Canal Street Cutlery Aesthetics Feedback Request

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NickelOak

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Jul 23, 2015
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So the CSC knife photos shown in this thread http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1337539-Just-saw-this-new-CSC-Boy-s-Knife got me thinking about this brand's aesthetics. I prefer their logo engraved on bolsters, compared to the coin shield they inlay into their scales. I also don't like mixed metals in knives in general. I like all silver colored hardware/trim/shields (with the exception of brass liners... that doesn't bother me, since I don't see them much/often... liners don't detract from the external look of a knife because they're mostly hidden). I never understood why CSC didn't use a silver coin on their knives, as I think the gold colored one clashes with silver bolsters and the blade. So, in short, if there has to be a coin shield, I'd prefer it were silver colored, but I'd always prefer engraved bolsters to the coin.

I realize this is a "your mileage may vary" thing, and I'm probably being a bit pedantic here, but what's your take on this issue? It'll be interesting to see if there's a consensus.
 
I actually like the shield better than the engraving. I just wish they would pin the dang thing on instead of gluing it. I do see your point about mixed metals though. I would have to actually see a knife with a silver colored shield to know if I like it better than the gold one. It's hard for me to picture it in my mind for some reason.
 
I like silver shields more as well. I seem to prefer silver colored everything. It doesn't have to be all steel it could be nickel silver or whatever but I prefer no brass unless it's brown bone or stag or burgundy and dark green. I think gabon ebony looks amazing with all steel construction but I really don't care for it with brass pins and liners. What's kinda funny is I think that gabon with all brass fixation outside of the blade would look pretty cool, but I don't care for brass and nickel silver mixed with solid black covers. I wish more companies ran runs with all steel and not just certain patterns. Copper would make a neat bolster, I like Kabaar's.
 
I really appreciate that CSC is working in stainless steel, and I'd prefer to see silver-looking stainless steel bolsters pins and liners on their knives. Liner material is never a deal breaker for me, but I like brass or stainless. I also really like that CSC is willing to use G10 scales. I like modern materials applied to traditional knife patters, and I think that could really set CSC apart from GEC. It may just be my age, though (mid-30's). I'm returning to traditional knives after several years of exclusively buying Spyderco knives. <---That sort of buyer demographic info ought to be pretty valuable to these small US traditional makers. I don't know if they bother to collect that info, and I may be in the minority compared to their "target market."

Anyway, I think they've lost me for now with the brass/gold coin shields they insist on gluing into their scales. If that changes, I'll buy more CSC knives than GEC because I prefer stainless knives. CSC has some great, unique patterns, though, and I constantly hear the quality is there.
 
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Regarding the glued on shields: In all fairness, I believe the shield would have to be redesigned so that it could be pinned on. The raised lettering would not look right if a pin were driven through it.

It's not my intention to derail this thread with Queen products. My apologies for that but this photo helps to show my point. The shield on the top knife is glued and the shield on the bottom knife is pinned. Did Queen simply redesign the pinned shield so that it would look ok with a pin driven through it? My guess is that the pinned shield was engraved after pinning but I'm not sure.

 
Interesting point that Rick. I actually prefer the look of the Queen glued shield to the later pinned one. However, I've had enough glued shields drop out on me to annoy me. There is decent glue these days, at least use it.:rolleyes:

With regards to CS, I certainly do not like their engraved bolster look on Barlows, it looks what it is, a cost-cutting device, cheap. Barlows must have stamped bolsters or nothing. The CS shield has always left me cold, very dull and unimaginative and I agree, it would look better in silver metal. A whole new shield, say Diamond with some interesting stamped letters would lift the whole range. The promising thing is that now CS are making the current Forum Knife, they're using pinned shields, they could use this as an opportunity to introduce that and a new shield to their knives, I'm certain it would ignite more interest.

I dolike their use of stainless and particularly like the use of stainless or NS liners, brass liners can corrode into stag and light bone and yellow brass actually stinks :barf: so I always prefer knives with other liner material. Brass does look OK though, when clean...
CS do a very good job with pins, no sink-hole style eyesores:thumbup:
 
Thanks for the link, Jake! :thumbup: I remember seeing that thread now but I had forgotten all about it. Very interesting process.
 
I actually prefer the shield over the engraving myself. Of course the boy's knife I ordered is the zebra wood version.
 
During the voting for the shield on the 2015 forum knife, there were strong opinions. But there was recently a topic about shields and it seemed to be of little consequence to most who replied. And a few days later, the topic of shields is back up now. Perhaps, it's one of those things that often gets taken for granted.

