Are there too many good knife makers?

I consider myself a new collector even though I have been purchasing custom knives for several years. Because of this site I have expanded my knowledge and awareness of other makers, whereas before I only knew of makers from local gun shows. Of the makers I found at the shows I concentrated or continue to concentrate on one of those makers or really a family of makers here in the SW that I am loyal to.

I have used the makers for sell area as a way to introduce myself to makers that post there. I have also expanded and am looking into my first project of sorts. I like that there is such a variety of offering out there. I may want a knife made in a particular style or with a particular steel and have choices of who I would ask to make that knife.

I hope to collect for many years and would like to always have so many wonderful makers to choose from.
 
Kohai999 said:
Yes, of course you are right Marcel, it took off like gangbusters....who ever heard of Moran or Loveless or the ABS or the Knifemakers Guild....obviously, the US lags behind the greatness of the rest of the world.....do you really want to compare, say....Solingen or Sheffield to US custom knifemakers?

Before you get all bent out of shape, I like you, you know that, I like MANY non-American knifemakers, but the globalization of commerce for me stops with knifemaking, and it always has....one of the reasons that I got into it is that American knifemakers were so ahead of the curve in the '80's that it was astounding, and if you look at output, the rest of the world is STILL trying to catch up.

If you don't get the point, than there is no point....and let me finish by stating that there are 5(five) makers listed in K2013 for the Netherlands, none for Scotland, none for Iceland(places I just visited) and roughly 30 for Alaska, one of the United States most remote and inhospitable locales.

Just like the Olympics, USA kicks ass in knifemaking....end of story....no guts, no glory.

Unless it is absolutely required, I'll bow out of this one, as I fear the usual suspects will chime in with the usual kumbaya BS and that will raise my hackles and no good will come of it...I'm completely inflexible on this subject, and leave you all to it.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
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How many knife shows have you attended in Europe and Asia STeven?
 
Joss, that's a good question that could be asked of many American collectors. I've seen lots of pics of the non-US shows and the knives that makers bring to them. Personally, what I've seen tells me I'm not really missing anything. My needs and desires are well-satisfied in North America so I choose to go no where else for knives, primarily for reasons of taste.
 
I'm just pointing out that Steven was making several logical mistakes in his assessment. It's true of course that in the US we're mostly exposed to US makers, but that doesn't mean that the non-US makers are not producing work of comparable quality. We have the most sophisticated and deepest knife market here but even with that, our exposure to foreign makers is very small. What do we know of modern Japanese sword and kitchen knife makers? Very little. What do we know about the work produced in Russia? Just as little. What do we know about the work produced in China, India, and the Arab world? Nothing at all, yet I am certain they produce astonishing quality work (probably not to our taste).

For US collectors to start making broad statement on the quality of the US vs. non US makers without having actually explored the other markets is just plain silly. I'm normally sympathetic to the argument that good art will find its way across the globe, but that is not true. In the US, we are mostly exposed to US makers because those are the once who are plugged into the dealer and show networks, those that are attuned to US trends and tastes, those who speak the language, etc.

In France, collectors often know many more French makers than US makers - for the same reasons, even though the US makers no doubt are the best exposed in the world. When I went to the Paris show, I saw quite a few makers I had never heard of before who were making world class stuff.

To quote K2013 - a US made, US researched, US produced book - as a source for what is happening in the world is asinine. This book only list makers who have a presence in the US. It's no surprise that most are US based...

(I'd love for us to have exposure to the best world knife realizations, but the truth is that we don't. Some of the dealers bring in a chosen few, but only from Europe, and it's a very small selection indeed.)
 
I don't pretend to know the global knife / sword market - and for that reason I would be in no position to categorically dismiss everything outside North America as being categorically unworthy of my interest. Frankly, I find such a statement to border on the astonishing. What little I do know of foreign makers - guys from England, Australia, Belgium, Germany and Brazil (to name just a few) - makes me think I am missing a great deal of talent indeed. I'd love to cross the pond for a knife show - but it's difficult enough to find time and funds to attend all the US shows I would like to see. I'm sure I will one day, and I'm sure I will be glad that I did. And until then, I am grateful to those foreign makers who travel to the US shows and give me the opportunity to view their work in person.
 
Joss, there are no winners or losers when it comes to personal opinions (ie, preferences). And it's personal opinions that drive the tastes of most collectors, I would imagine. At least, that's what drives my tastes. And I've seen so much from any number of countries, either from pics of shows, images sent to me, etc, that I've figured out what I like (and my collection includes Asian and European, incidentally) and I just don't need to go elsewhere to get it, though that might seem categorically astonishing to some.:D
 
That's a completely different statement. I don't find astonishing that you choose to stay here, where you know you can find what you're looking for. I find silly to make broad carpet statements, basically saying that most of the world's top makers are in the US since there are so few makers listed in K2013 outside the US.
 
Joss said:
That's a completely different statement. I don't find astonishing that you choose to stay here, where you know you can find what you're looking for. I find silly to make broad carpet statements, basically saying that most of the world's top makers are in the US since there are so few makers listed in K2013 outside the US.
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I hear ya, Joss.
 
