Jerry Was a HUGE Entertainment Factor!!!
Buddy, thanks for those photos!!!
Jerry who?
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Blade Show Cutting contest: fact or fiction?
- Thread starter 2knife
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Jerry who?
Hengelo_77
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Personally I think yeelding to the ignorance and short sightness of the ill informed masses is not a good thing.
A knife has a point and it has a point for a reason.
IMHO if you want to test knives and compete in the use of knives, events using and testing the point should be a part of the overall course.
There are many different ways to test and use points.
If some of the public is offended by this I think of two things.
1) maybe the particular event isn't the best one to be executed with public watching and an other event can be chosen to compete on.
2) maybe explination to the public is in place. Explain exactly what is tested and why.
Explaining what you are doing and why takes away a lot of problems in my expecience.
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You can get certfied and join Bladesports NLD. Feel free to use a knife with a point and educate the public.
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I was not around for the original discussion of the rules. It seems to me that the adoption of the ABS 10x2x15 rule was to recognize and respect the standard that the ABS set forth. Having a 10" limitation on the cutting surface of the knife allows the knife to be large enough for chopping a 2x4, yet small enough to wield as a precision cutting tool.
I can see your point about not testing tips. The traditional idea of a cutting knife of this size in the USA is the bowie knife. This style is very versatile, and can function well in many situations. The tip can either be a strength or weakness in this design. I have heard an ABS member say that the blades for these competitions should be an "all round" knife, able to serve many functions. But with how the cutting competitions have evolved so far, away from stabbing challenges, the cleaver and wharneclif design has become the predominant design for competition blades.
I'm sure that if more members became interested in these types of challenges, the point would likely reappear on our blades.
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I understand that people have a tendency to not like changes.
I would like to add a couple of points from my point of view (being in the 2nd group of certified cutters in the netherlands, after the founders). Of course, I cannot say anything about the old days in the US etc so take it for what it is. It is also a response to some of the points made in this thread, not all of them in a reaction to the OP.
The ability to participate for non knife making persons is a great adventure for many of them. A group of knifemakers having fun on their own is great, but the sport would be severely handicapped/restricted by this. A smaller group of knifemakers doing their own competitions or testing can be done outside of bladesports, which apparently has grown beyond that group, it has evolved. It might add a feeling of an incrowd only being allowed when it's only knifemakers. Of course (and this hasn't been said, I merely point it out) knifemakers are not the only ones who can enjoy a good cutting competition. I do appreciate very much the efforts made by everyone to get this off the ground in all these years and thanks for that.
In the Netherlands, most of the participating cutters are not knifemakers. It opens up the sport to a lot of folks. Good guys who have a passion for knives, some fun and some of us also to compete. It generates exposure. Which opens up the way to a much better perception of knives in general because of educating and entertaining the public in a controlled and fun way. In the Netherlands, our history of working with knives is more years behind us than in the US, our laws are different, and maybe the general public is less informed and has a different vision about knives. I feel that by contributing and participating with and in the bladesports community that I am an ambassador for knives in general and bladesports. Thereby hopefully making a little contribution towards the perception of the tools we all love so much to use. I know I do make a difference in my direct circle of people I come into contact with.
Furthermore, if only knifemakers would be allowed OR if rules would change a lot, this would effectively ban a lot of people from any meaningful competition because they would not have the means to get the correct type of knife.
I, as a non knifemaker, have not been able to compete for the prizes because I just did not have a knife for the competition. I cannot make one.
I can buy one though. Like a browning knife for over 200 euros (300$) but that won't win me any prizes, because the knifemakers have better knives (the browning lacks weight and has a point, a relic from the old days). Other competition knives are not readily available.
So I need a custom knife built for the job. Custom knives that are up to the task are way more expensive, hard to get and if the rules would change, I would not be able to keep up because I would have to buy a new custom knife everytime the design was changed because of competition rules/necessities. A knifemaker can make a new one and it will cost him the price of the material, but he has the knowledge and only has to put in some of his time to make a new knife, which is an easier way to keep up with competitions (and it's in their line of things they like to do too).
As for the safety, we have been well instructed by Ian (longstrider) and there are always a lot of eyes on the lookout for unsafe situations during a competition besides the judges and organisation. The certification process takes out people that are a risk to themselves and others. It is good, that we are all schooled 'just in case'. I feel very confident that our group in the Netherlands is capable of practicing safe bladesports. Accidents can happen, I agree, but this is also a statistical thing. If there are more participants, an accident is more likely to happen. Speed could be a factor, that's true. As Jose pointed out: no accidents so far.
