Here's my first attempt at a knife. The steel is from an unknown leaf spring, handle scales are tallowood. The rivets are mild steel with copper washers.
I don't know much about knives, how would you describe this style?

Any comments?

Leon.

Aerohydrological?

i think its beautiful in its simplicity. good job for a first, i'd say.

Nice first knife. Looks like an early trade knife or a scalper.

Good job on it! I would say it will make a nice user or patch knife. Is that a big block of purpleheart it is stuck into in the second photo?
Bob

outstanding first attempt at making a knife
Was it forged ?

I cannot tell from pics several things about yoru knife. I don't know how it was heat treated or how it feels in the hand. But the pictures show me a lot. I have handled a lot of knives and looked at a lot more. I would bet that I would like the feel of that piece. I like the shape and the balance between blade and handle sizes. One of the big mistakes in my history of knives is that I did not keep the very first knife I made. But then I did not know in grade school that I would ever make another and i dont even remember what I did wtih the first. A few years ago I started making folding knives and I did keep the first one. If It were me I would keep that knife and be exremely proud of it. It is way above what a first piece typically looks lilke.
Thanks for sharing pics with us all.

aerohydro,
This may be your first attempt at making a knife, but you are no doubt a good craftsman.
Very nice knife!
Be safe!
Old Rusty Ted

Thanks very much for all the compliments, I really didn't expect that. I forged it as close to shape as I could get it. The filing and abrading work was mostly to refine the finish and make the bevels more uniform. I annealed the blank in ashes, forged the shape, annealed again and then did the filing and polishing. I then heated the blade portion to above non-mgnetic temperature then quenched in oil. Inexperience gave me problems keeping temper colours even, but the edge was drawn to light straw with a purple spine. It took me a couple of tries to get the handle riveting sorted out.

It weighs 166g/5.85oz and balances about on the first rivet, if that's any indication as to feel in the hand.

The stump is probably a piece of Blackbutt, Eucalyptus Pilularis. I think there's something wrong with the colours in that photo.

All in all, I was pretty surprised at how well it turned out. I'll most likely try making another knife pretty soon.

Leon.