Are knife magazines truly made for the knife community?

I picked up the latest issue of Blade last night. Pretty good stuff. Pics of the winning knives from the Arkansas show...good. Article on the all time classic knives...good. Some technical articles, including one by Kevin Cashen with his micrographs.........good. Then I got to the last article and what was it? The freakin Mantis Militia!!!!!!!!!!OY!!!!!!!:grumpy:
 
ddd said:
Are knife magazines really made for the knife community by people who
care for the interests of their readers, giving them mainly knife related
unbiassed news and articles?

Making a profit from ads, subscriptions and bookstore/newsstands sales
is totally legitimate, but do the editors/publishers also have motives to
deny their readers certain information while promoting other (paying?)
subjects?

I know this is a provocation but many facts indicate that much of this is true.

Anyone have similar experiences?

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
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I find this a bit vague, like saying an organization is too "political"?
What {many facts} do you speak of? .. not trying to disagree, just understand.
As far as advertising, i do feel there is more in todays Blade than 15 yrs. ago.

But, that's capitalism.

Also, .. if you charge a fee for including a knifemakers work in your book, that's a form of advertising too. Right?

Telln'the truth. We're all capitalists! , except those who are not profiting from this stuff. I'm in that group. :) at the moment. Humble few.
David
 
Dr. Darom,
OK, i understand.. "politics" about the way your books were accepted by different editors.. I see now.
David
 
2knife said:
Also, .. if you charge a fee for including a knifemakers work in your book, that's a form of advertising too. Right? David
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David,

When I do my books, I don't just slap together ready made pictures
(some good some of "lesser quality"), add some off-the-sleeve vague
captions and go with this to print. If that was my way, I'd pay the
knifemakers to participate.....

I'll say it once more and then end my part in this thread as it seems that
I am causing more misunderstandings then meant.

I was vague at first but in one of my last posts it came out...

David, I know that everything is politics and policies are, in many cases,
dictated by directors who know near to nothing about the subject - just
the numbers related to cash flow. But even so, there should be something
called politically correct. What I said earlier:
...The most correct way would have been to have said something after
receiving the first copy, like, "sorry we don't review books", I could have
saved about $1,000... OR write to me and say "We only review books that
we publish..." Which now seems quite obvious to me!

Thanks to everyone for participating. In many cases you opened my eyes
to see things from different perspectives, as always on this Forum...

I hope that at least you guys will continue to enjoy my books....

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
 
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David,
Also, you should be able to expect common courtesy, which it appears you did not receive. I think anyone would be aggravated by the same treatment.. and might lead them to the same conclusions.

Sorry, about the finacial questions, I just wondered how it all meshed, costs/fees, etc... Your explanations are appreciated. Thank you for obliging to answer. Your books are a remarkable testament. Best of success!
David
 
When I read your original post Dr. Darom I sensed your disappointment in not having your books reviewed. I understand the feelings and the questioning of the process and players, I think that is natural.

I think the relationships between money, advertising, and press has been fairly well covered. I do want to reiterate the point that while I have never advertised in a magazine while I have received very fair press.

I usually have several knives photographed every year; with copies of the photos going to several publications. This is an expense of about $100 per knife. If you don't send pictures you will have a very hard time getting published. I think this effort is appreciated by the editors and it gives them material for articles. I see this as an entry fee to be seen in knife publications.

When I have had a production release of one of my designs with Spyderco, I usually send out several knives for testing and evaluation. Some of these knives have been reviewed and some have not. My designs are very well marketed by Joyce Laituri, but there have been no advertisements purchased for them. Again I see this as providing materials to writers and editors.

I made a decision years ago to make quality hats and shirts to give away and not do written advertisements. For this reason I will probably never buy an advertisement nor will I be featured in one of your excellent and historical books...Take Care...Ed
 
if anyone deserves a book it is Ed Schempp! excellent work, i didn't even know you were a member here.
 
Ed Schempp said:
For this reason I will probably never buy an advertisement nor will I be featured in one of your excellent and historical books...Take Care...Ed
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Don't be so sure about the second part of your sentence, Ed....... :)

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
 
I've always enjoyed the knife magazines. Tactical Knives has always been my favorite since they first started. I like Knife World also. I think they all do a good service covering a variety of knife interests.
Scott
 
No offense meant DDD, but I am probably one of the few who do not appreciate your style of writing and photography. I also have very little interest in the style of knives you love. To be blunt, I don't share your taste in knives, photography or prose.

I am a suscriber to Blade and Knifeworld and I can readily see why they might not want to do a review on your new book. You take it as a personal affront or a conspiracy, when in reality, they may just not like the book enough to give it press or they think your book won't appeal to their readers enough to warrant the space.

Did you talk to the editors before you sent your book? Did you schmooze them? I gather you sent them unsolicited copies like most authors, then why would you expect anything since nothing was promised? "Common courtesy" dictates that nothing has to be done if one receives unsolicited material, no matter how expensive.
 
Hi David,

You have a "problem" with Knife World (justifiably it seems...they should have at least returned the books). I agree that it is odd that they would not do a review of the book. Did you find this to be a problem with Blade and KI?

I think that should have been what your thread was about.

If you have a complaint, state it. It appeared you were "fishing" for others to beat up the knife magazines.
 
severedthumbs said:
if anyone deserves a book it is Ed Schempp! excellent work, i didn't even know you were a member here.
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Agreed! I can also think of another Ed.. I have heard that locals in Riverton, WYO. call him "Fuzzy" Fowler.

And, he wears a real cowboy hat, honestly. .. not the shiny imitation "show hat".

