Another mushroom hunters knife in W2.

Fred.Rowe

Fred.Rowe

Joined
May 2, 2004
Messages
6,848
This little counter knife was made specifically to slice delicate mushrooms. The steel is W2 the blade is 5 inches long, it measures .086 at the spine handle junction and is truly scary sharp. It carries a 22 degree inclusive "flat" edge. I've made four similar knives recently, what can I say, its mushroom season. Sorry I do not know what the stabilized wood is, used for the handle. The spacer is walrus rib bone G10 and 416 stainless.
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Fred.Rowe said:
Sorry I do not know what the stabilized wood is, used for the handle. The spacer is walrus rib bone G10 and 416 stainless.
20150513_223950.jpg
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You are the maker, and you don't know what material you used for the handle?

Is that what I am reading?

You don't know and you can't find out, or you just don't remember?

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
You are the maker, and you don't know what material you used for the handle?

Is that what I am reading?

You don't know and you can't find out, or you just don't remember?

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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I have literally hundreds of pieces of handle material in the shop; this one was not marked. In the scheme of things, I don't think it actually matters what the material is. I don't believe you have ever posted a comment on any knife I've put up on the custom forum; I must finally be breaking the ice.
You have a great day!

Fred
 
I have been there...a lot of times some vendor has beautiful pieces of wood and the label states the wrong name for it (i'm thinking about ebony/blackwood....). Other times they actually don't know what they are selling, but we knifemaker select the pieces we like and then accumulate it in the stash. Sometimes a nice piece of wood remains just a nice piece of wood....mistery!! ;)
 
stezann said:
I have been there...a lot of times some vendor has beautiful pieces of wood and the label states the wrong name for it (i'm thinking about ebony/blackwood....). Other times they actually don't know what they are selling, but we knifemaker select the pieces we like and then accumulate it in the stash. Sometimes a nice piece of wood remains just a nice piece of wood....mistery!! ;)
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So many of my friends who make knives are as enamored of the materials they use in producing the knives, as they are the knives produced, I confess to being one of those people. I have materials from Cambodia and Malaysia, the outback of Australia as well as Austria and Auckland. Who ever cleans out my shop, at my passing, will be in for quite a geographical tour of the planet.

There is a lot of mystery and discovery in knife making and I like that.

PS If anyone has knowledge of this particular wood used for the handle please share that knowledge with me. F.R.
 
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That is a beautiful piece! :eek: I really like the colors in the handle and the way the accent piece of SS/G10/walrus really stands out. Well done! (I really like your makers mark too)
 
Fred.Rowe said:
I have literally hundreds of pieces of handle material in the shop; this one was not marked. In the scheme of things, I don't think it actually matters what the material is. I don't believe you have ever posted a comment on any knife I've put up on the custom forum; I must finally be breaking the ice.
You have a great day!

Fred
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If you don't think that is a problem Fred....that is all you need to say right there.:rolleyes:

Have a great weekend.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
If you don't think that is a problem Fred....that is all you need to say right there.:rolleyes:

Have a great weekend.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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You have never made a positive comment on my work, or any comment for that matter and I've been posting on here since 04; it just seemed a bit odd, to me, that you would take away from your time to berate me for posting a knife, not knowing the species of the handle material. I can go into detail on the heat treating aspect, the edge holding quality of the knife or any other technical information including how to sharpen the knife. I am very thorough when it comes to performance.
I was not being glib with the remark, being a man in his 70's and dealing with a host of illnesses, it at times takes all I have to complete the job. You will forgive me for not meeting your standards. :) I will try harder next time. Fred
 
Hi Fred,

I don't think I berated you, but I did ask some questions.

Being thorough and having a solid performance aspect to your steels is but one PART of being a custom knifemaker. If your customers have no issues with mystery components of one of your knives then that answers a question right there.

It isn't a matter of "my" standards. Knowing what materials are in a knife, art project, gun or pretty much anything that is handmade are a hallmark of the maker.

"Wood" is not a reasonable descriptor of a material, and each material tells a story. You put up a knife on BFC in this section, and you know the steel well...and that is good for performance, but what about the collector who is buying the piece for appreciation? Does saying that material data is unimportant encourage that person to purchase with confidence?

I haven't commented on your knives in the past because I didn't think that there was a benefit involved for you in doing so.

Using Micarta that was part of the first phone bank array or part of a tree that came from a famous person like Washington or Jefferson and explaining this holds as much value as knowing a good heat treatment. People are not just buying the product or you as a maker....they are buying the story too.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
I've used zebra wood on a couple of reel seats for flyrods. That looks very similar.

Tad
 
I doubt if Fred feels the need to defend himself, he has a stellar reputation, he's a hell'va knife maker, and a gentleman of the old school. He posted a superb little knife and didn't know the wood handle. It's a knife, men, he didn't present it as a story. He presented it as a mushroom knife. STeven, while I often think you are on target, you failed to recognize the man you were addressing or his intent...not a story, a mushroom knife. Why be so pretentious? You preached to this man! There was no other story than a nice little knife. I'm sure if the wood had come from the G. Washington estate he would have been happy to tell us, but, as it is, he told the story just fine.:)
 
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David Stifle said:
I doubt if Fred feels the need to defend himself, he has a stellar reputation, he's a hell'va knife maker, and a gentleman of the old school. He posted a superb little knife and didn't know the wood handle. It's a knife, men, he didn't present it as a story. He presented it as a mushroom knife. STeven, while I often think you are on target, you failed to recognize the man you were addressing or his intent...not a story, a mushroom knife. Why be so pretentious? You preached to this man! There was no other story than a nice little knife. I'm sure if the wood had come from the G. Washington estate he would have been happy to tell us, but, as it is, he told the story just fine.:)
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I don't think you are getting it, David.

