New Knifemaker's Evolution

J

Joel Purkerson

Joined
Sep 22, 2010
Messages
10
I have been making knives now for almost six years. In that time I have worked on the science of it, getting consistent results in my heat treatments. I have worked on design, making strong dependable working tools that function the way a good knife should. For the last year and a half I have focused on the fit and finish of my blades, trying to make them as presentable and professional as I know how but I have discovered that the devil is in the details and my knives are lacking a certain something when I compare them to other knife makers at the knife shows.
I have customers that like my work and are happy with their purchases but I am not content with "good enough." I need help somewhere in my process that will turn a good knife into something a little bit extraordinary. I would like to start a dialogue with other knife makers that are more established and experienced about the ways and means of working with wood and metal to make an evolutionary leap in my progress as a knife maker. I love making knives, it really is my passion and I believe that I am capable of doing better work. I could really use some help to fire up my imagination. You can see some pics of my work at <link removed>
I don't mind criticism either, if anybody would like to critique my work I would welcome it.
 
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I think the best way to learn about art and design are to study art history,&#8230; painting, sculpture architecture etc. Trying to make design into some kind of "science" or formula usually doesn't work so well. Art is about communication, and personal expression. I highly recommend a book called "The Sculptural Idea" by James Kelly for contemporary art, but also think a comprehensive study of world art history, primitive through modern can be very helpful and interesting.
 
Joel, When I made my first knives a year and a half ago I took them to the Boise show. I put them (2 or 3) into the hands of every knife maker who had a table at the show. Part of the reason was to introduce myself but more so to ask for constructive criticism. I took what I learned there, made more and took them to the Eugene show and asked for more criticism. I also took a couple back to Eugene this year and will continue to do so until they won't talk to me or my knives are better than theirs. Fat chance of that because there is always a more advanced maker to compare with. My advice is to put any fears and pride in your back pocket and hand your knives to every maker you can. Jess
 
As for design inspiration, I look at other good knives by good makers.
like here
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/612884-SharpByCoop-•-Gallery-of-Handmade-Knives


I've learned lots from the photos on BF and the discussions in shop talk




As for your fit and finish
I see you like your buffer.
What would happen if you took a break from each other and did some hand finished blades?

Hand finishing will keep your grind lines sharp.

Your touchmark / logo looks like its hand done?
Get them laser etched, or get a stamp,or stencil, or if you are etching with a stencil - use the AC setting to blacken the etch and don't buff it off.
 
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Tai Goo said:
I think the best way to learn about art and design are to study art history,&#8230; painting, sculpture architecture etc. can be very helpful .
Click to expand...

I agree 100%.

You might want to look into other types of handle construction a little more. I would also begin by refining your guards. Overcoming these plateaus can be hard but so rewarding hen you do.
Keep of posted of your progress.
 
Definately put that buffer away and try some hand finishing. Some guard tapering, shaping might help also.
 
What I see ,right away in your knives is a very personalized styling. While this is important it is possible to go too much in that direction. Perhaps shifting a bit toward the more usually seen styles in knives for the same intened use would help. Frank
 
David Lisch and I talked this year about finishing my knives differently and staying away from the buffer. I looked at Ray Richard's, David Lisch's, and Rocco Chicarelli's work at the Knife Show in Eugene this year and was really impressed by the different techniques they employ for finishing their blades. I am hoping to do some experimenting with Ferric Chloride and steel wool to bring a different look to my work and I am going to do some work with files to get crisper lines at the ricasso. I could use some advice from someone who has some experience with acid. My goal is to get a finish that allows the grain structure of the steel to stand out. I have seen that in the work of a sword maker named Christian Griesi.
 
You sound very dedicated so this shouldn't be a problem:
Take an art class.
Whatever local community college is near you, sign up for an art class or two. It will teach you the fundamentals of art and art history.

I can see where you might be dissatisfied with the 'art' in your work. I can also see the craftsmanship is stellar though.

Possibly (un?)helpful comments follow:
Polished knives look cheap. Maybe it's just my opinion but that's how i feel. All the QVC swords and knives are polished.
When you are using more than two pins, they aren't working with the handle shape. You've got a rectangle of pins on a flowing handle, it just clashes.
Add more details. Try anyway. Jimping on the spine, etching, guard shapes, etc.
Look for less, and yet more, color. If your shoes are the same color as your shirt, your outfit matches. Keep that in mind with the knives. So far you've just got polished steel on one end and brass everywhere else.
If you don't already: sketch and color your design on paper before making anything. Make lots of sketches, fill pages in a sitting. Later in the day sort through them and pick out the ones you like.
 
The problem I have with critique from other makers etc., is it usually boils down to them trying to influence you, based on their own ideals and/or preferences... which often doesn't leave much room for "personal expression". Critique is an important part of the overall process of art,… but should be taken with a grain of salt either way. Most critique is geared more towards technical aspects of a knife,... design, execution etc., with little or no research or regard into or for your own personal intentions.

