Mike Norris Knives

S

stricknine

Joined
Nov 12, 2008
Messages
1,387
It was good to meet Mike and his family, finally.

Mike is one of the finest knifemakers around, did anyone notice that he has started making knives again, after a 12 year break making damascus, stainless and otherwise.

I was able to have several long conversations with him and I am proud to say that I have one of his knives that he made in 1987 or 1988.

His steel is superior and he is a superb person that pays attention to detail.

Thanks for reading this, Ronnie Strickland
 
stricknine said:
His steel is superior and he is a superb person that pays attention to detail.
Click to expand...

If you are saying that his steel is superior to Devin Thomas stainless damascus, I would call your statement into question.....as in just not true.

More readily available? Yes, superior, no, not in any way.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Kohai999 said:
If you are saying that his steel is superior to Devin Thomas stainless damascus, I would call your statement into question.....as in just not true.

More readily available? Yes, superior, no, not in any way.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
Click to expand...

I'm curious, STeven. Are you saying Norris' stainless damascus is inferior to Thomas' or equal to but not better than Thomas'?

I used a couple of pieces of Thomas stainless damascus many years ago. I've also used several billets of Norris damascus since. I've found that Norris' steel worked just as easily, contrasted much more, and the D-2 in the mix gave it a better cutting ability than Thomas', which was more like 440c.

Please explain.

David Broadwell
 
dbl-edge said:
I'm curious, STeven. Are you saying Norris' stainless damascus is inferior to Thomas' or equal to but not better than Thomas'?

I used a couple of pieces of Thomas stainless damascus many years ago. I've also used several billets of Norris damascus since. I've found that Norris' steel worked just as easily, contrasted much more, and the D-2 in the mix gave it a better cutting ability than Thomas', which was more like 440c.

Please explain.

David Broadwell
Click to expand...
Since my father has a million different combinations of steel available I think the comparison is moot. He has some D2/154CM damascus if you'd like it. I may be biased, and I am not meaning this as an attack on Norris, but my father knows much more about damascus than any other current damascus maker, his work is much cleaner, his patterns more diverse than other "production" makers, and he's better lookin' too. :)
 
Larrin said:
....... He has some D2/154CM damascus if you'd like it. I may be biased, and I am not meaning this as an attack on Norris, but my father knows much more about damascus than any other current damascus maker, his work is much cleaner, his patterns more diverse than other "production" makers, and he's better lookin' too. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for piping up, Larrin.

Dave, except for Devin being better looking, which I wouldn't know, having never seen Norris, Larrin said it all.

When I purchase stainless damascus, it is ONLY Devin Thomas damascus for me...regardless of how long it takes to get...this is for a variety of reasons, biggest one being that Devin forged his own path, and owes very few, if any body, for his success.

From a using perspective, I haven't found anyone else who makes a stainless ladder pattern or raindrop that is as attractive, and the Thomas steel knives that I use cut as well as any I own, which has more to do with heat treat and edge geometry than anything else.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Last edited:
Larrin said:
Since my father has a million different combinations of steel available I think the comparison is moot. He has some D2/154CM damascus if you'd like it. I may be biased, and I am not meaning this as an attack on Norris, but my father knows much more about damascus than any other current damascus maker, his work is much cleaner, his patterns more diverse than other "production" makers, and he's better lookin' too. :)
Click to expand...

Larrin,

Please don't take my post as an attack on your father's damascus. STeven made statements that I wanted clarified, and I posted my own personal experience with both.

As for who is better looking, I'll leave that to the appropriate family members! I'll leave the other points for a later discussion.

David Broadwell
 
I totally respect all knife/steel makers, I would not say that Mike's steel is better than Mr. Thomas' at all and I seriously doubt that Mike would either, knowing the gentleman that he is.
And I am definitely not a engineer or inventor so I know that I am not qualified to speak on "who has the best damascus", I do know that William Henry thinks an awful lot of both of the makers steel and I would say that they are anything but inferior.
I just wanted to know if anyone had noticed that Mike was making knives again, instead of just being in the steel buisness, oh yea and several famous makers like both of them as well.
As far as my opinion goes, I would say Thomas and Norris in the same breath, I just happen to know Mike personally.

I did state that his steel is superior, not against anyone else's in particular and I do believe that even Mr. Thomas himself would agree that both of them make excellent steel, and I bet their prices are neck and neck per inch. Again, I respect both makers highly and their work is impeccable.
 
