I have come full circle ( tale of a Hartsfield and STeven)

JParanee

JParanee

Joined
Dec 23, 2006
Messages
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When I first came on here I did what most do I hung around and watched and read and tried to learn

At the time I had already been involved With custom makers for many years. One that I was particularly close to was the late great Phill Hartsfield

At he time I had known Phill for around 20 years and had used his blades for as many . As a younger man I dreamt of his blades especially his swords but alas they where just a dream. in in time they came and our friendship deepened and I always enjoyed our chats on the phone and visiting with him and Pat when they would come to NY I even went to California for a visit

So you can imagine when I saw a thread on Phill's work how excited I was. Now imagine when the thread kinda drifted and there where some disparaging comments about Phill's work :) boy oh boy was I pissed I immediately in a new be kinda way jumped to his defense and was oh so proud of my loyal actions :)

Well to make a long story short that was my wonderful introduction to my dear friend Steven :). Well soon enough my phone was ringing and I was thinking who is this strange man calling me up and asking me questions. Well needless to say it was the start of a wonderful friendship that I hold very dearly even though he still is a strange man to say the least :)

Well we have had many conversations about Phill's work and I have always stuck to my statements that no one makes a sharper better cutting sword than he and his Kwaikens where the most functional utility knives I had ever used

The simple grinds and finish along with a bullet proof very flat and comfortable sheath made for a wonderful carry piece

I once carried one of his Kwaikens to Africa where we used it to cut blood soaked and muddy burlap bags to make a Leopard blind then we cut cape buffalo skin and everything elsewe could find . The point is that was 20 years ago and I still have tha knife and I have only touched it up a few times and it still shaves hair and thanks to Phill's rather simple finish still looks the same :)

Well the point of this thread is Phill in a weird way introduced me to Steven so you can imagine how pleased I was when my dear friend said keep an eye out I would like to try one of Phill's Kwaikens out, the many years of me preaching how great these simple little chisel ground blades where must have struck home :)

So when a fellow forum member that was selling a mint vintage Kwaiken gave me the heads up I reached out to Steven and he became the luck owner of this piece .

I hope it gives u as many years of faithful service as mine have done for me

BTW this one had a bit of an oversized handle and the tang gcame out a bit far so of course he Garsonized it

I think it looks better and I'm sure Phil would not have minded one Bit

Here are STevens horrible pics

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JParanee said:
So you can imagine when I saw a thread on Phill's work how excited I was. Now imagine when the thread kinda drifted and there where some disparaging comments about Phill's work :) boy oh boy was I pissed I immediately in a new be kinda way jumped to his defense and was oh so proud of my loyal actions :)

Well to make a long story short that was my wonderful introduction to my dear friend Steven :). Well soon enough my phone was ringing and I was thinking who is this strange man calling me up and asking me questions. Well needless to say it was the start of a wonderful friendship that I hold very dearly even though he still is a strange man to say the least :)
Click to expand...

You trim your chest hair with electric clippers, and are calling me strange?:D

JParanee said:
Well we have had many conversations about Phill's work and I have always stuck to my statements that no one makes a sharper better cutting sword than he and his Kwaikens where the most functional utility knives I had ever used

Well the point of this thread is Phill in a weird way introduced me to Steven so you can imagine how pleased I was when my dear friend said keep an eye out I would like to try one of Phill's Kwaikens out, the many years of me preaching how great these simple little chisel ground blades where must have struck home :)
Click to expand...

I have introduced you to the knifemakers Matt Diskin, Burt Foster, Jason Knight, David Mirabile and Nick Wheeler and/or their knives, you have provided valuable feedback, and have benefited each maker in their own way. You use knives, and you know knives...hard use knives, it would do a disservice to discount your adamant endorsement of Hartsfield's work without developing a perspective based from my own use....although I have to admit to maintaining some degree of reservation.

JParanee said:
So when a fellow forum member that was selling a mint vintage Kwaiken gave me the heads up I reached out to Steven and he became the luck owner of this piece .

I hope it gives u as many years of faithful service as mine have done for me
Click to expand...

Thank you Joseph, and many thanks to Pete as well. Have been watching with interest since Blade 2011, missed a few Hartsfield knives from Blue Ridge Cutlery, and saw a couple Kwaiken at the 2011 AKI priced at $1,000 but was told they would be mine for a bit less. Called Joe and asked him what the right price was for them, he said less than was offered. Woke me up at 6:00 am last week to say that the piece pictured was available at the right price. I looked at it, and could not get past the butt(butt-ugly, get it?) and declined, but the more I thought about it, the more possibilities revealed themselves(originally, I simply rounded the butt), and for a using knife, this was EXACTLY what I was looking for....called Joe up later that night, and asked him to have the knife shipped to him for his going-over, which he graciously agreed to.

While waiting, researched Phill's knives , and saw some knives that he had finished similarly to what was finally done to this one, and have tried to emulate the diamonds of the braided shoelace cord. The distance from the top of the hole to the end of the butt is about 3/8", which is the average of the diamonds from top to bottom. The point acts as a bit of skull crusher, but is gently rounded so it does not dig into the skin or catch on clothing. I plan to use this knife on media up to moderate hardness, definitely on bamboo, denim, leather, meat-both cooked and raw, cardboard of varying densities and plastic, to gain a full appreciation and evaluation.

