Bladsmth (Stacy Apelt) in latest issue of Blade!

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I buy knife different knife magazines as well as many others like hunting, fishing, bike, etc. I know lots of the info contained in these mags are not totally acurate and some info is just wrong. If we as consumers only bought magazines, newspapers, videos' and other media,that contained only scientific truth we would be not buying anything. It is up to us to use info that we want to. I commend people that take the time to write stories and articles for mags. If we only bought media that was written by scientists and people with degrees it would be really boring. We do however have the option of researching scientific info if we so desire.
I will continue to buy these mags as a source of entertainment and enjoyment, "because I can".

Jim Clow
 
Thanks for posting a copy of the letter Stacy. I can appreciate some of the content in paragraph number three, but overall the letter reads uncomfortable to me because many of the criticisms are made without explanation. Perhaps a longer letter would be heavily edited or rejected, just as an article might be. I myself tend towards science, but I agree that the enjoyment is important.

Claims are made all the time. The latest concrete proof tipped car opener couldn't be less interesting to me, but I like to imagine there are some four inch hunters that'll dress out a bunch of game without sharpening. I believe any maker with the gumption to follow a philosophy, has more than enough capability to form their own preferences. Beyond that, I don't see a consumer protection issue when all are able to freely wade through products and info.

I like suggestions for improvements and accuracy, Craig
 
Brian Ayres said:
I don't really think not buying the magazines does anybody any good. If you don't like the content, write in and say why. I see a lot of great makers profiled, including all the new ABS JS and MS inductees.

Stacy,
Is it possible you made an error in "quoting" Ed? I remember the thread between Ed and Rick, but thought Ed said he had only SOLD one knife. It was a rebuttal to someone claiming he was only out to sell knives.
To be clear. I'm 100% on board with Stacy's views of metallurgy. I just think IF that was incorrectly stated that it tends to skew Ed's experiential knowledge.

And, 2Knife, Kevin Cashen and Stacy Aplet are "experts".... Google them. Kevin's done more work in my opinion to advance the metallurgical knowledge of bladesmithing than anyone I've heard of.
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You miss read something there. Ed has sold many hundreds of knives. Thousands probably.?
 
Don Hanson III said:
You miss read something there. Ed has sold many hundreds of knives. Thousands probably.?
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Sorry Don. I meant to say I thought Ed said he only sold one knife this year..... He was saying that he has primarily been testing/teaching if I understand correctly.
I wasn't able to find the thread I'm referencing so please forgive me if I'm off on my memory.
 
Brian Ayres said:
Sorry Don. I meant to say I thought Ed said he only sold one knife this year

..... He was saying that he has primarily been testing/teaching if I understand correctly.
I wasn't able to find the thread I'm referencing so please forgive me if I'm off on my memory.
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I read that thread too, but it was that he only MADE one knife that year & it was destruction tested as a demo.


So it also made me question, if he is making none for sale, who is making the ones he sells?
the 2 "Assistants?"
 
Brian Ayres said:
Sorry Don. I meant to say I thought Ed said he only sold one knife this year..... He was saying that he has primarily been testing/teaching if I understand correctly.
I wasn't able to find the thread I'm referencing so please forgive me if I'm off on my memory.
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No problem, Brian.
I don't want to speak too much for Ed, but it does appear he's focused more on his school than turning out knives lately. He does have knives for sale at the Blade show every year and I think one or two others shows...
 
I'm saving for one... one of Kevin's too. :)

First, I want to test them both out, and then stick them in a display case together. That's my dream...
 
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There is a disproportionate amount of attention paid to the minutia that a host of knifemakers focus on. The "perfect" form of a knife. Am i wrong? ... What is a knife if it doesnt cut? Where is the same attitude here towards makers who focus solely on the best looking damascus and most beautiful ivory? And how is this important to knives? Would some of you here care to comment, how do you justify your career?

Truthfully i have never seen the first knife Stacy has ever made though i have met him once. Maybe i have my head in the sand. There is a knife of Kevin's that hangs on the wall of a friend of mine. It has a huge chip in the edge, most likely from hitting something like a rock or was dropped on a floor. There is no one here infallible. I read the custom forums everyday.
It is rare thing ever knife function is discussed. Any attempt to bring performace into the equation is usually ignored.
You can blame Ed for trying.
 
