dani Girl]

Can anybody think how this design could be better. I don't do much symetrical work

 

[Dale Hatfield]

Dani
Their would have to be a design uploaded for anyone to help you .

 

[Dani Girl]

Pictures

Sorry, phone wouldn't load the pictures.

 

[Dani Girl]

Last knife

Hey everyone, this is the last dagger I did for Peter DelRaso.

Hopefully this one will come out a little better with my upgrade in equipment between now and then, and increased confidence and smoother cutting.

Thanks everyone for looking, still keen to hear if anyone has good ideas for the back end?

 

[don hicks]

You have set the bar pretty high with your previous dagger. I like the designs and your lettering. Looking forward to seeing this latest one finished. Sorry I'm in no position to assist you in your designing, I'm miles behind you.
Cheers
Don

 

[BrianPowley]

I see nothing wrong with the design. If you want it to look better finished, I suggest you make it look better as a drawing first...on paper, not on the knife.
Trying to correct an imbalance when the design is half way cut is the worst situation to put yourself in.
Software can be an amazing tool for symmetrical work----just draw a design, scan it, flip the image horizontally, copy, paste, line up the edges, flatten the layers, print, transfer.
I prefer to just draw half the image on paper, fold the paper in half onto itself and burnish the pencil lines. Unfold the paper and you have a perfect symmetrical pattern. The trickiest part is folding the paper exactly down the center. If you can get the design to match (near) perfectly, you can get away with all sorts of small errors.
If a scroll design has a slight "bump" on it, it will look ok as long as the mirror image has the same bump in the same locale.
(Of course try to perfect the drawing, but you can get away with it if it isn't too obvious.)

 

[Marrinan]

Danea, You did a fine job on this design. Keeps the eye moving, ties nicely with the design of the dagger and is all tied together in style. Works vey well, I particularly like what you have done with the back hilt. A strong piece of work.

A side note. Knife makers beaware. This maker is 11 years old. If he or she stays with the art knife collaborations with Dani Girl some one down under is going to loose their place in line as in top ten before this person reaches puberty. Fred

 

[Dani Girl]

Knife maker

Sorry, I misled you Marrinan on the knifemaker. This guy's Peter Del Raso, middle aged aussie knife maker.

The collaberation with the very young lady with mad knife making skills is coming soon.
Hopefully, we haven't pinned down a design yet.

Keep you posted.

Thanks everyone for design imput. I agree, boxing myself into a corner with starting engraving before I've nailed down design for certain. I've managed to do that (same mistake) on both these exactly the same daggers... funny or depressing?

 

[LVVP]

Design is good, I like it, thanks for showing

 

[AndrosCreations]

That completed dagger is beautiful. I look forward to seeing the latest one completed. Symetry is difficult to draw correctly on the item for me.

 

[Dani Girl]

Box replacement

Here's the base I'm using at the moment.

I have some wobble on the uneven cement floor to get rid of.... maybe some bluetac

The turntable is the fan my mate ripped apart and turned into that with the wooden box base. He did a great job. It has very little wobble and is smooth as. Turns easy

The cardboard box is gone.

 

[LVVP]

Good for start, however you have to change working table for more stable one and you will see the result immediately. Good luck!

 

[Dani Girl]

Finished knife. Made by Peter Del Raso. An Integral keyhole knife with a 'false' full tang which fits in to the front end almost perfectly seamlessly. Usually this kind of knife would be hidden tang but the customer complicated it with his choice of handle material.

This knife won the Best Art Knife award at the Adelaide show in 2014. Really exciting.

I upgraded from my cardboard box after I finished this one... but my floor's really uneven so it still rocks... have to bolt it to the concrete soon.

 

[Dani Girl]

Oh, and I forgot to add the completed dagger to this thread just to cap it off.

Enjoy