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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Custom forged knives- which maker?
- Thread starter PRKsux
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 28, 1999
- Messages
- 14,985
If you are looking for the best forged knife without getting into the high prices of the big name guys, I would look at John Fitch, Matt Lamey,or Kevin Cashen. They all make great knives, and currently dont charge an arm and a leg.
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Danbo, soul brother of Rambo
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Danbo, soul brother of Rambo
- Joined
- Oct 7, 1998
- Messages
- 1,838
Ed Caffrey gets my vote. He is just finishing a knife for me of 'spiders and snakes' Damascus. It is beautiful. I will post a pic when it arrives. Here is Ed's website: www.caffreyknives.com
Warning; take adequate precautions against uncontrolled salivation before looking at the knives on this site!!
Walt
Warning; take adequate precautions against uncontrolled salivation before looking at the knives on this site!!
Walt
- Joined
- Oct 4, 1998
- Messages
- 4,131
Sounds like pretty good opinions to me. I own, have on order or seriously plan to order something from every one mentioned so far
. Toss Roger Massey in on that list.
I also think you get bang for the buck from guys like Fisk, Fogg, Dunkerly, Schwartzer, Hancock and others, but it is a bigger bang so the buck is a little bigger too. If it turns out to be a Fitch, order that puppy soon, I have a feeling he is going to be pretty booked up within a year or less.
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" The real art of living is too keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post.
In memory of James Mattis
I also think you get bang for the buck from guys like Fisk, Fogg, Dunkerly, Schwartzer, Hancock and others, but it is a bigger bang so the buck is a little bigger too. If it turns out to be a Fitch, order that puppy soon, I have a feeling he is going to be pretty booked up within a year or less.
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" The real art of living is too keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post.
In memory of James Mattis
Les Robertson
BANNED
- Joined
- Oct 10, 1998
- Messages
- 3,565
PRK,
Gus brings up a good point. What kind of "bang for your buck".
Damascus is regarded by many as an art form in and of it's self. There are hundreds of makers out there who can make Damascus.
Just like there are thousands of people who can make knives.
However, there are very few who are considered masters of the craft!
My advice is don't buy anything until you really understand what makes great Damascus.
Additionally, there are many great Damascus makers who's knives just aren't very good.
Beware of limiting your "eye" to only the steel.
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Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
http://www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
Gus brings up a good point. What kind of "bang for your buck".
Damascus is regarded by many as an art form in and of it's self. There are hundreds of makers out there who can make Damascus.
Just like there are thousands of people who can make knives.
However, there are very few who are considered masters of the craft!
My advice is don't buy anything until you really understand what makes great Damascus.
Additionally, there are many great Damascus makers who's knives just aren't very good.
Beware of limiting your "eye" to only the steel.
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Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
http://www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
- Joined
- Apr 28, 1999
- Messages
- 349
Gus gives good advice, Big John placed first again in the fall ABS cutting competition today. He edged out some VERY GOOD old hands in the process.
Wish I could say I had something to do with how well he makes knives, but all I get to do is share a shop with him. It is somewhat of a hazzard though, when he gets up to full speed it's hard to keep from getting run over.
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old pete
Wish I could say I had something to do with how well he makes knives, but all I get to do is share a shop with him. It is somewhat of a hazzard though, when he gets up to full speed it's hard to keep from getting run over.
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old pete
- Joined
- Nov 13, 1998
- Messages
- 2,598
I have endorsed his knives many times and i couldnt agree more with Pete. John Fitch makes an excellent cutting knife. I use one of his 12" bowies as a standard to judge my own knives performance.
A word to those of you "contimplating" ordering from John--- Get on the list now. I have a feeling he will get a shiny new MS stamp this June and the wait will increase substantially.
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" The true way of the sword is the craft of defeating the enemy in a fight, and nothing other than this" Ibid
www.lameyknives.com
A word to those of you "contimplating" ordering from John--- Get on the list now. I have a feeling he will get a shiny new MS stamp this June and the wait will increase substantially.
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" The true way of the sword is the craft of defeating the enemy in a fight, and nothing other than this" Ibid
www.lameyknives.com
- Joined
- Oct 4, 1998
- Messages
- 4,131
Hey old Pete,
I have heard rumors that you have helped big John along the way here and there
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" The real art of living is too keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post.
