Fiddleback Firesteel

solid4ever

solid4ever

Joined
Feb 17, 2013
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Anyone else interested in a firesteel in the same incredible handle treatments as his knives?

I usually always have one with me and lately I've tried to buy some of the Bark River ones (which are gigantic and don't QUITE match Andy's materials). I gotta think this could be an easy way for Andy to make a little extra scratch and actually turn his handle scraps into some bucks.

Plus, doesn't he have a new apprentice?!? could be a good way to practice handle sanding....just throwing it out there....



How awesome would an Andy lanyard bullseye look on a firesteel?

Ball's in your court, Mr. Roy.
 
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It would be nice to see some bullseyes on some double liner with exotic wood firesteels. Great idea, I'm in.
 
I think BRK firesteels are $40-70 depending on materials. I seem to remember Andy saying it wasn't cost effective to make them a while back.

I'd love to have one though:o
 
That might be true....I have absolutely no idea what kind of costs go in to an operation like Andy's.

I think the BRK one's are waaaay to big...but probably reflect the price they wanted to make.

I got one with a parang recently, the material was all of 1 inch by a half inch. I'd have to think that he'd have some "shavings" around that size when he does handles. Take some of those, glue them together, add a 3 dollar ferro rod and boom. I'd pay $40 on top of the knife cost to add a "matching firesteel".

I can certainly connect the dots on the opportunity cost. Andy works ALL DAY. him spending just 10 minutes a day gluing up these things is 10 minutes he could be making another knife. That certainly resonates with me. I guess that's why I threw out the apprentice idea. This is something someone else can do, with Andy's materials, and learn some of Andy's processes, without taking away from Andy's schedule.

Just my thoughts though. I have no idea what his process is like.
 
I think it'll put us all in the poorhouse even quicker than ever.

I'm happy with simple generic firesteels and raking them on the spine.

I don't have to love them or give them special care.

But, yes, if, they are cheap - sure ;)
 
sort of an off the topic question, but do fiddleback knives in general come with sharp enough spine to scrape off firesteels? any particular model that's best for it? trying to decide on my first fiddleback... would appreciate any feedback.
 
Not really? Not since Andy started chamfering the spines (which was a couple years ago right?). I do it with the spine near the tip. I've had pretty good success. I found that my scandi bushfinger does it the best in that spot. I have trouble with my convex knives.
 
I started a thread on the same topic a while back and pretty much the answers came back that there was no money it and you would just have to make your own. I would love to see it happen but it seems it is not likely to happen. A bullseye tube in the firesteel with matching handle material would make a great package.
 
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Knifemaker Join Date:Oct 2005
Location:Atlanta
Posts:15,907Aaaaaaa. Its your Woodsman thats Coco over Osage. You got the first one. OK. I'm up to speed.

I charge $25 for firesteels. $10 to upgrade to having a bullseye tube. I've got some LMF Army blanks. Just need to get'r done this was from a 2009 post by andy .................
 
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I wonder if anyone actually ordered any from Andy in 2009 when he was offering them? I'd love to see how they looked. I wonder if that was the problem: Did he buy a bunch of rods planning on selling and no one ever took him up on it?
 
solid4ever said:
I wonder if anyone actually ordered any from Andy in 2009 when he was offering them? I'd love to see how they looked. I wonder if that was the problem: Did he buy a bunch of rods planning on selling and no one ever took him up on it?
Click to expand...

I think he may have just gotten too busy making knives to mess with it. I brought it up a while back as I would love matching fire steels for a couple of my Fiddlebacks. I have seen a few makers in the UK, who don't produce the volume of knives Andy does, make some matching sets of knife and fire steels and I like how it looks.

I think there are a few issues at hand here though. Andy would be no less anal about the fit and finish and overall quality of fire steels he produced than he is about his knives. This means it would be very time consuming. This would mean they would not be inexpensive, and they would cut down on the number of knives he produced per batch. I think the only way the matching fire steels of any volume at all could ever happen, would be if another party...maybe a young talented and part-time apprentice, had the time to do it, and a level of craftsmanship Andy was ok with attaching his name to their work.

That said, I do sort of wish Andy would make one or two matching sets to offer up at a price he was good with and test the waters on doing these occasionally as in once or twice a year. I think they would have great collect-ability.
 
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