Some Handmade Slip Joints for Blade

[pappy1959]

My engraver is Tim Halloran. He is a good guy and really does nice work. He will be at Blade too.

Pictures of parts tomorrow, sorry. Battery on camera needs a charge (duh)

Thank you for the nice comments on the knives. As you can tell, lots of hard work in them.

Lots of interesting opinions and comments in the debate over custom, handmade, mid-tech, etc. It is an interesting topic.

I am also a woodcarver and have been a semi-professional one for over 20 years. When doing my carving, I only use hand tools, no machines. Some people call this a purist approach. It is merely the way that I get the most satisfaction out of doing my carving work. I think the same principle can be applied to making knives.

Some makers get the most satisfaction and personal reward by making everything associated with the knife. When I make knives, I get my satisfaction and rewards from the study, the research, history, then the challenge of making it work smoothly and making the fit and finish as good as can be. My experience with the handle materials over the years allows me great reward from the ivory and stag I'm lucky enough to work with.

Remember that we all do things for our own reasons. I try to respect people who do good work, no matter what that might be. I don't expect that others do what I do because I think it's the 'right' way. If I did, none of this would be any fun.

By the way..........I will be at booth #57 instead of table 9A. They did some juggling at the show and I ended up there.

Keep Care,

Tim

 

[LarryM]

I probably have a huge misperception of what I am looking at here so pardon me for my ignorance. The blades and liners are EDM wirecut, blades are stamped as part of the cutting process, the pulls are stamped, the bolsters are stamped, etc. Did I miss anything?

Please excuse my curiosity, but, would it be possible to get a pic of all the manufactured parts of a knife like is in post #10, just as an example, before you do any of the handmade work, so I can get a better understanding of what is handmade versus hand assembled. Also, have you thought of selling your parts to other custom makers, unstamped of course? I would think there would be a market for that as you have some interesting and different patterns.

Kerry , I am curious did you make this post?

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6431509&postcount=13

Is a water jet cutter that much different than wire EDM ? Larry

 

[LarryM]

I copied this from the Knifemakers Guild websight. Larry

Items that may be displayed and sold are restricted to handmade knives (Refer to Rule 1) and knife-related items. The interpretation of knife related items to be at the sole discretion of the Board of Directors. The term, "Handmade Knives" shall mean those knives that are 100% made by the maker, in the maker's own shop using his or her own equipment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following shall not disqualify a knife from being a "Handmade Knife":

* Embellishments, including engraving, scrimshaw and carving;
* Assembly items such as screws, pins, balls, washers and bolt sets;
* Heat treatment;
* Precision ground, mill run and Damascus bar stock and sheet stock;
* Collaborations between Probationary, Voting and/or Founding Members.

Factory or mass produced knives or parts will not be permitted.

 

[KnifeHead]

Kerry , I am curious did you make this post?

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6431509&postcount=13

Is a water jet cutter that much different than wire EDM ? Larry

I'm not sure what the purpose of this post is since I obviously did do the post you linked. Information about waterjet and EDM processes can probably be found on the web.

 

[LarryM]

I'm not sure what the purpose of this post is since I obviously did do the post you linked. Information about waterjet and EDM processes can probably be found on the web.

From your post it seems using wire edm parts makes a knife not handmade. Is using parts cut with a water jet different? Does it take more work to make water jet parts ready to use? Do the wire edm parts require less work? Larry

 

[ken erickson]

Pictures of parts tomorrow, sorry. Battery on camera needs a charge (duh)



Tim

Tim,

I personally am looking forward to seeing the pictures. From one knife maker to another , It would be cool to see a WIP thread on one of your knives. I learn a lot and will always take some part of a makers WIP and incorporate it in my own work.

Ken

 

[KnifeHead]

From your post it seems using wire edm parts makes a knife not handmade. Is using parts cut with a water jet different? Does it take more work to make water jet parts ready to use? Do the wire edm parts require less work? Larry

To answer your questions...yes, yes, and yes., but we are majorly sidetracking Tim's thread. I asked the questions I asked because I want to understand the boundries of what makes a hand made knife.

 

[sheathmaker]

yes., I asked the questions I asked because I want to understand the boundries of what makes a hand made knife.

This has been hashed out so many times, ad nauseum. I'm not sure there is any "boundry" with a totally agreed concensus.

I don't have a dog in this fight, but I think Tim has been straight forward about how his knives are produced. Since Blade is not a Guild sponsored show, then the Guild definition of hand made is a moot point albeit a good reference point.

Kerry, I missed your thread about David's (name?) work cutting out your parts. Now that I know, am I supposed to think that somehow your excellent work is somehow not as good or less in any way? I think not! I feel the same about Tim's Amherst offerings. They are what they are!