Joss and Roger thanks for your comments. I have books in my collection produced by the Knife Guilds of Italy, Germany and Russia (try to get the book Edged Weapons from the Russian Guild and you'll see what I mean) and their best makers/knives are equal to the best US-based makers and knives. They may not be to your taste, but that's no problem.

Marcel
 
I think the number of makers just pushes the bar higher, Luckily there are as many tastes as there are Makers.

Marcel, after browsing through your "Collection & Available Knives" link. Curiosity grabbed me, what percent of those knives are by US Makers?
 
Well, maybe I have to throw in my 2 cents...

If, as an American, you only look at American makers... well, good for you, but your missing out on a great deal of FANTASTIC knives. No worries though, that leaves more for me ;)

I do own some fantastic knives made by US makers. (Terzuola, Fuegen, Buxton, to name but a few).

But I also own a lot of knives by European makers that can easily equal, if not better those US makers. Difficult to say, as European makers do have different styles than US makers. Which, of course, makes it all the more interesting. Just look at the work of Aad Van Rijswijk and Hill Knives from Holland, Reiner Grosche from Germany, Martin Annegarn, Gudy Van Poppel, Gert Van Den Elsen, all from holland...

So, I will not decide who is better, US, Japanes, Russian, European. But I look at all of them, and pick what I like.

And to answer the original question of the thread: no, there can never be enough good makers. But maybe there should be more collectors!

Kind regards,

Jos
 
Joss said:
That's a completely different statement. I don't find astonishing that you choose to stay here, where you know you can find what you're looking for. I find silly to make broad carpet statements, basically saying that most of the world's top makers are in the US since there are so few makers listed in K2013 outside the US.
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I find a lot of things silly Joss....you are French by birth, right? You may predisposed to have a more global interest than I do.

Is it silly that you profit from a US based company? I don't know, I don't really care.

I've never been to a show in Europe or Asia because I never had the necessity to.

I DID go to a number of knife shops and the knife museum in Seki, Japan and also looked for knife shops when I was in Amsterdam, Scotland and Iceland last month....didn't find too much...not only of interest, but simply anything...and I looked fairly hard.

Just so Joss can put his silly where the sun doesn't shine, a bit of explanation as often requested by my good friend Mr. Cooper may be in order.

I have a lot of knives, by just about any metric, and occasionally, something must be sold from my collection in order to justify another purchase. I don't ship overseas for a variety of reasons, but the simple fact is that it is not worth the hassle and worry to do it. It may be worth the hassle and worry for many of my fellow Forumites.

If I want to sell a knife domestically in the US, I want it to be an "easy" sale and not have to explain who the maker is, so I tend to go for more established US makers that I feel I can make some money on if I decide to sell, The Gamble, if you will.

I'm not gambling on non-US makers, because to learn about them and see what market position on them is more difficult FOR ME than going with a domestic maker. In addition, if there is a problem(which I have had with two South American makers, one requiring re-machining of the knife, the other handle material shrunk) it is an additional hassle..and really not worth it to me.

Is that more logical?

And no, there are not too many makers, because variety is the spice of life, I dig Mom, corn-on-the cob and apple pie, you might like Papa, steak frites and tarte tatin...room for everyone at the table.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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Kohai999 said:
I'm not gambling on non-US makers, because to learn about them and see what market position on them is more difficult FOR ME than going with a domestic maker. In addition, if there is a problem(which I have had with two South American makers, one requiring re-machining of the knife, the other handle material shrunk) it is an additional hassle..and really not worth it to me.
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that is a really good point.
 
Why is there so little presence here (forum) to represent the wider world market of custom knives and/or knifemakers ? The "world-wide" web.. Yet we see only a small representation.
Davif
 
2knife said:
Why is there so little presence here (forum) to represent the wider world market of custom knives and/or knifemakers ? The "world-wide" web.. Yet we see only a small representation.
Davif
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What skin do you have in that game?

Put up or shut up.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
David, you don't think this is the only knife forum in the world, do you?
Lots of people out there don't speak english, y'know:)
 
2knife said:
No need to get your panties in a wad, It was a simple question i asked.
David
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I think.... If I may STeven. Put up where you are from in your profile, then talk about where people are from!

Edit to add quote
 
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I'm in the US.

Question is not slated to offend anyone, or derail conversation. It may be rephrased, what would bring more exposure of other countries' knifemakers to the US market?
David
 
There can always be to many makers but it's the the top where all makers want to be, striving to improve there skills to get there. The ones that achieve the designs and skills to make them reality are the one that we stand in line to purchase there work. The custom knife world is constantly changing and evolving. As the equipment for knife making gets better so does the quality of the product makers are producing. With the quality makers that we have on BF I'm surprised that I have sold any knives here. There are just so many. Better to be to many good makers than to many bad ones. I don't make many knives but I make gents folders wich don't sale very well for me, no doubt cause I'm new to knife making and no one knows who I am. So I have to make small fixed blade user knives that fund my entire knife making costs and allows me to purchase the material for my gents folders. Eventually when I'm known and when my skills are near perfect, perhaps I will be one of the great makers. Until then Ill keep burning my thumbs up trying to get there.
 
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