Custom as user

dsvirsky

dsvirsky

Joined
Aug 2, 1999
Messages
1,910
Put a small scratch in the handle of my DDR small Apogee last night, and about a 1" scratch on the blade. My first, immediate, thought was, "send it to Darrel and get it refinished." Quickly dismissed that idea because it’s a "user," and when you use tools, they get marked, scratched, etc..

When I bought the Apogee, I intended for it to be a user. But I think that last night was the first time I really believed it.

Maybe someday, when something else takes the Apogee’s place as EDC, I’ll have it made all pretty again, but until then I’ll just keep using it the way its maker intended.


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Dave

Let no one ever from henceforth say one word in any way countenancing war. It is dangerous even to speak of how here and there the individual may gain some hardship of soul by it. For war is hell, and those who institute it are criminals. Siegfried Loraine Sassoon
 
Dave,
The first scratch always hurts the worst! The ones that follow will only add some character to the knife. Use it, enjoy it,and when that new favorite comes along just send it back for a refinish and you'll think you have a brand new knife!


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Art Sigmon
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"
Php. 4:13

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword"
Heb. 4:12
 
Whenever I read a post like this I remember an article by Ed Fowler in Blade magazine a ways back that discussed Personal History Marks.

The story was about a customer who brought in a very well used and scratched up knife for refinishing to a custom maker. The maker was about to put the knife on the grinder to erase all the marks when he turned and asked the customer how a particular scratch had happened. The customer explained that it had happened while on a hunting trip last fall. He started talking about all the fun he had had on that trip. Then the maker asked about another mark, and there was another story. The maker kept asking about various marks on the knive, and for each one, there was some sort of story behind it that told the history of the knife and its owner.

Then the maker asked the customer one last time: are you Sure that you want me to erase all of the personal history of this knife?

The customer asked for his knife back, and went away happy with with his perfectly functional but scratched up piece of personal history
smile.gif


Paracelsus
 
Ya, that really says it. There are some knives that I have that are meant to be kept in absolutely pristine and perfect condition. Any little mark or, heaven forbid, scratch on those are like daggers in the eyes. But the others. Well, marks are reminders and souvenirs. Still, I prefer to remember by the marks on my big Camp knives and my boots - not my "Gents". There are only so many good stories I can invent about carries in the City
smile.gif
 
Unused knives get our admiration. Users get our appreciation, which is better! My Benchmade Stentinl, although a very sexy knife (to me anyways!) has a number of scratches on the blade and a few dings in the aluminum handle. But man do i love to pull it out of my pocket and cut anything in shight! It cuts and cuts and cuts, and I guess thats all I see and the scratches and dings seem to not be there for me!

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"Come What May..."
 
Yeah, i know that feeling real well.

Happens to all of us who use our customs. While I take care to maintain them and not subject them to abuse, scratches and scuffs on "using" knives are pretty much unavoidable.

I think most makers would rather have the knives dinged up by use then sit away in a safe somewhere. At least that's what I tell myself when i look at the scratch I put on my Crawford Shark.
wink.gif



Red

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"Praise not the day until evening has come;a sword until it is tried; ice until it has been crossed; beer until it has been drunk" - Viking proverb
 
I don't own a knife that doesn't have a few scratches on it. It goes with the territory. I buy my knives to use not to pamper.
I could not agree more with story Para told. To many memories to ever have my knives refinished.
Keith.
 
Yes, that first scratch on your custom user can be a real bear! I remember all too well the first mark I put on my first Ed Fowler knife. Man....you'd have thought I ran over the family dog. But hey..everything was cool after that. The hesitance was gone, and I no longer had any qualms about using the knife in any manner I felt fit, short of abusing it. It has a few dings on the brass guard, and a stain from deer blood that didn't get wiped off. It even has some old sharpening marks from when it was taken to a stone by campfire light (and a little Wild Turkey!)

I was a little embarrassed when I showed it to Ed at the Oregon Show some years back, but he was downright pleased to see that it had been used.

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"When loss and gain are alike to one, that is real gain.."
 
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