Listen, but don't believe your reviews. In the end, you must learn to be your own best and worst critic.

Self critique based upon a thorough study of world art history is the most widely accepted way academically and is usually best. It is also the most valuable "skill" any knifemaker can learn.

So, you tell us,… what don’t you like about your knives and/or what do you think you could be doing better? What exactly do YOU desire from your knifemaking?
 
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Over the last 8 years I have been going to college as a Russian Language and Culture major and in the process took many art classes of various kinds. I can think three dimensionally as well as in color. Over the years I have developed a unique way for beginning to make a knife. My knife making process starts by looking at the piece of steel that I am going to use and mentally I begin to work through the whole process of making the knife start to finish before I actually start grinding. I will picture in my mind the design and style of the knife I want to make and step by step think through each one till I have the end result in my hand. I am often inspired by a particular detail I see from another knife and will incorporate a curve or line from it but I don't copy styles of blades made by other knife makers and out of the hundred or so knives that I have made, I have never made the same knife twice.
You guys are offering me perspectives that I have not thought of and I appreciate it. They will influence my designs in the future. I do have my sketch book that I use to draw out ideas for knives and some I've made and some I haven't. I know my guards leave something to be desired and they are often a source of frustration when I get to trying to figure out what kind the knife needs.
 
Joel, when you go through the whole process of making a knife, how well does it represent the "concept" or idea you had in mind? Are there things you don't like and think you could have done better?

... Are there things you do like?

It's an ongoing process of decision making,&#8230;plus playing up the parts you like and playing down the parts you don't like... no one can do it for you. ;)

I really think personal desire is the key.

(What does any of us truly desire from ourselves?)
 
Each knife I make represents the knowledge I gleaned from the ones before. What I have learned has been an evolutionary process of trial and error.
I have been taught from knife makers such as Wayne Goddard and been influenced by others like Jeff Crowner, Dave Ryder, and others from the 5160 Club in Eugene OR. I have also been talking to Lorien Arnold and am currently working on a blade to send him for a review and video, testing out the blade while he is trailblazing.
It seems to me that some knife makers like Tai Goo, Ray Richards and David Lisch are artists at heart and their work reflects that style and artistry inherent to them while others make tools to be used. Although I have my own style of knife making I do not see myself as an artist but as a craftsman creating useful dependable tools to be utilized year after year. My greatest joy in knife making comes from taking a useless piece of steel and combining it with beautiful pieces of wood and creating something with purpose. Knowing that my work will outlast me and be handed down from father to son or mother to daughter gives me a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that I never got from any other job.
 
Find what ever it is, what ever it's worth, what ever it means, what ever it takes and,.. just give it hell!
 
Since the link to my blog was removed up at the top of this thread due to the fact that it featured knives for sale I have been posting pics of my work on facebook . If you want to see what I have done over the last five years look for JP's Custom Knives on facebook.
 
As far as I can tell, your Facebook setting don't allow seeing your photos.

You can just put up the individual photos here

right click on the photos, copy image location - or equivalent
Insert them into your post here with using the image button
 
Reminds me of this quote I just came across recently:

"Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it&#8217;s just not that good. It&#8217;s trying to be good, it has potential, but it&#8217;s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn&#8217;t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I&#8217;ve ever met. It&#8217;s gonna take awhile. It&#8217;s normal to take awhile. You&#8217;ve just gotta fight your way through." &#8212; Ira Glass
 
Mr. Cantrell, that's a tremendous quote. Thanks for passing that on.
Sometimes I get discouraged because I'm never completely satisfied- it's good to remember that what that means is that I want it to get better, and that it will if I keep at it!
Andy Gladish
Guemes Island, WA
 
I really appreciate everyone's input and perspectives. As a new Knife Maker I do get discouraged sometimes when I see that my work does not meet my own standards, especially in comparison with other knife makers but never enough to quit. It is what fuels my drive toward making the "perfect knife." I have to remember that I don't have a lot of equipment and tools to work with that would help me to do better work. I have to pay my dues and learn to do the best job I can with what I have available and to invest part of the money I do make back into my shop so over time my blades will reflect the skills that I am perfecting. I learn something new from every knife I make and I constantly try to learn new skills that I can incorporate into my knife making process. One skill that I am trying to learn is how to make a narrow tang knife but I have had difficulty in properly attaching the bolt to the tang. I have tried welding with my oxy/acetylene torch, silver solder and pinning it and all three attempts failed. Any tips on it would be most welcome.
Yesterday I learned some new things about working with Ferric Chloride and a process in heat treating a blade that the maker called "thermocycling." If anyone has any information about this process I would love to hear about it from someone that has actually used it in making their own blades. I would also like to know about any tips or tricks in using Ferric Chloride acid in finishing a blade and the different effects that you can get with it.
 
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