Materials used are important....you as the maker have full control over the materials you use....and you should damned well know what they are...you owe that to your customers.

With steels, it's less important to know what......say a carbon steel is, than to have developed a good heat treat method for it and stand behind the performance of said knife for its' intended use.

It's not pretense, it's pretty much standard accepted practice....another standard practice that seems to get a pass occasionally is the mark the knife as to who made it....which is really wrongheaded.

It's admirable for you to stick up for him...but to come on BFC and post a knife where you don't know what materials you are working with is misguided at the least.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
I don't think you are getting it, David.

Materials used are important....you as the maker have full control over the materials you use....and you should damned well know what they are...you owe that to your customers.

With steels, it's less important to know what......say a carbon steel is, than to have developed a good heat treat method for it and stand behind the performance of said knife for its' intended use.

It's not pretense, it's pretty much standard accepted practice....another standard practice that seems to get a pass occasionally is the mark the knife as to who made it....which is really wrongheaded.

It's admirable for you to stick up for him...but to come on BFC and post a knife where you don't know what materials you are working with is misguided at the least.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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I get it, Steven, and of course it's accepted practice. But, why don't you spend the next thirty years if your life making thousands of knifes, forget one thing in a long lifetime, and have someone come on like you have. How much better it would have been if it had went something like this:

'nice knife, Fred, a shame you don't know what wood it is"

"Yeah, guess I missed that one, my mistake" And that's what Fred would have said, if he hadn't felt slighted.

All I'm saying, Steven, you could have made your point more tactfully. And isn't that what you are trying to do these days? I like you, but come'on!
 
David Stifle said:
I get it, Steven, and of course it's accepted practice. But, why don't you spend the next thirty years if your life making thousands of knifes, forget one thing in a long lifetime, and have someone come on like you have. How much better it would have been if it had went something like this:

'nice knife, Fred, a shame you don't know what wood it is"

"Yeah, guess I missed that one, my mistake" And that's what Fred would have said, if he hadn't felt slighted.

All I'm saying, Steven, you could have made your point more tactfully. And isn't that what you are trying to do these days? I like you, but come'on!
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Yes I am trying to be more tactful....believe it or not, I actually thought about how to do this more "softly"....you wouldn't have liked what I was originally going to write.

I made my point, if it helps Fred or another maker, than it was a good point...if not, it wasn't. I already have spent 30 years collecting knives, writing about knives and learning about knives.

Sometimes, I make mistakes, it's accepted as a learning experience and I move on from there....I try not to get an attitude about it, and I don't make excuses.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
Yes I am trying to be more tactful....believe it or not, I actually thought about how to do this more "softly"....you wouldn't have liked what I was originally going to write.

I made my point, if it helps Fred or another maker, than it was a good point...if not, it wasn't. I already have spent 30 years collecting knives, writing about knives and learning about knives.

Sometimes, I make mistakes, it's accepted as a learning experience and I move on from there....I try not to get an attitude about it, and I don't make excuses.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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I understand, STeven, and logic is a fine thing, so is being right as you were actually,, unless you lose the point by others rejecting what you are saying due to the way you said it. There was nothing positive gained here, only hurt feelings, and it wasn't necessary. I'm not going to continue this, my friend, I've had my say, as have you.
 
Steven,

In all honesty, not wanting to hurt your feelings, I do understand your point. But its wasted on me. I'm not on here to be schooled on how to post. It would have been nice if I had known the species of wood, but, the knife is not for sale, its sold. The person who purchased it, picked out the wood themselves. They were not concerned about the species, they were delighted with its appearance. My purpose was to share, what I consider a nice little picture of a nice little knife. I'm a finish carpenter Steve, I know every aspect of wood. I fell the trees, saw the logs, stack them and dry them, plane them and turn them into majestic spiral stairways in million dollar homes.
David is right, if your approach had been more palatable, your point would have been taken and I would have posted a smiley face and I would have moved on. I make it a point, to never walk on peoples feet even if I disagree with them. I offer you the same, but I expect the same from you.

Regards, Fred
 
Hi Fred,

You don't have to worry about my feelings....I don't have very many.

Fair enough, just couldn't figure out a "soft" way to write what I felt had to be written.

Glad your customer likes it.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
It's a great little mushroom knife, but here on the west coast the real mushroom season doesn't start till fall rains. Chanterelles, sweet tooth, matsutaki, YUM!

The secret of matsutaki is that the A#1 are still hiding in the ground, beneath a little dark brown cap of soil and pine needles. Activate your "mushroom eyes," see the dome of dirt, pull it up, and there in a hollow in the soil, the white unopened cap of primo matsutaki.
 
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