Artist or knifemaker?

A young woman makes knives in her shop, puts them on her website at certain prices, and has customers who are willing to pay those prices. What's wrong with that?:confused: Sounds a lot like capitalism to me.;) Like The Zieg, I don't see any hype or misrepresentation of the products on her site.

edit: There were a couple posts made while I was writing mine. How exactly are people being "suckered" into buying her knives? :confused:
 
brancron said:
The fit and finish on those chef's knives is atrocious, but worst of all are their blade shapes. They look like they were recreations of children's drawings of chef's knives.
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I second this. It makes me reconsider my statement of these being knives that double as art. I would propose they are a variety of art, called "Naïve Art" and that they double as knives. And so that is how I come down on the original question. She's an artist currently making pieces that double as knives.

As for REAL knives coming out of files and rasps, the ones that come to mind are Anza and our very own LX Blades in the Netherlands. I have always wanted these.

Zieg
 
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By no means was I knocking knives that come from files and rasps. I was for sure saying Her knives looked like crap. As said above the fit and finish is crap and the blade grind isn't one I would use in a kitchen. I highly doubt that a chef is buying these knives because they don't at all look comfortable or practical. I know a few well respected chefs including my brother in law and his knives are sweet. So the only real audience I see here is some soccer mom with to much money and to much time on her hands raving about these. And sadly took of on social media and now people that don't know a butter knife from a chef knife are buying these hunks of junk. So imo it's crap but that is what ales this country great we can disagree. :)
 
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The Zieg said:
I second this. It makes me reconsider my statement of these being knives that double as art. I would propose they are a variety of art, called "Naïve Art" and that they double as knives. And so that is how I come down on the original question. She's an artist currently making pieces that double as knives.

As for REAL knives coming out of files and rasps, the ones that come to mind are Anza and our very own LX Blades in the Netherlands. I have always wanted these.

Zieg
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Why thank you very much. Comment appreciated.
 
gonebad395 said:
By no means was I knocking knives that come from files and rasps. I was for sure saying Her knives looked like crap . . . I know a few well respected chefs including my brother in law and his knives are sweet.
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It didn't come off as you knocking files or rasps as blade stock.

I know what I want in my hand prepping for any dinner, let alone a big setting. I can't imagine using one of her knives in a professional kitchen.

This . . .

20151211_073606.jpg


Not this . . .

SHOT_08_432+1.jpg


Zieg
 
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Look, she can charge whatever she wants. The people who buy her stuff are clearly misinformed and seduced by the story.

There are plenty of custom folder makers out there who make crap knives and get stupid money for them or even make decent knives but get absurd money for them.

Where is hurts all of us is when the custom makers who do great work at a fair price see this happening and raise their prices accordingly.

I know one very very famous maker who has raised his prices by 50-75% in the past year because he sees the stupid money that clearly inferior knives go for and he knows he'll still sell them. Can't blame him for following the market but it hurts the everyday Joe Schmoe collector who hoped to score one of his knives for 700-900 direct and is now faced with whether he can afford or even wants to buy the same knife 8 months later for 1300-1600.

This type of stuff, is what's going to implode the custom knife market and all these people paying 3000 bucks for a knife from a guy who just started making knives as a hobby but has a lot of social media hype are going to get screwed and so are the regular Joe's who ponied up the inflated direct prices caused by the first group.
 
Scurvy092 said:
Look, she can charge whatever she wants. The people who buy her stuff are clearly misinformed and seduced by the story.

There are plenty of custom folder makers out there who make crap knives and get stupid money for them or even make decent knives but get absurd money for them.

Where is hurts all of us is when the custom makers who do great work at a fair price see this happening and raise their prices accordingly.

I know one very very famous maker who has raised his prices by 50-75% in the past year because he sees the stupid money that clearly inferior knives go for and he knows he'll still sell them. Can't blame him for following the market but it hurts the everyday Joe Schmoe collector who hoped to score one of his knives for 700-900 direct and is now faced with whether he can afford or even wants to buy the same knife 8 months later for 1300-1600.

This type of stuff, is what's going to implode the custom knife market and all these people paying 3000 bucks for a knife from a guy who just started making knives as a hobby but has a lot of social media hype are going to get screwed and so are the regular Joe's who ponied up the inflated direct prices caused by the first group.
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^^^this
 
Oh and in her video when she cuts the lemon. I stopped the video don't look like one of her knives she used to cut the lemon. Why because she know better then anyone her knife isn't practical lol.
 
I'm increasingly convinced that you only need marginal talent in photography/videography and web design to succeed in this social-media world. Or at least be able to use filters.

Ooooh the filters.

That being said, my jeans aren't skinny enough and I don't have enough flannel in my closet to chase one of her knives. :rolleyes:
 
This is my only kitchen knife to date... I asked 250... was paid 280.



1/8" Ti with carbide edge.
 
More power to her. Now if she'd start making artisanal cheeses to go with her knives, the flannels would really start drenching their britches.
 
Meh.
Her knives are far too rough for me to even consider one.
And I agree with the hygiene concerns, far too many nooks and crannies in her designs for me to even think about using around food! :barf:
 
I know quite a few hipster types that will buy pretty much anything made from reclaimed wood or steel. I don't see any problem with her taking advantage of that to make a few bucks as long as she isn't making any wild claims about performance.
 
Scurvy092 said:
Look, she can charge whatever she wants. The people who buy her stuff are clearly misinformed and seduced by the story.
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Good point about story. In my own work, no matter how good at it I am, and I am rather good at it if I say so myself, and now matter how well the results speak for themselves, I find that I have to tell a story to go along with it. Ms. Miller is telling a pretty good story.

Zieg
 
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