Question for the collectors and knife buyers.

When considering such a purchase, use of new stock, or the use of recycled items:

  • Is a significant factor.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Is not a significant factor.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
  • Poll closed .
Kevin Jones said:
Last week it was basically "how important is it to know who made the knife" and this week it's "how important is it to know the steel" ?

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=661660

Don't know about you, but I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for next week's question. ;)
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How important is sole authorship? How important is having a sheath come with a knife? How important is a professional photograph of your knife? ;)

All kidding aside, these threads can generate some worthwhile discussion. When they come in rapid succession it can feel like overload. Time for a "show me your..." thread to mix it up a bit! :thumbup:
 
Just because a piece of steel is salvaged or recycled, does not necessarily mean it's "unknown". Lots of "scrap" steel is marked and not free.

Besides that,... Steel is only unknown, if one does not know steel.
As a collector, I expect the maker to "know" his steel one way or the other. (Yes, I do also collect and use knives).

Steel is steel no matter where it came from.

I also think the wording on the poll is goofy (flawed), because it just asks if it's a factor, (how the steel was acquired),... not which method of acquisition is preferred,... when, where, how or why,... which in my opinion would be a better question for the makers...
 
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Tai Goo said:
Just because a piece of steel is salvaged or recycled, does not necessarily mean it's "unknown". Lots of "scrap" steel is marked and not free.
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Nobody asked you...specifically...ignore the rules, sure it is expected of you...but really...IN THIS SPECIFIC CASE, Tai...the favor of your response is not required.

If this seems disrespectful, it is because you disrespect EVERYONE in this thread by attempting to participate...you are a maker.....and an old one.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Steven, we must have crossed posts while I was editing. I also "collect", test and use knives,... and don't know of any serious makers who don't.

Best regards,
Tai
 
Tai Goo said:
Steven, we must have crossed posts while I was editing. I also "collect", test and use knives.

Best regards,
Tai
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You are not defined as a collector, Tai....don't be precious....when you define yourself, do you think yourself collector first?

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Well,... just try to ignore me then. LOL

I hope to heaven it isn't about me...
 
I can't believe how many knifemakers have responded to this thread WHEN THE WHOLE DAMN POINT OF THE THREAD WAS TO PRECLUDE KNIFEMAKERS!!!!!!!

You pathetic sots have once again managed to destroy an otherwise beneficial and informative thread due to your totally polarized zealot beliefs and a total inability to READ or otherwise follow instructions.

Unless the results of the poll can be changed to eliminate the numerous knifemakers that participated, the results might as well be dismissed.
 
:D Matt.... Matt... hold on, I am laughing too danged hard to type!:D You have always been one of those people who have been there to tell me "Kevin, relax! Don't let them do that to you! Just shake it off man!", I am sorry but to see you finally succumb to the madness is giving me too much sadistic pleasure to fully respect myself:D. Thanks my friend, the past week there has been blood in the water at bladeforums and I needed to see somebody just lose it with the nitwittery before I did, but more importantly I needed to laugh! I owe you another cigar!:thumbup:
 
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Kevin R. Cashen said:
I am sorry but to see you finally succumb to the madness is giving me too much sadistic pleasure to fully respect myself:D.
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Bastid! Well, fine then... hope you're happy now. Once again my agony serves to provide enjoyment for others. In the immortal words of Mel Brooks "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die."
You're too right, though... besides, it's been a good day, aside from this stupidity! Point taken, but I'll still take that cigar!;)

Aaron, I'm aware that you can see the results of the poll - that's how I knew there were makers voting. However, some of them aren't registered as makers, so they might be overlooked by others that view the results without knowing exactly who is who, if you follow.
 
I won't vote because the poll doesn't make any sense. That's the only reason.

I buy knives. I collect knives, and I make knives. I was buying, using and collecting knives way before I started making them.

So anyway...

The point I was making is just that you can salvage and recycle the exact same steels that you pay top dollar for. You can salvage and recycle these steels new (unused) and of known alloy composition. The only draw back is that you may not be able to get the ideal sizes or alloys that you want, when you want.

