Engineering artwork? (High End Folders)

[norcalAF]

Once a couple years ago at work, someone asked me why I carried a silver ballpoint pen clipped inside my shirt pocket.

My response was that I write every day, and had grown tired of using a bic pen. Hadn't really thought about it until then, but the guy seemed to think he was making a point and probably thought I was foolish.

Using finely made things brings me enjoyment every day.

I'm the same way, I've just managed to convince my office manager to order me nice pens

 

[jbib]

I don't disagree with any of the comments. It just seems to me it's pretty eclectic. You have to be part of the club. I can't imagine pulling out a hinderer showing to someone who isn't in the club. It would be very unusual at best.

 

[Wolverine777]

CRK is the highest end knives I’ve owned. And I’m a big fan. Although , I’d love to try out a Rockstead someday. Or full custom folder.

 

[VorpelSword]

I look at the high end folders and ask myself how could anyone use them as an EDC? It makes me wonder if most of them wind up in display cases. In my opinion with handmade pieces its no exaggeration to call them artwork. The only thing missing is a guild master to evaluate the masterpiece. Is this generally accepted or am I missing the story?

Pretty much why my only EDC (emphasis on every-day) is a leatherman multitool. It is my opinion that my EDc is a design and engineering masterpiece manufactured to h high standard. I could find something similar in Titanium with higher alloy cutting blades. Someone might eventually make something similar with custom ordered embellishments, Damascus or precious materials (William Henry).

But they would tay at home or sit in my desk drawer at work. Form follow function: My Wave Plus is just right. Affordable, capable and plane enough to come with me everywhere, every day . . .an EDC.

 

[Danke42]

If it's made with a machine and not hand tools it's not art.

Computer Numerical Control is not art. No mater how nice it looks at the end.

 

[Crag the Brewer]

If it's made with a machine and not hand tools it's not art.

Computer Numerical Control is not art. No mater how nice it looks at the end.

I was having this conversation with my wife yesterday.....(She didn't really care as much as I did)

I'm not sure exactly what My opinions are?
Yes, art can be made with computers.
Yes, a print of a picture (not the original, but copies) can be considered Art.....but it's Not the same as having the artist's original on the wall.

Ultimately, disclosure is most important, and expectations.....


In the "knife world" lines are blurred ALL the time.
How Maker's make things.
Where Maker's make things
Now, it's IF Maker's make things?

 

[Danke42]

I was having this conversation with my wife yesterday.....(She didn't really care as much as I did)

I'm not sure exactly what My opinions are?
Yes, art can be made with computers.
Yes, a print of a picture (not the original, but copies) can be considered Art.....but it's Not the same as having the artist's original on the wall.

Ultimately, disclosure is most important, and expectations.....


In the "knife world" lines are blurred ALL the time.
How Maker's make things.
Where Maker's make things
Now, it's IF Maker's make things?

Just don't try to hang your knives in a gallery and you're in the tall grass.

 

[jiggyfly16]

A bomb Knife is made to explode cut. That's its meaning. Its purpose. Your life is empty because you spend it trying to stop the bomb knife from becoming. And for who? For what? You know what A bomb knife is, Jack, that doesn't explode cut? It's a cheap gold watch, buddy.

 

[R.Russell]

Pretty much why my only EDC (emphasis on every-day) is a leatherman multitool. It is my opinion that my EDc is a design and engineering masterpiece manufactured to h high standard. I could find something similar in Titanium with higher alloy cutting blades. Someone might eventually make something similar with custom ordered embellishments, Damascus or precious materials (William Henry).

But they would tay at home or sit in my desk drawer at work. Form follow function: My Wave Plus is just right. Affordable, capable and plane enough to come with me everywhere, every day . . .an EDC.

