Question: Templates for Knife Scale Designs?

jlutz

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Joined
Nov 9, 2019
Messages
32
Location
Fort Wayne, IN
Hi All. I’m new to engraving and am interested in working towards engraving some basic knives, think cheap Case or Buck knives, for practice. Does anyone know of a good resource where I could download some ready made designs/scrollwork to transfer onto such knives? Thank you for any suggestions!
 

tdelewis

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Oct 10, 2010
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Volant, PA 60 miles north of Pittsburgh
If you can scan the shape of the knife into the computer. Make an outline or tracing of the shape and enlarge it 200 to 300%. Look at examples of engraving and practice drawing. You will draw many examples before you get one you like. Once you get one you want to try on a practice plate. Scan it and reduce it to the proper size. Transfer it to a practice plate using a laser printer and acetone, and practice. If you are looking forward to doing more engraving, you might as well learn to draw from the beginning. Even if you don't have great artistic skill you can learn to draw a nice even scroll back bone with practice.

I get my practice steel from Tractor Supply or hardware store. I buy one of their steel strips about 2 or 3 inches wide. I then polish it on my belt sander as well as a little hand polish. Then I cut off a short section to practice on. The steel is a very mild steel and cuts very nicely and it is not as expensive as purchasing plates for practice.
 

jlutz

Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2019
Messages
32
Location
Fort Wayne, IN
If you can scan the shape of the knife into the computer. Make an outline or tracing of the shape and enlarge it 200 to 300%. Look at examples of engraving and practice drawing. You will draw many examples before you get one you like. Once you get one you want to try on a practice plate. Scan it and reduce it to the proper size. Transfer it to a practice plate using a laser printer and acetone, and practice. If you are looking forward to doing more engraving, you might as well learn to draw from the beginning. Even if you don't have great artistic skill you can learn to draw a nice even scroll back bone with practice.

I get my practice steel from Tractor Supply or hardware store. I buy one of their steel strips about 2 or 3 inches wide. I then polish it on my belt sander as well as a little hand polish. Then I cut off a short section to practice on. The steel is a very mild steel and cuts very nicely and it is not as expensive as purchasing plates for practice.
Thank you for the suggestions! One of my concerns is that I am not a natural artist, so drawing doesn’t come easily to me. I recently took Ray Cover’s intro class, however, and found his breakdown of the make up of scrolls to be very helpful. I’m hopeful that with practice I’ll be able to do as you say and turn out nice scrollwork and borders. Even if I don’t do some of the more elaborate work I see, I would be pleased to be able to add some high quality embellishment to a knife since I do some bladesmithing.
 

monk

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not being a jerk, just a realist: one should learn to draw at least scroll spines at first. get good on the spine then begin to add elaboration to the basic scroll shape. there's little substitute for learning drawing and design td gave some good advice. draw many, select your fave, then go with it.
 

ByrnBucks

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Good evening Jlutz, As a beginner who didn’t heed the warnings of the experienced counsel here I‘m currently kicking myself for practicing so very much on engraving scrolls “mostly from Sam’s published design book” and not spending a lick of time drawing anything more developed than backbones. I had the exact same mindset of never being able to draw a good stick man so Ill just skip that step and figure it out later… well later has dang snuck up and there ain’t no copy and paste gonna help now haha. Don’t know if this cautionary tale helps any but I wish you luck on this wonderful journey. BB
 

jlutz

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Nov 9, 2019
Messages
32
Location
Fort Wayne, IN
Good evening Jlutz, As a beginner who didn’t heed the warnings of the experienced counsel here I‘m currently kicking myself for practicing so very much on engraving scrolls “mostly from Sam’s published design book” and not spending a lick of time drawing anything more developed than backbones. I had the exact same mindset of never being able to draw a good stick man so Ill just skip that step and figure it out later… well later has dang snuck up and there ain’t no copy and paste gonna help now haha. Don’t know if this cautionary tale helps any but I wish you luck on this wonderful journey. BB
Ha, I appreciate the perspective! I’m going to practice drawing as I practice cutting. If I could learn some basic drawing skills, it would help my other crafting endeavors; I think the time has come to get over the fact that it doesn’t come easily to me and start working on it!
 

DKanger

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Joined
Sep 30, 2007
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1,054
Location
West TN
Go to Members above and find Arnaud Van Tilburgh. Click on it and then on postings. He was very prolific with his drawings, including many of knife scales.
 

edgrabow15

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Nov 16, 2018
Messages
192
Location
SHIRLEY, LONG ISLAND . N.Y.
Ha, I appreciate the perspective! I’m going to practice drawing as I practice cutting. If I could learn some basic drawing skills, it would help my other crafting endeavors; I think the time has come to get over the fact that it doesn’t come easily to me and start working on it!
The great thing about practicing drawing is it's something you always find a little time to dedicate to it here & there if you just carry around a pad and some pencils( he'll even a pen ) and you can practice while sitting in your car waiting for someone who ran into a store or even while watching a ball game. Granted the concentration may not be as intense at times like that but your moving a pencil on paper which is the most important part of practice. Good luck.
 

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