I spent a rather hurried day at Mike's shop a couple weeks ago, trying to glean what I could about forge welding stainless steel. I'm not planning on making stainless damascus, just trying to get what I could to help with the laminated stainless stuff.

After having spent one day watching him work and talking to Mike on the phone a couple of times, I have a few observations.

First, he is very serious about what he does, from an asthetic and a performance point of view. He showed me a literal pile of damascus bars, ground and ready to go - literally thousands of dollars worth - that he refuses to sell. I'm not a dummy and I'm not blind, but he had to really point out the fine points in the patterning effects that made the steel un-sellable. That said a lot to me.

Second, he is very meek and very open about his practices. I've talked to other guys who make stainless damascus and none would talk about how they go about their process in any way. Mike says, "Sure, what do you want to know?" He let me talk his ear off, ask a million questions, take notes and take photos. He's secure enough in his methods and his reputation to not be threatened by a guy asking for info. In knives that is very common to find, but not at all in the world of stainless damascus.

Third, I will tell you that anyone who did not buy a knife from Mike at Blade missed out on the best deals at the show. I saw several of the knives he was planning to bring. Yes, he took a 12 year break from making knives, but it sure doesn't show. In addition to a bunch of knives on his workbench that were super-clean hollow ground, full-tapered tang blades, he had a bunch of tactical-type knives ready for the show. They had 5" blades if I remember right, full-tang, and cord wrapped handles. The blades were all stainless damascus, various patterns, and they were $325 each!!!! They even came with a sheath! I asked and he told me there was $150 in stainless damascus in each piece. I shoulda bought one right there, but I'm a raging cheapskate. I'll probably get one next time I see him.

I don't have a photo of one, but Mike could probably help anyone out with that if they're interested.
 
Burt Foster said:
I shoulda bought one right there, but I'm a raging cheapskate.
Click to expand...

You should do a lot of things, like supply a Bill's case for your knives, but instead you send them out in an unwashed used(and slightly smelly) sock.:eek:

Norris might be a swell, sharing guy, Burt, Kumbaya......the OP chose "superior" as an honorific, I stand up for my peeps every time.... Devin Thomas is second to NONE, even if he never shares information with anyone...you can ask Larrin for information, not sure what he will share.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
These threads of "My knifemaker is better than your knifemaker" really tire me. Both makers make exquisite steel, both different and unique in there own way. This is kind of like saying that Chocolate is better than Vanilla.
 
Bladeandbarrel said:
These threads of "My knifemaker is better than your knifemaker" really tire me. Both makers make exquisite steel, both different and unique in there own way. This is kind of like saying that Chocolate is better than Vanilla.
Click to expand...

This is not a matter of "my maker/your maker", as far as I sit....perhaps the OP's phrasing set me off a bit, I just feel that Devin Thomas doesn't get the credit he deserves.....I'll leave this thread alone going forward, having put forth my $.02 already.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
The OP phrasing was fine, he didn't even mention anyone else, much less your "peep". You assumed something that was not in evidence and was not meant. You highjacked the thread from its original intent, which was the new knives Norris is making. The OP said Norris steel was superior, this means "of great value or excellence." Who wouldn't agree with this?
 
I love Mike's steel. I think it looks much nicer then any other stainless damascus i've seen out there. I have never owned Devon Thomas's only because I don't like the aesthetics as much but I'm sure it preforms great. I can't comment on preformance. Both make great products in my opinion.
 
Burt Foster said:
I'm a raging cheapskate.
Click to expand...

you wouldn't know it from eyeing up the knives you make. Doesn't look like you spare any expense with them, Burt.

Ps. 'Thrifty' sounds way nicer than 'cheapskate':D
 
Mr. Garsson,
Please accept my apology, I did not intend to "irratate" you nor anyone else, it was my intention to recognize a friend that has not recieved much recognition openly and I did want to draw attention to the fact that he is making knives again.

As you can see by my posts I am fairly new to the forum, but not to collecting knives, maybe my original post would have served better in another venue.

Again I apologize and thanks for your open comments.

Ronnie
 
brownshoe said:
The OP phrasing was fine, he didn't even mention anyone else, much less your "peep". You assumed something that was not in evidence and was not meant. You highjacked the thread from its original intent, which was the new knives Norris is making. The OP said Norris steel was superior, this means "of great value or excellence." Who wouldn't agree with this?
Click to expand...

Exactly. You have nothing to apologize for stricknine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top