LUM Chinese Folder Questions!

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About a month ago James Mattis posted
some pics of the Bob Lum Chine Folder prototypes. I just wanted to see what the current status of these models are. It seems that the handle material will be titanium, but I don't recall any info on the blade steel. I'd like to put in a vote right now for 440V. I have a Lum Ch. Folder with a stippled ti handle and damascus blade, way too good to use, but a prod. Spyderco in that model would probably become my daily carry. The knife would perform even better than it looks because Bob uses a very "low profile" flat grind- it gets quite thin near the edge and there is only a very small bevel. It would be the perfect knife for slicing and light to moderate utility work.

I appreciate any info you can give.
Thanks,
Cappy
 
Cappy - the model is scheduled for early Y2k production. Steel will more than likely be ATS-55. Handle is planned as dark green Almite (aluminum anodized with a dark green coating). Plan is for gold leaf bamboo or Chinese bats on the front side scale and the clip. Clip is reversible tip up or tip down. Right hand only (at this time). Lock will be a linerlock. Plan is to use the USA made eccentric "D" pivot, concave ramp and nested liner. Hope this helps.

sal
 

I'd prefer it if you didn't have any decorative designs on the handle or clip. However if you must put something on, use the Chinese bats since it provides a more sophisticated reference or symbol than bamboo.

Brian
 
Booshank - Thanx for the input. Anyone else have any opinions on handle decorations?

sal
 
I agree with Eye, bamboo would be a nice touch. Maybe if this model goes over well, the blade steel will get upgraded at some point (hint, hint).

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A dedicated ELU
Buck Collectors Club Member
Knifeknut(just ask my wife)


 
Thanks for the quick response, Sal. I can't wait to get one. I would prefer the bamboo, but I do like the idea of the bat(s) as well.

Thanks, Cappy
 

The problem w/bamboo, while possibly neat looking, is that its sort of a caricaturized or sterotypical image. The bat on the other hand is a real traditional and historical symbol used on sword guards, pommels and the like.
The bat brings a certain authenticity and sophistication to the knife while bamboo harkens to a more western concept of what something Chinese (or asian) should be like.
Think of it like this, suppose a knife company in China wants to produce a bowie knife but not satisfied w/the excellent design alone they try to enhance it by embellishing it w/a picture of an apple pie, or football or cowboy hat or hamburger, etc. Something just wouldn't be right about that knife, it just wouldn't be serious and it would probably end up getting sold for cheap on some TV home shopping thing and it wouldn't even matter how good looking the pie or football was. The same goes for sticking bamboo on the Lum design--its beneath the sophistication of what the knife is.
Now if you were talking about Chinese painting or non-utilitarin objects then bamboo is fine. The thing about Chinese embellishment on utilitarian objects is that its conceptually oriented rather than image oriented. A variety of symbols like bats, clouds, dragons, etc (not bamboo) are utilized to convey concept not necessarially just good looks. The Lum is a very utilitarian object though. Now you might say that the Lum isn't really Chinese or traditional so bamboo should be OK, besides the knife is for American consumption and most modern Chinese don't even know the significance of certain imagary. Thats true to a degree but since the knife itself is billed as a Chinese folder why not do everything right from the get go rather than caricaturize what we in the west think is right. Theres nothing wrong w/modernizing the bat symbol or image if thats a stumbling block or better yet don't use anything.

Brian
 
I agree with Brian (booshank). The bamboo is a little stereotypical. The bat would be much better.


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Dennis Bible
Knoxville, Tennessee


 
I love the idea of a green handle & I'll put my vote in for the bats, Sal, for the reasons given above. I'd also rather see this in either VG10 or BG42.

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Cheers,

--+Brian+--

I may be goin' to hell in a bucket, Babe, but at least I'm enjoyin' the ride.


 
Gotta vote for the bats.

Ben

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"If you're upside down and burning, you probably went too fast."
 
Someone help me out here. Just what do bats symbolize in Chinese lore? Aside from being pleasing to the eye, if there are deeper meanings shouldn't that also be weighed?

Rod
 

The bat symbol is fairly innocuous; its just one of a plethora of good luck symbols. The sound of the character for bat is similar to the one for "happiness." In practice the symbol is emblematic of longevity and happiness. The symbol can be fairly abstract, so much so that if you've ever eaten in a Chinese resturant theres a good chance the dinner ware had the emblem on it somewhere, it just may have been abstracted as to be overtly unrecognizable. Of course this depends on how ornate your local Chinese resturant is in the first place.
Theres nothing like a happy knife built for longevity. Its a good thing this discussion isn't about a 5 clawed dragon.

Brian
 
I would prefer the plain green to any decorations. Bats would be better than bamboo though IMO. The bamboo would remind me of those Cold Steel Triple Action folders. If there is any choice in a steel change I would also rather see the VG-10 though I realize this might be a price point issue. ATS-55 is certainly a quality steel. No matter what I just want to see this design reach production.

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Paul Davidson

Them:"What's that clipped to your pocket, a beeper?"
Me:"Uuh....yeah, something like that."


 
Whatever you decide Mr. Glesser is fine by me. Just make it quick please.
smile.gif
Thanks!!


Blades
 
Anybody have a pic of the bat?

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Dennis Bible
Knoxville, Tennessee


 
Wow Booshank!
Well said!
I'm for the bats, but a plain version would be nice too. Plain green Almite looks good by itself without any further embellishment.
ATS-55 is okay, but VG10 or 440V would be better. I'm biased in this regard because Spyderco has now spoiled me with these two super-steels.
biggrin.gif



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If a man says something in the woods and there are no women there to correct him, is he still wrong?

 
I'll see if I can find a classical image of the bat symbol. It may not be anything like what Sal or Bob Lum have in mind since theirs might need to be more graphic in nature inorder to work on a production knife. It'll probably take me 'till Sat night PST to get an image up.

Brian
 
As far as the decorations go, who cares what they symbolize in China? The knife will be sold in America. Bats symbolize sinisterness in America, not happiness.
 
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