Is Perfection Possible on a Handmade Knife?

I guess i should add to my original post, having done some more thinking about the topic.

I do own knives that are, if not truly flawelss, close enough where i can still think of them as being perfect. I own a beautiful Dake D/A pearl and damascus folder, and i can find no flaw in the workmanship, the only flaw, if you even want to call it a flaw, is a small inclusion in the pearl, but of course, thats not a defect in fit or finish, its a natural part of the pearl, and the pearl is as nice as i have ever seen. So this knife, for me, satisfies my desire to own a perfect knife, and i guess, if i think about it, both of my Chris Reeves are pretty much flawless, i cant really detect anything wrong with either, so i guess they too are, for all intents and purposes, perfect. I have an RB Johnson that is essentially perfect too.

So, since i do have several knives that are essentially perfect, i guess when i see a knife that has a significant imperfection in F&F, it bothers me since i know that other makers can and do do better.

And yet, on the other hand i own a Pease carved pearl and engraved bolster folder, i LOVE that knife, its a beauty, but there ARE some very tiny imperfections, and yet, somehow, it doesnt seem to take much away from my overall enjoyment of the knife. I guess when all is said and done, what Blues said is accurate. Every flaw has to be evaluated on its own merits, what the nature of the flaw is, how significant it is, and how it affects the overall knife.

So, in retrospect, i think its more accurate for me to say that while it does bother me when i notice flaws in F&F, it really depends on the exact nature of the flaw and how it affects the knife overall, Blues was right at the getgo. :)

So, to answer my own question, yes, i think there are knives out there that are so close to perfect that they can be thought of as having perfect F&F, and yet, there are also many knives out there with one or more flaws that because of the minor nature of the flaws are still extremely fine and beautifully made knives. And yes, there are a LOT of knives out there with flaws of a nature that would bother me and lead me to seriously question the quality of the overall knife and the dedication of the maker to putting out a quality knife. I think that the phrase or thought: "Well, its good enough and I'm not going to redo the whole thing just for that..." has been uttered/thought my many a maker, and i have seen many customs where clearly the maker knew about the flaws and decided to let the knife leave his shop with them, theres no other explanation for a custom knife being sold with one or more noticable flaws. I guess that one of the things that seperates makers is their willingness to scrap a knife or redo the knife significantly to get rid of a minor flaw. Some makers are willing to, while others are not.
 
I believe that minor flaws are more or less necessary to give the knife the "handmade spirit". I´m talking about miniscule scratches with no effect on the proper function of the knife.
 
Meg, I believe you have some Warren Osborne folders, and they have flaws in them? I don't know if EVERYONE is with me on this one, but Warren is about as flawless as it comes! Minor natural material flaws, like you describe in the Dake (as long as it is only one or two) IMHO DO NOT COUNT! All pearl has some flaws if you look at it long enough! But, I'd rather have some really flashy pearl with a pimple or a line than "perfect" boring MOP! Same for ivory, all woods, and any natural handle material. Flaws to me are workmanship issues, (smoothness, lockup, sharpness, blade centering, uneven bolsters, yada yada....) Man if you count sharpness, many makers really need to improve! ;)
 
Steve. Actually I dont own any Osbornes, i do have a picture of one in my picture gallery, but keep in mind, i only own the very first few knives on that page, oh how i wish i owned them all. So, no, i cant comment on his F&F, im sure its excellent.

I like what one gentleman said, if you have to strain to see a flaw, then its not really a flaw. Im trying to follow that. I think im getting better. :)
 
Yes perfection can be obtained when you die and go to Heaven,Untillll then there will never be a piece when looked at long and hard enough and enough magnification won't show some sort of flaw...
But now the question back to you would be,what is perfection?
When a new maker finishes that awesome piece that is the best of his ability and to him is perfect,is it? no it isn't to someone that wants a old makers workmanship.Who is to say which person is correct.
The best way to not let the little "oop's" bather you is to first don't judge a beginner against a proffessional with 20 plus years at making in the same class.Judge it at the level it is at.Then ask if they made the knife under any kind of magnification,if the answer is no then don't look at it under magnification without expectin those small magnified flaws,and only judge the perfection by your eye.I used to hate it when I first syarted out and people would look my knives over with a loop and start pointing out little things that I would have to borrow there loop to see,I would just say hey I did this with my eyes and no magnification so I couldn't see what you are seeing.This made what I thought as perfect a blade as I could get a not so perfect blade in that persons eye.Heck if you have a headach when finishing up a knife you would miss something that you wouldn't normaly have when your head is completely clear.
My best advice would be to find a maker that does the work you expect and stay with them and then you will be happy with them all.
Bruce
 
Ever since Don Fogg told me several years ago that he has never made a perfect knife, I have taken comfort in that fact. You can bet he hasn't stopped trying though.
 
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