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- May 3, 2012
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Pricing Range Update!
Hello there, my name is Joseph LaPietra and I'm a Canadian knifemaker! I've been making and selling this FF model for some years now, and I think it's time to offer the BF community the ability to order customized pieces through this forum. This is something I hope to roll out in other avenues soon, but given I was posting about this model when all I had were some CAD files and a 3D printed prototype, I figured this place would be a great first step.
If you'd like to read about me and this knife design, I'll enclose a write-up in spoiler tags here;
Pricing;
Minor update; some materials are less expensive than others, so I've edited my pricing ranges to reflect that!
$260 - $300 CAD // $190 - $220 USD will buy you a folder made with a blade made from CPM 20CV (HRC 61-62), and your choice of composite handle material, provided it's something I can source. This is an average range for most materials.
+$70-100 CAD // +$50-$75 USD will buy you a second set of handle scales in a second composite material of your choice-- this is of course totally optional, but welcomed if you can't make up your mind or just want different scales for different occasions! I myself bounce back and forth between some black and purple layered G10 and carbon fiber! Of course, this price is just an estimate depending on what exactly your choice of material happens to be.
SHIPPING IS CALCULATED SEPARATELY. I'm sorry, but if you must, just assume that the final price will be + $25 CAD or so in order for it to be insured and tracked to wherever you are. If the actual cost is lower, I will of course charge you less. I'm not about to make money on shipping my work, but I must do my best to make sure it arrives to you intact and quickly as possible.
So, just to be clear and abide by the forum rules on pricing;
~ $285 - $325 CAD // ~ $210 - $240 USD for a knife order with custom scales, no extra scales, shipped to your door.
These prices will probably need to be updated in future as costs increase over time.
PLEASE DM OR EMAIL ME IN ORDER TO MAKE ANY ARRANGEMENTS FOR ANY CUSTOM ORDER.
TURNAROUND TIME FOR AN ORDER FROM WHEN I RECEIVE MATERIALS TO SHIP DATE WILL BE TWO WEEKS.
So, what exactly am I offering? Well, traditionally I'd go through waves of finding material I'd like to work with, making a batch or three, then post here and elsewhere that I've got a number available.
With increasing frequency I've been getting requests for certain kinds of handle material in particular, but I've been reluctant in the past to offer much else outside of what I could buy in larger sheets.
Now that my day-to-day life has somewhat stabilized outside of knifemaking, I think I'm ready to build custom one-off pieces!
I've refined my process now to the point that just about any composite material can be made into a set of handle scales, so it's just a matter of getting the stock into my shop so I can work on it.
Some specifics;
Blade steel; CPM 20CV (Aim 61-62 HRC)
Blade stock thickness; 3mm // 1/8"
Blade length; 3" from tip to edge of handle
Handle length; 4.25"
Hardware; Stainless steel
(Two T15 Torx Keys Included, if the buyer wants them, please indicate!)
The list of handle materials I'm able / willing to work with includes;
-Carbon Fiber
-Silver Twill
-G10
-Paper, linen, or canvas micarta
-Raffir products
-Stabilized Wood (Not fossilized)
-Laminated Wood
-Ultem
-Richlite
-Juma
Thanks so much for reading this far, and for potentially considering my work! Here are some photos of past work I've done in some interesting handle materials; I'll probably post more as I go.
Blue, Red, Green and Black G10 handle options from a while ago.
Here is an album you can click through that shows some carbon fiber, some silver twill, and some G10 options I've done previously.
This is an album that shows burlap micarta from different angles.
And this is the same for some OD green linen micarta. Love this stuff!
If there are any questions, please feel free to PM or ask below!
Hello there, my name is Joseph LaPietra and I'm a Canadian knifemaker! I've been making and selling this FF model for some years now, and I think it's time to offer the BF community the ability to order customized pieces through this forum. This is something I hope to roll out in other avenues soon, but given I was posting about this model when all I had were some CAD files and a 3D printed prototype, I figured this place would be a great first step.