2knife said:
There is a disproportionate amount of attention paid to the minutia that a host of knifemakers focus on. The "perfect" form of a knife. Am i wrong? ... What is a knife if it doesnt cut? Where is the same attitude here towards makers who focus solely on the best looking damascus and most beautiful ivory? And how is this important to knives? Would some of you here care to comment, how do you justify your career?
Click to expand...

This is not a career for me so I can't answer that part. As far as minutia, materials and such well after doing knives for a while and getting the heat threat to an acceptable level (since no one is infallible as you said) or sending it out to do, how do you try and improve your work? Minutia, materials and such. I like art knives where these things are even more focused on but it's not everybody's cup of tea.
Does this make sense?
 
No thanks, this is sculpture. Man- jewelry. Some of it gaudy, tacky, ridiculous to any normal person. Many of you strive for this same goal every day of your lives.

please don't make blanket statements based on your own personal taste.
 
2knife I think your emotions have tainted your perception of what is actually being discussed here.
 
2knife said:
There is a disproportionate amount of attention paid to the minutia that a host of knifemakers focus on. The "perfect" form of a knife. Am i wrong? ... What is a knife if it doesnt cut? Where is the same attitude here towards makers who focus solely on the best looking damascus and most beautiful ivory? And how is this important to knives? Would some of you here care to comment, how do you justify your career?

Truthfully i have never seen the first knife Stacy has ever made though i have met him once. Maybe i have my head in the sand. There is a knife of Kevin's that hangs on the wall of a friend of mine. It has a huge chip in the edge, most likely from hitting something like a rock or was dropped on a floor. There is no one here infallible. I read the custom forums everyday.
It is rare thing ever knife function is discussed. Any attempt to bring performace into the equation is usually ignored.
You can blame Ed for trying.
Click to expand...

If I understand your post correctly, you have not been paying attention. Function is the primary consideration of a great many of us. Aesthetics get people's attention, function keeps it. My first knife won me a $100 bet by cutting an inch long piece out of the cutting edge of a Solingen Stainless knife that an idiot thought was the "best steel in the world" The minutia ensures quality

-Page
 
Agree with Greg. Apples and oranges. Art knives ain't my deal. Yet I can appreciate the time, skill and craftsmansip involved. I also believe that that side of the knife making house pushes everyone else to acheive more, to see what is possible, particularly in fit and finish. Mr Fowler has worked hard on how well a knife cuts, no doubt. I've never handled one but know folks that have and they are cuttin' sons of guns. I don't think that has been questioned by anyone in this post, at least not that I've read. But that doesn't make them better than the knife in the link posted. Just different. I don't much listen to Hip Hop either. That doesn't make Hip Hop wrong, just different.
 
As a relativly new knife maker and very dependant on information presented in print and on the internet I find all of them usefull including Eds posts, articals and books. However, like any information each needs to be evaluated carefully and more than one source reviewed. I am an engineer by trade and do have alot of technical abilities but I still need to sort through all of the information to assemble what will work for me and what I want to do in knife making. I do subscribe to Blade and enjoy many of the articals but take others with a grain of salt.

I agree with Bruce that Blade does alot for our industry and deserves support, and I agree with Stacy that based on his expertice something needed to be said. I believe this industry will grow stronger with this conversation.

I want to thank all the big guys Stacy, Ed, Bruce and a bunch of others, the information you give out freely is very helpfull and needed for this industry to continue to grow and move forward with time, otherwise we are making buggy wips.
 
This is a fascinating, deeply important and thought-provoking conversation that has been brewing for quite some time. I'm immensely pleased that arguably the two "loudest voices" in the knife world (BLADE magazine and BFC) have allowed us all the opportunity to address it openly. Some of the finest knifemakers on the planet are weighing in on this issue, on various media/forums, etc. I believe this will be good for everyone who loves top-quality knives.
 
since it was brought up i make knives for a living and thats my only income
i make what i think is a nice knife. i also would jsut about be willing to bet that my knives get more use and cut more things then any one on this forum
hows that for a bold statement

you see most of my knives are made for pro or semi pro chefs or avid home cooks if my knives didnt cut i would not be in that market (ask a few makers that have dabbled into the kitchen world how hard it is to get them to trust your work)
the other main blade i make is a straight razor and even the higher $ ones likle see lots of use

would i use any of those knives to skin a deer, nope thats not there job i have skinners for that (i didnt make them ) one steel or one HT is not the ONE fix for all blades after all what does how much rope you can cut witha razor have anything to do wit how smooth it shaves or how cleanly a kitchen knife slices meat or fruit
nore is one shape the best at everything
 
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