It's a lot like going to a construction site and salvaging lumber. It's the exact same lumber that they paid top dollar for and are using to build the house. They have a piece that is 10 ft long, but they only need 8 ft, so they cut 2 ft off and pitch it in the dumpster. In many cases, they’ll let you have all you want for free,… tons of it!
 
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dammit, Tai, you're not supposed to vote or contribute here- knifemaker!
Be silent!:p

When I bought a knife from Tai Goo, the steel he used was not a significant factor in my decision, because I trust his experience and his concern for his reputation. So far, I have used this knife A LOT, and the performance is more than acceptable. But I have bought other knives from other makers where the material's source and type was a significant factor.
 
Paying top dollar for new steels of known composition in the sizes you want, is really just a matter of convenience.

Lorien, I bought that steel new and of known composition. It was not salvaged or recycled. I went the "convenient" route that time, as I usually do... nothing wrong with that either though. However, when you can get the alloys you want unused through salvaging and recycling,... you can save a few bucks with no sacrifice in quality whatsoever.
 
Tai, (yes I will actually address you even though I have found the best thing to do is just ignore your rude harassments. There Matt I have lost the struggle too;)), I will not presume to argue with you on what is “goofy” or what “makes no sense”, as I am a rank amateur in your presence concerning such things. However I have noticed how suddenly professional and accommodating you can be in the thread hawking your DVD on the Bladesmithing forum. Different paradigm when you can line your pockets isn’t it? But more importantly you will notice how nobody is crashing that thread with negative off topic gibberish in order to derail it. What if all of us abandoned courtesy as easily as you do and harangued that thread, and any other you posted, until it got trampled to death or locked? How would you handle that harassment? No where near as well as I have I’ll guess, but don’t worry I don’t believe anybody here would resort to the behavior that many of us thought we had an agreement with you about. Don’t like a thread, start your own that you do like, and we were able to let you have it without pulling any of your nonsense, well right before you said you would stop posting altogether- that lasted how many weeks?

Folks, I am sorry for this exchange and the tone I have taken, but some of you may not be aware of Tai’s long standing program of harassment of almost anything I may post, or anything he doesn’t think should be heard and can shouted down for that matter. I have found the best way to deal with him is to ignore most of what he writes, believe me, it is easy if you try (oops, I just gave Tai an opening to start posting Lennon lyrics:rolleyes:). However I doubt he could tolerate this poll to continue in any direction that does not meet his approval. So I can speak up to appeal to any decency he may have and ask him to knock it off , or from what I know of his sense of shame or consideration, we can assume this thread is over at this point.

Tai, I have asked you before and I will ask you again- what the heck are you so afraid of? There is a big difference between countering things that are said and not tolerating them to be said at all.
 
Tai has been on my ignore list off and on. I just read what he posted and decided it was time to ignore him once more. Trollish behavior is regrettable among talented makers.
 
Kevin,

The thread is not trashed....let it run its' course....most of us that know what's up were expecting Tai to do this....it doesn't matter...it's like watching the developmentally disabled kid lick the windows....kinda uncomfortable and icky, but doesn't change the civil conversation you are having with his parents, just a temporary distraction, right?

Just let the kid keep licking the windows, and the rest of us will keep on having the conversation we were before.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
I don't think I ever said that I would stop posting on Bladeforums altogether. Kevin, you have a convenient way of putting words into peoples mouths, and twisting a few isolated facts, pulled out of context, around.
 
Yes, one can simply read who voted for what, and that is why I chose that style of poll, I may however have trouble determining who is who. But the real trouble with even reasonable makers getting involved is that it instantly changes the focus. Now the thread takes a instant shift from what each buyer or collector themselves think about the issue to who agrees with Tai (which is all Tai seems to care about).

It was a very enlightening thread without makers because makers can lose so much objectivity that it can impinge on honest answers. If you use a type of material in your blades and need to sell them, you have a very strong vested interest in which way the conversation goes. Collectors and buyers can take any direction they want with their purchases without the same constraints of having to sell themselves or their methods.
 
It doesn't bother me at all if the blade is made from known scrap steel. To me there is no difference if a maker forges from a used 52100 ball bearing or from new bar stock.
 
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