Charity idea...

Overmountain

Overmountain

Joined
May 2, 2013
Messages
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Has anyone here ever done a pass-it-on type build?

Basically it is a build that gets completed as it goes from person to person.

Here is my thought. Get everyone to weigh in on a style of knife, materials, etc and then draw it up. From there, ask for volunteers to do each portion of the knife. Start with one person and once he completes his task it goes on to the next for their step. This goes on through the sheath, presentation box or something, and finally arrives completed to whomever was tapped to do the auction.

From there, it will be auctioned off and the proceeds will go the the charity chosen by the majority.

If this idea stinks, let me know. I thought it might be a good bit of publicity and positive karma for us all...
 
It was tried here about 6 years ago.Dragged on for a couple of years and I think the knife never got finished.
Will try tio find to old thread.

Stan
 
Been done several times in different forums. It usually ends poorly. As Salem said, the last one here died with no one knowing where the knife was, IIRC.
Other versions are everyone participating makes a certain type of knife and then sells it or donates it to a military person going to the Sand Box. These do better.

This 30+ page thread will be an eye opener:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/478617-Newbie-collaboration-knife
 
Thanks Stacy. That stinks, but for some reason I really want to do this....

I think if we kept it simple, say a standard bushy/combat/utility knife with simple scales and a nice clean sheath we could get it done. It looks like a lot of failed attempts were trying to produce an uberpiece... If we out a time limit on it for each maker passing it around, and kept it simple I would bet it would be ok...

I just like the idea of a knife that comes from the input of all of us that we can put the board name behind and get some money into the hands of someone who could use it.

Otherwise, I am willing to put up a 7" recurve I just finished for auction if anyone is interested in going that route. Would like to have some form of moderator for it though just to reassure everyone its on the up and up... Of course, that goes for a collaborative effort too.
If we do a collaborative effort, I volunteer to donate the steel (within reason, lol... no cowry x or other $100 a foot stuff ;)) as well as my time and effort.
 
And it happened 10 years ago too. :thumbdn:

It took forever to finish, and IMO with that many chefs in the kitchen... resulted in a really ugly knife.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/printthread.php?t=265937&pp=40&page=1

I was surprised to see Dan still has information up about the project.
http://www.knivesby.com/collaboration.html


Stacy's suggestion of a group project where each guy makes a knife of similar design and then donates it, is IMHO, MUCH more likely to be successful. If one guy flakes out, then it's just his knife that doesn't get done. Rather than the entire project getting derailed if it's the group working on a single knife.

I hate to be Debbie Downer here, but this is one of those things that is awesome in theory, but just doesn't work well in application.
 
Yeah, a collaboration probably won't work.

Well, if anyone still wants to participate, I have a blade that is easily a $300-350 knife with sheath I will throw in the pot. Someone else will have to do the organizing though, see below.

I am not going to go into detail, but apparently my enthusiasm and motivation here has been questioned by some. To all those people: Keep in mind, I'm the one who's offering up a knife. Not asking for one... And its a knife I made with my own two hands. I think you can interpret what should go after the period there.
 
I would love to participate, after I get a couple under my belt. Right now I have a solid .35 cents in scrap metal knives. As an alternative to an auction, can always look at doing a raffle.
 
I have been toying with this idea instead since the collaboration has fallen through in the past... I have the above stated solely authored knife to put up for auction. I have considered putting it up for auction wherever seems appropriate, whether it is here or the exchange, and taking bids. I will also take suggestions on where the money should go. At completion of the auction (done in a post by post manner I suppose) I will take payment in the form of some proof of payment to the specified charity. I will then ship the knife at my expense to the winner.
I am not a well known maker by any means, but I think I can hold my own at the level I play... If anyone wants to join in and sweeten the pot for the winner, I am open to that as well.
Thoughts? Feelings? Am I nuts for thinking this will work?? Lol.
 
You might want to go to Tech Support and ask about this. I don't believe they allow auctions on BF.
It can be put up for sale at a listed price in The Exchange, sold on your website in any manner you wish, or auctioned off by an outside source ( knife club, Bruce Voles, etc.)
 
Having been involved with a couple similar projects, I can say this: It's a noble concept, but a HUGE pain to pull off, and in fact it's vastly wasteful of resources that could be much better spent. Think for a moment just about the shipping time/costs involved, even if everything else goes perfectly (and I guarantee, it won't).

It's far, far more efficient to simply donate a knife to your local favorite to auction off, or better yet make a knife and sell it, and donate the proceeds to the charity of your choice. The latter is a whole lot easier to document and explain to the taxman, as well.

While I admire your enthusiasm, count me out. It may sound crass, but I can honestly do a lot more good, more quickly, by simply writing a check.
 
Ok, it is starting to look like I will have to do my own thing elsewhere. I can see nobody is reading my posts anyway, since I stated several times that I was abandoning the collaboration idea and it keeps getting mentioned. ;) And it seems like BF isn't going to be the place to do so anyway due to the rules and hoops I would most likely need to jump through.... Or, I may just put it up for sale for a set price, and donate the proceeds, I dunno honestly at this point.

And Nick is right, the last collaborative one was, well, not my style at least without being rude...

Here is the knife I am planning to auction off. It needs a little refinishing as it has been lightly used, but basically its near mint anyway so it will just get a retouch of the spit and polish.
Sorry for the crap picture quality, cell phone camera.
It's a 7ish inch bladed compound ground (flat/convex) recurve in differentially treated 1/4" 1075. The blade is taken to 1500 grit, etched, then cold blued, knocked down with 0000 steel wool then oiled. Gives it a nice rust resistant and forced patina looking finish, though just a bit darker than the old mustard and such... Scales are olive micarta with white spacers.. Hollow stainless pins with 5 hidden copper pins. With this much blade, it balances on the index finger... Sheath isn't quite done in these pics, though it was 90%... I gave it a nice coat of mink oil which darkened it up a bit and it has been shaped around the edges since then. The sheath was fresh of the presses so to speak in these pics... It is 8-9oz vegetable tanned full grain leather with tooled leather inserts... As always, it was all hand done, no jigs, free ground, the whole 9 yards...

b6c35211aa3f324712364000b404a935.jpg

407897e42a641df808b808c9b0bf2ece.jpg

608360bfac66d91305fed12214ea7073.jpg

Randomized grip section on the spine.
618856ea012f5d289e1628052a53ea34.jpg

Squared up scales with the 5 hidden copper pins...
f8e78dfeb1e10f8716ff2f1dba8ed9a3.jpg


Thanks to everyone for the input.
Cheers.
 
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I just wanted to follow up and make sure you know I wasn't questioning your enthusiasm or motivation at all!!! :) I think that's great! :)

And I hated coming on your thread all Debbie Downer... but I thought giving you an example of where this failed in the past could spur you in either a little different direction, or maybe think of a new approach to the collaboration idea.

The fact that you're trying to follow through with a charitable act, rather than just abandoning the whole notion altogether, is very admirable! Good on 'ya! :thumbup: :)
 
Like Nick said, I apologize for being a bit of a drag. I applaud your efforts :) There are lots and lots of opportunities for all of us to help out on either the local or national level.

I like that knife. If you put a thin layer of leather behind the inserts, it will raise them flush with the rest of the sheath. Try it, you may like it better.

LucyCustomKnives said:
Randomized grip section on the spine.
618856ea012f5d289e1628052a53ea34.jpg
Click to expand...

I really like that feature :thumbup: I'm not wild about jimping, but that appears to be effective and it's definitely good-looking.
 
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