What do you look for in a knife?

Joss

Joss

Joined
Nov 20, 2001
Messages
7,353
Hi,

I'm interested in hearing what people look for in a knife. 2 weeks ago, I went to the ABS show, and I think I have refined my criteria as: I want my knife to be the unique work of a maker.

By that, I mean that for me the defining feature of a knife is its design. Not the balance, not the fit, not the quality of the heat treatment - the design.

Let me refine that. I take for granted that most smiths, esp. ABS MS, are careful about their forging & heat treatment. More to the point, I will never test their knife one way or another. Most of my knives are art pieces and not users, although I would certainly assume that they all *could* perform extremely well. Hence, although it's important to me that the knife be functional, I will not be stopped if someone, for example, doesn't use high temp salt baths (which BTW, I deem as a requirement for a top of the line heat treatment nowadays.)

Similarly, although on some knives a sloppy finish will turn me away, I have at least 1 Dan Winkler knife with badly aligned, unsmoothed shoulders at the ricasso. I love this knife - it's totally unique.

With the level of knowledge pervading the knife world nowadays, I think that most knives would "do the trick" if you want to use them. Yes, some are better fitted than others, and some better forged & heat treated. Yet 99.99% of us will never get a chance to really feel the difference. Maybe that is different when choosing a user's knife: some are more securely fitted, stay sharp longer, and have a better designed handle than others.

Design though, makes all the difference. Some makers (Fuegen, Fogg, Hudson, Winkler, Tai Goo, etc...) have developed a keen sense for a unique design. Their work is more than just technical skills and good materials. I find that this aspect, more than any other, will decide of my choice for a knife.

What about yours?

JD
 
Before I pass judgment on any knife, I bear in mind that not all knives are suitable for some of things I want them to do.

So I remind myself that if it can do the job well then it is a good knife.

Of course, fit, balance, heat treatment and design come into play. But sometimes, we can't have it all. If the knife is a good skinner, it is a good skinner. It is basically not designed for other chores and be expected to perform above par.

At the back of my mind, there is this feeling when I hold it in my hands "what does it say to my senses?"

If all my senses light up like a one-armed bandit machine at a casino, I know that it is the right one for me.

In our heads, buried in our subconscious, all of us have an idea, a feeling even of what an ideal knife would be like for us.

It is like having the notion of what an ideal man or women is like for us. Until we see it, come into contact with it, we simply put our finger on it.

Call it love at first sight. Our senses have already have it all logged down in the subscious. All we need to do is to feel it. At least, that's what happens to me.

:)
 
Well, like you, my expensive knives are not users, i buy and own them because i appreciate what they are, and what i appreciate about them is twofold, first, i am attracted to the extreme precision with which a quality knife is made, so to me, fit and finish is extremely important, without that, the knife will not appeal to me. However, of course design matters, i see knives all the time that i know immediately i dont like or want, regardless of how well made they are. So, to me, design is important, but so is how well made the knife is, without extreme precision, craftsmanship and quality materalas, the knife loses it's appeal for me.
 
Wow, I think I sorta just answered this in my other post. The thing I look for is the engineering of the knife. I guess that would fall in the fit/finish category to a certain degree. The design is also important as I don't want a well engineered knife that is "butt-ugly":eek: Like Meg I will not be satisfied with a knife if it is not near perfect in the fit department. I guess one of the best ways to get this "near perfect" engineering/fit/finish is to use CNC equipment. I do not mind if I buy a custom folder that has had parts CNC'ed as that tells me the fit is going to be pretty good. I do not know if the makers that I favor even use this type of equipment. What I do know is their engineering fits my definition of near perfect.

I also look for a heavy build in my knives. This is something that appeals to me so I look for it.

In the end the only one that has to be pleased is ME. So far I'm pretty pleased!!!:D :D :D
 
I can sum all this up in one word, asthetics. The knife has to appeal to you on many different levels. It can have flowing lines, which also combines form, fit, finish and function. It has to speak to you and have soul!
 
Originally posted by striper28
I can sum all this up... It has to speak to you....
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I dont know, the last time I told someone my knives were talking to me, these very persistant guys in white coats starting chasing me, luckily I was very near to the Bat Cave at the time... :)
 
Joss and Chuck, I'm thinking like you guys.

I always look at a knife and look for something unique--something this maker has done differently, and probably better. Shapes, grinds, fasteners, engineering, embellishment all contribute. The list is endless. That maker may stick with that feature on all his knives, and like Joss mentioned, it becomes his known standard.

Joss, you are not collecting knives; you are aquiring a maker's character, design sense, and execution skills--as defined in metal and wood. It's a good thing!

Coop
 
My knives have to have *IT*, that quality that many refer to as soul. Chuck is 100% correct, my knives have to speak to me. The knives that speak to me are not always the ones with the best fit & finish. Some of the primitive knives that I love have a very crude finish and the fit is ok, but nothing to write home about.

I have grown to admire a great diversity of styles, but without doubt my favorite is the bowie. I have had the opportunity to handle a couple that were well over 100 years old. These knives were not particularly well finished and the fit was average, but I marvelled at how well these knives were made considering what their makers had to work with. Owning either one would have been a joy.

Design is not really a prime factor in the knives I choose. Some of the knives I love look an awful lot like thousands that have come before. They don't have to be different, or innovative, or beautiful. They just have to have that certain something that makes my pulse rise. You all know what I mean; that something that kind of takes your breath away.
 
When I make a knife I am just as picky about the materials that I use, as well as the design. Sometimes I spend hours just getting one line to flow the way that I want it to. I like to use this analogy- say your looking for a gift for someone for valentines day and you go into your local jewlrey store. The sales person asks if they can help, and if i'm looking for anything inparticular. You and I say i'm just looking, but i'll know it when I see it! And that's how it is with a kife. You can't explanin why, but you know it when you see it.
 
Originally posted by Trace Rinaldi
I like knives that feel good, and cut forever.. Thats just me tho...
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I can't think of a more encouraging statement to hear from a maker who puts together some of the most visually elegant packages I've seen. IMHO, your priorities are exactly spot on, sir.

-w
 
What I look for in a knife is something that I cannot make myself as a hobbyist knifemaker. I am getting to the point where I can make a decent beater knife, but I want to buy stuff that is close to perfect in grind and fit and finish. Nobody makes perfect knives, but several makers can get really close.

I like all kinds of knives; big bowies, neck knives, utility knives, hunters, etc... About the only knives I am not crazy about are double edged daggers. For some reason, I just dont care for the style. Other than that, if it's cool styled, sharp and pointy, I like it.
 
I collect big fat Bowies exclusively. I look for a knife that has individuality and an alive monsterous maybe even organic quality about it. A command presence perhaps. Its really hard to put into words, I know it when I see it though.
 
I tend to agree with the maker's point of view.I make knives as per order.First thing I do is figure what the customer wants and present a drawing to his specs and make suggestions as to the BEST materials for what he wants, then show him the raw handle stock. I also use only presentation grade handle materials.A perfect fit and finish is absolute! The customer knows he is getting a presentation grade knife that will also make a good cutting knife.What good is a good looking knife if it has a good looking but lousy cutting blade? As we know, some collector knives end up being a USING knifes.
 
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