On a related note: I am very happy and proud that Jose Diaz is sponsoring me for the 2012 season in the Netherlands, giving me an opportunity to compete for real, to train and to give it a shot as a non knifemaker. I'm aiming for the title
As he pointed out, it's another opportunity to win for a knifemaker (by proxy) .If the rules would change and a point is needed on a knife, I'll be back at square one though 
I love to participate and enjoy the competition. I thoroughly enjoy the sport, I love being able to use knives in a sensible way in the sports, where a crowd can enjoy it too. I sponsored the www.bladesports.nl website because I think it is good for the image of knives. If the rules change, I would have to cope with it.
I believe the world is better off with a bigger bladesports community than without
I would like to add a couple of points from my point of view (being in the 2nd group of certified cutters in the netherlands, after the founders). Of course, I cannot say anything about the old days in the US etc so take it for what it is. It is also a response to some of the points made in this thread, not all of them in a reaction to the OP.
The ability to participate for non knife making persons is a great adventure for many of them. A group of knifemakers having fun on their own is great, but the sport would be severely handicapped/restricted by this. A smaller group of knifemakers doing their own competitions or testing can be done outside of bladesports, which apparently has grown beyond that group, it has evolved. It might add a feeling of an incrowd only being allowed when it's only knifemakers. Of course (and this hasn't been said, I merely point it out) knifemakers are not the only ones who can enjoy a good cutting competition. I do appreciate very much the efforts made by everyone to get this off the ground in all these years and thanks for that.
In the Netherlands, most of the participating cutters are not knifemakers. It opens up the sport to a lot of folks. Good guys who have a passion for knives, some fun and some of us also to compete. It generates exposure. Which opens up the way to a much better perception of knives in general because of educating and entertaining the public in a controlled and fun way. In the Netherlands, our history of working with knives is more years behind us than in the US, our laws are different, and maybe the general public is less informed and has a different vision about knives. I feel that by contributing and participating with and in the bladesports community that I am an ambassador for knives in general and bladesports. Thereby hopefully making a little contribution towards the perception of the tools we all love so much to use. I know I do make a difference in my direct circle of people I come into contact with.
Furthermore, if only knifemakers would be allowed OR if rules would change a lot, this would effectively ban a lot of people from any meaningful competition because they would not have the means to get the correct type of knife.
I, as a non knifemaker, have not been able to compete for the prizes because I just did not have a knife for the competition. I cannot make one.
I can buy one though. Like a browning knife for over 200 euros (300$) but that won't win me any prizes, because the knifemakers have better knives (the browning lacks weight and has a point, a relic from the old days). Other competition knives are not readily available.
So I need a custom knife built for the job. Custom knives that are up to the task are way more expensive, hard to get and if the rules would change, I would not be able to keep up because I would have to buy a new custom knife everytime the design was changed because of competition rules/necessities. A knifemaker can make a new one and it will cost him the price of the material, but he has the knowledge and only has to put in some of his time to make a new knife, which is an easier way to keep up with competitions (and it's in their line of things they like to do too).
As for the safety, we have been well instructed by Ian (longstrider) and there are always a lot of eyes on the lookout for unsafe situations during a competition besides the judges and organisation. The certification process takes out people that are a risk to themselves and others. It is good, that we are all schooled 'just in case'. I feel very confident that our group in the Netherlands is capable of practicing safe bladesports. Accidents can happen, I agree, but this is also a statistical thing. If there are more participants, an accident is more likely to happen. Speed could be a factor, that's true. As Jose pointed out: no accidents so far.
On a related note: I am very happy and proud that Jose Diaz is sponsoring me for the 2012 season in the Netherlands, giving me an opportunity to compete for real, to train and to give it a shot as a non knifemaker. I'm aiming for the title
As he pointed out, it's another opportunity to win for a knifemaker (by proxy) .If the rules would change and a point is needed on a knife, I'll be back at square one though I love to participate and enjoy the competition. I thoroughly enjoy the sport, I love being able to use knives in a sensible way in the sports, where a crowd can enjoy it too. I sponsored the www.bladesports.nl website because I think it is good for the image of knives. If the rules change, I would have to cope with it.
I believe the world is better off with a bigger bladesports community than without
Last edited:
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2007
- Messages
- 1,352
Zyhano, we already have two Diaz knives sponsored by Jose Diaz in our organisation for our members to use so there are knives enough to compete in our competition.
Everyone has the opportunity to compete on the same level.
Erik
Everyone has the opportunity to compete on the same level.
Erik
As sports grow, they morph into something different and distinct from the original version. What I'd like to see is an unlimited class, where you could bring any size knife to do the 2x4 cutting and rope display. I'd bet that would add some spice and entertainment value to an already sweet sport! These days, most of the cleaver style knives are almost identical so a premium is placed on the skill of the user who has no doubt rehearsed the course numerous times.