If you'd like to read about me and this knife design, I'll enclose a write-up in spoiler tags here;
So, this is a knife that has come to mean quite a bit to me. It's something that I designed and refined during my time at the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD), now called the Alberta University of the Arts; I graduated the very year the school was certified as a University, with my bachelors degree in Jewellery and Metals. During my studies there, I found that a knife was one of my most commonly used tools, in every class from my home at my jewellers bench where it scored grooves into silver plate, to the ink-soaked tables of the print studio to slice paper to size (lithography studio was messy!), there were a dozen or so different areas and classes I was exposed to. And during those years, the need to cut, scrape or poke something was frequent, if not constant. So, the most commonly used knife that I carried with me nearly every day since I got it in my second year was in fact a friction folder-- the Svord Mini Peasant!
There were certain advantages this knife had that none of my locking folders really had, in particular that it was exceptional in its use as a tool in dirty environments, where a knife was expected to just work. The lack of locking mechanism made it so that I was never really concerned about how clean the knife was at any particular moment; a few seconds under a sink would fix it up well enough until I could take it apart at the end of the day... or week. School was busy, very busy. I could use the knife as I would a fixed blade; the exposed tang would keep it from folding shut on my hand as I held it in just about every grip, even while both hands were oily or dirty from the task at hand-- the lack of pocket clip allowed me to be comfortable no matter what I was doing. And between each task, the knife would be dropped into a pants or work apron pocket, to wait until it was needed.
It was in my third year that I realized there were things about the Mini Peasant that I just didn't like, despite how functional the tool was. The changes I wanted to make with my knife were simple on the surface; I was getting more and more into pocket knives in particular (I got into Spyderco, Benchmade and ZT more seriously around this time), so I wanted to make sure the handles were up to task. G10 was the obvious choice for me. The blade steel would see serious improvement to something more premium. The handle profile needed more thought, though. A choil was needed to help locate the index finger, as I wanted to straighten the handle relative to the Svord so fingers wouldn't feel as compacted during use. The blade needed to remain narrow enough to be easily maneuvered through materials, but the handle needed to still fill the hand enough to feel substantial and offer reasonable control, yet still be able to be held like a pencil when making precise fine cuts, or held comfortably in reverse while pull-cutting through thick cord or cable. There needed to be more texture for a thumb to rest on, and curvature too. A little less belly in the blade edge, and a more pokey point. It needed proper standoffs, washers and beefy hardware.
There were other changes made over time... if you'd like, you can read through the thread where I was asking for opinions on blade steel choice... Man, I've learned a LOT since then. Things have gotten so much more expensive... oh well.
In the end, I've made what I feel to be the kind of friction folder I wish I had when I was in school, and I'm proud of what it's become. In honour of the time and place I spent designing it in (mostly), I'd like to name this model the Academic. ACAD, because I'm not always one for subtlety, but I'm always ready to groan at a pun.
Thanks for reading!
There were certain advantages this knife had that none of my locking folders really had, in particular that it was exceptional in its use as a tool in dirty environments, where a knife was expected to just work. The lack of locking mechanism made it so that I was never really concerned about how clean the knife was at any particular moment; a few seconds under a sink would fix it up well enough until I could take it apart at the end of the day... or week. School was busy, very busy. I could use the knife as I would a fixed blade; the exposed tang would keep it from folding shut on my hand as I held it in just about every grip, even while both hands were oily or dirty from the task at hand-- the lack of pocket clip allowed me to be comfortable no matter what I was doing. And between each task, the knife would be dropped into a pants or work apron pocket, to wait until it was needed.
It was in my third year that I realized there were things about the Mini Peasant that I just didn't like, despite how functional the tool was. The changes I wanted to make with my knife were simple on the surface; I was getting more and more into pocket knives in particular (I got into Spyderco, Benchmade and ZT more seriously around this time), so I wanted to make sure the handles were up to task. G10 was the obvious choice for me. The blade steel would see serious improvement to something more premium. The handle profile needed more thought, though. A choil was needed to help locate the index finger, as I wanted to straighten the handle relative to the Svord so fingers wouldn't feel as compacted during use. The blade needed to remain narrow enough to be easily maneuvered through materials, but the handle needed to still fill the hand enough to feel substantial and offer reasonable control, yet still be able to be held like a pencil when making precise fine cuts, or held comfortably in reverse while pull-cutting through thick cord or cable. There needed to be more texture for a thumb to rest on, and curvature too. A little less belly in the blade edge, and a more pokey point. It needed proper standoffs, washers and beefy hardware.
