MOSAIC PINS and a knife

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hellgap

Joined
Dec 17, 2008
Messages
1,189
I am trying to make mosaic pins just some real simple ones as i have very limited supply of pin stock at my disposal. On the one im trying its only one brass pin inside a copper tube i used black metal epoxy and heated the tube with a torch so the bubbles would rise seems to have worked. Will the epoxt be ok its back and for metal ??? I would like to know if anyone has a decent price where they purchase or if some one here can supply me thats fine. I need fancy pins if i want to get to a higher level . Rob and Marilyn dont make them for sale anymore so i would rather buy than make them. I dont have the right stuff and a poor supply of pin doesnt help. kelly
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I buy my pins from a guy off of eBay named "scubafanpa" he does great work and has a great selection. Just do a search for "mosaic pins" and I think only 2 sellers really show up. I've bought from both of them and have no complaints, I just get stuff faster from "scubafanpa" because he's closer.

You don't need mosaic pins to take your knives to the next level, good designs, good fit and finish will take your blades further than fancy pin material. Refine what you have before dropping $25 USD on 11 3/4" of pin material. Remember that you have to align or "clock" the pins so it's an added difficulty in making a knife. Fancy pins on a poorly designed knife aren't going to make it a better knife. I'm not saying your knives are poorly designed, just refine your designs first then move on. ;)
 
Kelly,
Tom Maringer just posted this in the "hickory for handle material" thread..... he's a top level maker if you didn't know.

"And there's something to be said for using plain materials on a custom knife. I often have new makers express the opinion that if only they could afford this or that fancy handle material, then they could make a really great knife. That is just so wrong! Design and workmanship trump materials every time!!!! EVERY TIME. If you make a really great knife with a plain hickory handle... my friend... it is still a really great knife and people who know knives will see it!! A crappy knife with a thousand dollars worth of fossilized mammoth ivory and solid gold fittings is still just a crappy knife with a lot of money spent to no purpose. So first things first... if you make knives with plain materials that people really like, then you can know for certain you're on the right track." Tom Maringer
 
I am trying WILL i just feel it would be a nice addition . I know what you mean , ive got a nice tournament boat and so do all my friends some as much as 90g but when i see some guy with a 16 ft lund and a 10 horse tiller i dont laugh because i was that guy one time and you only spend what you can afford. Its really all the same I am learning fast because i dont like wasting time. I ask lots of questions cuz its better than wasting time money and bleeding.I will be buying a new grinder fairly soon just dont know what one.The one i have is way below sub standard and like rob says a perfect way to get carple tunnel i have a 1 x30 with a 5 inch disc .I dont think i will buy a kiln right away but maybe after i sell 50 knives then i ll think about it.One thing i ll let you in on WILL i dont like being BEAT dont matter if im fishing tournaments or making knives i strive for perfection. kellyw
 
Kelly, you're driven... most of us understand that very well. It's not a contest though, it's a journey. The neat thing about all this is that there's room for all of us. Some people will love your work, some people will hate your work, you just got to find the people that love your work and hang on to them :p

One thing I have found important for my knife making is drawing. Spend the $25 you would on a mosaic pin and buy a sketch pad and a drafting set. You'll be amazed at how much difference moving a line will make. Look over all the knives you can here and on other sites, see what speaks to YOU, then incorporate those features in YOUR knife. Now draw 100 knives. When you've drawn 100 knives you'll have a sense of what YOU like in a knife and it's a lot easier on you than grinding and sanding. I probably sketch almost 50 knives a week. Mainly the same 4 or 5 designs over and over to refine and tweak it on paper and in my mind.

All that being said, a mosaic pin won't change your knife one bit. Look at $2000 knives and tell me how many mosaic pins you see.
 
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Will Leavitt said:
Remember that you have to align or "clock" the pins so it's an added difficulty in making a knife.
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Ask me how many times I have been so in the zone that I have pressed pins and not looked for alignment!!!!
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Of course I do not have the punch that is the EXACT size, so the punch sets into the tube and expands it, thusly expanding the hole in said handle...
 
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Warning! Coarse language ahead... my apologies in advance.

I suspect that Will's point is, if it's a well-designed, well-built knife, "extras" like mosaic pins won't do much other than add cost and "pretty-factor". Nothing wrong with that! If you want a kick-butt knife that's prettier than your neighbor's, more power to ya. Fine details/options require skill, and they should be evaluated with a skeptic's eye. All that glitters, is not gold.

I haven't sold a single knife on this forum yet, though I've sold a couple to friends/acquaintances. I'm currently spending my time "throwing away" several prototypes that I'm not quite happy with. When I feel my knives are worthy for sale, I'll run them up the proverbial flagpole. Extras like mosaic pins have nothing to do with the usefulness of my knives, they just add cost and beauty. Again, nothing wrong with that, if that's what the client wants.

I believe most custom makers put bread on their tables by selling very-well-designed, excellently-built, extremely reliable knives; they put butter on their bread with options. Never forget that the "bread" comes first. That's my personal business model, anyway.

HOWEVER! If it's a crappily-built knife that looks fantastic, but doesn't perform well... all the mosaic pins, pearl buttons, extravagant handle material or diamond inlays in the world don't mean $h!t. High-dollar collectors (the folks who are willing to pay for extra engraving, exotic materials, and the like) are seldom fooled by a gilded turd.
 
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