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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
So.....................
- Thread starter CherylR
- Start date
This piece is an incredible value in a limited production piece. I am very pleased with the knife I purchased from your company. The wood is truly high grade ironwood, and it looks like Camillus took the suggestions to heart and improved their edge grinding on this run.
Although I would guess that this would make a great user, I doubt very many will ultimately be put to the test. Being an award-winning design that was sold out from day one, there is definitely collector interest and probably some long term price appreciation to be gained. And there are many other knives of lesser price (and much, much less beauty!) that would suffice for the uses that a knife of this size would be called upon to perform.
The value in this knife is in allowing a lot of people to own a classic Fisk design at a fraction of the Mastersmith's custom price.
I give Camillus a lot of credit for bringing out an affordable collaboration that does justice to Jerry's work. Given Jerry's stature and the quality of his incredible work, that is saying a lot!
Although I would guess that this would make a great user, I doubt very many will ultimately be put to the test. Being an award-winning design that was sold out from day one, there is definitely collector interest and probably some long term price appreciation to be gained. And there are many other knives of lesser price (and much, much less beauty!) that would suffice for the uses that a knife of this size would be called upon to perform.
The value in this knife is in allowing a lot of people to own a classic Fisk design at a fraction of the Mastersmith's custom price.
I give Camillus a lot of credit for bringing out an affordable collaboration that does justice to Jerry's work. Given Jerry's stature and the quality of his incredible work, that is saying a lot!
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2001
- Messages
- 8,969
Well, I have mixed feelings about mine. The good: impeccable grinds, fit and finish to the handle, gorgeous wood. The bad: the lazer(?) etching on mine is fuzzy. The letters are blurred. Otherwise, it rocks! I'd like to publically thank Cheryl for allowing me to place a late order for this one. thanks Cheryl! I'm not sure if anything can be done about the etching or not. I'm sure someone Camillus-like will chime in here.
thanks, Mongo
thanks, Mongo
My first OVB Bowie in maple was absolutely pristine! My new ironwood knife has a couple of "distractors" which in the grand scope of things might be deemed nits. The grind lines on the choil do not perfectly match... one is cut further back on the blade towards the handle than the other. Granted, most wouldn't look close enough to spot such stuff, but... Regardless the blade's edge is well centered and equally beveled which is where the rubber meets the road -
And, although the ironwood is beautiful, it has a series of small imperfections or holes that on a smoking briar pipe would have been filled making it a second. Hence on this knife I would have thought such a handle to have been a "second" and not passed QA. Still feels great in my hand though which again is all that really matters.
With the increased price of the ironwood over the maple (still well worth it!), I was a bit surprised by the minor flaws. Keep in mind that I'm embracing OVB to mean what it stands for, so the presence of minor nits seems inconsistent.
Am I doing anything about it? Nope. I know Will well and having been raised in Syracuse know Camillus Cutlery too. So if I wanted a replacement I know they'd take care of me.
So what gives then, if I'm not doing anything to address some minor flaws in the knife I received?
(1) They simply aren't big enough deals to me to engage Will and Camillus... if anything they add a little "personality" to the piece. Here please note that such minor nits are also to be found on custom knives too.
(2) Second, I've been a cutlery enthusiast for quite awhile and have been priviledged to be involved in some very interesting events (eg commissioned the first knife made of talonite, etc.), and get to know some great folks (Will definately included here). I've even be honored to receive some freebies or "presentos" too (Sal Glesser, Will Fennell, Rob Simonich, etc.).
(3) These OVB Fisk Bowies are simply fantastic pieces for the price, providing Jerry's outstanding design at an affordable price point. Functionality is not compromised in the least in my blade.
So my "scorecard" is way over in the plus column and I'm very content to look at this situation as a cup much more than half full - . After all, how many were as fortunate as I to get one each of these blades? Plus I know my feedback will undoubtedly serve for a minor "sanity check" with the QA folks which will be a positive thing for future "Our Very Best" production and their customers.