In memory of James Mattis
I have heard rumors that you have helped big John along the way here and there
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" The real art of living is too keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post.
In memory of James Mattis
- Joined
- Jan 21, 2000
- Messages
- 8,888
In the October 1997 issue of BLADE Magazine, Ed Fowler reported on a 52100 blade tested by Metallographic Laboratory Services in California. The owner of the lab stated that the sample had the finest grain structure in the cutting edge of any steel he had ever examined, with carbide size between 1/2 and 1 micron. As Mr. Fowler said, "This is as fine as it gets," comparing it to D2 at 10-15 microns and CPM420V at 2-4 microns.
I contacted Mr. Fowler early last year about that test blade, and he told me the blade had been forged and heat treated by Rick Dunkerley. That same knife was later put through a flex test in which it was clamped in a vise, bent 90 degrees, then bent back 180 degrees, back again 180 degrees, back again 180 degrees, back again 180 degrees, back again 180 degrees and finally cracked at the edge on the next flex. In cutting tests a Dunkerley 52100 blade has made over 1000 cuts through rope without re-sharpening. With a few strokes on a fine Arkansas, that edge was restored to full sharpness. Both the flex test and cutting test were witnessed by other knife makers with national reputations, who corroborate the veracity of these results.
52100 is Rick's basic "using knife" steel, and he uses and tests his own hunting knives as a professional outfitter and elk hunting guide in Montana. He also does some of the most elaborate mosaic damascus to be found, having won national awards in many categories, and has even forged CPM steels--both from powder and from bar stock.
Rick's mosaic damascus folders range up into the $5000 category, but he'll still make you a truly beautiful hunting knife in his forged 52100 for about $600, including a handsome, heavy leather sheath he makes himself. I think that's a remarkable deal.
--Will
[This message has been edited by WILL YORK (edited 10-31-2000).]
I contacted Mr. Fowler early last year about that test blade, and he told me the blade had been forged and heat treated by Rick Dunkerley. That same knife was later put through a flex test in which it was clamped in a vise, bent 90 degrees, then bent back 180 degrees, back again 180 degrees, back again 180 degrees, back again 180 degrees, back again 180 degrees and finally cracked at the edge on the next flex. In cutting tests a Dunkerley 52100 blade has made over 1000 cuts through rope without re-sharpening. With a few strokes on a fine Arkansas, that edge was restored to full sharpness. Both the flex test and cutting test were witnessed by other knife makers with national reputations, who corroborate the veracity of these results.
52100 is Rick's basic "using knife" steel, and he uses and tests his own hunting knives as a professional outfitter and elk hunting guide in Montana. He also does some of the most elaborate mosaic damascus to be found, having won national awards in many categories, and has even forged CPM steels--both from powder and from bar stock.
Rick's mosaic damascus folders range up into the $5000 category, but he'll still make you a truly beautiful hunting knife in his forged 52100 for about $600, including a handsome, heavy leather sheath he makes himself. I think that's a remarkable deal.
--Will
[This message has been edited by WILL YORK (edited 10-31-2000).]
- Joined
- Apr 28, 1999
- Messages
- 349
Gus. He lets me sweep the floor and answer the phone, what more could you ask?
Will. your comments on 52100 and Rick tend to prove that its the combo of the steel and the maker. Most can not get that steel under 15 micron. Others can take D-2 etc down to the low single digits. The good ones have screwed up lots of steel getting it correct.
there is no such thing as magic steel, just dedicated people doing magic with steel.
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old pete
[This message has been edited by Pete Peterson (edited 11-01-2000).]
Will. your comments on 52100 and Rick tend to prove that its the combo of the steel and the maker. Most can not get that steel under 15 micron. Others can take D-2 etc down to the low single digits. The good ones have screwed up lots of steel getting it correct.
there is no such thing as magic steel, just dedicated people doing magic with steel.
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old pete
[This message has been edited by Pete Peterson (edited 11-01-2000).]
For a quick picture album of the ABS cutting competition take a look at:
http://www.knifeart.com/20abscutcom.html
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KnifeArt.com - Fine Custom Knives
KnifeDirectory.com - Online Knife Guide
http://www.knifeart.com/20abscutcom.html
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KnifeArt.com - Fine Custom Knives
KnifeDirectory.com - Online Knife Guide