2018 KITH - ADVANCED

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Brock Cutlery said:
Trying to keep my mouth shut....

...dangit. OK, I think it would be cool to have an maker invitational passaround vs. a Kith.
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I tried that once upon a time....several knives went Bye-Bye. There were excuses why the recipient was unable to make it to the post office to forward to the next recipient... illness excuses, suit didn't come back from the cleaners....well you get the picture. I'm not saying anyone participating here was at fault or that it would even be a concern but it did happen to me...Fool me Once...
 
Busto said:
I tried that once upon a time....several knives went Bye-Bye. There were excuses why the recipient was unable to make it to the post office to forward to the next recipient... illness excuses, suit didn't come back from the cleaners....well you get the picture. I'm not saying anyone participating here was at fault or that it would even be a concern but it did happen to me...Fool me Once...
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Gotcha. Thanks B
 
I think its an interesting prospect. I feel there is something of a downward pressure in most KITH's to make a medium range work horse rather than as an opertunity to show off.

I would be open to offering a discount for wood used in a KITH piece
and a higher discount if the KITH piece has an accompanying WIP.

Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith If you want to shoot me a pm I would welcome the help in hammering out "see what i did there" the details of how a discount like that might work.
 
Firts off I'm not thinking of entering, but I do like the idea.
If you run a closed invitational KITH you can use the enteries as a benchmark for the level to enter next years KITH.
That way you make it more objective.
 
Come on guys , you complicated simple thing .It's just one knife . Why are all of you member on this forum ? And paid membership too? Places like this forum have helped you to show your works and skill and to become famous and for many to sell your knives . The vast majority of the members are just fans of knives and many , many beginners knife makers ....Whats wrong if you get a knife which is not in same league with yours knife ? Whats wrong if your knife get someone who can t make that kind of quality knife ? Give them a chance to prove themselves .I'm sure that knowing that their knife will get a professional knife maker will force them to take time and make solid knife ......For one year I will make copy of Tutankhamun's knife .......from meteorite !
 
Willie71 said:
Value is partly or mostly based on how well established a maker is. That’s a separate issue from minimum standards in material choice.
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That you must leave to knife maker .......... What if in this KITH jump and say I am In guys like this from sharpbycoop-•-gallery
OvWANtL.jpg

BiQTxZP.jpg

FLMyD2d.jpg

You will not refuse them I guess ?? My point is if you want this to succeed , you must not divide knife maker to capable and incompetent for this KITH . Everybody knows what they need to do and how much cost AA piece of wood , how look quality sheath ...they can order them if they can t make them ? High end steel ,they can send them to proper HT ..........etc
 
One thing is for sure.

If you leave it up to knifemakers some will definitely find the hardest, longest and most peril fraught way to do something.

This is not a difficult thing unless it is made that way for no reason other then "easy" rubs some people wrong.

This is not "everybody gets a trophy" time.

You want a KITH, start inviting those you want to participate.

You do not need this forums approval to have a KITH.
 
Natlek said:
That you must leave to knife maker .......... What if in this KITH jump and say I am In guys like this from sharpbycoop-•-gallery
OvWANtL.jpg

BiQTxZP.jpg

FLMyD2d.jpg

You will not refuse them I guess ?? My point is if you want this to succeed , you must not divide knife maker to capable and incompetent for this KITH . Everybody knows what they need to do and how much cost AA piece of wood , how look quality sheath ...they can order them if they can t make them ? High end steel ,they can send them to proper HT ..........etc
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I don’t see any homemade micarta there, nor do I see any steel from Billy Bob’s scrap yard. There is a world of divide between most people and the three makers in the pictures. I’ve stated myself I am not an expert, and noted a knife I recently made for a kith was not to the standard JT is trying to establish. Not everyone has that self awareness or honesty.

Interesting to use the terms capable and incompetent. I wouldn’t say anyone was incompetent, but at a different level of skill development.

What is the concern here, that you want to participate, but feel you will not be seen as good enough, or that you aren’t interested but feel the need to comment anyway?

I tried dividing skill levels in a kith years ago, and it didn’t go well. As a result, I ask people to self evaluate, and there’s always one or two who are either unaware, or don’t care, with the exception of this last kith. This last one, everyone brought their best efforts. I’ve received quite a few PMs where people said they’d like to participate, but don’t want to get a scrap steel shank in return. I’ve seen pictures of nicely done hunters sent and the knife like objects received. It’s obvious some makers spent more on abrasives than another maker spent on their entire package. Interestingly, most of those people who sent me those pm’s also complained about setting minimum standards when I tried to do minimums.
 
Adam brought up a good suggestion...IF you want to up the Skill level and Quality then make it by invitation. You will reap what you sow. The invitation can include guidelines for minimum in a particular makers style that way they can build a knife of quality without breaking the bank or disappointing a recipient. SO Please somebody invite Claudio Sobral:cool::cool::cool::cool::thumbsup:
 
I tend to agree. If you want to run an advanced KITH by invitation, just do it.

I think the basic idea has been understood and the choices are up to JT if he wishes to go forward. I will leave this traed open till tomorrow, but will close it then. After that, I suggest that the KITH be done by PM and other off-forum communications until it is ready for the knives being submitted at years end.
 
I enter a one man KITH once a year and I'm the only maker. The best part of it is that I seem to ALWAYS get exactly what I want.










My point is that if I want a certain type of knife, I make it which I do for myself at least once a year. If I want a knife from another maker, I call him up and commission one from him. In my opinion, the greatest compliment a maker can get is a commission from another maker.
 
I don't belong in the advanced group. But my thoughts would lean towards a pass around with specified holding time where everyone gets their own knife back. You would get the suggestions and accolades deserved.
 
Natlek said:
Come on guys , you complicated simple thing .It's just one knife . Why are all of you member on this forum ? And paid membership too? Places like this forum have helped you to show your works and skill and to become famous and for many to sell your knives . The vast majority of the members are just fans of knives and many , many beginners knife makers ....Whats wrong if you get a knife which is not in same league with yours knife ? Whats wrong if your knife get someone who can t make that kind of quality knife ? Give them a chance to prove themselves .I'm sure that knowing that their knife will get a professional knife maker will force them to take time and make solid knife ......For one year I will make copy of Tutankhamun's knife .......from meteorite !
Click to expand...

We have two Kiths each year with very minimal expectations. This kith is in addition to the ones everyone is allowed to participate in. No one is excluded. I see it more like when I raced MX or BMX. When I started, I stuck to local races. When I got better, I attended provincial, national, and even a few international events. I was still ranked novice, but I did hold the #18 plate for a year internationally. Now it’s not a win, but to be better than 22 other guys in my age class after qualifying for the event in the first place was a nice experience. You had to meet minimum equipment standards, and earn enough points in sanctioned races to get into the field of 40 in the first place. I think this kith is a similar idea. You don’t have to be a winner, but you have to get to the entrance point to play.

I hope I’m not speaking out of turn for JT, but I think I know what his intention was as we’ve discussed this a few times in the past, and I shared what didn’t work when I tried it years ago. I think the idea is sound, but do recognize the potential for bad feelings.
 
The problem isn't an 'advanced' KITH. The problem is an 'advanced' KITH is being proposed, which necessarily implies exclusion but without any defined rigid terms, parameters and/or rules.

Refer to my earlier post about who decides such things and why they're qualified to do so and who's excluded etc.

And even IF you can figure those things out, you take a simple and fun event and make it way too much work and way overcomplicated.

Hence.........train wreck.
 
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