Another fantastic custom from NY

  • Thread starter Thread starter RL
  • Start date Start date
I don't grind blades, so I don't have a dog in this fight. :D I'm well aware that I couldn't grind a blade to save my life.

the other "Harpoon" that I have seen pictures of shows the exact same asymmetry. Greater overlap on the left side than the right. The intersection looks sloppy. The fact that the intersection is different on both sides with no obvious other signs of asymmetry looks even sloppier. Why make excuses for it? It's like insert name of hot lady here missing a nostril.

Intentionally asymmetrical blades are totally different. I actually like them--chisel grinds, kata-kiri-ha sugata, etc. In these cases the asymmetry is a designed-in feature, part of how the blade is intended to be used.

Edit: Knives get "picked apart" here all the time. Such is the nature of a forum that is dedicated to fine custom and handmade knives. If you haven't seen any critique on this forum, you've been surfing with your eyes closed.

In closing, I will add: "Kumbaya!"
 
bluejaunte said:
Edit: Knives get "picked apart" here all the time. Such is the nature of a forum that is dedicated to fine custom and handmade knives. If you haven't seen any critique on this forum, you've been surfing with your eyes closed.

In closing, I will add: "Kumbaya!"
Click to expand...

True, but there's typically a time and place for it.

This particular thread was a "Look at my cool new knife" thread, not a "what do you think of this knife" thread.

Like I said, it's not typical to go to the Gallery and pick apart handmade blades.

I just think it was in bad taste.
 
shotgunner11 said:
Man, here I thought it was in bad taste to pick apart a makers work here on BF.

I'm going to go over to the gallery and start nit picking peoples handmade knives, see how long it takes for people to call me out so I can point them to this thread.

It must be OK, right.
Click to expand...

Well, you thought real wrong, for lack of a gentle and polite way of putting it.

For a MAKER to be NASTY to a MAKER here is in bad taste....to offer critique to maker posted work(which we have been through the mill as to the definition of) should be expected.

NOW....if a collector wants to put up a pick of their newest pride and joy, the expectation is for kumbaya UNLESS the collector specifically says something like "please tell me what you all think".

This is after much distillation of what "we" are trying to accomplish...and how....Coop, Danbo, J.T. Wylie and some of the other veteranos tend to be pretty gentle about it...Peter Gill, and Roger Pinnock CAN be sharp tounged, but tend to moderate....If I don't like something, I stew on it for a while before posting, so it is not a knee jerk reaction....my hope is USUALLY that it is helpful critique, but I have in the past been a complete dick, and savaged some makers work because it drove me insane...like miniatures, or crown stag....which have their place......in another state, perhaps.;)

Does this make any sense? What would you prefer be the modus opporundi?

shotgunner11 said:
True, but there's typically a time and place for it.

This particular thread was a "Look at my cool new knife" thread, not a "what do you think of this knife" thread.

Like I said, it's not typical to go to the Gallery and pick apart handmade blades.

I just think it was in bad taste.
Click to expand...

THIS was not a Cool knife-new It's mine thread...this is a thread started by someone who knows better, loves to stir up shit for no reason other than what is in his own little twisted mind, and get pissed when the expected negatives come rolling in.

I'll put it this way....RL could probably post up a picture of a Don Fogg bowie here and get a negative reaction by the way he approached it......probably saying something like "This is for you wussy, sissy frou-frou forged knive lovers.....I bought it so I could throw it in the toilet".....That is in bad taste as much as anything.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
shotgunner11 said:
This particular thread was a "Look at my cool new knife" thread, not a "what do you think of this knife" thread.
.
Click to expand...

not technically...
RL said:
not mine this time...but pretty incredible..
Click to expand...

Seems as though RL just wanted to share what he thought was a cool looking knife to him. Others question his motives , I for one am glad he shared.

And I agree , if this were a knife made by a maker who had a high presence on forum , I highly doubt you would see some of the comments made.
Some you would , cause those guys speak their mind , and their opinion , can't fault that , I respect each and every opinion , up until they claim their opinion to be fact .

** disclaimer just a joke **
Should I consider a chisel ground knife to be flawed , it only has one side ground :D Does 1/2 the time = 1/2 the cost ?
** disclaimer just a joke **
 
shotgunner11 said:
This particular thread was a "Look at my cool new knife" thread, not a "what do you think of this knife" thread.
Click to expand...

Bzzzt! This was a perfect invitation for commentary. RL specifically stated he was not the owner, and when someone says a knife is "fantastic" around here, it damned well better be.

Like I said, it's not typical to go to the Gallery and pick apart handmade blades.
Click to expand...

Wrong forum. This is not the Knifemakers' Gallery. This is the Custom and Handmade Knives Discussion Forum.
 
I'm not a regular in this forum and frankly, from an outsiders POV, I can see why.

A person posts a pic of a knife and they should "Know better".

It's just silliness.

If this thread doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth and is the norm here, so be it, i know I won't be back.
 
John T Wylie Jr said:
again , not a flaw UNLESS the intention was to be symmetrical , perhaps that wasn't his intent ?

Mr Schott , are your knives , both the handles and the blade 100% symettrical ? I ask that as an honest question, as your website only shows one side of your knives.

I will openly admit , the blades I hand grind are not 100% symettrical , I get close , but they are not purfect. I keep improving , and I am getting closer , but then again my intent is to make knives to be used , not stared at.
Click to expand...

