how long did it take you to make a QUALITY knife?

[69_knives]

Proceed to open and spill can of worms into the rose bush...

My first forged knife was a quality knife, and every one after that.

In the classic car industry we have a term called "trailer queen" - That is a car that never sees pavement other than the 100' when it is backed out of the trailer and driven into the car show quarters. Some guys want cars with $30,000.00 paint jobs, some guys want cars that will do 6.99 seconds in the quarter and are happy with primer paint job and spot putty, some guys want cars with power steering, power brakes, power windows, air conditioning, surround sound, dvd player and remote start...

In the custom knife industry we have "showcase queens" - knives that sit in a showcase and don't get touched because the oil from your fingers will stain the blade and devalue it.

How can you truly know if a showcase queen has a quality heat treat blade if you are scared to use it for anything other than cutting paper and shaving hair for fear of reducing its value.

My first forged knives were camp knives and 5 years later I acquired a rockwell tester and found the knives I have made to be heat treated as intended.

It did take a LOT of reading, not to mention the ability to discern what is valuable information from what is of no use to you. It just goes to show, despite what is commonly bandied about, you can make quality knives from 1965 Ford leaf springs, forge heat treat and quench in used motor oil; your mileage may vary.

A camp knife that is used every weekend may be significantly different than a jewelled dagger that sits in a showcase but as long as the end user is happy and the knife performs as it should, I guess that means it is a quality knife... the pricetags will likely be significantly different as well. Your mileage may vary.

 

[elementfe]

KC, that is the most awesome photo I've seen in a long time.
It just shows that a knife is an extension of the hand, or will, and each of these perfectly suits the job to be done!

 

[NickWheeler]

I know what experienced makers like Stacy, mean when they say things like "50+ years and still working on it."... but I also know that they don't consider all the previous pieces they've made to be inferior. It is the cliche thing to say... but valuable in emphasizing the idea a "never ending journey".

It took me about a year of "making and breaking" to understand and be satisfied with my heat heat. I came from a tool, die and mold background, so I had decent idea of what good fit and finish was. At the risk sounding arrogant, what I felt was quality 7 years ago isn't far off, today. You gain "tools" and add facets to your skill-set with experience but good craftsmanship will shine through, in even the simplest of designs. However, while I don't see it being "impossible" to make a quality knife from the start... it's just not the norm.

Excellent answer buddy.


Also note that Russ Andrews III commented... and Russ is one of the very few makers in the world that constantly gets accused of making perfect knives. No, there isn't really such a thing as a "perfect" knife... but, IMHO, you will never see knives approach perfection closer than those made my Russ. I'm pretty sure Russ has been making knives quite a bit longer that I've been alive. He is a true Master of the craft. :thumbup:

 

[Omega Leather Works]

When I started making knives the progression was exciting so it kept me going. A lot of
my early knives looked like the chopper, that was in the late 1970"s. Here's the kicker-
I made both of these knives this year, just for different purposes.
Ken.

Wow... That is one seriously nice jack knife.

Do you have any pics of your knives from the 70's?

This thread could definitely use more before and after pics!