Can you top this one?

J

jbravo

Gold Member
Joined
Sep 16, 1999
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I thought the least credible custom knifemaker story of the year was the one who, instead of using carbon fiber, used a piece of plastic imitation cf as an underlay on the handle of a knife he made. Claimed he'd run out of the more expensive cf and didn't want to delay shipping the knife. But here's a better one:

This year, a custom maker introduced a new folder, making 8 of them, all marked 'p' for prototype. One of them is purchased (for $450) and used by a BF denizen. Subsequently, the maker is contacted and asked if he can tune it up a bit and put a new edge on the chisel grind. The maker expresses surprise, says he assumed the 'p' marked knives would go to collectors, not users, and so the blades are soft. To his credit, he agreed to replace the blade with a new one that is heat treated properly (for a $100).

Is there anyone else out there making tactical knives that aren't really made for use, just collecting? IMHO, this is a truth stranger than fiction.
 
Unbelievable!

When a collector buys a 1.5 Million dollar Shelby Cobra, the motor damn well better run, Even if the collector never intends to turn it over. Same with knives. A knife is first and foremost a knife. It does not matter if it is a $25 disposable or a $500,000 high art piece. It should be able to function as a knife! Anybody who would market a knife that was not fully functional should be drawn and quartered. If he did not want to heat treat the blade and make it functional then he should have listed it as a costume piece.
 
I, for one, would like to know who this so call knifemaker is so that I can avoid him in the future. Feel free to email me privately if you dont want to post it for everyone.
 
That is an outrage, at least should have replaced all the blades gratis once this "problem" showed up once. BS award for 2001?
 
Amazing! If I am understanding this correctly, all eight of these knives were improperly made with soft blades. How does this maker get off assuming that these knives will only be bought by collectors? I guess this might have been an honest mistake, but it does not show a very high degree of intelligence on the part of the maker. It would be better to assume that everyone that buys a knife will be using it. I am sure the collector that never uses it will not mind that it has been heat treated. This maker really does seem to be one brick short of a load.
 
Not acceptable at all.

I enjoy collecting all types of knives. From simple to one of a kind art knives. The thing they all have in common is function and the fact that they were made by a person I trust. The trouble is that there are more makers that fill the bill than I can handle with my budget.

If it can not function, it is not a knife.
 
well....it just proves once again what PT Barnum said: "You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make him drink!!" !!!!!!! :p:):p:):p
 
In my humble opinion, the maker did not make a mistake. He could not assume that the knives would go to knife collectors. Even if they did, do collectors deserve less than users by skipping a process? No. And knife collectors are also known to trade or sell from time to time. Like I said, not a mistake, but a shortcut. I think this was unethical. Just my 2 cents.

Broomhilda
 
This is a whole new "concept" to me. a Custom made $450.00 POS made by hand, but intended to be NEVER USED:confused: :confused: :confused: If it walks like a duck, but quacks like a skunk, I say its a scam.......wolf:(
 
Hey JB,

Every one seems focused on non-heat treated blades here. What about 8 prototytpes of the same knife?

This guy must have learned from Rod Chappel! :D
 
Originally posted by Les Robertson
Hey JB,

Every one seems focused on non-heat treated blades here. What about 8 prototytpes of the same knife?

This guy must have learned from Rod Chappel! :D
Click to expand...

I agree with Les - making 8 Prototypes with the intention of selling them all smells bad...

Anybody thinks he would take a guillie suit in a trade???? :D
 
What on earth was this guy thinking?! A prototype, in my opinion, should be prepared to be used and abused beyond reasonable service. If for no other reason that it is a PROTOTYPE and should be proven as an effective, useful design, blade geometry, material, etc.

When a knife leaves the shop, no matter what the final destination, it has to be ready for service!

Where are the others???:(

P.S. The blade should have been replaced for nothing IMHO.
 
I sometimes make a prototype with an unhardened blade, just to see if it works. I don't sell them, but they allow a quick look at what needs to be changed.

It is possible that in this case, there were indeed 8 "prototypes" before the ONE that was right was chosen. The other 7 are still "prototypes". If the design was slated to become a production piece, that might explain what happened here, with all 8 "prototypes" having served their purposes in the design evolution. If the maker was a big name, these "prototypes" even without hardened blades could become valuable collector pieces, never having intended to be used. In most industries, prototypes are not sold and usually don't reflect the final production design completely. Still, I wouldn't mind owning a/the prototype Model T Ford, even if it was never intended to run.

Just a thought...
 
PROTOTYPE - n. An original type or form that serves as a model on which later stages or examples are based or judged.

[American Heritage Concise Dictionary]

So there are eight of these "prototypes?" All eight are identical? None of them are functional??????

barf1.gif


If these are to be models "on which later stages or examples are based or judged," than I would judge all knives by this maker to be suspect, at best. I would have no confidence in any of his work, whatsoever.

I wonder if I should also post the American Heritage definition of the word "integrity"

JBravo, tell us who he is.
 
Hmm... a simple BladeForums search for "chisel prototype" yielded some interesting results...

Maybe this knife had some sort of new steel that the maker hadn't worked with before... something with, say, a carbide edge perhaps? Might this maker have done some protos to get an idea of the steel's workability? Maybe he cut out a whole batch of blades, tested a few, then decided on some modifications? Oh who knows... one could speculate about this all day long, but the fact remains that this maker sold several knives that he probably should never have sold without disclosing that they were non-functional, or perhaps 'less-than-perfect' prototypes.

Let's just be thankful that no one has had one of these blades fail them in a critical situation.
 
This is the part where the townspeople grab their torches & (fully functional) pitchforks & drive the criminal out of town...
:mad:
 
Originally posted by jbravo
To his credit, he agreed to replace the blade with a new one that is heat treated properly (for a $100).
Click to expand...

and THIS little addendum is the final indignity! "To his credit"? You're being too kind. This should have been done at NO CHARGE I would think. Sheesh.

Coop
 
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