This one is for Nathan House

[kile]

Most of you probably remember the thread a couple of weeks ago where Nathan House posted some of his first knives and some of you blasted him about the resemblance to Neil Blackwood's knives. Here is a knife I have been working on for a while, not quite finished yet, but close enough to give you all an idea.

I started out designing this knife after someone mentioned that the Pronghorn had the most comfortable grip they had ever handled. I decided to make a handle with the basic profile of a Pronghorn. I don't forge, I didn't have any sheep horn, I usually only make full tang knives, and I suck at soldering. So I made an integral gaurd, I tried this knife with more of a dropped point but it didn't look right. After many revisions in my note pad this is what I came up with. After seeing the Nathan House thread I realized a striking resemblance to both Nathan and Neil's desings. It is a very simple design. The blade and handle are reminiscent of many other knives. I think all three of us and probably a lot of other people have come up with this pattern because is fits the hand nicely and is aesthetically pleasing and simple. What do you all think.
Specs
3 1/4" from tip to front of handle scales
4 1/2" from tip of scales to butt of handle
7 3/4" oal lenthg
3/16" s30v blade steel bead blast finish
hollow groung on 12" wheel
handle is bocote with stainless pins

Kyle Fuglesten

 

[Matt Shade]

Its a great design. That basic handle style is real popular in various forms on carving knives. I've let it influence my knives on several designs I came up with, just grinding away and seeing how it turned out.
Admittedly, some of them resemble Neil's work as well. He makes great knives, of course they're going to have influence on other makers. As long as nobody's making flat out knock offs or hurting his business, whats it matter?

Take a look here also :

.

Pretty sure I've seen a knife or two from Jerry Hossom that use this same basic idea

 

[blackeye4you]

Originally posted by kile
Most of you probably remember the thread a couple of weeks ago where Nathan House posted some of his first knives and some of you blasted him about the resemblance to Neil Blackwood's knives. Here is a knife I have been working on for a while, not quite finished yet, but close enough to give you all an idea.

I started out designing this knife after someone mentioned that the Pronghorn had the most comfortable grip they had ever handled. I decided to make a handle with the basic profile of a Pronghorn. I don't forge, I didn't have any sheep horn, I usually only make full tang knives, and I suck at soldering. So I made an integral gaurd, I tried this knife with more of a dropped point but it didn't look right. After many revisions in my note pad this is what I came up with. After seeing the Nathan House thread I realized a striking resemblance to both Nathan and Neil's desings. It is a very simple design. The blade and handle are reminiscent of many other knives. I think all three of us and probably a lot of other people have come up with this pattern because is fits the hand nicely and is aesthetically pleasing and simple. What do you all think.
Specs
3 1/4" from tip to front of handle scales
4 1/2" from tip of scales to butt of handle
7 3/4" oal lenthg
3/16" s30v blade steel bead blast finish
hollow groung on 12" wheel
handle is bocote with stainless pins

Kyle Fuglesten

Are you trying to say your knife looks like Neil's? I sure dont.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

I see more of a resemblance to a Dozier Companion than I do to a Fowler or Blackwood knife. It's a nice little knife.

 

[the45guy]

that aint nothin like a Blackwood , past , present or future

As long as nobody's making flat out knock offs or hurting his business, whats it matter?

WTF ?? you are kidding right ??
I believe it is called originality

 

[Matt Shade]

Originally posted by the45guy
that aint nothin like a Blackwood , past , present or future

As long as nobody's making flat out knock offs or hurting his business, whats it matter?

WTF ?? you are kidding right ??
I believe it is called originality

Look, I just now was able to find the thread in question and I have to agree that the knives looked alot like Neils. More so than I was expecting.
Here's the deal though, he wasn't trying to sell them and he openly admitted to there being a strong influence from Neil's work. I get really damn tired of you guys jumping in to crucify somebody when the guy who's work is supposedly being ripped off doesn't even care enough to chime in himself. In this case Neil did step in at the end and said it was all worked out and not to worry about it. If anyone else wanted to do anything they should have contacted Neil and brought it to HIS attention, and let him handle it. The issue there was quite a bit different than if Nathan was trying to sell them, or if some chinese company was mass producing them.

