The "Ask Nathan a Question" Thread

Soulrack223 said:
Tip down option pretty please. I'm one of the few that prefers tip down but I do because I already have too much stuff riding in my front pocket.
Click to expand...

#stillnotnathan

Mark Scrimgeour has been doing very limited run of these folders and they are tip up when riding in the pocket. I think that the CPK-Folder will follow some of its similar principles:

1672589067258.png
 
Casinostocks said:
#stillnotnathan

Mark Scrimgeour has been doing very limited run of these folders and they are tip up when riding in the pocket. I think that the CPK-Folder will follow some of its similar principles:

View attachment 2032332
Click to expand...

I generally don’t care about tip out vs. tip down. Except for frame-locks that I prefer tip up as the clip takes pressure away from the lock bar.

#neitherNathan.
 
^ #stillnotnathan but I've been known as a Nathan whisperer specially when he whispers and then he forgets what it was that he had whispered!

Nathan the Machinist said:
My first production folder will be simple, big, heavy and ugly. Sorry. I'll do something sweet on future work but to start I'm keeping it simple and making something I know will work reliability. Please remember that, as much as I appreciate our collectors, we make product aimed at users. My target audience is my neighbor, he works in maintenance and has a landscaping business on the side and he tears up and wears out knives and would probably wreck many of the fancy folders I see posted here. This first folder is for folks like him. He doesn't care what it looks like, but he needs it to work and tolerate some abuse without worrying about messing it up.
Click to expand...

Nathan the Machinist said:
Yeah man, send it over. Right now it looks like the first CPK folder will be like a Sebenza and a Field Knife had a baby. Exactly like that, sort of.

I will do a light slick flipper at some point, but I have never gone wrong making a sturdy tool made the way I want it as if I am the end user. And I want this first folder to be a folding knife for people who normally use a fixed blade. Not fragile or finicky or slick. Like an iron block naturally aspirated engine. Simple and reliable and durable. So #1 is going to be bronze washers with an oversize pivot but reasonable geometry and designed to fit comfortable in your pocket, like the Seb. Your Seb actually. It's a terrible knife. Ugly, clunky, thumb stud knife with a less than excellent heat treat. It has become one of my favorite knives because it works so well, I never have to give it any special attention, and it was made at a level of manufacturing competency that I think most people wouldn't understand its excellence without being a machinist or engineer etc. I'm sure the Shiro is some next level stuff, but would you baton or pry with it without fear of damaging it as if it were a fixed blade? I think I can do that on a folder (that isn't some dumb heavy overbuilt kludge) and I think it makes sense for our first stab at it. A folding knife for a hikers etc.

Then we'll do some slick stuff. Mark's a wizard at that stuff.
Click to expand...

Nathan the Machinist said:
Oh my god I could NOT care less.

For the record, I think the Shiro is a very nice knife. However, because I am literally retarded I think I like my shitty old Sebenza better. In part because this is the first time a knife has cut me while I was using it since I was a child where my spidey senses didn't tingle and say "hey dumbass, you're not using this tool correctly and you could get hurt".

Also, my college degree is in Industrial Design, Product Design from NCSU and worked professionally as a design engineer and product design consultant developing hand held products. When I make a critique that a product has a design flaw I'm giving a honest assessment based upon not only my use and observations as a long term knife user, I'm also applying some pretty basic human ergonomic principals that anyone in any industry would recognize. It is a design flaw. It's a very cool knife and it's very well made. I wish I could close it without fear of injury. When I'm using a knife (which is frequently) I'm focused on a task at hand and I don't want to have to give closing it my full attention. Most knives just work in this regard.
Click to expand...

ETA: if you search in the search window the keyword Sebenza and the author Nathan the Machinist in this Forum, you will see that Nathan can not stop gushing over the Sebenza hand-me-down from Justin to Lorien to Nathan! Oh welp fark, about 6 years ago, I could've bought the whole Nathan with like 2 Sebenzas, a bag of chips and some IPA beer! Fark, Fark, FARK!!!
 
Last edited:
pease said:
What do you like to do when not making knives?
Click to expand...

I like to drink beer and hang out with Jo. I like machining and making stuff. Tinkering. Shooting, reloading, hunting and hiking and mountain biking. I'm a low rent audiophile.

I had my first kid 18 years ago and gave up on most hobbies around then. I work a lot but I love what I do (mostly).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top