Well the handle feels fine, I tend to like beefy handles, it's more the blade I'm worried about. The blade has a 2" diameter and is a full 1/16" thick, and after looking at pictures of commercial knives they appear to be much smaller and thinner.
No, I appreciate all the advice and questions... I'm entirely a beginner.
re: Bi-metal: No, in fact I was under the impression I was supposed to use a bi-metal blade. The donor blade was a Dewalt reciprocating saw blade made for construction use, cutting through nails and whatnot. The metal is very hard, too hard to drill. Is that wrong for this sort of knife?
The metal used in a bimetal edge is chosen to be suited for good abrasion resistance and ability to handle shock. It can be made hard, but my guess it is tempered to a softer state to avoid breakage like if you hit a nail. Also, you could remove the bimetal edge while grinding and shaping or the weld could fail during use (low probability). You might be better served by using a known piece of carbon tool steel. Having said that, I would take one of the blades you were using, heat it to where a magnet wouldn't stick to it and quench it in water. Wear safety gear!!!!. It may break/shatter. If it doesn't, try and file the back side of the blade. If the file won't bite the steel will harden and temper. Just make your knife after removing the bimetal edge. It is a lot to process. PM me and i will explain further.
re: Temper: Yes, I was very careful and dunked the metal in water anytime it felt uncomfortably warm. Also I like to use my hand grinders for shaping the edge then finish with diamond sharpeners then sandpaper.
Slight chance you ground away the bimetal edge. Your sharpness problem could stem from this , but more likely it's a combination of blade thickness and bevel.
re: Needs: Well that's where I'm entirely ignorant. I've never held a chip carving knife nor done any chip carving so I'm working a bit blind. I guess that's something I won't know until I actually do some carving.
