Custom Knife Makers: Disasters

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WoodWorkGhost said:
Hi Steven Roos,

Actually I put Phil's knives in a seperate category, I called them Japanese tacticals. Yes, he does use synthetic materials, nylon boot strings for his handle wrap...black.

As for hand rubbed satin finishes, makers such as David Broadwell, Jim Siska, Schuyler Lovestrand, John W Smith, Tim Herman, Brian Tighe and some others Im sure I am fogetting have all made "Tactical" knives with hand rubbed statin finishes.

Phil on the other hand uses the finishes that is provided by the factory, about a 40 grit finish.

WWG
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Alright, I do stand corrected on the true satin tacticals. John W. Smith should have come to my mind first. Of course, I've never seen a Tim Herman I'd call tactical!

What do you mean when you say "Phil on the other hand uses the finishes that is provided by the factory"? Does Hartsfield not grind his own blades?
 
Hi Steven,

Tim Herman has done a couple tactical knives on his own. He now has a collaboration with Deryk Munroe.

Finish and grinding are two different things. Of course Phil grinds his blades. However, the finish on the blade is left as it comes. The blade is ground and heat treated. If he is putting any kind of finish it is only between 40 and 60 grit.

WWG
 
As Mick and Duane are personal friends I do not think that I should comment on that,I believe it was Duane who is the Sniper though,not Mick,I can be mistaken.
As for the impact on their knives or knife sales,I think they speak for themselves,as for the self serving folks trying to bring them down,well,they are a fairly transparent bunch with an obvious axe to grind.
Dave
 
Dave's correct on all counts. Duane served in the Marines, Mick in the Army. Both served honorably, and neither has misrepresented their service in the least. Consequently, none of the mudslinging should affect anything about their excellent products (just as Clip Stamp's continuous slander campaign has had no effect).

Interestingly, one of the principal mudslingers, Kevin McClung, did personally lie about his military service. In May 2001, he posted on TF that he'd served "5 years" as a "professional soldier". Last week, he admitted first that it was only "2 years", and that the '5' was a typo. Then, he confessed that he was a sales and training rep for a supplier to the armed forces. That somehow made him a soldier in his mind. It won't hurt his sales, though, because most of the buyers of his chromeplated product are not the servicemembers who are insulted by such lies. As noted above, Ernie likes to insinuate that he served, using phrases like "when I go on overseas missions", but I've never heard him actually claim it as Mad Dog did.

Posers sell alot of knives, and so do guys like Kit who are the real McCoy. As Dave says, ultimately its the product, not the man behind it.
 
Hi Dave and Jbravo,

Fair enough. Like I said doesn't make a difference to me me one way or the other. I was just curious what your thoughts were since you both obviously buy their knives.

WWG
 
Theirs a knife maker on ebay who advertisers that he is a retired doctor in all his sales. Like that is going to mean something to the potential buyer.
 
Hi Keith,

I think it is headed back in the right direction. The problem with discussing disasters is that it usually involves money. Once you start discussing money the conversation will inevitably turn to investments.

Potential disaters on the horizons are knives from:

Buster Warenski
Fred Carter
Billy Imel
Willie Rigney

Each made/makes spectacular knives with equally spectacular prices. Each has sold many knives with a multi-thousand dollar price tag. Each with the exception of Buster have basically disappered (I know Willie has retired).

As the collectors of these knives decide to sell them to a market that for the most part is unfamiliar with their work. How much will this effect the final sale price.

Keith I hope this puts us back on track.

WWG
 
Any time "The Best" comes into play, the thread is a wreck waiting to happen.

There is no "Best".

However, there can be
The Best For Me & The Best For You.

And, amazingly, those two can be different. :eek:

Now to get back on track I'll pose a question.
I'm not insinuating anything.
Its a question I've wondered about for a long time and this thread seems like the place to ask it.

Let's say that there is a knifemaker who is really hot.
He has a style all his own, the name of his most popular model is synonymous with his name.
He has a following, he has factory collabs.

He just decided that he will no longer make knives but put all of his time and energy into making pens...or....jewelry....or something else.

What effect/affect will this have on the value of his knives?
 
That should be a good gauge as to where his work is at, sales wise.

Billy Mace Imel, maybe, maybe not.

His dagger ground integrals may or may not hold their value. I have two, and IMHO, historically speaking, they are important pieces.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Ebbtide said:
Let's say that there is a knifemaker who is really hot.
He has a style all his own, the name of his most popular model is synonymous with his name.
He has a following, he has factory collabs.