I don't think the CS shield is any better or worse than the shields from GEC or Queen. Companies these days seem to like to put their brand on the shield. It's unnecessary. The blades are stamped. And a shield with no text can have a very classy appearance. But you don't need to have read Blade's Guide to the Feng Shui of Traditional Knives. ;) All you need to do is look at the shields in the "Old Catalogs" and "Old Knives" threads. Some of those patterns are over 100 years old and companies are still making them. There are some like the Case and DE shields that had brands on them but most of the real old knives had no text on the shields. There's no need to put corporate branding all over them now. Occasionally maybe. But not on most. ...Also notice there were few hotdog or cloud shields on those old knives ;)

I agree about matching the materials. CSC is not the only company that mixes materials. On GEC's all steel knives, the shield is nickel silver so it also does not match the steel bolsters although it's a similar color. The shields and bolsters are SS on the Case/Bose knives and I think it has a nice appearance. I think CS knives would look great with classic shields (like on the oldies) made from the same material as the bolsters.

I also prefer stamped bolsters instead of etches on barlows. In most cases I also prefer that bolsters aren't pinched or slanted-- It's something that should be used sparingly rather than on lots of knives (I'm thinking of Queen & GEC here). Again, the oldies are time tested examples that can be used as a reference.
 
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Personally ... and don't... please don't take this with too much bad humor
I reckon some people just have way WAY too much time on their hands when they are nit-picking over such minute details.

Guys its a knife .... it cuts things
 
Brumby53 said:
Personally ... and don't... please don't take this with too much bad humor
I reckon some people just have way WAY too much time on their hands when they are nit-picking over such minute details.

Guys its a knife .... it cuts things
Click to expand...

I know what you're driving at mate:D:D:thumbup:

BUT, I like a knife that I like to own, so aesthetics are important. :eek: Same with cars, houses, clothes, women:D:D

Box cutters cut, so do Stanley knives, and sometimes table cutlery too.....:rolleyes:
 
I think the aesthetics of the shield are fine, the glue holding it in is a dealbreaker for me, a pinned shield is closer to a traditional ideal, and more durable.
 
Brumby53 said:
Personally ... and don't... please don't take this with too much bad humor
I reckon some people just have way WAY too much time on their hands when they are nit-picking over such minute details.

Guys its a knife .... it cuts things
Click to expand...

The forum can be closed now. ;)

I think most folks would just buy a knife and move on. People have different interests. I feel similarly about discussions about "patina". I don't usually join those discussions. For me there's nothing romantic or interesting about corrosion.

For me traditional knives is all about the oldies. There are folks that like modern traditional knives and have no interest in the oldies. But most of the modern traditional knives are based on old patterns. Some appreciate this and others don't. It's an open forum and everyone is here for different reasons.
 
I have a little different reason for finding this interesting. When, from time to time, you are in the position to contract a knife - all of these little issues have to be decided. It is always good to hear preferences / opinions; as long as you understand that there will always be someone that doesn't like your final decision (regardless) ;)
 
"Carpet has to match the drapes." :)

The drapes can either be the blade (e.g. silver shield+silver blade) or the handle material (e.g. ebony handle+copper shield.)
 
knifeswapper said:
I have a little different reason for finding this interesting. When, from time to time, you are in the position to contract a knife - all of these little issues have to be decided. It is always good to hear preferences / opinions; as long as you understand that there will always be someone that doesn't like your final decision (regardless) ;)
Click to expand...

I'm counting on you! ;) You've done some great runs. :)
 
Brumby53 said:
Guys its a knife .... it cuts things
Click to expand...

I noted that I was being pedantic in my first post, but where else to be pedantic than in a knife knut forum? :)

I'm probably the rare example, but I'm a sucker for a great shield. That said, it has to complement the overall knife design. Shields that are too large, oddly placed, or the wrong color are a deal breaker for me. The CS coin isn't a great shield, imo. It's boring and should at least match the color of the bolsters and blade, which is the metal that's most visible on a knife.

I also agree with a post from above that a nice shield doesn't need to have branding on it. That's what the blade stamp is for. Knives without external branding look a lot classier to me. I use and carry each knife that I own. I'm particular about knife aesthetics because I like to be "wow'd" every time I pull a knife out of my pocket. It's a small piece of portable art, as well as a tool (to me anyway).

I'm also jonesin' to buy a CSC and thought I'd found one that I really liked the look of, but that turned out not to be true (see the thread I linked to in the OP). Argh! Coined again! Such is life, though.

I really appreciate all the discussion and feedback everyone! I just hope a decision maker at CSC sees this thread.
 
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I love the Canal Street Shield. Classy and unique. :thumbup:

CSshield.jpg


I don't really care for the logo'd bolster.
 
As a general note, I don't pay much attentions to any shield. Our (Sardinian) knives have no shield :p but I agree with Jake; I much prefer the old shields and I'm not a fan of "branded" shields.
But this is a matter of personal taste. And although I agree that shields should fit bolsters and frames and materials, I don't think a shield might change my mind about getting a knife or not.

Fausto
:cool:
 
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