And, although the ironwood is beautiful, it has a series of small imperfections or holes that on a smoking briar pipe would have been filled making it a second. Hence on this knife I would have thought such a handle to have been a "second" and not passed QA. Still feels great in my hand though which again is all that really matters.With the increased price of the ironwood over the maple (still well worth it!), I was a bit surprised by the minor flaws. Keep in mind that I'm embracing OVB to mean what it stands for, so the presence of minor nits seems inconsistent.
Am I doing anything about it? Nope. I know Will well and having been raised in Syracuse know Camillus Cutlery too. So if I wanted a replacement I know they'd take care of me.
So what gives then, if I'm not doing anything to address some minor flaws in the knife I received?
(1) They simply aren't big enough deals to me to engage Will and Camillus... if anything they add a little "personality" to the piece. Here please note that such minor nits are also to be found on custom knives too.
(2) Second, I've been a cutlery enthusiast for quite awhile and have been priviledged to be involved in some very interesting events (eg commissioned the first knife made of talonite, etc.), and get to know some great folks (Will definately included here). I've even be honored to receive some freebies or "presentos" too (Sal Glesser, Will Fennell, Rob Simonich, etc.).
(3) These OVB Fisk Bowies are simply fantastic pieces for the price, providing Jerry's outstanding design at an affordable price point. Functionality is not compromised in the least in my blade.
So my "scorecard" is way over in the plus column and I'm very content to look at this situation as a cup much more than half full -
. After all, how many were as fortunate as I to get one each of these blades? Plus I know my feedback will undoubtedly serve for a minor "sanity check" with the QA folks which will be a positive thing for future "Our Very Best" production and their customers.Bob,
As far as the minor "nits" with the grind lines I can't say - mine was right on so just probably slight variations in production. Regarding the handle see thread above where Jerry Fisk explains the little imperfections in Desert Ironwood. They will be there in most pieces but many custom makers will fill them in with superglue and sand them out so not visible (my presentation Terzuola has a couple small ones) - this would be very labor intensive for Camillus and they don't affect the handle or looks one iota.
Cheryl, thanks for the incredible service - love both the Fisk & the BK-9 - what a combo! Ironwood even more gorgeous than Maple and fit & finish is superb.
Bill
As far as the minor "nits" with the grind lines I can't say - mine was right on so just probably slight variations in production. Regarding the handle see thread above where Jerry Fisk explains the little imperfections in Desert Ironwood. They will be there in most pieces but many custom makers will fill them in with superglue and sand them out so not visible (my presentation Terzuola has a couple small ones) - this would be very labor intensive for Camillus and they don't affect the handle or looks one iota.
Cheryl, thanks for the incredible service - love both the Fisk & the BK-9 - what a combo! Ironwood even more gorgeous than Maple and fit & finish is superb.
Bill
Bill,
Thanks for the post... my other ironwood handles must have "worked" as Jerry explained.
I hope folks read my post catching all the nuances. Not the least of which is that the little "personality" nits on my OVB are comparable to those I've had on custom knives. So the OVB is being compared to some pretty lofty criteria. Not an insignificant frame of reference here, especially considering the price point.
Given that most custom makers grind their blades by hand, the lack of perfect mirror grinds is expected. But NCM (numeric controlled machine) grinding is what I thought Camillus was using, and if true variances, however slight, shouldn't occur. Maybe Will can weigh in here at some point.
But again, these are but nits and are not to be taken as complaints. I am *very* pleased with my pair of OVB Fisk bowies.
Thanks for the post... my other ironwood handles must have "worked" as Jerry explained.
I hope folks read my post catching all the nuances. Not the least of which is that the little "personality" nits on my OVB are comparable to those I've had on custom knives. So the OVB is being compared to some pretty lofty criteria. Not an insignificant frame of reference here, especially considering the price point.
Given that most custom makers grind their blades by hand, the lack of perfect mirror grinds is expected. But NCM (numeric controlled machine) grinding is what I thought Camillus was using, and if true variances, however slight, shouldn't occur. Maybe Will can weigh in here at some point.
But again, these are but nits and are not to be taken as complaints. I am *very* pleased with my pair of OVB Fisk bowies.