There are some very nice knives out there representing all degrees of "hand
made" and in the final analysis it's the guy laying down the bucks who needs to be happy........not us.

Paul

 

[KnifeHead]

This has been hashed out so many times, ad nauseum. I'm not sure there is any "boundry" with a totally agreed concensus.

I don't have a dog in this fight, but I think Tim has been straight forward about how his knives are produced. Since Blade is not a Guild sponsored show, then the Guild definition of hand made is a moot point albeit a good reference point.

Kerry, I missed your thread about David's (name?) work cutting out your parts. Now that I know, am I supposed to think that somehow your excellent work is somehow not as good or less in any way? I think not! I feel the same about Tim's Amherst offerings. They are what they are!

There are some very nice knives out there representing all degrees of "hand
made" and in the final analysis it's the guy laying down the bucks who needs to be happy........not us.

Paul

Yes, but this is all new hash to me since I'm just a baby knife maker. I guess I stepped in some poo. SORRY

I agree with your final analysis about buyers...no arguments there at all.

 

[LarryM]

After reading my posts and the replys and a few PM's. Do I think having parts cut, blades ground, nail nick's cut are the same as having parts waterjet cut? No, but the orginal question was would the knives be considered handmade. Larry

 

[LarryM]

After reading my posts and the replys and a few PM's. Do I think having parts cut, blades ground, nail nick's cut are the same as having parts waterjet cut? No, but the orginal question was would the knives be considered handmade. Larry

The only definition for handmade I know is what the Knifemakers Guild uses. Maybe there should me more than handmade and not handmade. Sole authorship, handmade, handcrafted/ midtech, limited production and production.
But also shouldn't Knifemakers disclose how they make their knives. So the buyer can decide what they are buying? I aplogize to Knifehead if I made anyone think that he hasn't disclosed how he makes his knive's. But I was trying to make an example based on the Guild's definition. Larry

 

[pappy1959]

Diamond Jack
I'm running out of time

Thank you for looking.

And please note that my table will be in booth #57

Thanks

Tim

 

[pappy1959]

Easy Open Jack

Thank you for looking.

Tim

 

[pappy1959]

Corn-Topper Pattern or Maize Knife

Thanks for looking.............

Tim

 

[pappy1959]

Walden Hunter
I love this knife, it's so BIG!!

As far as the definitions, debates, piles of poo, and all the other stuff that goes with this business................I'm going to leave that for a later date. This show is important to my family and I'm trying to keep my perspective.

I'm looking forward to being back from Atlanta, because I begin then to move into the new lease space. Consolidating now what is 4 different locations into one place is going to save time, money and lots of energy.

I hope to be active on the forum with knives in progress, lots of photos, topics on dealing with different handle materials (because that is really my strength) as well as production methods, etc.

Once the new place is all settled, by mid or end of Summer, people will be able to come by and visit. I'm looking forward to that too.

It's been an interesting year with lots of things happening. Seems like now it's getting better and better. It's all in baby steps, but moving forward is a great feeling no matter how big the steps are.

I'll post one or two more things here as I finish them up, maybe.

Gots to get back to work!!

Thanks for looking and thanks for being able to post here.

Tim

 

[VCM3]

Tim,
Unfortuneatley,I can'y make it to Blade this year,but I'm targeting next year.
Coming from a guy who has handled a lot of custom knives in a short period of time,I gotta say this....The one knife of yours I handled at Blade last year was dam fine! Good quality !

Now I'll add,for me & this is my $.02,that I know it is important for a makers work to be readily available to the buyer.Otherwise the whole deal is just frustrating

Putting knives in knife nuts hands is part of this,too.

I wish you all the success,sell out at Blade & what's left if any,heck,post 'em here on BF's
Hat's off to you Tim & a safe & happy holiday weekend to all here !
Tim,the knives look great & I like the variety,too !
-Vince

 

[Jon Brand]

Again, those are nice folders

 

[rickmenefee]

I like your jack knive. It looks friendly to the hand

 

[KnifeHead]

I appreciate the apology, Larry...and Tim, I'm sorry your thread got sidetracked so badly. I should have asked some veterans about the subject before I ventured in. My bad. The "handmade/not handmade subject" is a real pile of poo

I see the camera is up and running again and the knives do turn out very nicely. Are there any plans to put shields in your knives?

Good luck to you at Blade:thumbup::thumbup:

 

[JatMat]

I like all of them Tim, wish I could be there. Be going straight to your table. Right after I picked up my Red Wharnie from Rick M. and my Barlow from Kerry.