Good for you Kevin! you are broadening your taste! For what it's worth, even though I started worth forging in 76, I can tell you that I have seen very few forged knives that weren't at least 50- 80 percent stock removal. Most forging, unless to produce Damascus, is to get a flat piece of steel from a round or other shape that is originally inappropriate for the intended knife. Other than that, there really is no difference in the over all out come. The biggest difference is in the available blade steels. We can use some very high tech steels in stock removal that simply cannot be forged. Forging lends it's self very well to low alloy, or simple steels. Just not what a few of us like to use.
With all of this being said. There is a very large world of handmade knifedom out there. It isn't at all unusual for some one to start by being interested in say, liner locks, slip joints, Bowie's, daggers, old, new, stock removal. Forged. But as time goes on, most expand their knowledge and appreciation of other forms and styles that just what first sparked their interest. To be so narrow in ones scope of interest, excludes so much of what is good and fascinating out there.
One interesting thing about E. D. work is the many styles of integrals. Nice work!
The pic of the "first blade" and "first finished Knife have me a bit confused. The blade has the look, grind , and clean lines of a several year practiced blade grinder. With practiced skills that show. The finished knife however looks just like what it is. One of the first, from a talented, with potential, but not yet skilled maker. Odd that the blade only, would show such refinement, and the finished knife's blade, (which would surely have come much later), would not be in the same league. Having taught many makers, it isn't hard to tell the difference. Unless of course he was making knives before he was making blades. It isn't that uncommon. A lot of us have supplied blades for new makers. However, I doubt this is the case!
Love the Mans work. A very difficult way to make a knife! it takes a lot of patients, skill with the equipment, math, and an artistic flare. Not to mention the huge cash out lay on the proper equipment and even more so on the tooling. A large commitment here! A lot more that a grinder and buffer or trip hammer and anvil.
Good for him. And his creations!
We were once in sort of a competition with each other. We were going of the Ted Nugent World Bow Hunters Contract. Now that was both frustrating and a lot of fun!!
Mike Lovett
Mike
If not, it will be like my giving away the ending to a movie.
