- Joined
- Oct 2, 1998
- Messages
- 45,923
A recent thread got me to thinking about, (for lack of a better term), truth in advertising.
When it comes to our food many nations impose requirements for labeling ingredients and country of origin so that we can (in theory) make an intelligent decision and choice.
I'd argue that the same "right to know" applies to purchasing a knife, custom or production. When it comes to spending one's hard earned money you have the right to know the facts and decide accordingly.
For example, in a production knife it would not be unreasonable to want to know the blade steel, the Rockwell hardness, cover material, method of construction and country of origin. Any one or more of those items will often be important to the buyer for any of a number of reasons, some more so than others.
When it comes to a custom or handmade knife, the ante is upped somewhat in my view, primarily due to the added cost and the trust that the knife being purchased is truly what it is represented to be.
In such circumstances it's not unreasonable, in my view, to want to know all of the information listed above and a bit more besides.
With a custom or handmade knife one would frequently want to know if the "maker" built the knife by him or herself in their own shop or whether there were other hands in the mix.
For example, some makers work with an assistant or apprentice and such information is readily available and disclosed to the potential buyer. How this effects the price may or may not be significant.
A few makers pride themselves on "sole authorship" wherein virtually every part excluding steel and cover material (including, for example, bushings and pins) is fabricated in their own workshop.
Others may do all of the work...grinding, heat treat, fitting, assembling etc. but use materials provided by a variety of vendors, domestic as well as off-shore.
Still others may build knives which are assembled or fabricated essentially from kits.
All of these myriad factors will figure into the final cost of the knife being purchased just as the reputation, time and effort put in by the maker must be considered.
To some users and collectors one or more of these facets may or may not be of particular value and, accordingly, there is no "right answer" in my view.
To some the bottom line is king and receiving good quality at an affordable price is paramount. To others it is pride of ownership and exclusivity which may be the overriding factors.
Again, to each his own and more power to the individual. Each point of view is as valid as the other and allows each of us to find and choose the appropriate knife for the appropriate usage...
...But, in each and every case there is, in my view, an obligation for "truth in advertising" wherein the customer has the right to know the facts about the knife being considered for purchase.
While there may be no one right or wrong way to build a knife, there is only one right way to offer it for sale and that is by being honest about what goes into its making. Anything less is unacceptable in my view.
When it comes to our food many nations impose requirements for labeling ingredients and country of origin so that we can (in theory) make an intelligent decision and choice.
I'd argue that the same "right to know" applies to purchasing a knife, custom or production. When it comes to spending one's hard earned money you have the right to know the facts and decide accordingly.
For example, in a production knife it would not be unreasonable to want to know the blade steel, the Rockwell hardness, cover material, method of construction and country of origin. Any one or more of those items will often be important to the buyer for any of a number of reasons, some more so than others.
When it comes to a custom or handmade knife, the ante is upped somewhat in my view, primarily due to the added cost and the trust that the knife being purchased is truly what it is represented to be.
In such circumstances it's not unreasonable, in my view, to want to know all of the information listed above and a bit more besides.
With a custom or handmade knife one would frequently want to know if the "maker" built the knife by him or herself in their own shop or whether there were other hands in the mix.
For example, some makers work with an assistant or apprentice and such information is readily available and disclosed to the potential buyer. How this effects the price may or may not be significant.
A few makers pride themselves on "sole authorship" wherein virtually every part excluding steel and cover material (including, for example, bushings and pins) is fabricated in their own workshop.
Others may do all of the work...grinding, heat treat, fitting, assembling etc. but use materials provided by a variety of vendors, domestic as well as off-shore.
Still others may build knives which are assembled or fabricated essentially from kits.
All of these myriad factors will figure into the final cost of the knife being purchased just as the reputation, time and effort put in by the maker must be considered.
To some users and collectors one or more of these facets may or may not be of particular value and, accordingly, there is no "right answer" in my view.
To some the bottom line is king and receiving good quality at an affordable price is paramount. To others it is pride of ownership and exclusivity which may be the overriding factors.
Again, to each his own and more power to the individual. Each point of view is as valid as the other and allows each of us to find and choose the appropriate knife for the appropriate usage...
...But, in each and every case there is, in my view, an obligation for "truth in advertising" wherein the customer has the right to know the facts about the knife being considered for purchase.
While there may be no one right or wrong way to build a knife, there is only one right way to offer it for sale and that is by being honest about what goes into its making. Anything less is unacceptable in my view.
