next contest prize teaser ---> AXD <---

First this has to be the most generous prize I've seen given away.

And second, I think protech would do a much better job than zt. Very tight tolerances.

But that would only be to help with growing pains. A much better idea would be some designer collaborations. In house would probably be the first step.

This is off topic but I want to see a htm balisong...
 
Beautiful knife. Good luck to all.

Edit: I have heard and read quite a bit about DDR/HTM knives. I don't currently own one but I would like to. Yes, price is an issue when buying any knife--though I have no problem spending for a knife such as this.

My biggest issue with DDR/HTM knives up until this point is simply one of availability: I rarely see them for sale, and usually only on the secondary market at grossly inflated prices. I guess I need to look harder. I did fill out my email on the DDR/HTM site for notification purposes, but I have yet to get any.
 
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harkamus said:
You're all orange now, crimson!

The idea of any kind of factory collab is, I think, a new one to Darrel, but I will run that idea by him some time, either right now or in person at Bladeshow '12.

EDIT: I meant major factory collab. I'm aware of Fox and some of the smaller companies, but they just basically take a similar blade shape and sometimes handle design from Darrel, but are vastly different IMO.
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Yep, went orange yesterday. Wife says I need to sell some of the steel, rather than piling up hundreds of knives. Then I can fund a new grinder and mebbe a HT oven too. Also a milling machine. Ack, why are there so many nifty tools to buy... At some point in there, I need to save up for a custom Gun Hammer.

I seriously like the idea of a factory collaboration, as long as the quality stays somewhat comparable. I mainly just want an AXIS or BBL HTM. With flipper and bearing system. And choose your own color ETAC. And M390. Okay, now I have to go clean up the drool puddle.
 
crimsonfalcon07 said:
This is why I think he should NOT collaborate with ZT. Cause he already has down the things that they do well. And ZT is all about overbuilt. I don't really like the thought of an overbuilt DDR. DDR pieces are elegant works of art, not tanks. Even the big blades are still slender and gorgeous, and those aren't words I'd ever use to describe a ZT creation. The reason I think he should collaborate with Benchmade is that most of his works are framelocks or linerlocks. I'd like to see a different type of lock, and the AXIS is the most popular outside of the two that Darrel already does very well, and the TRIAD, and I think Darrel should avoid Cold Steel like the plague. A ZT collaboration, to my mind, wouldn't yield anything new, but a Benchmade one would. I guess I just don't really understand where you're coming from with the ZT bit. Then again, ZT knives have time and time again failed to catch my eye, so it's really largely personal aesthetics.
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I can see your point. I was thinking more of what company could best put a pure DDR design into production. I tend to agree with you on the aesthetics, so I was thinking ZT would get a shot at a really gorgeous production knife and it would make Mr. Ralph's work more accessible to the masses. I don't see ZT really adding any design elements in this fantasy of mine.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
I can see your point. I was thinking more of what company could best put a pure DDR design into production. I tend to agree with you on the aesthetics, so I was thinking ZT would get a shot at a really gorgeous production knife and it would make Mr. Ralph's work more accessible to the masses. I don't see ZT really adding any design elements in this fantasy of mine.
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Ah, okay, that makes sense. Yeah, I was thinking more about a design collaboration, limited run, than a "bringing DDR to the masses." That's a good thought though. It's kinda amazing to me that more people don't go for HTM. They're comparable in price to the high end ZT, BM, or Spydie offerings, yet they're semi-custom, and have a MUCH better attention to detail than those others, in my estimation.
 
If DDR/HTM ever teamed up with another production company, I would hope that Darrel wouldn't let them change much about the designs.

I've been carrying my HTM Gunhammer almost every day since I received it, and it's the finest knife I've ever owned, second only to my full-custom Persian by Reese Weiland. The Gunhammer is sturdy, lightweight, balanced from handle to blade, and efficient in both its design and performance. It's comfortable to hold, comfortable to use, and feels like a ghost in my pocket. The only improvement I can think of would be to quad-tap it for L-R/tip-up tip-down carry.

Every major production knife company has its unique (and generally well-known) manufacturing quirks. ZT overbuilds their knives and ends up making them very heavy. Benchmade has a fluke every now and then in their locks or pivots, causing blade play right out of the box. Spyderco insists on putting their Spyderhole on everything (even fixed blades that don't need it) just for the sake of brand recognition. Cold Steel has great engineering, but there's always one feature which spoils the entire design (the G-10 scales are too coarse, or the knife's weight isn't well-balanced, etc). I fear that if Darrel were to authorize any production company to mass-produce his designs, that these manufacturing quirks would naturally carry over as a matter of course.

I'm a layperson here so take this opinion with a generous helping of salt, but the only advantage I can see to a DDR/production collaboration is an increase in output so that more people can enjoy Darrel's designs. Camillus did a good job of it, but I have no idea how much oversight Camillus actually had when they licensed the designs from Darrel, so it's impossible (for me) to attribute success and quality to this group or that (unless Darrel wants to chime in).

I would hope that any collaboration held true to the HTM standard. I've not had a better experience with a knife company since I began buying Darrel Ralph designed knives. Odds are I'll never buy from another designer ever again - this is my niche.

crimsonfalcon07 said:
It's kinda amazing to me that more people don't go for HTM. They're comparable in price to the high end ZT, BM, or Spydie offerings, yet they're semi-custom, and have a MUCH better attention to detail than those others, in my estimation.
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Exactly my thought. I think it's mostly exposure.

Heh, that'll change soon enough.
 
harkamus said:
Well said, and I'll be honest. I don't think we'd ever see a collaboration of that magnitude. That doesn't mean I can't bring up the topic for discussion with him, which I fully intend to do.
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If demand ever becomes so high that the HTM folks can't keep up with it, I can see a large-scale collaboration realistically happening. It's only natural.

