2014 Forum Knife

Would prefer no Damascas steel. I know if it has Damascas steel, I won't use the knife and I want a user, not a collector.
 
T. Erdelyi said:
Nobody wants a 2014 forum knife more than me, I've been here for all of them so far and the problems involving the concept, design, production and distribution of these knives had gotten harder every year, I remember the 2006 Canal Street Cutlery Co. Ring Opener Pen, IIRC there were like 38 sold, it was done in a very relaxed manner and I'm pretty sure everyone that for one was adequately content with the knife and how well the process went.

Just seems like every year the "Event" as it has become had become larger and more complicated till it has gotten to the point where it's so frustrating to do fewer and fewer people want to take on the increasingly more difficult task.

Add to that the the more people involved, (I mean 38 people in 2006 compared to the hundreds for the 2013 endeavor, (which BTW was in my opinion a culmination of the best ideas from all the previous years knives) the more disagreements arise, it's hard enough to get 38 people to agree on an $80 knife getting 350 to agree on a $130 is near impossible but last year's committee did an outstanding job, (I apologize for the many years of psychological therapy ahead we caused this year's committee ;) ) this year's knife as painful as the process was is the epitome of what we originally started 9 years ago an original traditional knife pattern that was not in current production, a knife that would be unique and a consensus of members designing the knife, they were originally meant to be an affordable collectible that you wouldn't mind using.

Over the years we've used Canal Street Cutlery, Northwoods Knives, Queen and GEC with GEC appearing to be the manufacturer of choice. We learned that the more complex/unusual the pattern is, the more time the manufacturer needs to took up to make it leaving us less time to hammer out the details.

I have no answers for how to get this done but I'll do whatever I can to have this year's knife made, we've started something good here 9 years ago and I'd really hate to see it end and with the crew we have here I don't see why it can't be done again. We just need to remember a few simple guidelines

.These members volunteer their time for this, we need to remember this above all, if no one wants to volunteer there won't be a knife so don't beat up the committee.

.You can't please everyone so we have to stop trying, it just takes up way too much time when we have too many choices.

.We're building a club knife here, we're supposed to be friends when it becomes a job we're not dealing with friends anymore, we're dealing with customers and that's not what this started out as.

I'm afraid that we might not get a knife this year and that would be sad but if we work smart, work together with a little flexibility we could still pull one off this year and I'd like to believe that we could get back to what the forum knife was all about, a fun project among like minded forum friends.

If it takes a simpler pattern with durable materials over premium, I'm still in. I hope we can keep the tradition going, thanks for reading my ramblings and thank you so much to all the previous members who undertook this project before and brought it to fruition in all the past years from '06-'13, you folks have my deepest respect and gratitude. If there's anything I could ever do or anyway to show appreciation please let me know.
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Thanks for the excellent post, Ted.
 
I've participated in the polling process for the last few years, sometimes buying, mostly not, depending on my finances and the knife itself. I greatly appreciate the entirety of what is involved, and everybody that is involved.

As far as what I feel could be a good choice: we generally want something collectible, unique, and useable. We have had some fairly large knives in the past, so I think a smaller knife should get some serious considerations. This would also help with keeping costs more mediated. Plus with how popular the Cult if the Peanut is, add on Pembertons, Esquire etc there are a great number of existing frames to use.

In my choice I would like to add a punch to the mix, as in this picture.
2CEC9029-4551-4C26-A5BC-ADB3E5082F94.jpg

I carried the silver wharncliffe punch every day for more than a year and it is an incredibly useful combination. I never noticed the lack of a secondary blade due to the precision of the wharncliffe, and the punch gives the knife a whole new realm of usefulness. Mate this to a nice wood handle (say some of the bocote or cocobolo in my basement that I would be willing to donate for a smaller knife choice to also mitigate price some), and we have a useful pocketable design that fills a niche as far as existing Traditional Forum knives, and is unique to what is on the market, at least nothing that similar was noted in this thread:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1082900-Small-slip-joints-with-a-punch-awl


To sum up my ideas for a PemberNutPunch :)
Pemberton/peanut/pen frame
Clip/wharncliffe primary (probably clip for public appeal, but hope the wharncliffe get some consideration, the model I modified works beautifully)
Punch secondary
Nice wood handle (cocobolo or Bocote in my opinion, and I could donate on a small knife- even if no pen sized punch)
Shadow or barehead perhaps
How about stainless on this years offering, keep the nice pocketknife looking new? (I really don't mind either way)
Pocket slip?


Quick question 22-rimfire, why wouldn't you use a Damascus blade? I love using all of mine.

I hope to see this tradition continue one way or another, and will volunteer to help as I can this year.
 
