Suggestion: everyone should design a knife

[zhyla]

Actually...don’t. Your real-world feedback is valuable to Spyderco

Tamping down frivolous suggestions—the point of this thread, I believe—does not rule out experiential feedback, which, we agree, is gold to Spyderco.

I agree with both here, and in my opinion the feedback/suggestions would be a lot more valuable coming from a person who has had their point of view grounded by the reality of designing a knife.

I agree, zhyla.

No, you don't. The point of this thread is to do something rather than just talk about things. Agreement is to design a knife. Everything else is just stalling.

I will say one thing that is a slight issue here. Most of us if we came up with a design would like to share it here, get feedback, etc. Most of us if we came up with a design would also like Spyderco to produce that design. And I think at least a few forum members have become Spyderco collaborators. But my understanding is you need to not show your design to the world for Spyderco to consider it. Kind of unfortunate, I don't know what else to say about that. Maybe if there were a special subforum where potential collaborators might post their designs that would get around this. Would be really cool actually.

[brainfriction]

Every design I try ends up looking like a Para 3.

Lol, I was just thinking that every design I'd come up with would probably look like a PM2

[zhyla]

Just to wet some people's appetite, this is the kind of stuff you can screw around with if you learn a CAD tool like Fusion 360:

[Accutron]

I made this as part of an industrial design project about 20 years ago. I knew absolutely nothing about knives, and the only object examples I had laying around were a Case Shark Tooth and a Western 526 Mighty Light. I had always hated nail nicks, so without knowing anything about the existence of Spydie holes or thumb studs, I independently 'invented' one-handed thumb opening.

I modeled it in an old program called Bryce, which was intended for modeling landscapes. The handle is made from bump-mapped terrain objects and everything else is constructed from raw geometric primitives.

Looking at it now, I see lots of little problems....no jimping, no clip, no space to allow for bushings, old style back lock, etc.

[zhyla]

You did that in Bryce 3D? That's impressive. I thought that was only for making pretty mountains.

That's really a pretty sane design for a first try at knife design.

[Jazz]

Well, I really like that. Color and all. Put a clip on it and hook me up in FRN, please. Beautiful clean design.

[Tucson Tom]

I've been working on a design myself for a while

Oh boy! I have to scroll that thing off the screen so I can stop laughing and type rigt.

All my designs end up looking like Mules.

[Tucson Tom]

I got busy and came up with this:

[Crux]

I have been in charge of designing the most amazing knives for years as I outsource it all to Spyderco. Sin Win.

[rabbitanarchy14]

i have made a few designs. my issue is i am not interested in making them, i would like to give the designs to spyderco and have them make all 6 and i will just purchase them. i know the thread is about making it yourself but does anyone know of a place i can send my design and someone can make it.

[RLR]

I designed a thick, dual pointed, push and pull cut monster. Sent the plan to a local knife maker (Craig Wheatley) and he delivered. The Reiði:

[wrdwrght]

I got busy and came up with this:

hknife.jpg

You could do worse. An ulu in the hands of an Inuk is something to see. :eek:

[Mushroom]

I will say one thing that is a slight issue here. Most of us if we came up with a design would like to share it here, get feedback, etc. Most of us if we came up with a design would also like Spyderco to produce that design. And I think at least a few forum members have become Spyderco collaborators. But my understanding is you need to not show your design to the world for Spyderco to consider it. Kind of unfortunate, I don't know what else to say about that. Maybe if there were a special subforum where potential collaborators might post their designs that would get around this. Would be really cool actually.

I've actually withheld sharing any of my designs for this reason. I have a lot of designs already done and at least a handful of them I would consider worth modeling/making.

:spyder:

[zhyla]

i have made a few designs. my issue is i am not interested in making them, i would like to give the designs to spyderco and have them make all 6 and i will just purchase them. i know the thread is about making it yourself but does anyone know of a place i can send my design and someone can make it.

Lots of knife makers do commissioned work, but not many knife makers make folders from what I can tell. In any case it will not be cheap. We're used to being able to get a very well made knife for $100+, and $100 won't get you very far in a custom folder.

[Tucson Tom]

A custom folder? Later for that. I'm certainly not going to even think about making a folder. Lots of tooling and machine shop work involved.

And the whole idea of knife making -- it would most certainly be a great hobby. However I have looked at it, and see a whole 'nuther rabbit hole I could dive down, and I ain't gonna do it! Just making a blade -- thinking about getting the heat treat done, never mind trying to get set up to do it youself. Not for me. Hats off to those who do this stuff.

Of course designing a knife and making a knife are two different things, though it is hard to think you could do a good job designing without some experience making.