Thoughts on the Chris Reeve Cult....

Rhind64 said:
....and I am the ONLY one in my shop working....

Rick Hinderer
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I could have swore I saw a picture of your wife working in the shop too.:) :p

ps. If you don't mind could you tell us how Ken defined midtech?:thumbup:
 
Oilman, Damn you caught me...yes, Lori does help out in the shop when she isnt taking care of the dogs...:D

On the Mid-Tech term and I dont want to get into a long definition...and I cant speak for Ken...but we were talking about this years ago when I cut out the blades and handles for him for his mid-tech Boa knives on my cnc mill....he wanted to differenciate these knives with his other ones because there were steps in the making process done outside his shop rather than everything done in house by him....the handles and blades I cut out for him were just that "cut out".... he did alot of hand work on those knives....but because he had someone else do a part of the process he wanted them seperated thus the Mid-Tech term...which has been twisted around quite a bit...I hope this helps

Rick
 
You know I'm not sure what the big deal is about defining mid-tech, custom or production. The most important thing to me is having a knife that is well made, that you like, and that does what you want. When I have a knife like that I don't really care how others classify it. A knife that I like, use and trust is way more important to me than what category it falls in.;) :cool: :thumbup:
 
Rhind64 said:
haha....SeveredThumbs......#1 Dont get on a forum and spout what you "think" you know about how I make knives....batches of 100's?? I wish...keep your "speculating to yourself....
#2 ANY cnc machinist can program a knife...WTF! this obviously shows you know nothing of what you talk about...uuhh...what about designing,engineering,pretty much how to make a knife!..any cnc machinist do that!..if that were the case lets see 1000's of cnc operaters can become knifemakers! wow..plus I would like to see a cnc operater who doesnt know cad program a complex handle...
#3 Whats "Midtech"? dont bother answering...I had a discussion with Ken Onion way back on the phone and we were talking about a new term HE coined that had to do with semi-production knives....and you are off the mark using it!
#4 as has been mentioned I make 100% of my knives in my shop...all the way down to the smallest screw..do I us a cnc lathe to do this..hell yea!...this is a $385.00 knife...and every little screw is spot on tollerance....and I am the ONLY one in my shop working....

#5 Oh gawd are we going to get into the big custom-handmade-cnc made-made by frickin files-debate....:jerkit:

Finally....if you dont like custom knives made with the help of modern technology....great!..hey its a free country...if you never buy one of my knives or any of the other makers knives who use cnc..again great!...but dont get on here and frickin "speculate" how I make my knives!

Rick Hinderer
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Please, we are talking about a folding knife here not aerospace parts, sure you need to hold fairly tight tolerences but nothing that is hard when using cnc. Engineering and designing a functional folder is not that difficult. I was a machinist in the aerospace industry for 12 years and worked with engineers on a daily basis on parts they engineered. So please do not think for a second that I do not know what goes into making parts on manual or cnc machines. Yes 1000's of cnc machinists can become mid tech knife makers if they have their own cnc machines, it is the blade that will give them fits, but the handle and the fittings no problem. If using any Mazatrol control, mazaCAM, programing a complex handle would not be that difficult. Hell I bet many of those machinists could even design a nice looking knife.

Since you are against the mid tech term and insist I am using it wrong I will coin my own new term. Here it is half-tech. half custom half made on cnc. So I do consider your knives to be "half-tech" knives. This is not an insult to you or your knives, which I have already pointed out I believe are exceptional knives. It is just how I beleive, I could very well be wrong but it is my opinion.

I never knocked you or your knives in any way, I only expressed my opinion. thanks
 
severedthumbs said:
interesting thread here http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2959161#post2959161

I still believe when so much work is done on a cnc it is a mid-tech.
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I guess you can believe what you want, but the term Midtech was defined by the maker that introduced the term, Ken Onion. It refers to a knife that has had some of the manufacture farmed out. The Knifemakers' Guild considers CNC machines to be tools like any other as long as all the programming, setup and work with the CNC machine are done by the maker himself/herself, and not by someone else.
 
SeveredThumbs...I talked to Ken Onion one night before anybody else ever even heard of such a term...we talked about this term mid-tech.....whatever you or anyone else thinks or wants to decide for themselves is really not a concern of mine...I really dont care if you dont think my knives arent a true custom..again not a concern of mine..what I DO care about is someone "assuming" how I make my knives without knowing anything about them....if I make batches of a hundred..then why do I have a long waiting list ??...ask my customers how long they have waited on one of my knives?...too long...its because I dont make hundreds of them....because its just me( and my wife) ;) in my shop making my knives....what do you think I just put steel and Ti in one side of my wizbang cnc machine then go watch Opra and come bact to find finished knives?...