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22-rimfire said:
Would prefer no Damascas steel. I know if it has Damascas steel, I won't use the knife and I want a user, not a collector.
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I've got 3 Damascus blades and I use them all, I have a Case mini Swell Center/Coke Bottle Damascus blade I use all the time, it's sharp as all get out, holds it's edge very well, granted the contest in the 2 steels isn't as defined as when it was new but you can still see the pattern.

I have a Stainless Stamascus that I use all the time too, is a Masserin/Sessions Spirit I won many moons ago from TJ in a giveaway here on the forum. This one also holds a stellar edge but because of the stainless the pattern is much easier to see.

Finally I got a key shaped keyring knife in Damascus that being on my keyring is usually the first light duty cutter I grab.

Unless I've spent a thousand dollars on a custom pattern Damascus blade I can't see any reason for not using it, just take care of it. Damascus done right is a superior cutter to most plain steels and meant to be used.
 
Not sure precisely other than I have many knives and every damascas blade I have has never seen a sharpener or use. But as far as the forum knife goes, damascas is not a deal killer for me. I just stated my preference for what it's worth.

I'm torn about the commonality of a forum knife. One side of me says.... let's make it affordable (aka <$100) and the other side of me says a forum knife needs to be something special. It is not a custom knife. It is simply a special order knife. So, what's special? I like stag, but I know that would push the price up a lot.

We're building a club knife here, we're supposed to be friends when it becomes a job we're not dealing with friends anymore, we're dealing with customers and that's not what this started out as.
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I think this is a great comment and one that needs to be taken to heart.

On the business side of things, I had previously believed that GEC would build a forum knife at reduced cost simply because of all the good publicity it receives. That does not appear to be the case.
 
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Speaking as a non USA resident we have to factor in extra postage and import tax which increases the overall cost quite a bit, so once you all have decided on the knife for this year i shall have to do my sums and see if i can afford one, i probably will unless it is illegal to carry where i live, so hurry up and decide and post a picture of the likely finished article.
 
I missed the first couple, but since then I have bought at least one of each years knives, whether they are my favorite style or not. I hope that we can pull together to get one out this year, it would be a shame to lose it. Steven
 
I have not purchased a Forum Knife mainly because of cost (and the fact that I've only been into collecting for about a year) but I would if it was affordable and one I could use everyday.
Has anyone given some thought of choosing a forum knife base on the best of 2013? Let's say a group gets together and chooses four of the best from 2013 and decides out of those four, one that would be the platform for the 2014 Forum knife. Add special handles and stampings and you're done. The pattern already exists so tooling costs would be low.

Just an idea that I had.

Bruno
 
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Alnamvet68 said:
I suspect there is a lot of oppositional and defiant behavior when it comes to forum knife suggestions. If one member of low hanging fruit status recommends a knife, it's given short thrift, or worse. If the same knife is recommended by whomever has the highest paid membership status, or is a member of the controlling Central Committee, many will go just gaga and soil themselves. If economy is what folks want, take a hard look at the suggestions...if you want to spend 3 figures or more, then let that be somebody else's headache. It really doesn't need to be this difficult, really.
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No, that doesnt happen. Sorry that was your perception but I have yet to see anything like that.
 
22-rimfire said:
Would prefer no Damascas steel. I know if it has Damascas steel, I won't use the knife and I want a user, not a collector.
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Im not a big fan of damascus either. I have a couple and I think they are gaudy. After having a collection of 3-500 year old Nihonto for the last 20 years made of folded Tamahagane, damascus just seems superfluous.
 
I think that regardless of the pattern, a micarta shadow makes a lot of sense to keep the price down &#8595; and the uniqueness up &#8593;.

Besides, they seem to be very popular. GEC has quickly sold out every micarta knife they have made.
 
I understand the sentiment that as a forum knife for sophisticated collectors, we want something unique. But since we also seem on the edge of scrapping the project altogether, maybe we should limit our creativity to every other year. That is, this year we just pick a peanut or a sodbuster or a small trapper or some other such standard, but popular pattern and have a custom shield put on. Next year we get ambitious again.

But if we're just throwing out ideas, a peanut with a coping blade for a secondary would be sweet :)
 
You know, I have been chewing on the whole Opinel idea. They have a whole variety of wood finishes, and one major seller does engraving on both the handle and the blade. We would just need to decide on what we want on it.
 
black mamba said:
I think that regardless of the pattern, a micarta shadow makes a lot of sense to keep the price down &#8595; and the uniqueness up &#8593;.

Besides, they seem to be very popular. GEC has quickly sold out every micarta knife they have made.
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I'd kinda of like something different than last year. I like the micarta covers on the 2013, but I'd like some kind of cool bone.
 
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