 

[Nathan House]

I have to step in a say somthing.I have not really posted any thing on this board or any other knife forums since this all happened
in June.Me and Neil have spoken on the phone a number of times
and have exchanged emails.
Neil knows that my work that was posted will not be my knife line
that I will be selling,I have praticed alot at grinding and have gotten the deep rounded shoulder on my grinds from PRATICE,PRATICE
PRATICE.I have 5 knives that are in the protype stages,Neil will see my work before any are posted or sold.I have been setting back watching the forums and have not posted,I have been on other forums and see There was a thread on there about my work.
The matter is squashed beween me and Neil,it is water under the bridge,and I would like to leave it that way and move on.
My new work will speak for itself.I will still have a flow to my work
and I will still be grinding the same way.
So as far as this matter goes,I have washed my hands of it,and I would like to keep it that way.
Nathan

 

[the45guy]

FYI : I was saying the knives in this thread look NOTHING like a Blackwood... I was not referring to any other thread , if I were I would post there.

 

[the45guy]

Originally posted by Matt Shade
The issue there was quite a bit different than if Nathan was trying to sell them, or if some chinese company was mass producing them.

Do a search on CKD forums for his sales... I do recall seeing one over there....but whatever

Be original and the buyers will come....that's all I am saying.

 

[blackeye4you]

Originally posted by Matt Shade
Its a great design. That basic handle style is real popular in various forms on carving knives. I've let it influence my knives on several designs I came up with, just grinding away and seeing how it turned out.
Admittedly, some of them resemble Neil's work as well. He makes great knives, of course they're going to have influence on other makers. As long as nobody's making flat out knock offs or hurting his business, whats it matter?

So are you defending the work or is it ok for you to tell The45guy it should be left up to Neil and you can say what you please about the situation. How does it go? Practice what you preach. If you had said nothing maybe someone else wouldnt have had to..

 

[Nathan House]

45 Guy
Mr. Black SunShine,I did sale the 3 I made,but they were the only ones I made,I am a knife maker and knife making takes money
when one is first starting out, equipment is need to upgrade your work
I received about 80 emails asking me to make abunch of them and I turned them down,Like I said and I will say it for the last time
I do not want in this drama I did not bring it on.So lets just let it
go, it is like kicking a dead horse.
Trust me Mr 45 Guy you will see my new work on this forum
and the others,then you can deside for yourself if my work has
any merit.But remember watch the bridges you burn you may want to
cross them again.
Nathan

 

[the45guy]

Nathan ... I aint trying to burn any bridges. I love to see new original designs. Let the creative juices flow and I am sure they will turn out well. You definatley have the knack for laying down the grinds straight. You work does have merit that is evident .

I look forward to seeing your designs.


Any chance of a Karambit in the future ?

 

[Nathan House]

45
Thanks for the complement.I have 5 models that are at HT
I am kicking arond some ideas of a Karambit style knife
somthing pretty sick looking.
When I come up with somthing I freehand draw it and then
put the picture on my Frig door in the kitchen and every night
at dinner I look at it while I am eating and somthing will hit
me that will really bring it together,it may take a month or so
Before I even try to grind it out,I have a blade style down
but I am lookig for a handle style that will fit this style of
knife????????some times it leaves me scratchig my head for a while
but I will get it down.
Be watching the forums for some of my work.I am over on the USP
board now,mostly Steel Dust Junkies.I really like those forums

 

[Matt Shade]

Originally posted by blackeye4you
So are you defending the work or is it ok for you to tell The45guy it should be left up to Neil and you can say what you please about the situation. How does it go? Practice what you preach. If you had said nothing maybe someone else wouldnt have had to..

I was only saying that the tapered handle shape commonly seen on Neils knives is far from a new idea, its also something he does very well and has kind of become his style. That doesn't mean no one else should use it.
I hadn't been able to find that thread at the time, and was mainly commenting from what Kile said and the picture of the knife he made.

As far as not me not saying anything, I didn't post in the other thread so its pretty far from being my fault that other people did.

The issue of those knives isn't my business. My real complaint is all the people who didn't have a hand in it taking up the issue. Its easy to come up with an original design but its hard to come up with an original design worth making. There's a handful of people out there that seem to always want to bring up the issue of originality and raise hell with it. I would really like to see them shut up long enough to try drawing one of these earth shattering designs they're talking about and then actually building the knife...

Thats all.