Brownshoe,
You make a point. On the other hand, without agreeing/disagreeing of the content I think there's no question, DDD's books deserve some serious attention. They are very well done, and run as a series. Not trying to speak for another, but i think it is safe to assume the following: whether he smoozed the editors, the books alone deserve serious consideration, These are not the average flip-through garbage some half wit would just throw out to make a quick buck.

I think this thread started as a feeler to get how others felt, not attack anyone.. in that spirit, i think it is good he chose not to name parties.
D2
 
KNIFE WORLD reviews books now-and-then, but I don't remember seeing a book review in BLADE or KI for a long time (though I'm too lazy to check). They do review knife-related DVD's occasionally, I know that since I just did a piece reviewing a number of them. So take a lookyloo to see if there are ANY books reviewed in BLADE or KI.

And besides...

In KNIFE WORLD, on the bottom of the page listing publisher, editors, et. al., it says: "We assume no responsiblity for unsolicited materials and reserve the right to conform submissions...,etc." In each issue of BLADE (I don't get KI anymore), on the page listing publishers, editors and various other positions, it says, "BLADE assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials sent to it." This is not peculiar to knife publications. SOME publications (about guns, geography, food, whatever) will send a standardized postcard saying the equivalent of "thanks, no thanks" but many do not and none of them have to if they have that little statement about not assuming responsibility. It's there, in print, and writers generally know that. As Casey Stengel used to say: "You can look it up!"
Steve Garger
 
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brownshoe said:
No offense meant DDD, but I am probably one of the few who do not appreciate your style of writing and photography. I also have very little interest in the style of knives you love. To be blunt, I don't share your taste in knives, photography or prose.
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It must get pretty rough when you do mean to offend someone. :thumbdn: :D

Your posts always amuse me. :thumbdn:

Actually, I think David's taste in custom knives is very diverse and he features a broad range of custom knife styles in his books. Fixed, folders, art knives, fantasy knives. Where does your taste in custom knives lie? :confused:
 
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I am sure glad to see someone putting in the effort to display all these beautiful knives as David has. We all have different tastes but its the artistry in both the knives and the book that can still be appreciated. The handmade knife world needs as much attention as possible in a general audience if it is to survive and thrive (IMO). My parents really got a kick out of these books and they are not collectors.
 
It was with a feeling of incredulity that I read the brownshoe post. I found it to be pretty nasty, and not quite in keeping with the generally positive scene we all have going in here.

I haven't checked out these books, but if I had and decided that they weren't for me, I wouldn't have posted my dislike for them in here for all to read. If I really hated them and wanted my money back, a private conversation with Darom would be appropriate.

Just the statement;

"I am probably one of the few who do not appreciate your style of writing and photography. I also have very little interest in the style of knives you love. To be blunt, I don't share your taste in knives, photography or prose."

is a pretty aggressive attack on Darom's passion and/or livelihood. Unnecessary. Not cool at all. Not a nice or informative thing to say to a knifemaker or anyone else whose livelihood is derived from custom/handmade knives, either.


This is the highly specialized work of one guy, who posts frequently regarding his passion for the same basic thing we're all in here for. Has he heard bad reviews? I don't know, but this was no review, it was a public and intentional rebuke.
Kind of sad.
 
jonathan brand said:
I am sure glad to see someone putting in the effort to display all these beautiful knives as David has. We all have different tastes but its the artistry in both the knives and the book that can still be appreciated. The handmade knife world needs as much attention as possible in a general audience if it is to survive and thrive (IMO). My parents really got a kick out of these books and they are not collectors.
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Another "BIG PICTURE" thinker. :thumbup:
Well said, Jon.
 
Lorien said:
It was with a feeling of incredulity that I read the brownshoe post. I found it to be pretty nasty, and not quite in keeping with the generally positive scene we all have going in here.
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this cant always be kumbaya land.

like ddd's books or not, one has to appreciate the time and effort he puts into those amazing books.
 
David Darom put a lot of hard work and effort into producing a top quality series of books about knives.

I have previously expressed issues with HOW he did it and WHO was included, and have been given multitudes of feedback about other perspectives within the knife community.

The one that got to the crux was from Phil Lobred, who opined that David MADE the books, and if I wasn't going to do the same, it might be best if I simply accepted the books, and enjoyed them for what they are....beautifully photographed representations of one finely educated perspective on custom knives.

Weyer did his thing with the Points of Interest series from 1984 until 1999...that's 15 years to produce 5 books on knives, 1 every three years.....these books were considered the finest volumes on custom knives at the time, simply without rebuke(unless you were not one of Jim Weyer's customers, lol)

David Darom put out his first custom knife book in 2003....5 years ago...in that time he has produced 5 books...1 a year, without a lowering of visual quality, and if you look at it, the text has become even more informative, and encompassing of diverse thoughts and inclusion of some fine writers/collectors. Whereas Jim Weyer was quite heavy handed with his books, only using his photographs, and very limited writers, David Darom has been MUCH more collaborative with his work, and I don't feel that this is due to lack of resources.

In his first book, Jim Weyer thanks 6 people, most of whom I had never heard of before, in his first knife book, Dr. Darom thanks 29 people, more than 1/2 WELL known in the knife community, with writing by 7 noted practioners of the crafts covered.

Between the Weyer books and the Darom books, most of over the last 20 years in custom knives is covered in full color, crisp photographs with excellent text, in hardbound format....If you purchase those 9 books(excluding Edmund Davidson's excellent volume) you are not missing much visually.

I don't pretend to know why David made his initial post the way he did, and don't know why ANY knife periodical would not review his work, but the bottom line is that no periodical has published a finer series of books about custom knives than David Darom.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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