In the end, the big question is how big a company does Darrel feel like managing? Living in LA, I know business people of all types: some like doing the balancing act with a massive multifaceted corporation and huge piles of money -- others are content with sacrificing the huge potential profit so that they can have a smaller business with more personal oversight and direct interface with the clients. Both models are perfectly viable, both can produce excellent products/services, and both produce happy businessmen and customers as long as people know what they want.

Whatever he chooses, I have no doubt that Darrel can achieve anything he wants with the business. His true equity is time spent on the bench making superb knives - there's no substitute for all the work he puts into his job, and it shows.

The internet is a true meritocracy, so with the right exposure anyone can achieve greatness from small beginnings. If Darrel and co. are the hands and mind of HTM, then we (the closest, happiest customers) are most definitely HTM's ears and mouth. That's why I've spread the word about HTM/DDR to every manual labourer, outdoorsman, law enforcement officer, and knife-enthusiast I know.

We are the sifters of the grain from the chaff.
 
I've been thinking: the AXD is my truly my grail knife. When I get my AXD, it will probably overshadow my Gunhammer and become my new primary EDC.

So I hereby decree: when I receive my AXD (either from my custom order, or if I'm lucky enough to be chosen in the giveaway), I will (with Darrel's permission) send my own HTM Gunhammer back to him to be refurbished so that in turn it can be given away again to another lucky HTM forum member. This knife has brought me nothing but joy since I've received it, and I would like for it to continue that tradition by always being in a deserving home.
 
TheBleedingEdge said:
I've been thinking: the AXD is my truly my grail knife. When I get my AXD, it will probably overshadow my Gunhammer and become my new primary EDC.

So I hereby decree: when I receive my AXD (either from my custom order, or if I'm lucky enough to be chosen in the giveaway), I will (with Darrel's permission) send my own HTM Gunhammer back to him to be refurbished so that in turn it can be given away again to another lucky HTM forum member. This knife has brought me nothing but joy since I've received it, and I would like for it to continue that tradition by always being in a deserving home.
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That is a worthy and kind gesture. :thumbup:
 
Indeed. I might do the same thing with my radian if I can pry it out of my wife's hands. She thinks it's a kitchen knife...
 
I need more ideas for this upcoming AXD giveaway contest. Help me brainstorm, guys. Haha.

A radian as a kitchen knife? The blade shape is not exactly the best thing for kitchen ninja-ry, but I guess it works.
 
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I know, right? I'm not quite sure why she chose that out of the literally hundreds of blades I have available in our house. But it's her new favorite small utility, even though we have several dedicated parers and such. I'm going to need to make her a fixed blade so's I can get it back :D
 
wow what a knife, what a competition, what an honour for who ever the lucky winner is to own.... i wish i could enter this competition but assisted knives and spring knives are illegal in australia so as soon as it would hit australian shores the knife would be confiscated and destroyed..... major bummer would of been an honour in itself to just be part of the competition.

As for an idea, such a great knife would have to be worthy of a video or story, or something creative as an entry, the more creative the better, make a video of why you deserve the knife, how you would use it..... or a story, or comic, something creative that makes the entry person have to take the time to come up with something.
 
knifemaking01 said:
i wish i could enter this competition but assisted knives and spring knives are illegal in australia so as soon as it would hit australian shores the knife would be confiscated and destroyed
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You might go ahead and enter. If the spring assist mechanism is anything like on the Gun Hammer, it can be easily converted to manual by removing the spring, and I wouldn't be surprised if the DDR folks would be willing to remove the spring. Of course Hark or Darrel should confirm that, but don't count yourself out yet.
 
I have been thinking about our international friends. The problem is of course with shipping a knife overseas. And every country has different laws, so I don't really care to exert the time and effort to sit down and study shipping laws to another country. I'm being perfectly honest. I won't do it. Hah. However, I am not opposed to opening contests to international friends, that is IF Darrel is okay with that. I'll ask him about it all. If he doesn't mind, then I will open contests up to people outside of the US with the caveat that if you enter, you do the leg work and check up on all the laws and provide me with proof that you are allowed to receive such a knife and that customs will not cease it. There is nothing worse than us sending a knife to a winner only to have it ceased at customs, especially if it's something like this AXD. We will not under declare a knife value either, and if shipping ends up being more than we wish to pay, we may ask you to pay for shipping, which in the grand scheme of things should be okay since you're paying shipping on an otherwise free knife.

I hope to meet a lot of you at Bladeshow btw. I'll have my own booth, which is new for me. Darrel asked me to help. I just had no idea it'd be me helping behind a booth by myself.

EDIT: Actually, if Darrel agrees on international entries, I will restrict contests slightly. Nothing personal, but I may exclude Malaysian and Indonesian entries since the Bladeforums has seen quite a few scammers from there, and for me to have to check IPs and things like that from entries out of those countries is a nightmare. I don't even know where to begin to do that. We'll leave it at that. At the end of the day, Darrel, myself, and Dirk still have the right to restrict entries as we see fit.

As a moderator, I can see everyone's IP, but I don't know how to check if another IP originates from a user with multiple accounts. Apparently part of the IP is the same or something like that.
 
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crimsonfalcon07 said:
You might go ahead and enter. If the spring assist mechanism is anything like on the Gun Hammer, it can be easily converted to manual by removing the spring, and I wouldn't be surprised if the DDR folks would be willing to remove the spring. Of course Hark or Darrel should confirm that, but don't count yourself out yet.
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thanks mate, but in all honesty i dont feel comfortable to enter a competition like this with only being here for less then a month, and havnt been able to contribute much, maybe when i have built some knives, and people here start to recognise me, then i will..... But good luck to everyone and thanks harkamus for considering internationals
 
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