Attention 2019 Forum Knife : Poll - Smooth Wood

[tmd_87]

Like i have said a thousand times, this knife is gonna be an instant classic regardless.

 

[cigarrodog]

Nunca dije que Blackwood es feo. Nunca. Es mas lindo que ebano. El aspecto visual me importa menos que el origen da la madera. African Blackwood esta en peligro del extincion, en acuerdo de tratado internacional y el U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Lo mismo con Cocobolo.
Por eso peleo la cosa.
Seria un una tristeza que Blade Forums patrocina material asi en peligro de extincion.

Comprendo su preocupación. Claro que ayudaría si no hiciera referencia a Blackwood africano comparándolo con un cerdo, Señor.

 

[cigarrodog]

So, will Ironwood be next? Will it be on the list sometime in the future and will that affect your vote? Better go micarta or plastic as you have also voiced your disdain on anything coming from a "dead animal".

Don’t go plastic. The ocean is being choked to death with plastic. I applaud those who care about the environment as long as the care is not selective. Otherwise I would call it hypocracy. I’m not referring to @Ramrodmb. Just adding to his comment.

 

[Pàdruig]

IF Ironwood wins and that's a huge IF. I feel they are the heavy underdog here....but I and others would not be disappointing in a "bad" ironwood. A bad ironwood will still has streaks of yellow, goldish brownish and red. Your knife will be different from everyone elses no grain alike.

I don't disagree at all. I have examples that some folks might turn their noses up at but I happen to enjoy.

Ultimately these are my factors:

1. Ironwood, though beautiful, does not fit my vision for the knife. I recognize that my vision is not everyone's vision, however.
2. I worry that Ironwood is becoming overdone. It's popular right now but it seems to be a relatively recent trend and I worry that the market will soon be over saturated.
3. The unpolished, brushed finish irritates the dickens of of me. I don't want a knife I have to tinker with nor do I want a knife that is turning out to be nicely traditional to have some sort of manufactured modern flair.

Black wood is a timeless classic and we have an exceptional opportunity to create a gorgeous blackwood bare head jack with a fancy shield. These opportunities don't come around often, particularly with black wood.

I'll get off my box now.
(all this politicking is getting exhausting )

 

[tmd_87]

I don't disagree at all. I have examples that some folks might turn their noses up at but I happen to enjoy.

Ultimately these are my factors:

1. Ironwood, though beautiful, does not fit my vision for the knife. I recognize that my vision is not everyone's vision, however.
2. I worry that Ironwood is becoming overdone. It's popular right now but it seems to be a relatively recent trend and I worry that the market will soon be over saturated.
3. The unpolished, brushed finish irritates the dickens of of me. I don't want a knife I have to tinker with nor do I want a knife that is turning out to be nicely traditional to have some sort of manufactured modern flair.

Black wood is a timeless classic and we have an exceptional opportunity to create a gorgeous blackwood bare head jack with a fancy shield. These opportunities don't come around often, particularly with black wood.

I'll get off my box now.
(all this politicking is getting exhausting )

I understand and I think these are most people complaints/concerns as well.

 

[urbantrapper]

And add a satin bolster and shield to that - GEC won't polish 'em with ironwood scales.

This is an absolute ironwood killer for me.

 

[DelOro]

Del,
Don't blame me, blame Clem Ironwood. He has a lot of troubles on top his head.
No sense of humor in Mudville.
Joseph

Something to consider...

Why waste your time telling us what you will not purchase, why you will not purchase it, and then attempt to shame everyone in this knife forum using the facade of poetry?

When confronted, you blame a fictitious character and further insult people by trying to pass it off as humor or lack thereof.

Maybe you should consider taking the money you spend on knives and donate those funds to a more appropriate cause?

To be clear Joseph, I do blame you. I sincerely believe your posts are not only insulting, but also intentionally full of malice toward the folks in this forum that would like to have an African Blackwood knife.

Why would a vegan walk into a steakhouse? My guess, simply to complain and shame everyone enjoying a tasty T-Bone.

But I Digress…

- Del

[edit] pic added

 

[Pàdruig]

I understand and I think these are most people complaints/concerns as well.

This reminds me of last year. I was a rather vocal advocate for Elk and I seem to recall it being between Ram and Elk with the margins beings relatively narrow. I LOVE Rams Horn and would have been quite happy with it. Hindsight tells me that I just might have been happier with it in the long run...

With that said, the irony in this year's advocacy is not lost on me.

 

[KingMC]

I've been sitting on Ironwood since it was distant 3rd-place way back at the start, but I'm slowly learning more about the brushed finish and now I'm starting to question my vote. I'd be nearly as happy with AB, and the lack of the need to polish anything is certainly a big appeal.

 

[Peregrin]

Dial it down a notch, please. If you start taking pot shots at each other, making it personal, there will be repercussions.

 

[tmd_87]

This reminds me of last year. I was a rather vocal advocate for Elk and I seem to recall it being between Ram and Elk with the margins beings relatively narrow. I LOVE Rams Horn and would have been quite happy with it. Hindsight tells me that I just might have been happier with it in the long run...

With that said, the irony in this year's advocacy is not lost on me.