There's a lot of nuance to this conversation that started as whether knives as art should be carried. Is it any different having 1 high-end handmade knife you EDC every day vs a guy who has 100 inexpensive knives? I carry a T Bose knife sometimes in a slip in my pocket--- if I pull it out most people, even knife people would see that as a plain knife and it is. In fact the late Mr Bose and many other custom knife makers have said they don't want their knives sitting in a safe. It seems like these convos usually boil down to ( I'm not saying you) people commenting on how other people spend their money and it's a moot point. Custom knives and production knives are both needed and the buyer should do what they wish with it.

 

[WValtakis]

Today's post seems applicable here

Mayo Monday, checking out my EDC "Dr. Death" after a year in the pocket

These also get carried and used, and are technically the two most expensive knives I've ever purchased...they are definitely masterworks of the craft by Rhidian . I take great pleasure in using the art created by other maker for it's intended purpose

 

[Quiet]

I don't disagree with any of the comments. It just seems to me it's pretty eclectic. You have to be part of the club. I can't imagine pulling out a hinderer showing to someone who isn't in the club. It would be very unusual at best.

Well, I mean, exactly. A cheap gas station knife will cut an apple up, snip a thread off a shirt, cut a sandwich in half, or open an Amazon box just as well as a knife costing many, many times more will. That's just the fact of the matter.

However, knife people, those with the affliction almost all of us here suffer, want more. Better materials, a better design, better steels, better locks, better action, better everything, so we see value in the costs for these things. However, if you just need a sandwich cut in half, and aren't a knife person, to you, a $20 Kershaw will be just fine and a $500 Hinderer or $650 CRK Seb is going to seem simply absurd. We all have a story about showing someone the knife we were carrying that day, and when asked what they cost, the other guy being astounded that we'd pay that much for what they see as an entirely pedestrian item.

 

[Quiet]

On topic, I find "art" to be both subjective, and that everyone is going to have an idea of what it is, and their idea may not match yours.

For example, I think that some of the ultra-high-end knives look an absolute mess, where the maker was just smashing a bunch of eye-wateringly expensive premium dress-up materials together and calling it good. Mokuti bolsters, zircuti scales, some ridiculous super wild Damascus pattern steel, Mother-of-Pearl or 24k gold accents, a lot of these knives I think are hilariously ugly and I would never pay what folks ask for them. It's just not for me. But it's no issue to me that others like and want those things.

I have plenty of knives I've paid several hundred, or $1,000+ for, that I enjoy. Do I carry them often, hell, have I even cut anything with most of 'em? No. Their value to me is in being able to fidgit with, and admire them. I am a member of the Laptop Class (TM) and my daily cutting needs are few, and I have entirely too many knives, and am always buying more. I probably have two or three hundred knives in my collection at this point that haven't ever cut a single thing, and most likely never will. Their sole reason for being in my collection is that I like them, I like looking at them and admiring them all together. I know some folks here are all "I only buy knives I'll use!" and that's entirely fine. I am glad for you, and feel joy that your tools get used in a way that respects what their makers intended. There's room for both mindsets in this hobby, and frankly, for every single person on this page who uses every single knife they own no matter how much it cost, there are hundreds of collectors who have knives they'll never use, and which are stored away. It is what it is.

Also, one last thing, I follow several online retailers who sell hugely expensive art knives, and I am just going to say that in my opinion I do not think the makers of a lot of these knives ever intended them to get beaten on or used hard. As an easy example (so I'm not looking like I'm calling any high end makers out), do you really think the William Henry Knives guys have ever envisioned their knives being carried and used by, say, tradesmen? I would sincerely doubt it. "Yeah see, these bejeweled thumbstuds make this the ideal knife to use to open all this entire pallet of bags of concrete, get to it!" That said, I'm sure somebody's done it, and that guy is probably on this forum.

 

[Danny Linguini]

On topic, I find "art" to be both subjective, and that everyone is going to have an idea of what it is, and their idea may not match yours.

