Blade Show West Field Report

P

Pleconin

Joined
Feb 27, 1999
Messages
71
Day One

First, a word of caution, don’t go to a blade show half asleep. You’re bound to make poor impressions and scare small children. (Or is that just me…) The Santa Ana winds have kicked up and my allergies are on overdrive.

As I stumbled around the show floor I managed to see many wondrous things.

The new SIFU. By the insane, for the insane. Can not wait for mine to arrive. (It’s coming!)

The new Spyderench. A certain Mr. Mattis was showing his off. Much cooler than originally guessed. Mr. Mattis is pretty cool in person too.

In a surprise move I picked up a Raven (http://members.home.net/blademan/Raven.html) from one Peter Marzitelli. His web site does not do it justice. He really ought to scan a new one. It is big and solid and fits my hand perfectly. The action is as smooth as I’ve felt. Mine has the titanium bolsters and moose antler handles.

I almost bought the twin to the Speedtech on our front page. This is one fine tool. The Raven finally won out because (try to follow this) the Speedtech was too perfect. It felt like something a computer made, not a man. I may come back to it, it was mighty fine, but it lacked a certain organic quality, I really like. Not a flaw in site.

I visited with Rob Simonich. He really is as personable as he seems in his posts. I wish I had been a little more on the clear-headed side when I met him. He showed me a new knife he had posted a picture of over at Mr. Hoods site ( http://server2.ezboard.com:8080/fhoodlumsbladeware.showMessage?topicID=11.topic ) and I am changing my next order to one. It felt perfect. It looked perfect. I’m glad I have several knives on order with him already because his wait is going to go through the roof when this one hits. I bet it takes home a prize. It better.

The show was a bit overwhelming. Sort of like receiving a years worth of Blade Magazine in one day in 3d. True kid in a candy shop action. I wish I was in better shape, I would have stopped and talked to more folks. Perhaps Sunday.

That’s all for now.

-RW


[This message has been edited by Pleconin (edited 08 October 1999).]
 
RW,

Thanks for the report. Any other perspectives and experiences out there waiting to be reported to those of us not at Blade West?

sing

AKTI #A000356
 
Pleconin-

Thanks for your compliments on the SPEEDTECH Synergy. It was our intent from the very beginning to design and build a super high precision, tight tolerance folding knife as flawless as "humanly" possible which could be produced with a consistantly high level of quality.

While we make use of the latest technology in computer AIDED design and computer ASSISTED manufacturing, they are just tools which allow us to express our creativity.

I can guarantee you that real human beings (last time I cut myself, I spilled blood rather than electrons) provided the thought process of how the knife should look, feel and operate as well as dealt with all the real world process and tolerance variables associated with materials, plating, heat treating, grinding and complex 3 dimensional machining.

Contrary to popular belief, NC milling machines DO ocassionally have a bad day and are NOT capable of "plus or minus nothing" tolerances. The machines did not program themselves nor did they solve pre-production fit and finish problems.

In essence, the SYNERGY contains the heart and soul of all those who contributed to its existence.

You picked out a really nice knife and I know that you are going to enjoy it. Peter makes some really nice stuff and I am seriously considering having him build one for my personal collection.

Stay sharp!

Jim

------------------
Jim O'Young
www.speed-techknives.com
Home of the Speed Tech "SYNERGY" (tm)
1999-2000 BLADE Magazine "Most Innovative American Design"

 
Pleconin, I was good to meet you and glad you liked the Trail Knife. It didnt stay on my table long before it had a sold tag on it. You know the brother to the Synergy you were looking at? It is now mine, I had to have one, and after agonizing on the choices, I chose the Pewter Tanto knife. Absolutely the finest production folder made today in my opinion, and Jim O'Young being a nice guy and fellow competitive shooter didnt hurt any!

I am still recovering from culture shock, I got a real funny feeling when the jet came through the clouds and smog and there was city as far as the eye could see! There were more folks in a 2 mile or less radius of the show than in the whole state of Montana! Kinda scary for me to think about. I met a lot of nice folks at the show, some forum members, and seen a couple guys that had these big things in their earlobes that kinda looked funny......ha ha All in all it was a great show and I did well.

------------------
www.simonichknives.com
 
I was at Blade Show West, and other than meeting some fine folks at Simonich Knives, Emerson's table, Bugei Trading Company and Strider Knives, I found the show a quite a bit underwhelming. Other than those listed above, there were nothing but continued ripping off of other's designs without many examples of new, innovative work.

I think I'll stay home next year.

 
I handled the synergy's at the blade show and I was VERY impressed. I'm going to have to pick up one one of these days. Best knives at the Blade Show IMO, except for the sebenzas, but I'm biased.

Jim, just to get an idea, how tight are your tolerances?

------------------
Johnny
[]xxxxxx[]=============>

 
Johnny-

The cardinal rule of good design is to keep tolerances as large as possible, wherever possible to reduce costs and improve yields.

Our goal is to reduce lock slop and blade wobble to an absolute minimum without individually fitting each knife (i.e. filing or grinding). Those areas require the tightest tolerances. In some extreme cases, we are holding tolerances on critical dimensions as tight as +/-.0005".

Stay sharp!

Jim

------------------
Jim O'Young
www.speed-techknives.com
Home of the Speed Tech "SYNERGY" (tm)
1999-2000 BLADE Magazine "Most Innovative American Design"

 
Jim-

I did not mean to imply that your some sort of Borg working a replicator (Star Trek Reference). Your knives are top notch. If there are any of the numbered tantos left by next Monday (payday) I will try to take one off your hands. They do seem almost inhumanly perfect though.

Rob-

Please do change my order to a trail knife. I kept trying to come up with an idea to personalize the darned thing. I guess it’s a testimony to your design and my lack of imagination, but I could not think of a thing to change. As to old Orange County, try growing up out here. I read somewhere there is a ton and a half of cement here for every man woman and child living in the LA Basin. We have literally paved over everything. Sometimes I really want to run away to some small town where I can see the stars and be a part of a real community. But we do have South Coast Plaza. I hope you had a chance to see that high temple to consumerism.

All the Best,

-RW
 
Pleconin-

No offense taken. In fact, thanks again for the compliment.

BTW, any idea where I could get one of those replicators?

Stay sharp (and live long and prosper)!

Jim

------------------
Jim O'Young
www.speed-techknives.com
Home of the Speed Tech "SYNERGY" (tm)
1999-2000 BLADE Magazine "Most Innovative American Design"



[This message has been edited by Jim O'Young (edited 13 October 1999).]
 
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