- Joined
- Jan 26, 2009
- Messages
- 228
If you want your knife to be a tactical knife...put a synthetic handle material on it.
I think if we let people over classify things they take away from the "spirit" of a knife. You make it sound like the classification is more about the materials then anything.
The problem I have is someone telling people they are wrong and basing it on marketing terms and judging classes at certain knife shows. Then coming across in every post as "I wrote articles" "I'm at the front doing a seminar at this show" and suddenly what they say is law. Are damascus bowies still bowies or are the makers wrong there also? I think you call a knife by what it is and what the maker has made. If i make a huge chopper and choose titanium I don't want someone coming and saying no your wrong because you used titanium or the handle is stabalized wood. I understand your classifications according to judging but your judging rules arn't laws. Give people some play and drop the snob attitude.CB,
You just aren't getting this are you...stop trying to put the square peg in a round hole:
Spirit of the knife??? WTF is that? Is that like the "spirit of the law"...instead of the actual law itself? Or are you one of those makers who can put a soul or part of a soul into the blade.
Yes, exactly right (here we go again....Tactical is a marketing term....Tactical is a marketing term. ) Yes this Marketing term became part of the custom knife lexicon to describe a knife with a particular look and materials. Again it in no way shape or form has any affect on the knife's ability to do a job or determine what job(s) this type of knife can do. It does not take away or add anything to the knifes ability or "spirit".
Pay attention to this part (as you missed it before). The categories created for tactical folders and fixed blades did not come first....they were created because this particular market sector became popular with collectors. First the knives were made (early on called Gray Turds...not a great name), then the term Tactical was used to describe the knives that several makers were building. Then magazines, books started using the terms to describe the knives in the photos that were featured in the articles. Then the category of "tactical" for judging at knife shows came about.
If you have more questions stop by the Seminar at the Blade Show entitled "What to look for in a Tactical Folder". I will be there. I'll be easy to recognize, I'll be the one in the front of the room conducting the seminar and answering questions.
Now you can create any knife you want...infuse it with whatever spirit you want. But when it doesn't win awards, does not find favor with tactical knife collectors, is not featured in any articles on tactical folders....you will understand that it is not the spirit of the knife that is keeping your name from appearing. It is the fact that you have put wood on a "tactical" folder...thereby making it a presentation folder.
Question for you? Why do you have such a problem with calling a presentation folder....a presentation folder? More shows have art and presentation folder categories than they do tactical folder categories.
I understand your classifications according to judging but your judging rules arn't laws. Give people some play and drop the snob attitude.
I've been making knives for a few years now and loving it! Its kind of a off beat hobby
Note, the Gray Turds were as responsible for saving the custom knife market as any other knife genre there has been.
Neil Blackwood made this one for me. I gave him a photoshopped pic of one of his knives, and he made it come to life. One hell of a maker!
Thanks chief! Neil does some amazing work.That is a seriously nice piece of cutlery there...
Hi Lorien,
Early on after the collapse of the interframe folder (circa 1992) titanium became available and pioneers such as Kit Carson, Pat Crawford, Bob Terzuola, Chris Reeve, Mel Pardue and other were building knives that had a blade, two slabs of titanium with clip that were bead blasted. Hence the gray appearance and the not so glamorous monicker.
Note, the Gray Turds were as responsible for saving the custom knife market as any other knife genre there has been. Had it not been for these knives and these makers custom knives as we know it would not exist as it does today. Not just the custom knife market but the whole cutlery industry.
How many factories now totally rely on the makers of the Gray Turds and those they paved the way for.
Honestly I don't feel this is a real drama thread. Me and les disagree and IMO are carrying out a debate in a dignified way. The only thing drama about it was me calling him a snob and I regret that. I should have said a snobish attitude about this. Just like we all make a dumb mistake it doesn't mean we are dumb. For that I apologize. Its more of a point to where I agree with him on 90% of what he says but the other 10% I feel strongly in the other direction. I think there are general "rules" to classifications but nothing written in stone and les's view point after all his experiences are more about absolute set rules.I have to admit, I love reading "drama filled" threads...
BUT, I've actually learned a great deal as far as differences between tactical/presentation folders etc:thumbup: