- Joined
- Jun 25, 2001
- Messages
- 8,474
this is going to be my last thread that I'll be spending much time typing on, club business,business at hand ,my business , my customers are too important to justify
me doing this as much as I have been any longer in light of the move I have to make
for the next 10 months, the rent will be ready on the 30th and I'll need to trying to keep up with currant orders that are at least 2 years out there and I need to tend to business.
haha I know I mentioned this before but had a few more words to say..while I have some time too..
.many of the older guys that have slacked off here seem to have been forgotten at least in type..
all you guys know who you are, I hope you are lurking to see this... I do and will remember you..I've got on some of the guys nerves many times here I'm sure,, Hahaha , not so much to give a poke in the ribs once in a while but more so to test character more than anything and I'm sure mine was tested also..... I lookdown on no one and up to few, I am my own person and the best I can be with my own faults and i do recognize them...
some guys have dropped out of the loop some finding another job to supplement knife making,
and some may not have the business sense for it,
some that don't believe they are good enough and don't know they are good enough even when told.....
it sucks at times trying to make a living at this for many a maker for many a reason,
for many of them it's not their artistry that keeps them down and out of it. it's just that there is so much more to it..and much of the fun can be taken away for many reasons..
My thoughts and yours?
OK..
to set up a discussion a few thoughts of mine about a few things to just poke at stuff and think about....makers and buyers.. what you'd want or not want concerning knives ?..
.this may open a few eyes to things some just don't know...
a few facts a few thoughts a few this and that's...
one thing to start off with maybe..
One reason we have thicker steels in many cutting tools are to back up the edge to give the knife strength and to make it ridged, some know this some don't..
( of coarse type of steel and heat treat complicates this too.) but talking thickness of steel..
be it a chisel or lathe bit or a straight razor or Hunting knife,,and a multitude in between,, each has it's place of use,,
as long as they are well made, H/T, steel, geometry, ecct.. are just the tip of the iceberg, for that use in which it was intended
..CAN we have close to what we want for the use we want it for ?? sure we can or close....but how??
it's when we go out side the intended use of a tool that we start to have problems, many problems..
Think about this guys and gals,,,,
the right tool for the right job from the right maker or manufacture ..
at the right price for you..now it's getting more complicated...
With these things in mind, can you get the so called one best knife made...?
Is the best knife you ever owned/made the best one out there or ever been made or will be made ??.... NO IMHO ....and I'm sure you all agree..
reputation not Hype will get you closer to it though, I'd like to think so anyway...
.. but not always the case..
This all at the least comes with a lot of hard work from the maker, to prove it to his customers..
but the one be it all knife/tool won't cut it all..as WELL as possible for all possible jobs....most of us know this..some don't..
the Maker has to be able to guide the customer , Carbon steel? SS ? Damascus? and so on..
what is the customer looking for? and for what reasons of use?
a hunting knife is a great tool for what it's made for, it will do butchering jobs and many other tasks, fairly well,, but to butcher your game it's nice to have knives designed for just that task..some can afford to buy them some can not, do these guys say
aw, my hunting knife is all I need? money or lack of it, will sometimes over ride honesty to oneself.
would you want to know if your maker uses his own knives in the field? not just because he can make them but because he knows in the bottom of his heart he makes them the best that he can for his customer, himself and tests them in real world uses..with no corners cut..and to the best of his ability..is that enouph ?
I've heard here at times, that's good enough and I've heard,
the customer won't know the difference anyway..
you know these thought are founded but it depends on what and who we are looking for..The mass market makers
are looking for the masses to buy, the custom makers are looking to get the buyer that is looking for the knife that is a step up a notch or two,, or three.. this is a different breed of buyer and less of the them then the Masses and they range from buyers of
the custom bench made, factory custom, to the "true" custom maker., which is in debate also..
buys tell me what is the best in a knifemaker you'd want for you from a maker and a knife
and the maker tell us what you want from the Buyer??
or would offer him??
maybe..
does the maker uses his own knives in the field for testing so he can, improve them.
maybe the maker is not set on one steel because that's all he's ever used and knows no better or not willing to try another type of steel, will he tell you this or try to sell you his comfort zone.?. do you settle for this?
would you want a maker to admit to , sure there's probably many makers out there that can do as well as he or she can or even better,
if he didn't say this, would he be full of himself and full of $hit ?
If you Know a bit about knives and want a maker to make what you want, would you want his honest input to why it can be or can't be made your way, if he can't do it and you feel it can be done that way, should he or she direct you in the right direction to have it done? and back out gracfully?
Would you recognize that your ideas are being fluffed off because he's limited to what he can do or just wants to sell the knives he makes with-in his comfort zone.... ?
do you believe in
you get what you pay for?? this is bad or is it?? buying the maker or the knife to use??
have you as a buyer commissioned a knife and when you got it, it was well below your expectations and then did not tell the maker your feelings
about it..is it a disservice to him not to have done this?
how do you feel about famous top makers knives being made by his apprentice and the makers name is on it??
at price say $1500.00 and could be made by another maker (just as well made) with less notoriety for say $400.00 ?
sole authorship?? what is sole authorship worth ?? or is it worth anything??
Are you buying the name or the knife?? hopeully both?
******
your thoughts guy and gals...tell it all, what you'd want to see in a custom maker..and his knives..and what do you want a buyer to tell you..
this is a wide range of thoughts and there is no one answer, but it could be of value to the one on the other side to know what you think about these things..
Can you make it sharp?, lets stay sharp and the rest well happen..
gee gads this got long..
I bid you all a good one,
me doing this as much as I have been any longer in light of the move I have to make
for the next 10 months, the rent will be ready on the 30th and I'll need to trying to keep up with currant orders that are at least 2 years out there and I need to tend to business.
haha I know I mentioned this before but had a few more words to say..while I have some time too..
.many of the older guys that have slacked off here seem to have been forgotten at least in type..
all you guys know who you are, I hope you are lurking to see this... I do and will remember you..I've got on some of the guys nerves many times here I'm sure,, Hahaha , not so much to give a poke in the ribs once in a while but more so to test character more than anything and I'm sure mine was tested also..... I lookdown on no one and up to few, I am my own person and the best I can be with my own faults and i do recognize them...
some guys have dropped out of the loop some finding another job to supplement knife making,
and some may not have the business sense for it,
some that don't believe they are good enough and don't know they are good enough even when told.....
it sucks at times trying to make a living at this for many a maker for many a reason,
for many of them it's not their artistry that keeps them down and out of it. it's just that there is so much more to it..and much of the fun can be taken away for many reasons..
My thoughts and yours?
OK..
to set up a discussion a few thoughts of mine about a few things to just poke at stuff and think about....makers and buyers.. what you'd want or not want concerning knives ?..
.this may open a few eyes to things some just don't know...
a few facts a few thoughts a few this and that's...
one thing to start off with maybe..
One reason we have thicker steels in many cutting tools are to back up the edge to give the knife strength and to make it ridged, some know this some don't..
( of coarse type of steel and heat treat complicates this too.) but talking thickness of steel..
be it a chisel or lathe bit or a straight razor or Hunting knife,,and a multitude in between,, each has it's place of use,,
as long as they are well made, H/T, steel, geometry, ecct.. are just the tip of the iceberg, for that use in which it was intended
..CAN we have close to what we want for the use we want it for ?? sure we can or close....but how??
it's when we go out side the intended use of a tool that we start to have problems, many problems..
Think about this guys and gals,,,,
the right tool for the right job from the right maker or manufacture
..at the right price for you..now it's getting more complicated...
With these things in mind, can you get the so called one best knife made...?
Is the best knife you ever owned/made the best one out there or ever been made or will be made ??.... NO IMHO ....and I'm sure you all agree..
reputation not Hype will get you closer to it though, I'd like to think so anyway...
.. but not always the case..This all at the least comes with a lot of hard work from the maker, to prove it to his customers..
but the one be it all knife/tool won't cut it all..as WELL as possible for all possible jobs....most of us know this..some don't..
the Maker has to be able to guide the customer , Carbon steel? SS ? Damascus? and so on..
what is the customer looking for? and for what reasons of use?
a hunting knife is a great tool for what it's made for, it will do butchering jobs and many other tasks, fairly well,, but to butcher your game it's nice to have knives designed for just that task..some can afford to buy them some can not, do these guys say
aw, my hunting knife is all I need? money or lack of it, will sometimes over ride honesty to oneself.
would you want to know if your maker uses his own knives in the field? not just because he can make them but because he knows in the bottom of his heart he makes them the best that he can for his customer, himself and tests them in real world uses..with no corners cut..and to the best of his ability..is that enouph ?
I've heard here at times, that's good enough and I've heard,
the customer won't know the difference anyway..
you know these thought are founded but it depends on what and who we are looking for..The mass market makers
are looking for the masses to buy, the custom makers are looking to get the buyer that is looking for the knife that is a step up a notch or two,, or three.. this is a different breed of buyer and less of the them then the Masses and they range from buyers of
the custom bench made, factory custom, to the "true" custom maker., which is in debate also..
buys tell me what is the best in a knifemaker you'd want for you from a maker and a knife
and the maker tell us what you want from the Buyer??
or would offer him??
maybe..
does the maker uses his own knives in the field for testing so he can, improve them.
maybe the maker is not set on one steel because that's all he's ever used and knows no better or not willing to try another type of steel, will he tell you this or try to sell you his comfort zone.?. do you settle for this?
would you want a maker to admit to , sure there's probably many makers out there that can do as well as he or she can or even better,
if he didn't say this, would he be full of himself and full of $hit ?
If you Know a bit about knives and want a maker to make what you want, would you want his honest input to why it can be or can't be made your way, if he can't do it and you feel it can be done that way, should he or she direct you in the right direction to have it done? and back out gracfully?
Would you recognize that your ideas are being fluffed off because he's limited to what he can do or just wants to sell the knives he makes with-in his comfort zone.... ?
do you believe in
you get what you pay for?? this is bad or is it?? buying the maker or the knife to use??
have you as a buyer commissioned a knife and when you got it, it was well below your expectations and then did not tell the maker your feelings
about it..is it a disservice to him not to have done this?
how do you feel about famous top makers knives being made by his apprentice and the makers name is on it??
at price say $1500.00 and could be made by another maker (just as well made) with less notoriety for say $400.00 ?
sole authorship?? what is sole authorship worth ?? or is it worth anything??
Are you buying the name or the knife?? hopeully both?
******
your thoughts guy and gals...tell it all, what you'd want to see in a custom maker..and his knives..and what do you want a buyer to tell you..
this is a wide range of thoughts and there is no one answer, but it could be of value to the one on the other side to know what you think about these things..
Can you make it sharp?, lets stay sharp and the rest well happen..
gee gads this got long..
I bid you all a good one,
