Judged Knife Making Contest???

tryppyr

tryppyr

Joined
Feb 5, 2010
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Some (not so) recent threads got me thinking about how we judge knives and knifemakers. It occurred to me that I've never heard anyone speak of a juried/judged knife making contest.

Sure, we've had people talk about their knives compared to Brand Z knives, but how exactly does one compaire tools that were built for dissimiilar purposes? It's like comparing a hunting dog to a toy poodle.

But the AKC does it every year (comparing the dogs, I mean). What keeps us from having an ultimate knife contest?

The contest could have various classes, and certain characteristics would be judged in each class. Winners at the class level advance to the "best in show" level.

Classes would probably be based on the primary use for the knife and its suitability for that purpose. Best in show would judge other aspects, such as the aesthetics and possibly some additional aspects of suitability for uses outside the class categories.

Does any such contest currently exist? Would it generate any interest among makers if it did exist?

- Greg
 
There are both panel-judged and "write-in" contests at every major knife show, in a wide range of categories. There are also informal polls on the various forums and in magazines. There is almost always a "best-in-show"/"crowd-pleaser" award, just like there is for hot-rods, antique clocks or Hollywood starlets.

Many organizations (the American Bladesmith Society and the KnifeMakers' Guild come immediately to mind) have strict rules that judge a prospective member's work based on clearly-established guidelines and documented peer-review, just so he/she can apply to join their ranks as an apprentice/journeyman/probationary member. That's one helluva contest in itself; voting members of those groups who vouch for a new maker do not take it lightly.

OK, I'ma be a smart-alec now... have you read a knife-oriented magazine, been on a knife-oriented forum, or used google anytime in the last 20 years? Sheesh. :rolleyes:
 
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james terrio said:
OK, I'ma be a smart-alec now... have you read a knife-oriented magazine, been on a knife-oriented forum, or used google anytime in the last 20 years? Sheesh. :rolleyes:
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Busted! No, I don't read knife related magazine. None of the reading I've done on this forum addressed my question. I use Google regularly, but not to search for knife contests.

Yes, you caught me... I should have done some research before asking.
 
It was a fair and honest question, nothing wrong with that.

Maybe we should make it a sticky! :D
 
tryppyr said:
Busted! No, I don't read knife related magazine. None of the reading I've done on this forum addressed my question. I use Google regularly, but not to search for knife contests.

Yes, you caught me... I should have done some research before asking.
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You can get all the past issues of Blade on a CD direct from the publisher.
It's on the web for free too if you look for it.
Blade Magazine-1997 to 2008 - PDF

I think you would get quite a bit out of most of it.

and I think that these books are right up your area of art/knife interest too.
http://www.abebooks.com/author/David+Darom/11750593/
 
I think it would be nice for some of us newer makers to have our work judged by our peers here in the makers forum. In most cases all anyone sees are pictures of our work so all we get feed back on is how the knives look and not how good it really is.
 
I'm in. New maker's pass around except they go to established makers for advice instead of each other. After that, they go to each other! :)
 
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Atlanta, Reno, Portland, Most major Knife shows, the parking lot at hammer-ins, whenever makers get together ..........
All these places are where judging goes on. Some give plaques and certificates and some just kudos from you fellow makers.

Greg, I really am surprised you didn't know about any of this, since it is a regular topic on these forums.
Also, if you haven't read the books and magazines, I suggest you purchase the "Knives Annual" books for as many years as you can, as well as a bunch of the "Points of Interest" books. You will get a wealth of ideas looking through these books from the best-of-the-best. Subscribing to "Blade" is also a good idea. A lot of the folks on this forum are in all of these.
Then, one year, take the trip to the "Blade show West" ...or "Blade" in Atlanta. The judging there is awesome.

Here are just two sources for the books. Ebay often has them really cheap.
"Knives" annual books - http://www.knifeworld.com/kn81kn20yean.html
"Points of Interest" - http://www.agrussell.com/points-of-interest-books/p/BKPOIhhh1/
 
Don't forget the local library. Mine has several years of Knives Annuals.
 
Custom knife competitions have been going on a knife show for as long as I have been a maker, and likely forever. Generally the categories go something like this:

Best Bowie
Best Hunter
Best Fighter
Best Folder
Best Art Knife
Best New Maker
Best of Show

There are sometimes other categories such as "Best Miniature", the Folders may be broken down further into tactical and non-tactical, and sometimes every a "Best of the Rest" for everything that doesn't fit into any of the other categories.

I've judged not only various competitions at shows, but have also judged at both the JS and MS levels for the ABS. Judging custom knives is not an easy task. The only way to do it is "in person", seeing and feeling all the aspects and dimensions of the knives involved. No matter what level, there are always subjective aspects, often those are dependent on who the judges are, and what their experience level(s) are.

Judging at custom knife shows have so many "angles", it's always a different game at each show. Show promoters do not want the same individuals winning competitions year after year....they are interested in having the widest array of makers winning awards. There are also sometimes self interests that come into the picture..... for several years a well know purveyor was a judge at a major knife show. After a couple of years many noticed that those who were winning the competitions, where those makers who's knives that purveyor had on his website at the time. Just a personal observation from me, but many of those knives that won, were certainly not the "best" in those categories.

The most stringent judging I have ever been involved with is the ABS JS and MS testing. The standard for the JS level is "Excellent"....which means that there can be minor errors in a knife (based on specific ABS standards). The difficult part at the JS level judging is to figure out if the error/flaw is bad enough to fail the individual.

Everything changes at the MS level judging. The standard there is Outstanding to Superlative. Actually judging at the MS level is comparatively easy to the JS. At the MS level, if it looks like a flaw, it is a flaw, and the knife fails.

Aside from the ABS testing, every single knife competition is different, and those makers who are experienced with shows and the competitions never take them too seriously. Personally my view is "If you don't play, you can't win"!
 
unky_gumbi said:
I think it would be nice for some of us newer makers to have our work judged by our peers here in the makers forum.
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alb1k said:
I'm in. New maker's pass around except they go to established makers for advice instead of each other. After that, they go to each other! :)
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I love that idea on the face of it, but it's enough trouble getting a simple KITH together. If anyone else but me wants to organize it, I'm in too. I wouldn't even worry about it until after Blade, there's plenty going on between now and then already.
 
james terrio said:
I love that idea on the face of it, but it's enough trouble getting a simple KITH together. If anyone else but me wants to organize it, I'm in too. I wouldn't even worry about it until after Blade, there's plenty going on between now and then already.
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We could simplify things by asking one established maker to look at all of the knives, and skip the passaround. We could provide return shipping and also post our own photos to make it as easy as possible for that person. Certainly after Blade. I bet Jonny Mac would play too. I will try to start a new thread this evening to begin to determine any further interest.
 
I compete against my own vises and Stubbornness. When all bills are paid. And my customers/friends are happy. I win.
 
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