Need Opinions From Makers!!

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GeneL74

Joined
Nov 16, 1999
Messages
384
Hello Everyone,

Well I have been wondering about this for some time now and would like to get the opinion of you folks who make fine knives.

I have a custom knife and I am kind of, well lets just say bored, with the handle material and I am thinking it is time for a face lift. Perhaps a nice set of ivory grips with some pretty scrimshaw work. Maybe have the bolsters etched up real fancy. Maybe even a little filework. Now I have been considering giving this maker a call and asking him he if he would be interested in re-working the handles and doing some file work, but I have hesitated for fear of offending him. I don't think it would be rude, but I would just like to get some opinions from makers. Would you consider it an insult if a customer wanted his knife re-worked? I did not get the knife from him. I bought it new/unused from someone else. Any information would be appreciated!
 
The maker should be flattered that you like the knife enough to upgrade. Especially since you did not order the knife directly from him.
 
As a maker, I would certainly change handles on a knife for a customer. I have never had one of my customers request this (to one of my own knives), but would be willing to do it to ensure his/her satisfaction.
Were it me, and the knife was not one that I had produced, I would feel obligated to contact the one who did, and "test the waters" to see how he/she felt about it, Just as a professional courtesy.(from one knifemaker to another) Sometimes a person's self esteem can be a very fragile thing, and with knifemakers being a very close knit, open group (in general)it wouldn't be worth making a fellow knifemaker angry over something a trivial as changing a handle on his/her blade. If the maker had no objections, I would gladly do it.
http://www.mtn-webtech.com/~caffrey

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Ed Caffrey
"The Montana Bladesmith"


 
Ed,

Thank you very much for your advice. I have not even considered asking another custom maker to redo this knife. That, in my opinion, would be very disrespectful to the maker. I know that he does not do scrimshaw work, and I am not sure about the engraving. If he does not act interested i'll probably just leave it alone. I think he will be happy to help and I believe that he would gladly do this project. The main thing I wanted to know was, Is this the ultimate disrespectful thing you could ask a maker to do? I think that I will just give him a call after the first of the year and talk it over with him. I will let you know how it turns out.
 
I do not consider it an insult when a customer wants to change handle materials or in other ways, upgrade his knife. I think it complimentary that the customer thinks highly enough of my work to want to customize it to his tastes.
I have even had customers who asked me to DOWNGRADE a knife by removing mastodon or ironwood handles and replacing them with G10 or micarta because they wanted to use it more often! That is one of the resons why I use screws to hold my knives together.
I must admit I don't really enjoy this type of after market work because it breaks up the natural flow of work in my garage (sorry, workshop). But I certainly don't consider it an insult!. Bob
 
I realy Enjoy the Off the wall work occasionaly I will find an old Case or Western to tear down and file up because it break's up the bordum I am allways eager to please a customer what ever He/She want's done to their knife ,the only time I don't is if it's another Maker's work that is close enough to do it

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tbark
 
Hate to disagree, but rather than change the scales on the knife, I would rather buy it back from the customer and make him/her a new one with whatever improvements were needed. Reason one, rarely can you use the old scales for anything = wasted materiel. Reason two, any rework will change the knife and in many cases it's function (walk-Talk etc) will decrease and I do hate to downgrade anything. As the old saying goes"Don't fix something that isn't broke".

smile.gif
 
Pete,

I agree with you. A person should never try to "fix something that isn't broke", but I never suggested that this knife was broke. As a matter of fact it is beautiful, mint. I don't think the walk-n-talk is going to be effected on a fixed blade though. I have no complaints with knife or maker, just that I would like to upgrade it a little. Also I see no reason for the maker to buy it back (as you suggested) when he done an absolutely fantastic job to begin with. You wondered what could be done with the "used scales", well I wonder what he would do with a used blade (with used handles)! I don't want a new knife. I want the same knife I have. Perhaps with a facelift! Thanks for replying!

Gene
 
The amount of work needed to grind off the scales, then regrind / repolish the blade, then make new scales would be more work than making a new knife. Assuming the scales are glued and bolted on. If the bolsters are soldered on, then there's even more trouble. You can't "file" a hardened blade. You can grind on it with a Dremel. That can also take a while. Filework is done BEFORE the blade is hardened and tempered.

Knives can often be repaired if broken. But a "facelift" ... it would be easier - and better - to make a new knife. When something's done, it should stay done.

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www.wilkins-knives.com


 
I always want my customers happy. Each maker approaches this a little differently. Certainly contact the maker first. When too much work is involved I generally make a new knife. It is sometimes easier than changing a lot of the existing knife.
Even when I didn't personally sell the knife to the customer it is still "my" knife. I would prefer to be the one who does the work.

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I Carry My Crosses for Christ to Give any Glory to God.
centercross.com
geneosborn@centercross.com
Fort Worth, TX

 
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