Collecting other makers work...

G

Guy Thomas

Joined
Feb 1, 2000
Messages
1,370
Just out of curiousity how many of you guys who make knives collect other makers work? I intend to in the coming years but I'm still spending what little extra cash I can spare on knifemaking supplies.
I do drool over what I see everyone making here however!
 
Guy,
I have two pieces you are more than welcome to collect!
Actually I still do buy other makers work when I can afford to.
 
Silent,

I remember in an interview with guitarist Brian May of Queen he said that "no one ever creates in a vacuum". I agree with this.

I have 8 Bagwells, 2 Wild Bill Caldwell, a Fisk, Bruce Evans, and John Smith Bowie in my collection.

I would like to have a Crowell, another Smith and a few others.
 
I'm poor, so currently only have one custom, but will continue to gget more as money becomes available.
 
Guy, I started making knives because I couldn't afford to buy the beautiful customs I saw in the knife and gun mags. I got the "bug" in the early 70s and have never lost it.

But only recently have I begun to buy other's work. I have an incomparable big bowie by Jim Lofgreen, a beautiful scale release folder by Gene Osborne, a sweet little skinner by our very own J. Neilson, the unbelieveable good fortune to have a Bruce Evans prototype that is on the way, and one fine day I'll be the proud owner of a great little necker by none other than Mr Silent his own self. :cool: I have a couple of my own manufacture too, of course.

Not to mention the upcoming Knife in the Hat trade; that stands to be really good, I 've heard about some of the knives being made for it and they all sound great.

Somewhere I'm going to have to draw the line, though. I should be spending that money on steel and handle materials. :)
 
I've got a Hrisoulas dagger, a cable damascus blade from Tony Lemon (Oso), a couple from makers that aren't identified, a GORGEOUS damascus 'nambam' blade from Steve Bloom of Ironflower forge, and one of these days I'm going to have a scramasax from you, Guy.
I'd have to second just about everything else said here. I got into this because I thought it would be cheaper to make my own (wrongwrongwrongsowrongithurts), and I learn more from handling a blade from a good maker than many of the books that I've read.
Glad I'm not the only one. :P
 
hehe... back in 1981, I decided instead of buying any more "expensive" custom knives, I'd make em. joke's on me...tooling costs more than a whole big buncha nice knives, and like knives, there's always one more piece ya just gotta have. i still like to buy 1-3 knives a year.
 
It's about what I thought, knifemakers are also knife nuts. It's only a matter of time before I get to pick up some other makers work. Dave, I'm going to have you knife in the mail by this coming Friday, by hook or by crook! Oz, we've got to get that scramasax exchange going!

If I'd have spent the money I've spent over the past three years or so setting up to make knives I'd have quite the collection now, but then I couldn't call myself a knifemaker!
 
I have a couple of knives made by distinguished local knifemakers. I bought them as I transitioned from becoming a collector to collector AND maker. The ones I have are examples of truly superb workmanship which I look at when trying to develop inspiration for work. I'm not copying, but trying to emulate the example set by other knifemakers especially with fit and finish.

I look at the flawless hand rubbed finish and go, " I'm going to get that finish like that this time round." I try my best and often come up a little short, but I'm that step closer. Or when I think I've got that blade to guard fit damn tight, I pull out the custom one to compare. Its clear I still have a way to go.

Its also about indirectly supporting and endorsing their work and working out for yourself, whose work most closely resembles your own ambitions and more often than not, these makers are people you just get along well with and feel that their knives come with a small portion of their personality.

I think some of us could do well to collect a couple of fellow knifemakers' creations to cure that bad case of swell-head when we think we've got it down pat.

Cheers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top