For example, I think that some of the ultra-high-end knives look an absolute mess, where the maker was just smashing a bunch of eye-wateringly expensive premium dress-up materials together and calling it good. Mokuti bolsters, zircuti scales, some ridiculous super wild Damascus pattern steel, Mother-of-Pearl or 24k gold accents, a lot of these knives I think are hilariously ugly and I would never pay what folks ask for them. It's just not for me. But it's no issue to me that others like and want those things.

I have plenty of knives I've paid several hundred, or $1,000+ for, that I enjoy. Do I carry them often, hell, have I even cut anything with most of 'em? No. Their value to me is in being able to fidgit with, and admire them. I am a member of the Laptop Class (TM) and my daily cutting needs are few, and I have entirely too many knives, and am always buying more. I probably have two or three hundred knives in my collection at this point that haven't ever cut a single thing, and most likely never will. Their sole reason for being in my collection is that I like them, I like looking at them and admiring them all together. I know some folks here are all "I only buy knives I'll use!" and that's entirely fine. I am glad for you, and feel joy that your tools get used in a way that respects what their makers intended. There's room for both mindsets in this hobby, and frankly, for every single person on this page who uses every single knife they own no matter how much it cost, there are hundreds of collectors who have knives they'll never use, and which are stored away. It is what it is.

Also, one last thing, I follow several online retailers who sell hugely expensive art knives, and I am just going to say that in my opinion I do not think the makers of a lot of these knives ever intended them to get beaten on or used hard. As an easy example (so I'm not looking like I'm calling any high end makers out), do you really think the William Henry Knives guys have ever envisioned their knives being carried and used by, say, tradesmen? I would sincerely doubt it. "Yeah see, these bejeweled thumbstuds make this the ideal knife to use to open all this entire pallet of bags of concrete, get to it!" That said, I'm sure somebody's done it, and that guy is probably on this forum.

I’d give this a few thousand likes if I could. Couldn’t have said it better.

 

[Mk-211]

On topic, I find "art" to be both subjective, and that everyone is going to have an idea of what it is, and their idea may not match yours.

For example, I think that some of the ultra-high-end knives look an absolute mess, where the maker was just smashing a bunch of eye-wateringly expensive premium dress-up materials together and calling it good. Mokuti bolsters, zircuti scales, some ridiculous super wild Damascus pattern steel, Mother-of-Pearl or 24k gold accents, a lot of these knives I think are hilariously ugly and I would never pay what folks ask for them. It's just not for me. But it's no issue to me that others like and want those things.

I have plenty of knives I've paid several hundred, or $1,000+ for, that I enjoy. Do I carry them often, hell, have I even cut anything with most of 'em? No. Their value to me is in being able to fidgit with, and admire them. I am a member of the Laptop Class (TM) and my daily cutting needs are few, and I have entirely too many knives, and am always buying more. I probably have two or three hundred knives in my collection at this point that haven't ever cut a single thing, and most likely never will. Their sole reason for being in my collection is that I like them, I like looking at them and admiring them all together. I know some folks here are all "I only buy knives I'll use!" and that's entirely fine. I am glad for you, and feel joy that your tools get used in a way that respects what their makers intended. There's room for both mindsets in this hobby, and frankly, for every single person on this page who uses every single knife they own no matter how much it cost, there are hundreds of collectors who have knives they'll never use, and which are stored away. It is what it is.

Also, one last thing, I follow several online retailers who sell hugely expensive art knives, and I am just going to say that in my opinion I do not think the makers of a lot of these knives ever intended them to get beaten on or used hard. As an easy example (so I'm not looking like I'm calling any high end makers out), do you really think the William Henry Knives guys have ever envisioned their knives being carried and used by, say, tradesmen? I would sincerely doubt it. "Yeah see, these bejeweled thumbstuds make this the ideal knife to use to open all this entire pallet of bags of concrete, get to it!" That said, I'm sure somebody's done it, and that guy is probably on this forum.

Could I get a subscription to your magazine?

 

[Quiet]

I’d give this a few thousand likes if I could. Couldn’t have said it better.