You know this thread is about some fantastic knives made by Chris Reeve Knives! and his knives definitly deserve a cult following!...I apologize to those people in this thread who dont give a hoot about what to classify a knife,and have seen this get alittle off topic.

Scott Dog, Amen!
 
Awesome posts Rick. Your stuff is so feaking spot on accurate it's scary.
Now you're even making your own screws!! Very cool.

Later pal,

john hall...
 
"Engineering and designing a functional folder is not that difficult. I was a machinist in the aerospace industry for 12 years and worked with engineers on a daily basis on parts they engineered. So please do not think for a second that I do not know what goes into making parts on manual or cnc machines."


Then why arent you a knifemaker and a knife designer???? making parts is one thing making knives is another....

I'm not against the term mid-tech only the misuse of Kens meaning of the term

Thanks Kieth..I thought this was laid to rest as well.....

Thanks John!..So are Chris's!! we both strive for very precise work...it may not be earospace but its someones hard earned money!

Rick
 
Rhind64 said:
"Engineering and designing a functional folder is not that difficult. I was a machinist in the aerospace industry for 12 years and worked with engineers on a daily basis on parts they engineered. So please do not think for a second that I do not know what goes into making parts on manual or cnc machines."


Then why arent you a knifemaker and a knife designer???? making parts is one thing making knives is another....

I'm not against the term mid-tech only the misuse of Kens meaning of the term

Thanks Kieth..I thought this was laid to rest as well.....

Thanks John!..So are Chris's!! we both strive for very precise work...it may not be earospace but its someones hard earned money!

Rick
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You mean that you don't just walk up to the machine and press the "KNIFE" button and wait for them to come rolling out? :rolleyes: If one guy makes it, it's a custom. At least in my opinion...
 
Good posts from Rick.

And I agree that severedthumbs seems to have confused the concept of "custom" with that of "handmade". Although, as has already been noted, the term "handmade" is a relative one. Machines are involved there, too. ;)

With regard to the "sight unseen" thing, I'm a fervent CRK fan, but I'd at least wait to see the knife before ordering one. And, since we're talking about knife "cults", I might as well 'fess up: I'm a Strider fan, too. :)
 
Rhind64 said:
Oilman, Damn you caught me...yes, Lori does help out in the shop when she isnt taking care of the dogs...:D

On the Mid-Tech term and I dont want to get into a long definition...and I cant speak for Ken...but we were talking about this years ago when I cut out the blades and handles for him for his mid-tech Boa knives on my cnc mill....he wanted to differenciate these knives with his other ones because there were steps in the making process done outside his shop rather than everything done in house by him....the handles and blades I cut out for him were just that "cut out".... he did alot of hand work on those knives....but because he had someone else do a part of the process he wanted them seperated thus the Mid-Tech term...which has been twisted around quite a bit...I hope this helps

Rick
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Thanks for the explanation Rick.:thumbup: Hopefully my XM is in the 100 pieces you're working on now.:D
 
Good posts Rick!! I am a fan of Rick's custom knives, and have been for quite awhile now.
 
Vivi said:
I don't browse the forums regularly, but all the custom knives I've seen for sale here at BF have been under the price of a Sebenza.
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obviously ya dont collect emersons, mayos, or onions, or for that matter pat crawford, darrel ralph, et al its a long list.

sebs are "OK" though not a fav of mine, my son really likes 'em and he's turning 16 sun so i'm giving him my LNIB tanto seb, about 5 yrs old now.
 
sifu, I probably should of clarified that I meant customs made by forum members here. For instance:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=432561
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=432816
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=432643

Customs by world renowned makers that you speak would cost much more I'd imagine, especially if they're folders.

Interesting to note Mr. Hinderer lives within a short drive from me. Would be interesting if I handled some of his work, seeing as I've always promoted folders such as SAKs and Opinels myself. It'd make quite a comparison.
 
It like deja vu all over again. :)

IMO the difficulty is that there is no way for everyone to agree on terms used custom, midtech, etc.

There's only two terms people can agree on, quality, and does it have the "stuff" (steel, handle, whatever) on it that you want.

It doesn't matter at all how a knife is made.
 
Well, before we can really discuss anything we've got to agree upon the definitions so we know what we're talking about. Those interested need to get together and generate a subjectively acceptable definition for future use and for the purposes of the debate, so that we can know (objectively) what we're talking about.
 
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