Some new ones and a "need your input" request

[Jarrett Knives]

Hi everyone,

Here are a couple new pieces just finished today.

This one is going to the Denver Custom Knife show with me. It will be available there. Heat colored blade in random Damascus, Mammoth Tooth bolsters and Australian Horistes.

This is one I'm donating to the local county fair to help raise rodeo ticket sales. They're doing a raffle. It's random Damascus, Black Paper Micarta, and Australian Horistes. The blade was heat colored.

Here is the one I want your input on...

This is one of my Bird & Trout knives clothed in an actual set of 1911 pistol grips. It is very light in the hand and then there are the obviously grippy rubber grips. This particular knife style and grind gets wicked sharp. Perfect for a B&T. It's been differentially heat treated with a polished hamon which takes a lot of time. I really dig it but I'm a little to close to the source if you know what I mean. I would just like to know what you guys think...which will ultimately translate into ... If I make them, will anyone want them?

My question is this...
Give me your opinion of this please.
-Is this too novel to appeal to folk?
-Will it appeal to the guys who own and/or carry a 1911?
-Leather or Kydex for a sheath.
-Just for conversation, I'd need at least $150 with Kydex and $165 with a leather to make it work...after all there is still quite a bit of time in a knife like this.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Kaizen1]

Love the heat colored damascus blades. For whatever reason, when I first saw the bird and trout knife, I didn't notice that the handle was supposed to match a 1911 grip. I think it just registered as "rubbery grip" in my mind. Bird and trout knives don't appeal to me in general so I wouldn't be good to comment on the knife itself. But the handle material didn't appeal to me because I thought it looked like a cheaper rubber material.

 

[Kevin Jones]

Love the heat colored damascus blades. For whatever reason, when I first saw the bird and trout knife, I didn't notice that the handle was supposed to match a 1911 grip. I think it just registered as "rubbery grip" in my mind. Bird and trout knives don't appeal to me in general so I wouldn't be good to comment on the knife itself. But the handle material didn't appeal to me because I thought it looked like a cheaper rubber material.

I pretty much share the opinion above on the bird & trout.
I Really like the second knife. Handle design, damascus and overall profile are first rate.

I edited my post to elaborate a little more on the B&T as you seem to really want honest feed back. I feel the handle is too narrow in the middle to be comfortable. The grip hole nearest the raccasso will do little but attract grime that will be difficult to clean. I realize it's a cool gimmick in utilizing the 1911 grips but it sacrifices function in my opinion. The blade is just OK. Like to see a tapered tang but realize you are trying to hold the price down. Sorry and my opinion could very well be different if I actually handled and examined it.

 

[Jarrett Knives]

Thanks a bunch guys...this is why I'm asking. I was thinking this may be a model for the gun show crowd who would more readily notice the grips.

Keep 'em coming. I'm all ears.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

I know the reason for the hole at the front of the handle, but I don't like it. I'm thinking you could have trouble selling that knife for between $150.00 and $165.00. Then again, I don't know what the gun community would think of it. I'm also not sure what others in the knife community would think of it. Maybe try taking a couple to a gun show and see how it goes.

 

[on_the_edge]

I like and have several 1911s and I too overlooked the grips on the knife. I did not at first notice that you had 1911 grips as the handles.

Personally, I don't care for them. The hole up front is a big turn-off, but it seems like the concept of "hey, here is a knife with handles like the grips on my 1911" is too forced. I have no problem with B&T knives in general, but if I want a knife with handles that match something on one of my 1911s, I'll find someone to make something custom. To me, "matching handles and grips" can be defined as handles and grips made out of the same material with the same coloration and figure, possibly with the exact same checkering or inlay design, but they need not be actual 1911 grips (on a knife) or actual knife slabs (on a 1911) to be matching. I hope that makes sense.