I appreciate the kind words! I just think there's room for everyone in this hobby, and art, just like the use-case of knives in someone's personal life, it's all subjective.

Hell, one of my biggest regrets in life is that real life isn't what all of these makers and manufacturers sold us on! Turns out my life is a long string of Teams meetings, emails, and then weekends of relatively minor tasks that usually do not require cutting anything, and of course, hardly any swashbuckling or need for self-defense either. I feel lied to every day!!!

 

[Blues]

On topic, I find "art" to be both subjective, and that everyone is going to have an idea of what it is, and their idea may not match yours.

For example, I think that some of the ultra-high-end knives look an absolute mess, where the maker was just smashing a bunch of eye-wateringly expensive premium dress-up materials together and calling it good. Mokuti bolsters, zircuti scales, some ridiculous super wild Damascus pattern steel, Mother-of-Pearl or 24k gold accents, a lot of these knives I think are hilariously ugly and I would never pay what folks ask for them. It's just not for me. But it's no issue to me that others like and want those things.

I have plenty of knives I've paid several hundred, or $1,000+ for, that I enjoy. Do I carry them often, hell, have I even cut anything with most of 'em? No. Their value to me is in being able to fidgit with, and admire them. I am a member of the Laptop Class (TM) and my daily cutting needs are few, and I have entirely too many knives, and am always buying more. I probably have two or three hundred knives in my collection at this point that haven't ever cut a single thing, and most likely never will. Their sole reason for being in my collection is that I like them, I like looking at them and admiring them all together. I know some folks here are all "I only buy knives I'll use!" and that's entirely fine. I am glad for you, and feel joy that your tools get used in a way that respects what their makers intended. There's room for both mindsets in this hobby, and frankly, for every single person on this page who uses every single knife they own no matter how much it cost, there are hundreds of collectors who have knives they'll never use, and which are stored away. It is what it is.

Also, one last thing, I follow several online retailers who sell hugely expensive art knives, and I am just going to say that in my opinion I do not think the makers of a lot of these knives ever intended them to get beaten on or used hard. As an easy example (so I'm not looking like I'm calling any high end makers out), do you really think the William Henry Knives guys have ever envisioned their knives being carried and used by, say, tradesmen? I would sincerely doubt it. "Yeah see, these bejeweled thumbstuds make this the ideal knife to use to open all this entire pallet of bags of concrete, get to it!" That said, I'm sure somebody's done it, and that guy is probably on this forum.

'Murica!!!

 

[Danke42]

Aart

 

[edgelion]

Is that in the new Minecraft update?

 

[Crag the Brewer]

I appreciate the kind words! I just think there's room for everyone in this hobby, and art, just like the use-case of knives in someone's personal life, it's all subjective.

Hell, one of my biggest regrets in life is that real life isn't what all of these makers and manufacturers sold us on! Turns out my life is a long string of Teams meetings, emails, and then weekends of relatively minor tasks that usually do not require cutting anything, and of course, hardly any swashbuckling or need for self-defense either. I feel lied to every day!!!

Let's all hope it stays That way....

 

[donnord]

I thought this discussion was more about art knives. I saw quite a few at Bladeshow in SLC recently. And yes I do think some knives are art and some knives are not. Both types are tools though. Would I EDC a $2500.00 art knife, I want to say NO! but I know myself, and it would be scratched in short order. That's why I don't have one. Do I EDC a high end knife? Yes, I carry a low end William Henry regularly and I use it, just not for everything. Many William Henry's are art knives and are very expensive but in my experience are not delicate and can still be used. Sebenzas, ABs, Koenig and the like, are not art knives in my opinion and I would and do carry and use them. Not much different than high end cars, many get driven but many more do not. When you drive them too much you hurt the value, same can be said for a highly polished blade with engraved bolsters, and jeweled highlights, you don't want to drop that one or damage it as you will lower the value or cause yourself greif getting it fixed. I makes sense to me that "ART" knives don't get used much.