Thanking Ed Fowler on behalf of non-trendy materials.

K

Kevin R. Cashen

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Sep 9, 2003
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I know I am a few weeks late on getting to this but I wanted to give a hearty cheer and pat on the back to Ed for saying what needed to be said in the last issue of “Blade” dealing with brass or any other material a craftsman chooses to use as long as it is done well. I will freely admit that much of what Ed writes often just wrinkles my brow, but this article wrinkled my cheeks from a smile of complete and total agreement. Even I can give credit where credit is due.

I personally don’t use brass anymore, due to demand of other materials, but I could never criticize a maker’s choice of materials as long as he did it well. The other half of that clichéd, elitist line “brass has no class”, is “wood is no good”. Ed is correct that both are being reinforced by some of the more influential buyers and sellers, and they could be doing the business a disservice. I still use plenty of wood, as have craftsman throughout the history of blades, back to when man first started chipping stone.

Even when judging the ABS applicants, my philosophy is that I don’t care if they want to use well polished buffalo chips, if they fit it tight, finished it out completely, and it will perform it’s function on the knife, it’s their prerogative and cool by me.

In the art world there is no more rhyme or reason to what is “right” or “wrong” than some overblown stuff-shirt in NY or LA saying it is so and legions of suck-ups racing to agree. Thank you Ed, for reminding us that the knifemaking world can easily fall into that same mode of thinking, without ever asking why.
 
You're right Kevin. There was a recent posting on swordforum with an interesting story of a man who found an original bronze sword, thousands of years old.He didn't know what it was but found it worked fine for chopping firewood. It is now in the British Museum !! Modern materials have their place but they don't make older materials obsolete. There's no way that you can find more beautiful handle material than something like a nice piece of wood burl.
 
Kevin R. Cashen said:
very carefully, after they are well aged ;)
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once you get the smell out you're home free or is that range free? :confused:
rrr maybe that's where you get them.. home on the range :confused:
oh well I can't remember now. :confused: :D :D


oh yeah Brass by all means brass has no class my a$$ :)

.. who has no class :confused: :)
 
Kevin,
All things considered...that was a damn nice post. :)

And all this talk about buffalo turds...has got me searching the prairie for a fossilized chip...gonna make a handle out of it too.... :D

sommmmebody will hafta come up with a new phrase that ryhmes with ...poop...or excrement...or feces or some such. :confused:

For all you greeners that don't know...seasoned buffalo dung has llittle odor...and burns surprisingly clean...properly dried...no smoke... :cool:

But I don't guess it will buff too well. :D

Shane
 
In all seriousness, Mr. Fowler is a gifted writer and I always enjoy reading Knife Talk in Blade. It's educating and entertaining. :)
Scott
 
I haven't read the article yet (I'm the last one in the US to get the Mag. each month) but, I got the jist of it from the title and I'm looking forward to it. I hate to say it but, I use very little brass due to customer preference (tons of wood though). I am making myself a new camp bowie out of 52100 right now and that's going to have a brass guard & bolts. What's that tell ya. Thanks Kevin and thanks Ed.
 
shane justice said:
Kevin,
...And all this talk about buffalo turds...has got me searching the prairie for a fossilized chip...gonna make a handle out of it too.... :D ...
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You have figured out my secret ;) I only use the fossilized stuff. Not only is it more stable, it is all pre-ban and gets around all the CITES red tape ;)
 
I think brass looks good with antler that is left white or with natural bone. I like the brass color with the white.
 
shgeo said:
I think brass looks good with antler that is left white or with natural bone. I like the brass color with the white.
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I agree, stag and brass were made for each other. :)
Scott
 
Stag and Brass is traditional. Is it it Not?

You know, what kinda irks me is a repro of a Scagel, or some other well known knife style in Non traditional materials. Like mosaic,mokume and ossic or some such thing.

Yeah it looks pretty and yeah the maker has his choice of materials. that's ok with me. I don't try to tell people what to put on their knifes even if it's buffler chips. But it just doesn't look quite right to me.

Kinda like a 80 year old women in a Victora Secret negligent.

If you know what I mean
 
"Kinda like a 80 year old women in a Victora Secret negligent. "

Thanks for that image, :barf:

Me I like brass and bronze, though I seem to like bronze a little better. I like nickle silver too, but brass has a nice warm feel that you don't get with a lot of other materials.

I think a lot of it has to do with weather there gonna sit in a safe or be used. Sitting in a safe the brass tends to turn green and tarnish, being a using knife it doesn't have time to tarnish much or turn green. A lot of people like brass on a using knife, especialy the older crowd.
 
I apologize for beng late getting on this thread. I just returned from the Oregon Show and now have students at the Willow Bow for a seminar on the high perfromance knife.
Kevin:
I appreciate your thoughts about my article concerning the knifemakers freedom to chose the materials he wishes to use. We all come to the world of knives by choice, some who seek to influence us by their prejudices and by virtue of their preceived position in our community can have an influence on the direction of our art. As long as each of us asks the question why when we are exposed to these kind of coments we will remain free.

We are all in this arena together and the more of us that ask why, the more enjoyment for all.
 
back in the 50's seemed like every "hunting knife" i saw had aluminum on it.now it's considerd unworthy by many, even on a working knife.
 
Ed is the Patrick McManus of the knife community.:D:D:D

Aluminium was the hot new material in the fifties, like Ti is now.

Trends come and go Remeber the big chrome toasters with the generous curves. Those are back in style. I think Chrysler designed some of their grillwork around the old appliances.

In the 60's it was green plastic,green shag rugs and green appliances. Some of the car makers have adapted that pukey color again.

Fortunately that didn't carry over into the knife world

I'm still wearing Wranglers. :D:D:D
 
Sweany hit it exactly right. Yep, I can see the comparison, Ed and Pat. I am a fan of both writers. About brass, all my business involves NS, no bad intended towards brass. Most of my handles are stabilized wood burl, period. About buff chips, I have some pretty slabbed fossilized dino poop that will be on some knife handles some day. You ought to check that stuff out, it is nice looking stuff, and very hard. I hear IG is fossilizing some road rockets.
 
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