The knife is very comfortable to hold, and while still not enamored of the chisel grind or finish, but it may grow on me, time will tell. It and the sheath are well made. It is somewhat attractive, also looks and feels better now, imo. The original handle length exceeded 5 1/8" it is now 4 7/8", which fits my hand significantly better. Had I intended to purchase a Hartsfield for investment, I would have waited to find the right piece, and would NOT have altered it, but the finish on this knife will get scratched to some degree by the time I am finished evaluating it....and I am very much looking forward to discussing the experiences with Joseph when it is time.

JParanee said:
I think it looks better and I'm sure Phil would not have minded one Bit
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You truly made my day with that comment, amigo!

JParanee said:
Here are STevens horrible pics
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Good thing I am not a professional photographer, I'd starve!:D

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
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Joe, you're a good man... that's why we love you, my brother...

STeven, that does looks better now, nice job
 
Cool thread you started Joe. I have looked at many Hartsfield knives and wondered what they were about. Nice description Joe! I'm looking forward to STeven's evaluation.
 
I so enjoy your threads, Joe, Thanks for sharing.

STeven,

Well done Garssonization of the Hartsfield.
Impressive skull muncher tang.

Doug
 
Always enjoy yr posts Joe. I have seen a couple of Hartsfields going here for very good prices of late. And I agree the trim job is an improvement.
 
Damn, I'm going out and check that the sky isn't falling. Good for you STeven, glad to see your willing to give one a try. I saw that and was tempted, especially since the seller is a friend. I'm in full agreement about the butt, good job.

Win
 
Good moves all around. When I first got into custom knives, Phill was gracious enough to give me his thoughts on steel and edges, and I enjoyed and appreciated those conversations very much. His straightforward approach to all aspects of blade engineering was an eye opener. Following that theme, his fairly simple differential heat treat of A2 which left the spine only a few points softer than the edge has always made a lot of sense to me--after all, there's no need to "invite" bending to an unnecessary degree when all you want is a slightly springier temper in the spine for toughness and resilience. I wish more "hard use" knife makers followed his lead in that aspect. He had a very clear vision of what he wanted to do, and he did it exceedingly well. Congratulations, STeven!
 
Good story, cool knife. I even like the Garssonizing. I've been wanting to try a chisel ground blade as a user just to see what it's like.

Roger
 
Joe and STeven both will know how to take this comment as it relates to Hartsfield and me. You can grind the tip off a hog's ear, but it is still a hog's ear when your finished.:D

Paul
 
Joe, your powers of persuasion are formidable!
 
Good for you Steven. Phill was a hell of a guy and I met and talked to him many times over the years and his rustic style and utilitarian design has haunted me for decades. Sure there are a lot pretty knives but they are not a Hartsfield.


Some people thought VanGoughs were crude and not pretty but that is not the point of his work. Hartsfield has had a tremendous effect on knife making. His rough finish is scoffed at but look at what knifemakers turn out now with hammer marks and roughness left in their blades. Maybe Phil was a small part of letting people make knives the way they want to and not the way others think they should.

RIP Phill
 
I never would have guessed that you'd end up with one of my Hartsfields, but I'm glad you did and glad that you're going to use it. Joe hooked you up with a great one. That particular kwaiken is as functional as it gets. All performance and no frills. Carries great in that sheath, too. I like the handle modification. Please let us know your initial impressions and what you think as you use it over time.

Pete
 
Definitely looking forward to keeping an eye on this thread. Joe's posts and threads are what initially got me curious about both Phil's knives and the chisel-ground edge overall. I've heard claims from both sides of the fence about that type of edge. Some people say it's the best grind on the planet, others seem to think that it's just south of useless. I've never actually tried one myself, so I can't think of anyone better than STeven to give it an honest review!
 
I like this knife.

Used it for a couple days on cardboard, nylon strapping material, butcher's twine, and fish.

Cutting open boxes is GREAT....for the fish, specifically Chilean seabass(Patagonian toothfish) and halibut, I didn't like it much. Clean cuts are pretty hard to maintain, it requires a thinner double ground blade, imo and experience.

I can see the place for this knife, and am still getting comfortable with it, but can say that I am REALLY glad that I didn't go for a Strongboy, as I feel the 1/4" stock would not be ideal for what I consider an EDC/defensive backup piece.

The handle is extraordinarily comfortable, and did not slip even wearing thin vinyl exam gloves.

The finish on the A2 far exceeded my expectations, I had the knife on my magnetic bar at work, barely wiped down for 8 hours, not a lick of rust or patina.

The grind is definitely something to consider, but is outside my realm of past experience, and it requires a rethink on how you use your knife, as it tracks differently. The grind is unique, a zero grind on the "face side" but the back, which looks flat, has a polished convex at the edge.

I'll use it for a bit before having anything much more to say about it.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
I also anxiously await my amigos thoughts

STeven is right that chisel ground blades take some getting used to but I have found that they are very aggressive cutters

In fact one of the only 5 inch blades that I can snap cut thru paper towel tubes consistently

For every day cutting jobs they are perfect

As for butchering and fish work I think there are better choices


Some pics of some Great PH's Kwaikens & Strong Boys


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