- Joined
- Dec 5, 2005
- Messages
- 27,966
Generally speaking, I prefer true custom knives; and by that I mean knives made to measure and/or made to my design. Stuart Branson is one of the few knifemakers that challenges my preference by producing unique, singular works which jive so well, blend so many influences so seamlessly as to appear casual, and which exhibit all the qualities I value in a piece of cutlery, (namely, a well applied edge, comfortable handle, and balance tuned to the utility of the design).
I'm lucky and fortunate that I can make a little bit of money from my design work, and in acknowledging this good fortune, I reinvest almost all of it back into the custom knife world. I'm very picky about who receives any of these dollars, mostly because there isn't a lot to go around. I don't know how many times Stuart's sent me photos of stuff he's working on, where if the dollars were available, there'd be no hesitation in acquiring these pieces. I honestly cannot think of a knife or sword that he's made that I didn't immediately want to own.
This piece is hefty, and when holding it, feels like it would be a devastating weapon. The blade is wasp waisted- it actually gets thicker where the blade widens, and then tapers to a needle sharp point. I'm not kidding about that- the point of this blade will shave. I would not want to have an 'oops' moment with this sword! It balances nicely in hand, and the handle shape allows for quick changes of direction, and great control over snap cuts. All that being said, I'll never know how this piece would perform for the use it was designed for, but I'll enjoy it as a tactile piece of art and draw a great deal of inspiration from it.
Anyway, enough words. Check this thing out;
Thanks Stuart!
I'm lucky and fortunate that I can make a little bit of money from my design work, and in acknowledging this good fortune, I reinvest almost all of it back into the custom knife world. I'm very picky about who receives any of these dollars, mostly because there isn't a lot to go around. I don't know how many times Stuart's sent me photos of stuff he's working on, where if the dollars were available, there'd be no hesitation in acquiring these pieces. I honestly cannot think of a knife or sword that he's made that I didn't immediately want to own.
This piece is hefty, and when holding it, feels like it would be a devastating weapon. The blade is wasp waisted- it actually gets thicker where the blade widens, and then tapers to a needle sharp point. I'm not kidding about that- the point of this blade will shave. I would not want to have an 'oops' moment with this sword! It balances nicely in hand, and the handle shape allows for quick changes of direction, and great control over snap cuts. All that being said, I'll never know how this piece would perform for the use it was designed for, but I'll enjoy it as a tactile piece of art and draw a great deal of inspiration from it.
Anyway, enough words. Check this thing out;
Thanks Stuart!
