Dumb Question

JK Knives

JK Knives

Moderator
Joined
Mar 6, 2001
Messages
28,089
But I just have to know!

Why is it people like this

DSC02825.JPG


and this

DSC03879.jpg


but not this?

 
1: I might guess that the statistical sample is to small to make a proper determination.
2: The photo quality difference makes for an issue.

but then the quick answer is that folks prefer wood to micarta, but I believe that the above two thoughts trump that conclusion.
 
Speaking only for myself - the above mentioned "statistical example" - I like micarta in very small doses.
It devalues a knife (in my mind) by 50% all other things being equal.

First 2 knives - really beautiful, last version BLAH! Since you are asking - just my 2¢.
 
The first is the best and stands quite above the others aesthetically imo, the 3rd is more appealing than the 2nd but the scales from the second deserve to be on the 3rd; basically if the 3rd knife had the scales of 2nd knife and the picture background it would compete with the first, especially since the grind seems to be done slightly better. This is my opinion and I'm a nobody that knows nothing.
 
You've got yourself a very "historical" or "traditional" design. Some semi gnarly scales of more raw natural materials like burl etc seem to be more cohesive to the overall design.

Let's oversimplify: imagine a stockman with titanium scales. Kinda creates a lil cognitive dissonance, no? A lil WUT?!
 
The moral to the story dude, is that making a choice for most all folks is very subjective, and personal.
You'll never please everyone with anyone particular knife ...

Yet, in your heart I'm guessing you have already come to this conclusion maybe.
 
And now you have been duded!
But we will keep it on the down low
Welcome Knife Dragon!
 
People are fickle.

The first two pictures give life to the knives. They help express scale and give the viewer something to place his hand on.

The last picture the knife is sort of just there. No real way to gauge how large or small it is. The micarta on the glass is sort of dead. The glass doesn't do anything to bring out the handle material.

The first two pictures make the viewer want to figure out more about the knife: "Ooo - cool scales - what are they?" "Ooh, that knifes about 2-3 shells long, that's really __" or so. I wonder how that would fit my hand?" "Ooh - he's got that out with the sheath, shells, feathers, he must be using it hunting… would I use it hunting? Maybe I wouldn't clean game with it but what might I use it for when out hunting?"

They also might be thinking, and making judgements based on the pictures - what are my buddies going to think about my new knife? Are they going to go - hey! - "micarta" - that stuff really wears well and is resistant to moisture and …. , or are they going to go "WOW - look at the wood on that handle!".

Forgive me if I'm mixing my models here, but there's nothing in the third picture to show me that it should be a $185 knife when the first picture is an $85 knife. If I've got the models right I know the knife in the third picture is larger. But both pictures show a knife with the same general blade shape and blade to handle ratio. One just shows a nicer looking wood handle with leather fob while the other one looks pretty plain and unadorned.

I think people also might think that a knife with an average looking man-made material should cost less than a knife with wood or a man-made material that they imply added cost to. Krinite looks like it must cost more so if it does - no big. Woods have that natural goodness to them and a good finish implies value because people think about custom walnut stocks on their guns and fine furniture. Plainer mircata finishes (not the buttery smooth ones) give that utilitarian feel which people probably think must cost less. Most of us probably don't know how much a particular handle material costs, how hard it is to work, any special health precautions when working it, susceptibility to becoming unusable when working, etc. All things that add to cost.

For example, I almost didn't ask you about G-10 liners because I saw the notes at the vender about prepping it for use. Then I saw the other liners seemed to require the same prep - so I asked away.
 
Last edited:
I like them all. The top two pictures really show off the knife where the last doesn't do a very good job. I wish I had the money.


RayseM, I love your sig line.:thumbup:
 
I agree with pretty much everything posted above. The placement of the knives in scenes with other objects is visually appealing.

The use of exotic woods is very popular for fixed blade knives. It makes them look more "custom", IMO.

I don't think your question is dumb. Presentation is everything when trying to sell something. Look at photos of whatever on ebay. Bland or poor photos don't get as much positive attention in auctions.
 
I didn't know how to think about the question, I think the guys above have broken it down very nicely and I think I agree,

You have come a long way in your picture taking since you started to concentrate on it, maybe some setting/props is the next stage,

I wonder how you could set up a picture that "shows off" Micarta's advantages visually, in the same way (near water or a setting that looks humid perhaps?)

I've found lighting makes all the difference our camera doesn't take very good pictures inside for example, and I'm too much of a dunce to learn about lighting techniques, so if I need a good picture I'll take it early int he morning (time changes with the season) or just as the afternoons about to die, the orange tint to the sunlight at those times, i find, brings out the colors and luster of many scale materials, and the 01 to. Simple no effort tricks like that fit my lazy lifestyle well :) (Also it means I can turn the flash off which always seems to help my pictures.)

Where's our resident professional picture taker when you need him :)
 
WA Martin said:
People are fickle.

The first two pictures give life to the knives. They help express scale and give the viewer something to place his hand on.

The last picture the knife is sort of just there. No real way to gauge how large or small it is. The micarta on the glass is sort of dead. The glass doesn't do anything to bring out the handle material.

