thoughts on scrimshaw on custom knives

Joined
Jun 11, 2010
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I guess you could call me a budding scrimshander. I've been making knives for a while (just about to finish 96 and 97) and have sold everything I've made except a few that were made as gifts. I've gotten intersted in scrmishaw, because most would consider me very good with a pencil or with pen and ink and it seems likes scrimshaw is a logical way to combine the two. I am pretty confident that I can (or will be able to) produce scrimshaw work of adequate quality, so that leaves the practical questions:

In your opinion, what kinds of scrimshaw motifs add the most value to a knife?

Which are the most popular and sell the best?

Is it worth the risk to spend the time scrimming a knife that isn't a custom order? In other words, can I get adequately compensated for my time?

Does the artist who does the work affect the value it adds, or is scrimshaw a thing where quality is the only consideration?

I welcome any thoughts on these and any other questions that may come up, especially from the collectors out there. I realize that much of this is a matter of opinion, but I like to gather all of the information I can.

Thanks in advance,

Travis Fry
 
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