You are correct, it may indeed be intended. That is unknown and would not be a flaw at all. I havent seen many knives ground asymmetrically, but there could certainly be some advantages people might not be aware of, which would be great! I don't, however, think that the original commenter was out of line to ask that question...one cannot always assume everything they see was intended or else we would have no general standards to measure any knife against.

As for my knives, which I can speak about with authority, I try my very best to grind them as symmetrically as my ability allows. I am not a mastersmith and am still a fairly new maker in the big picture, so I don't in any way claim my knives to be geometrically perfect. You'd probably be hard pressed to find any knife that is "perfect." I do my best, as all other makers do. I strive to improve and to keep my head on straight and true, and I try to ensure that customers receive a knife that exceeds their expectations rather than one that they merely think is worth the price, if that makes sense.

That being said, I try to price and sell my knives relative to my abilities and experience. I don't think its realistic to ignore the price of a knife when deciding to what standards it should be examined, which I think was the original commenter's point.

To use an example outside knives so as to not imply anything unwanted, I would personally not expect my Toyota to be crafted to the exacting standards of a Ferrari. I knew that when I bought it. This doesn't mean that the Toyota is a bad car, or that it won't get me to and from work. If I was buying a Ferrari, however, I would be a lot more critical about minor things that i'd otherwise ignore on my Toyota. Even this might be a bad example. Im not implying that the knife in question is a Toyota, at all. Im just trying to say that its human nature to view anything for sale and determine the level of critique proportional to its price. I don't think anyone could deny that.

Im trying as hard as I possibly can to be part of this discussion in a positive way. I started off in this thread on the wrong foot, and took my wraps and apoligized. I am still a knife lover, though, and think that beneath everything in this thread, there may still be some valuable points/discussion to be made without anyone getting angry.

I wonder if some of this comes back to some past hot topics regarding critique. Perhaps the questions at hand are:
-Should the exacting standards a knife is measured against have anything to do with its price, or should all knives of all makers and skills be thrown in a single pool and judged together?

Im trying, honestly, to handle all this wearing kid gloves...I hope this doesn't come off wrong, though I know it might...I'd probably be a lot more open discussing it outside this particular thread, so that my discussion points aren't associated with my lapse in judgement earlier this week. I was being a jerk then, Im trying to be the opposite now.
 
shotgunner11 said:
I'm not a regular in this forum and frankly, from an outsiders POV, I can see why.

A person posts a pic of a knife and they should "Know better".

It's just silliness.

If this thread doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth and is the norm here, so be it, i know I won't be back.
Click to expand...

Ok, you won't be back.....that will be a loss, seriously....I've seen your posts in other sub-forums..you have depth and intelligence, which we can always use around here.

This subforum is obviously, like many others, comprised and flows with the members active in it...if you want something to change, you have to commit to it, and be consistent....otherwise it stays status-quo, and this statement comes from personal experience.

Just be prepared for constant battle...and if that does not suit you, for sure, this might not be the place for you to hang your hat, Kumbaya.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
I think this is an example of an intended asymmetrical grind.

NFF5.jpg


NFF4.jpg
 
ddd said:
I like it!
Seems like having two knives while holding only one!

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
Click to expand...



I like it too Triple D!

another one I like, not sure what happened to the color on these, but I like the knife. A well used 6K SnG

DSC01698small.jpg


DSC01696small.jpg


DSC01703small.jpg
 
Last edited:
Let me spell out the rules of the various forums. If you are a new knifemaker and you want encouragement and advice, you post in the makers sub-forums. If you want a critique of the knife, understanding that you are going to get the good with the bad, post it in here. Unfortunately, the topic of Strider carries so much baggage with it that it is impossible to post one here without someone going off the reservation or so it would seem. As for me, I just look at the knives. They are not to my taste, but the Strider custom stuff has some interesting grinds and handle treatments. Perhps more importantly, they pass my first test for a knife, be it a user, collector or "art" piece. That is, if I have to open a package or cut some twine and somebody hands me a Strider, will it do the tasks that knives should do? The answer is yes. Even though I may not like the look or certain things about the ergonomics of the knives, they are still designed to perform the intended functions of knives and I know at least one Strider owner, who happens to also own one of my knives and he says that they perform those functions quite well. See? I talked about things that I don't like personally about the knives, but I also talked about things that Strider does well and didn't throw out a single insult. That wasn't that hard, was it?:D
 
severedthumbs said:
I like it too Triple D!

another one I like, not sure what happened to the color on these, but I like the knife.

DSC01698small.jpg


DSC01696small.jpg


DSC01703small.jpg
Click to expand...
Interesting. That knife does not seem to have the thumb hole location of the first knife and angle issues that I saw on the first knives Perhaps the way to describe it is that this knife has the hole in line with the general long axis of the knife and the other ones had it aligned down at an angle that followed the spine of the blade somewhat. This one just looks more "right" to me.
 
Four (4!) positive posts in a row about Strider knives,
Will the thread end here with this cheerful note?

I personally hope so....... :)

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
 
I think stryders grinds are cool but the knives are not my thing. For that kind of money, I'd have to go with something like this.. (note- stryder knives was consulted about the use of this design and I believe these were special ordered)

blade-06-tac-close.jpg


Don, I sure hope you don't mind me posting this in a heated thread.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top