LOL, I will be a happy camper either way. You know me, I have a diverse knife collection with a lot of different cover materials. I think what a lot of the Ironwood voters are seeing is the almost the same thing the Blackwood voters are saying.

1. Has been done before. Market saturated with Blackwood (ebony) covered knives.
2. No character.
3. Actual endangered species of tree.

Thats the top 3 arguments I have heard.

 

[Pàdruig]

LOL, I will be a happy camper either way. You know me, I have a diverse knife collection with a lot of different cover materials. I think what a lot of the Ironwood voters are seeing is the almost the same thing the Blackwood voters are saying.

1. Has been done before. Market saturated with Blackwood (ebony) covered knives.
2. No character.
3. Actual endangered species of tree.

Thats the top 3 arguments I have heard.

I think what I find most frustrating is that GEC could turn out instant classics by using Ebony/Blackwood paired with some of the classically awesome shields like the Federal, Crest, Banner, etc. Instead, we get Tidioute Ebony with a darned Hotdog and Northfield Ebony with a Keyhole/Cloud.

Part of the great appeal with this year's knife is the opportunity to get a black wood with an awesome shield. Perhaps that is shallow of me but man, I love the examples that @Augie has displayed. GEC doesn't do that. This could be an opportunity for them to see what sort of awesomeness they could have been turning out all along.

 

[black mamba]

People keep referring to the ironwood bolster finish as satin, which it's not. The finish will be brushed. Satin is lightly polished to a low sheen, rather than a high polish to a shine. Brushed is brushed, you can still see the strokes in it like brush strokes on a painted wall. It really does NOT fit in with this knife. Please reconsider . . . .

 

[Signalprick]

I think what I find most frustrating is that GEC could turn out instant classics by using Ebony/Blackwood paired with some of the classically awesome shields like the Federal, Crest, Banner, etc. Instead, we get Tidioute Ebony with a darned Hotdog and Northfield Ebony with a Keyhole/Cloud.

Part of the great appeal with this year's knife is the opportunity to get a black wood with an awesome shield. Perhaps that is shallow of me but man, I love the examples that @Augie has displayed. GEC doesn't do that. This could be an opportunity for them to see what sort of awesomeness they could have been turning out all along.

People keep referring to the ironwood bolster finish as satin, which it's not. The finish will be brushed. Satin is lightly polished to a low sheen, rather than a high polish to a shine. Brushed is brushed, you can still see the strokes in it like brush strokes on a painted wall. It really does NOT fit in with this knife. Please reconsider . . . .

Great points gents! I am praying hard for African Blackwood and the bomb.

 

[Ernie1980]

I am still holding out for bloodwood!! I think if someone was going to change their vote from ironwood bloodwood makes more sense. I will be happy and buy 2 no matter what wood gets chosen

 

[H2O2HI]

I can't predict the future, but I will use the most current info and recommendations at that time. I hope Ironwood isn't ever similarly in danger.

Wintermute - Bringing up “endangered” with these guys is like pizzen into the wind. You’ll wake up without a head. They also are seriously deficient in appreciation of humor. I’m still recovering from 4th degree burns.

Joseph

 

[GE Jr]

What I'm getting from reading on the Wood Database site, is that African Blackwood is NOT endangered, and not yet actually threatened. It's a beautiful wood and is being offered to us!

Is there a better time than now?

 

[Amir Fleschwund]

Unless 100 of you change your vote in favor of osage orange, I'm going to still be happy with blackwood or ironwood.
I don't see the brushed bolsters as a big problem, because if I don't like it, I can polish them. That is actually the most enjoyable part of working on knives.

 

[cigarrodog]

Not following the Shield Poll as closely as this one. It’s starting to look like the Bomb Shield is going to be the peoples’ choice. Looking at the African Blackwood and the Ironwood examples, it will look far better, less busy, and cleaner on African Blackwood. It will make the Ironwood look busy and rather garish. Not everyone may agree, but that’s my honest feeling. No matter what your choice is, you might give this some thought. This knife should be considered holistically and more than just getting the covers you want.

 

[Camillus]

I think what I find most frustrating is that GEC could turn out instant classics by using Ebony/Blackwood paired with some of the classically awesome shields like the Federal, Crest, Banner, etc. Instead, we get Tidioute Ebony with a darned Hotdog and Northfield Ebony with a Keyhole/Cloud.
.

This could be an opportunity for them to see what sort of awesomeness they could have been turning out all along


There has been a lot of insightful discussion on this thread already, but this is one of the best comments I have seen.

After seeing the examples that Charlie showed us of what blackwood and ebony can look like on a traditional knife, I totally agree that there is a major opportunity cost in using those mean little shields. Perhaps the forum knife, in blackwood with a traditional shield, can start rectifying this?

As @Buzzbait said, most of us collect traditional knives for their heritage (its my word of the day). IMO Blackwood, Ebony and Jobillo evoke that heritage on this knife, in a way that Ironwood doesn’t. I am hoping for the classic/heritage look.

I am hoping that GEC has been paying attention to all of these polls and might start producing some knives that make peolle sit up and take notice again. Every classic pattern that is reproduced in plain micarta with a plain hotdog shield is a missed opportunity imo.