Everyone is entitled to his own opinion. Like Dave, I dislike filework as a decoration. It does nothing for me aesthetically and only serves to become a collection point for mung on a working knife. About the only place I find it acceptable ON A KNIFE THAT I WILL BUY is in the area on a fixed blade where it becomes a traction aid for the thumb. There are many custom slipjoint makers I have never wanted to own because of all the filework they use.
If you want it, have at it. But I won't buy it. Enjoy.
Just like anything else, I've seen filework that really looks great, and I've seen filework that is done very poorly and/or looks out of place on the knife.
File work, like ALL things in life, is to be taken on thing at a time. To generalize, I like filework, but I find that many pieces take it a bit too far. I either like absolutely "out there" filework, or simple work. An example of "out there" filework is lightning filework- it's a repeating pattern, but non symmetric, and unless it's used on too much of the blade, it rarely gets boring or distasteful. The other can be seen in T.A. Davidson's work. I hope to own a toothpick done by him one day, wheat (that's what I call it) filework and all. Here's a link to one of his more recent pieces: http://bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=468647 .
I have seen some filework that looks like it was done by a blind monkey with arthritis. It has destroyed the aesthetics of the knife. Other times I have seen excellent filework that is inappropriate for the look of the knife. Then there have been times that I have seen knives that wouldn't look right without the it.
Filework will not suit everyones tastes, but I'm pretty sure it will stick around. Just like engraving, scrimshaw or carving, filework can look fantastic on many knives when done tastefully.
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