The first two pictures make the viewer want to figure out more about the knife: "Ooo - cool scales - what are they?" "Ooh, that knifes about 2-3 shells long, that's really __" or so. I wonder how that would fit my hand?" "Ooh - he's got that out with the sheath, shells, feathers, he must be using it hunting… would I use it hunting? Maybe I wouldn't clean game with it but what might I use it for when out hunting?"

They also might be thinking, and making judgements based on the pictures - what are my buddies going to think about my new knife? Are they going to go - hey! - "micarta" - that stuff really wears well and is resistant to moisture and …. , or are they going to go "WOW - look at the wood on that handle!".

Forgive me if I'm mixing my models here, but there's nothing in the third picture to show me that it should be a $185 knife when the first picture is an $85 knife. If I've got the models right I know the knife in the third picture is larger. But both pictures show a knife with the same general blade shape and blade to handle ratio. One just shows a nicer looking wood handle with leather fob while the other one looks pretty plain and unadorned.

I think people also might think that a knife with an average looking man-made material should cost less than a knife with wood or a man-made material that they imply added cost to. Krinite looks like it must cost more so if it does - no big. Woods have that natural goodness to them and a good finish implies value because people think about custom walnut stocks on their guns and fine furniture. Plainer mircata finishes (not the buttery smooth ones) give that utilitarian feel which people probably think must cost less. Most of us probably don't know how much a particular handle material costs, how hard it is to work, any special health precautions when working it, susceptibility to becoming unusable when working, etc. All things that add to cost.

For example, I almost didn't ask you about G-10 liners because I saw the notes at the vender about prepping it for use. Then I saw the other liners seemed to require the same prep - so I asked away.
Click to expand...

Wade nailed it in my opinion.

I like all 3 knives, but the last one doesn't really speak to me; some of that is the handle materials and some of that is the photograph. I also must confess to the fact that I find the CBK to be far more alluring than any of the three - but that's just my tastes.

Back to the topic: Wade said most of what I'd say, so I'll just skip to ahead to the parts that he didn't say.

The latter photo doesn't have the correct color balance (it's too blue - blue is cold and uninviting to most). Many people select the cloudy setting on their camera's white balance - this helps give the photo a warmer feeling (orange is warm).

The focus is on the table itself. That sort of thing is common when using auto focus on a camera. If your camera has a manual focus option, use it when shooting things like knives. That way you can make sure it is the knife itself that is in focus. The difference (of what is in focus and what isn't) isn't much in that photo; probably because you used a fairly small aperture. The bad thing about that is that it tends to make people's eyes navigate to the background (since it is in focus).

Our eyes navigate (naturally) to that which is in focus and that which is brighter.

I took the liberty of downloading your photo and doing a few minutes of work on it.




I cropped it to make the subject appear larger (it takes up more of the total picture).

I made the white balance a bit warmer.

I blurred the background a bit (to make the subject stand out a bit more)

I sharpened the subject (to make it stand out from the background)

I corrected the levels to my liking (balance between white and black)

I darkened the background slightly (to make the subject stand out a bit more).

To me, this worked version stands out a lot more and makes me more inclined to let my mind wonder about all the possibilities I'd have to use the knife/subject if I owned it.

With more time and a larger file (more information in the photo) I believe I could make the photo far better than I have, but this will do as an example of what I talked about above.
 
KYenglish said:
I didn't know how to think about the question, I think the guys above have broken it down very nicely and I think I agree,

You have come a long way in your picture taking since you started to concentrate on it, maybe some setting/props is the next stage,

I wonder how you could set up a picture that "shows off" Micarta's advantages visually, in the same way (near water or a setting that looks humid perhaps?)

I've found lighting makes all the difference our camera doesn't take very good pictures inside for example, and I'm too much of a dunce to learn about lighting techniques, so if I need a good picture I'll take it early int he morning (time changes with the season) or just as the afternoons about to die, the orange tint to the sunlight at those times, i find, brings out the colors and luster of many scale materials, and the 01 to. Simple no effort tricks like that fit my lazy lifestyle well :) (Also it means I can turn the flash off which always seems to help my pictures.)

Where's our resident professional picture taker when you need him :)
Click to expand...

Amen. It is called the "Golden Hour" for a reason - that's when the lighting is best (and sometimes fantastic). It makes photo's pop and it makes editing all but unnecessary.

I tend to favor outdoorsy shots when it comes to knives. In my opinion it does a superior job of selling the knife, as opposed to the studio shots (not that the studio shots are bad, mind you. It's just that I find them to be less compelling).
 
I agree with Tahts on most of what he said but if you take Knife #2 and put it in the same background as the #3 then I believe you have a lot better looking Knife all the way around and not just a more or less 'Plain Jane' for the money that most people want to spend on a "great looking Knife" and not just a ho-hum Knife.! My opinion only as I am sure more will chime in with there likes and no - no's.** { as you know ~~ I do like the Scales on #2 } lol
All 3 are good looking Knives though in there own way.^
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top