Here is another knife I am currently working on, I actually plan to pull the handle on this one apart, and fix a couple of things I know I could do better, such as the gap in the copper spacer and the guard to blade fit there is a very slight gap. But I would like some advice on a specific aspect of the handle. 

Is it just me, or should the handle at the guard be closer to the size of the ricasso? When looking at this I as it is now, I get the feeling that the lines would flow better along the knife if that portion of the handle was the same size as the ricasso. Pulling the knife apart to fix the other issues I see would make thinning that area out a lot easier and a lot less likely to cause damage to the brass guard. 

 

Thickness is ok IMO, but I would make it about 1/5 to 1/3 narrower than it currently is.

I like the knife overall, but I feel that the guard hasn't been finished. The blade side of the guard is fine, but the handle side needs shaping. A gentle arc carved out with files would make it more comfortable and reduce weight. Then you'd be able reduce the handle section closest to the guard by continuing the arc previously mentioned. 

Robert

I actually got nearly exactly the same advice on this knife from another maker on another forum. 

So I pulled this one and the other one I did a similar handle design on apart, and took that advice. 

 

 

Since the knifes are viced at different levels, you cant really tell on the left one, but both of them have a similar flow, I tapered a curve into the handle up into the guard stock to thin it out, and then tapered the blade side down to a similar curve. And to be honest I like them both a LOT better. Now I just need to wait for the epoxy to cure.

Edited October 14, 201510 yr by Malice9610

I think you've already got it figured out but I like the design and shape of the handle. The guard looks a lot better.

I like your solution, but what I described was somewhat different. Hopefully I can post the pic showing what I attempted to explain earlier. The source material was a piece of RR spike. I rasped it to shape. I finished the inside arc after the handle material was secured.

So here is how the knife turned out. However after looking a the picture Robakyo posted I think I have an idea for how I want to try doing the next hidden tang knife I make by using 2 pieces of brass sandwiching a piece of 15N20 to make a similar shaped guard like the one he shows.

Need to finish polishing up the blade. but I am really liking how this one turned out.