Interest in Knife in the Hat?

Chiro75

Chiro75

Joined
Feb 4, 1999
Messages
5,786
Putting a feeler out to see what interest there is for Knife in the Hat this year. We've done this two year's running now and everyone seems like they've been having a good time with it. For those who don't know the way it works is that we set up a criteria for a $$$ amount/range for the knives we'll make (i.e. a knife that would reasonably sell for $175-$200 or whatever). We get the list together and randomly assign names, and you send your knife to the next guy on the list and get one from the guy (or gal, although that's not happened yet) previous to your name. So you make a knife and get a knife and it's sort of a random grab bag affair.

Some things I'd like to change/emphasize this year if we do it:

1) Website to show off the work. I have my own domain name now, but it's for my chiropractic website. I'd like to keep it that way if possible. If there's interest in it, we could put together some $$$ and get our own site. I can easily do a rudimentary website to show the work off, allow picture downloads, etc etc. The company I use for my site is FatCow.com and I think they charge $20-$25 for domain name registration and $99 for a year of service. So, if we had 10 guys partake in this KITH it would be around $12 per head toward the website. It's an idea, not necessarily the best one. Whatever, it'd be really cool to get a site together, get the reviews together, get the pictures together, etc. In the past we've sort of dropped the ball on sharing the booty! :D

2) More open toward entries? Some of us make pens, some make custom flashlights (anyone, or is that Candlepowerforums?), some make hawks, etc. Should we think about opening it up a bit for different toys, or keep it for sharp using knives only?

Anyway, chime in if you have ideas or are thinking about doing this. If we get enough to make it worthwhile we'll nail down "due dates," value ranges and all that good stuff and I'll post a real registration sign in thread and do all that business.
 
Back to the top... I can't believe no one is interested this year? Anybody???
 
oops. I read this when you originally put it up then forgot to reply. :confused: getting older sucks.

I'm interested -- where's the rest of the crowd?
 
Maybe it'll just be you and me! :confused:

I'm *thinking* about a Balisong for this year's project, but only time will tell...
 
New maker here, and by new I mean I've ground my first knives but have not heat treated them. I'm interested, mainly in getting another maker to check out my stuff, but am curious abou the timing. My biggest problem is I still haven't finished my h/t forge so I can't finish anything yet. I hope to have it done in the next couple of weeks. How long are we talking about before they have to be sent? If it's a few weeks out I'm in.



Jared
 
Honestly I think the dollar value is what's scaring alot of people off. The original IITHs were usually very inclusive simple items like arrowheads, so that the newest newbie could feel comfortable participating next to the most venerable master. Over the years the trend has been towards nicer and nicer items, which isn't always a bad thing, but it does tend to limit the entries.
 
AwP, no limit has been set. I think in the past it was $150-$200, maybe. Maybe even less than that. That's all open for debate. The numbers I stated above were just an example.

As far as new makers, there is no experience limit, but you do need to be able to make a decent, fully usable knife (heat treated, with a sheath where applicable, etc). Basically what I've tried to stress is making the best knife you can within the financial constraint, and/or doing something completely different from what you're used to. I think it should be a fun way to stretch yourself a bit and get feedback from other makers. As far as timeline, in the past we've always set it a while after New Year, but again, I'm just getting a feeling for if anyone is interested this year.

If there are enough new makers interested maybe we could tier the trade, have an "open" level for anything gooes (that meets the functional criteria) and the other one a dollar limit of whatever. Maybe that's overcomplicating things, though?
 
AwP said:
Honestly I think the dollar value is what's scaring alot of people off. The original IITHs were usually very inclusive simple items like arrowheads, so that the newest newbie could feel comfortable participating next to the most venerable master. Over the years the trend has been towards nicer and nicer items, which isn't always a bad thing, but it does tend to limit the entries.
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hey Steve,,, let a man wake up will you :rolleyes: haha :D

$175.00 - $200.00 for a custom knife that works with a sheath
now adays is pretty low end .. :eek: I see your point AwP
apple for an apple :)


I'm in again if you'll have me

I wanted to host that site for the KITH but unless you can get everyone to post in a curtain format it's hard to take the time to pull it together.
like the pictures are from here to there all over the place, some hosted here some hosted from other sites some posted for others and the write ups are not with some of the pictures, some with no write ups if I recall, I'm not complaining it's just time consuming.. I know there was a little concern
that the newbies might come up bit short of the min quality purposed. just a few things out of the closet.. :)
 
man
the press will print anything won't they :D
I told him not to let that out now we'll have to pay the IRS :eek: :D
 
The site is tough to pull together. Chris (was it Chris?) did a great job with it the first year, but not everyone has cameras, etc. If you can't knock out an FB with a sheath fro under $200 you guys need to go a little lower tech. I have some bastard files you can use (although if I was charging by the hour I'd be pricing right up there with Moran!) :D
 
I'm interested in participating again, but wanted to wait until more folks had come forward to see what kind of a timeline it would be on. I've got a handful of orders to finish on top of the fact that school starts on wednesday and I'm in the process of getting another job :eek:
So if everyone else is looking at a pretty short timeline I won't be able to participate.
when you get more details hashed out I'll give you a straight answer, for now I can just say that I'm interested.
 
do you think the blades should be priced by the raw materials? atleast thats one good way to do it. i know a knife that i would sell for 200 dollars wouldn't be as nice as a knife from a fulltime maker that would sell it for 200 dollars. just because my fit and finish isn't as good or my grinds arent as good or whatever. that will keep the dollar value low. the ammount of work put into it on the otherhand is at the discretion of the maker. i know a full time skilled maker can make the same quality blade i can in a fraction of the time. what do you guys think?
 
Timeline, definitely post Holiday season. I think we did February or March last year and that seemed fine. Too long of a timeline, though, and everyone puts it on the backburner.

As far as how to value a knife, that tough to say. For example, since I do everything by hand with hand tools (90% of it, at least), I spend probably 10 times the amount of time on a knife as a professional knifemaker would. Maybe even longer than that. So a knife that I could reasonably sell for $200 basically factors in the materials and some sweat equity and what similar knives on the market would sell for. The fact that I work this way is sort of my own choosing, so I won't charge $5,000 for a knife that another maker with faster equipment could make in a fraction of the time. I get pretty good grinds even with bastard files, though:

chin1.jpg
 
bladsmth said:
I'm in ,sounds like fun. Lighten up ,fellas, its a GIFT exchange not a swap meet.
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:eek: :D age ole ? how long does it take to make a knife.. :)
I'm just funning around..

I'm cool with that range

I'd also like to see sometime a KITH deal with a range of $700.-$800. to see some potential stuff too. :D
 
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