He just decided that he will no longer make knives but put all of his time and energy into making pens...or....jewelry....or something else.

What effect/affect will this have on the value of his knives?
Click to expand...

If you are talking about A.E., I think that his work will bring respectable prices, not tank and not rise significantly. In other words, it will go flat.

Just my take based upon similar situations. He did make an awful lot of knives, though. The e-locks should bring a premium.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai,

I agree with you. Allen biggest competitor is Allen. He did an excellent job marketing his knives and putting as many of his knives into so many places.

However, that removed the exclusivity of owning an Elshewitz knife. Most sell for less than retail in the aftermarket.

Allen has changed his marketing strategy. He is no longer taking orders and only sells knives off of his web site or at shows. A down side to this is that the customers will only be able to buy what Allen wants to make. This of course for many will eliminate the reason you buy a "custom" knife, to have configured the way you want.

Right now he seems to be focused on the mulit-grind blade similar to RJ Martins Rampage. However as it is with most of Allens work it will soon change again.

Allen has had some great designs, love the Phantom. As it is with people who have talent in several areas. They want to try their hand in those other areas. Such as the case with Allen. While I don't think any of his knives would garner the "disaster" rating. Few if any will every be looked at as "investment quality".

WWG
 
No. I wasn't talking about anyone in particular.
Really.

If I wanted to ask about a particular name, I would have.
I guess I didn't make that clear :o

So let's call him Farnesworth.
(& if there is a Farnesworth out there...I aint talking about you either :D )

Will my Farnesworth knife go up in value now that he devotes his time only to hand made nonknife products?
 
BUT all things being equal, no, the Farnesworth will not go up in value.

In all probability, it will go down in value, could be signficantly.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
When makers,dealers and collectors spend their time talking crap about

others,trying to bring them down;it will be those who start this crap

that will lose and find disaster.

Strider collectors love their knives,do not care how they dress and do not

think of making money on these knives.

Look at the Maxpedition fiasco.
 
Great thread guys, I have learned a lot and had my eyebrows raised a couple of times too.

Personally I look a the F&F and the materials used rather than anyones military service. I was in the army and I didnt see anything there that I thought would improve my ability to rate a knife any more than a hobby collector could.

Slightly OT and my apologies to the original poster, lets just call this a conversation cul-de-sac that we all drove into and we will soon be back on track. :D What was the Maxpedition fiasco?


Steve, I'm interested to talk to you about DM at SS, I have a couple of his and am looking to do some colabs on some more designs.
 
Hi Sky,

If someone is giving their opinion based on their experience then they are not talking "crap".

Obviously the Strider boys have done their homework. They're getting custom prices for semi-production knives. Then they get even more when Duane and Mick make their own custom knives.

Sky at what point to do you think they will saturate their market?

WWG
 
You all know that the "MS" rating doesn't really stand for "Mastersmith". It actually stands for "Military Service". It's a proven fact that you can't make a good knife unless you served in the military and you can't make a great knife unless you were a SEAL or a Marine sniper.

Wait till you see a knife made by a guy with the higher Delta Force "DF" rating. :D
 
WoodWorkGhost said:
The first time I met Mick he told me that he had been a Marine Corp Sniper. Not only was he not a sniper he was not even a Marine (according to his DD-214 [Military Service Record]), he was in the Army.
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WoodWorkGhost said:
Hi Dave and Jbravo,

Fair enough. Like I said doesn't make a difference to me me one way or the other. I was just curious what your thoughts were since you both obviously buy their knives.

WWG
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I don't post much, and I'm certainly NOT a Strider apologist in any way shape or form. I've never personally purchased a knife from them, although I do own one fixed blade, and I don't know either of the owners personally. However, this is pretty brash and arrogant on your part. You make a BOLD accusation that Mick misrepresented himself to you PERSONALLY by saying he was a Marine Sniper, you seem to be backpeddling now with this statement. So which is it? Did he actually say TO YOU personally that he was a Marine Corp sniper OR did you get confused and you were actually thinking about Duane Dwyers service(he was a Marine corp sniper as I understand it)? That's a big question you've left hanging out there. Ellis and JBravo have challenged, in a way, your statement, do you have a response?

If you say he did say that, who are you? Why are you posting anonymously?

Jared
 
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