There were other changes made over time... if you'd like, you can read through the thread where I was asking for opinions on blade steel choice... Man, I've learned a LOT since then. Things have gotten so much more expensive... oh well.
In the end, I've made what I feel to be the kind of friction folder I wish I had when I was in school, and I'm proud of what it's become. In honour of the time and place I spent designing it in (mostly), I'd like to name this model the Academic. ACAD, because I'm not always one for subtlety, but I'm always ready to groan at a pun.
Thanks for reading!
Pricing;
Minor update; some materials are less expensive than others, so I've edited my pricing ranges to reflect that!
$260 - $300 CAD // $190 - $220 USD will buy you a folder made with a blade made from CPM 20CV (HRC 61-62), and your choice of composite handle material, provided it's something I can source. This is an average range for most materials.
+$70-100 CAD // +$50-$75 USD will buy you a second set of handle scales in a second composite material of your choice-- this is of course totally optional, but welcomed if you can't make up your mind or just want different scales for different occasions! I myself bounce back and forth between some black and purple layered G10 and carbon fiber! Of course, this price is just an estimate depending on what exactly your choice of material happens to be.
SHIPPING IS CALCULATED SEPARATELY. I'm sorry, but if you must, just assume that the final price will be + $25 CAD or so in order for it to be insured and tracked to wherever you are. If the actual cost is lower, I will of course charge you less. I'm not about to make money on shipping my work, but I must do my best to make sure it arrives to you intact and quickly as possible.
So, just to be clear and abide by the forum rules on pricing;
~ $285 - $325 CAD // ~ $210 - $240 USD for a knife order with custom scales, no extra scales, shipped to your door.
These prices will probably need to be updated in future as costs increase over time.
PLEASE DM OR EMAIL ME IN ORDER TO MAKE ANY ARRANGEMENTS FOR ANY CUSTOM ORDER.
TURNAROUND TIME FOR AN ORDER FROM WHEN I RECEIVE MATERIALS TO SHIP DATE WILL BE TWO WEEKS.
So, what exactly am I offering? Well, traditionally I'd go through waves of finding material I'd like to work with, making a batch or three, then post here and elsewhere that I've got a number available.
With increasing frequency I've been getting requests for certain kinds of handle material in particular, but I've been reluctant in the past to offer much else outside of what I could buy in larger sheets.
Now that my day-to-day life has somewhat stabilized outside of knifemaking, I think I'm ready to build custom one-off pieces!
I've refined my process now to the point that just about any composite material can be made into a set of handle scales, so it's just a matter of getting the stock into my shop so I can work on it.
Some specifics;
Blade steel; CPM 20CV (Aim 61-62 HRC)
Blade stock thickness; 3mm // 1/8"
Blade length; 3" from tip to edge of handle
Handle length; 4.25"
Hardware; Stainless steel
(Two T15 Torx Keys Included, if the buyer wants them, please indicate!)
The list of handle materials I'm able / willing to work with includes;
-Carbon Fiber
-Silver Twill
-G10
-Paper, linen, or canvas micarta
-Raffir products
-Stabilized Wood (Not fossilized)
-Laminated Wood
-Ultem
-Richlite
-Juma
Thanks so much for reading this far, and for potentially considering my work! Here are some photos of past work I've done in some interesting handle materials; I'll probably post more as I go.
Blue, Red, Green and Black G10 handle options from a while ago.
Here is an album you can click through that shows some carbon fiber, some silver twill, and some G10 options I've done previously.
This is an album that shows burlap micarta from different angles.
And this is the same for some OD green linen micarta. Love this stuff!
If there are any questions, please feel free to PM or ask below!
Last edited:
. I think it's fantastic! Your post, pricing, spoiler alert 
, video, and images of handle material/options available, are well thought out and conveyed!
) more of the actual handle options (besides the pics you already posted) if you could post on here or if you prefer DM or email, let me know.
