How fancy do you go?

T.A.DAVISON

T.A.DAVISON

Slip Joint Knife Maker
Joined
Oct 24, 2005
Messages
5,477
Just how fancy of a knife do you have or would tolerate having?

It can be any knife - folder, art knife, fix blade?
What is too much for you? Or do you want all the bling you can get?

Pictures would be good.


knife I made...... it's sold.


Micarta stripped

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I won't buy "artsy" knives, ones with lots of embellishments and ornate detail. Knives that look like art, in my eyes are art. My "collection", if you want to call it that, consists of knives that will be put to work in one way or another. Most of the time they're used to open boxes or cut rope and the like, but I may also used to break down some meat or de-bone a chicken. Yes I do wash them before and after use. I usually carry alcohol swabs to wipe down my knives if I find that I must use them for food when not expected, (some places have really dull knives... go figure)

The knife pictured above? If the right dimensions, yea I'd use it, as with some of the others I've seen from your posts in the sale area.

Pictures? I got my current rotation from the fixed blade sale section here lol... One day I'll get a camera and take some pics of what I've collected
 
I don't mind a couple subtle embellishments but I'd never own something like a William Henry.
 
On a OHO or a fixed blade fancy really is not my thing. No carbon fiber or jewel encrusted pommels. I could get behind a beautiful traditional though.
 
I like the way the striped micarta looks. I guess I lean towards a knife, however functional, having a little bit of style, though. I much prefer this to the original brown look, for example:

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I'm sure some folks like their knives pretty, and some lean towards a more utilitarian look. The lizard brain in me always wants a knife or two that looks silly, or even extra-ugly, style-wise, so there's a market for that sort of thing too (e.g. strider folders = a mall ninja's wet dream).
 
I'm a minimalist with knives. CRK's Sebenza is a perfect example of what I like in knives... Maximum effort with minimal appearance. I don't like small screws, inlays or overlays that may absorb moisture, swell, shrink or crack on impact. My fav knives are my users. For example my Shirogorov could be my fav knife but I wouldn't know. It's so damn nice looking I don't wanna risk dinging it up!
 
I'd like to say I could afford every T.A. Davison folder that came out, but sadly that would be impossible. The 'bling" level is perfect.
 
I like knives the way I like my women. Straight lines. Sharp. Natural materials. Curves...in the handle? That analogy kind of got away from me.

I like good looking bone or wood on a slipjoint, and I like it when the blade seamlessly transitions from the handle in one uninterrupted line. But, this isn't a deal breaker, and ugly knives perform just as well as pretty knives. Which may explain why I like my new Buck Nano Bantam so much.
 
All though I can appreciate a fancy knife, it's not something I look for, or am willing to pay extra for. At the same time I can't see myself buying a knife that I don't consider pleasing to the eye.
 
For awhile I collected handmade hunting knives. I have some with nice desert ironwood scales and polished blades. I have one and only one with engraved bolsters. I like normal hammered damascus but not so much the damascus that has artsy patterns incorporated into it. For the most part engraving and filework is more than what I am interested in because it goes so far beyond the use of the knife. I look at photos of art knives and find some that I like, but I would not buy them. I find others that I admire for the workmanship and creativity, but they are way beyond what I would be interested in.
 
Not very. In my opinion you shouldn't do so much embellishing a knife that you are worried about using it. A good knife is meant to be used. Not that I wouldn't mind rocking a pimped out knife like that custom, but It would be hard to bring myself to use it for much.
 
Some good replies guys.
For me the knife must still be able cut like a knife should.
And the handle can not be ruff and have all kind of hot spots on it.
The blade must be of good steel and ground thin for cutting.

Color on a knife don't bother me much, though I may choose not to carry it?

.
 
I personally draw the line at the point where I am paying more for the way it looks than the way it works. I am not a knife collector I am a knife user, I don't need pretty knives I need functional tools. That being said I have made a decision on two knives because I thought one was ugly. However form only comes into play for me after function.
 
I also agree that, first and foremost, a knife has to function properly as a tool. Having said that, I have no objection to makers who can make functional tools beautiful as well. As far as I'm concerned, life's too short to carry an ugly knife.
 
I've got a couple of fancy William Henry's, but don't have a pic of those.

Most all of my knives are very simple, but have a few that aren't.

My W&H's, and these is about as fancy as I have.

(sorry for the bad pic)
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I guess this is kinda fancy for a Busse.

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