Definition please...

The only thing I'd have to disagree with here is "Hobbyist". I'm a hobbyist, and I've never made a kit knife.
<img src=http://www.freespeech.org/oz/knifeegg.jpg>
<img src=http://www.freespeech.org/oz/Bearingblade1.jpg>
Unless you consider a race full of bearings to be a kit... Anyone have some kits of that particular type they'd like to trade? I'm running out of knife eggs.

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Oz

"Well, I gotta tell ya; I'd be very, very careful who you talk to about that, cause the person who wrote that, is dangerous. And this buttoned down, Oxford cloth psycho might just snap and stalk from office to office with an Armalite AR-10 carbine gas powered semiautomatic weapon, pumping round after round into colleague and coworker. This could be someone you've known for years. Someone very, very close to you."
http://www.freespeech.org/oz/
 
I agree with what CJ said. There is nothing wrong with making kit knives, however, I feel that trying to pass it off as your own creation (design/grind) is dishonest. I wouldn't place my mark on steel I did not design, shape, and grind.
I think that a kit maker pretending to be a custom/handmade maker would soon be discovered. If asked to build a knife to the customer's specifications, they would be forced to admit their inability. I suppose if really bold, they could suggest that the customer select a design from a supply house catalogue.

Brett
 
I was at a gun show once and this guy had a bunch of knives on his table as I was looking his wife approached me so I asked if they were handmade as all the blades were exactly the same size and shape,She told me they were and that her husband had made them.I went by the table later and the husband was there so I thought I would talk knives with this guy,needless to say he quickly admitted that they where bought blades and he just handled them,and he was charging more for his than I was on mine at another table and he was selling more than me.I guess in his wifes eyes he was making the knives.I say make them how you want but when selling them call them what they are Yes I handled this knife but the blade came from ?????? or I stock removaled this Damascus piece and the Damascus was made by ???? or yes I forged this piece...Just my .02 cents worth......Bruce

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Bruce Evans Handcrafted Knives
View

The soul of the Knife begins in the Fire!!!!!
Member of,AKTI#A000223 and The American Bladesmith Society
 
Oh yeah forgot to add one last thing.
Make sure you call it what it is. I still say its all part of knifemaking and if you do it your making a knife.But call it what it is. Don't try and missrepresent it. The knife is your creation, you made it, but its not necessarily your design, and you didn't necessarily do all the work. Only take credit for things you deserve the credit for.

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It'll feel better when it stops hurting.
 
You have made valid and inportant points in this post.I am thankful such a question came up and was seriously explored. Knives cost alot to make and to sell at a profit is sometimes undo-able. I think some guys would rather sell handle jobs and get some undeserved glory, then do without. So be it. I am happy and happy to let others do what they value. I know when good Bob Engnath died alot of handle jobbers were hard put to keep fresh good stuff up for sale.
 
Bruce - I think I know who you're talking about.
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I think the most important distinction, as has been mentioned above, is that the "knifemaker" adds an element of creativity or design into the blade. Using different handle materials or polishing to a mirror or satin finish is just cosmetic. The true knifemaker creates and shapes the blade to his or his customer's specifications.
 
Michael,

The reason no one is answering is becuase you can get a much better answer by using the search function. The topic has been discussed in great detail in the past. To do a search, click on the 'search', enter a topic, and be sure to check Shop Talk and Shop Talk Archive.
 
For me building handles came pretty easily. Teaching myself to grind blades correctly was VERY hard and took a LOT of blood, sweat, and tears(Cursing and spitting too). I personally dont consider Kit-Knife builders to be knifemakers per say.. But thats not to say they arent offering a quality product. I WOULD however tell customers that the knife was a kit...

Take Care
Trace Rinaldi http://www.pe.net/~thrblade/
 
Michael, have a look at the FAQ section of blade forums. There are several excellent articles there written by Joe Talmadge which will give you a good information on steel types, geometry, etc.

This article on edge geometry should answer your question:

Edge Geometry
 
Funny thing this is....I have been a knifemaker for 12+ years...I have in the early days handled 2-3 blades taken from beaten up scout knives...made the rest my self.
However living in Scandinavien my guess is about 75% of the people who make knives over here do it with others blades. We have a society in Denmark for all knifemakers. We are about 600-700 members and my guess is only 50-100 make the blades them self. Do I consider them knifemakers...hell yes...but I would never go that way. I know a lot of these people and alot of them make knives better than me...just not the blade.

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Jens Anso, jens@ansoknives.com
(check out my homepage)
Ansoknives.com
 
Probably the most important fact overlooked here(In my eyes
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),
is that a CUSTOM Knifemaker lives or dies by his reputation. PERIOD
To me it was very tempting to rehandle some blades from the get go. That would have been much easier than learning all the steps. From grinding, heat treat, handling, decoration ETC. I attend a monthly knife collectors meeting and bring my knives with me. IF I was to bring in a rehandle or kit knife most of those guys would spot it in a heartbeat!
They may not say anything but you can bet the word gets around fast.
My credability would vanish for the people I most want to impress
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I plan to make a name for myself someday and I consider anything less than a knife compeletely made by me to be a risk I am not willing to take.
I do not mean make my own Damascus or cut down the tree for a handle.
What I mean is using the readily available materials in there rough form and making a knife.
The flip side to that is if someone wants to sell rehandled or kit knives have at it!
You won't hear a peep from me.
However the people who pay there dues and learn all of the steps by doing will allways have my respect.

[This message has been edited by bobH (edited 08-29-2000).]
 
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