Design inspiration ?

KenOnion

KenOnion

Joined
Apr 21, 1999
Messages
739
I'm really currious about what you do to inspire a new design or concept ?

I set down approx three nights a week with a sketch pad and just draw knives.Throughout the day I look for just the right curve or flow in everything from a cloud in the sky or a shadow on the ground.maybe even an oil stain on the driveway . I try to study the gentle flowing curve of nature,cars too I look at a sexy car and try to find out just what makes it so sexy.


What do you do?
What inspires you?


Aloha!!! Ken
 
Ken,

I do the exact same thing. I have hundreds of little knife sketches. Some I get from dreams, others I get from shapes and shadows in nature or from non-knife manmade objects.

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If a man can keep alert and imaginative, an error is a possibility, a chance at something new; to him, wandering and wondering are a part of the same process. He is most mistaken, most in error, whenever he quits exploring.

William Least Heat Moon
 
Some from doodleing, a scrap piece of wood,
and just picking up a piece of steel and grinding off everything that does not look right.( The last one can cause severe headaches when you change the design somewhat at the last minute!)

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There is no such thing as "good enough", either your work is good or it is not. How is your work?
 
I used to draw alot, but recently I picked up a program called autosketch. It's sort of a CAD for dummies. Like a big etch a sketch on your computor. No more paper, pencils and erasers! You can design anything you want with it and have the blade pivot into the handle to check for clearances etc. I have better deisgns now and when I get the design I like I just print it out and transfer it onto my pattern material.
 
Some of my most interesting knives have come from drop offs. I'll draw out 10-15 blades on a saw blade and cut them out and occaisionally an odd piece of steel will be left between the drawn blades. One of my favorites was born that way. Take care! Michael

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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"
 
Ken, most of mine have been late at night, the house is quiet, and focusing is not so tough. I was awakened one night by a vision of what appeared to be a new blade shape, I had never seen one like it before. I woke up determined to sketch it quickly, but convinced myself that I could easily recall it. IT NEVER HAPPENED! My experience has been that when the pressures of the normal day have been relieved, and you are in that quasi-karma period-the green light thinking really revvs up and some great thoughts come to mind. (I'm just to lazy to wake up!)--Dan
 
I take my boy to the discovery zone . He plays and I draw. With all the children around it seems to alow my mind to drift off to the other side..
It seems trance like and hours pass very quickly..
I also like cars and woods to find curves and special things not noticed in everyday life..

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Web Site At www.infinet.com/~browzer/bldesmth.html
Take a look!!!




 
Dadgum sneaky Tom!!!!!!! Wanna share????????

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"Always think of your fellow knife makers as partners in the search for the perfect blade, not as people trying to compete with you and your work!"
 
Ken and I were talking about this the other day. His designs are very organic and natural - it really shows. From the smallest natural accent designs flow - I think that is where art becomes a knife.

I like this topic.

Larry

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[This message has been edited by KnifeArt (edited 10 December 1999).]
 
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