What is your "Philosophy" when it comes to Making Knives?

Hankins

Hankins

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Dec 7, 2008
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What is your "Philosophy" when it comes to Making Knives?
What do you strive for?
 
Practical, high performance, strong, simple and affordable.
 
My basic philosophy is to provide high-performance cutting implements that exceed the client's expectations and will outlast him/her.

I strive for blade and edge geometry that will cut what it's meant to cut first and foremost, general design parameters that make a knife comfortable to use, second, and materials that will allow the client to worry about/maintain it as little as possible, next. There's not much separation between these three things, they all work together.

The pursuit of outstanding fit/finish and general craftsmanship helps me meet those goals, and adds value to my work. Last but definitely not least, OPTIONS are a huge deal to me... if the client can't get exactly what he wants, he may as well buy some factory crap, use it up and throw it away.

Budget has an impact on every step. But a relatively low budget does not have to mean a knife that performs poorly.
 
I make functional art; with quality, proper design and high performance inherent in each piece.
 
This is an excert from a sheet I send out with each knife and this is my philosophy on knifemaking:

Your custom knife and sheath have been hand crafted in shop entirely by myself. Many hours of hard work have gone into them from concept to the finished product. My knives are influenced by a desire to build each piece with three factors in mind, purpose, appearance and balance in hand.
I want the finished product to look so good, you just have to pick it up, to feel so good in your hand that you don’t' want to put it down and every time you use it, you have to say to yourself; “I love that knife”!
Capturing those three factors in each build assures me that the knife will become a piece that is used and treasured by its owner! I have built several knives over the years but, begin building knives full time in 2007.
 
since i'm just getting started in knifemaking, i'm just trying to learn the basics and come up with pieces that work. hopefully one day i'll be as good as some of the people on here!
 
I to use each project to draw out and extend skills in metal working. As I am free from any concerns about what others (customers) think, I use each project to explore notions of what a knife could be if it didn't have to be a knife.
 
I make knives that I would like to use; they have to be durable, function well and look cool.

I go to great lengths to use the best materials, methods, and to have a competitive price.

I want people to look at the average production knife and want to throw it away after they see my knives.
 
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Great topic; I've been thinking a lot about this lately and I almost started a similar thread about a week ago!

Rather than coming up with exciting new designs or highly embellished 'fancy' pieces, I tend to make relatively simple designs with good quality materials, and the #1 driving force that underlies most of what I do is fit and finish (ie, the pursuit of perfection) and trying to get all of the little details right. Recently I've started to question if I've been focusing my energies in the right areas though, as I'm not sure if some of these things are as important to others as they seem to be to me, and I spend a great deal of time trying to achieve them.
 
I strive to improve in some way on every knife. To make a knife I'm happy with, after all who
could better know a given knife than the person who has a chunk of themselves in it.
Ken.
 
I try to learn. I especially love to get new materials,and learn all about them, I also like to try new stuff, designs materials processes, and learn from the results.
 
To go into it more deeply... From my website...

There are few “original” ideas out there. I draw inspiration from the “tried and true” designs that many have used before me. I see what works and attempt to break it down to the raw essentials. While my artistic pieces allow me the joys expressing my creativity, my true passion lies in shaping and refining “Bush Tools” meant for hard use.
Click to expand...
My company motto is "Practicality Reborn" It is printed on the back of my business cards.

“PRACTICALITY REBORN”
prac·ti·cal·i·ty/ ,prakti kali t/Noun
1. The quality or state of being practical.
2. The aspects of a situation that involve the actual doing or experience of something rather than theories or ideas.

re·born/ ,ri bor n/Adj
1. Born again, regenerated, revived.

The push these days is to make something “new”, something “innovative” something “never before seen”. That’s how you make a name for yourself, right?… WRONG! Being creative will get you noticed… but you gain trust, appreciation and respect from being honest, open and believable. That’s how I run my business and lead my life. I don’t go for hype, trend and flash… I do what works. From wilderness skills to raising kids, we put our knowledge and tools to the test… it either works or it doesn’t. There is a time and place for experimenting and it’s NOT 2 days into the deep wilderness.
Click to expand...
 
Something that is most definitely not pretty, but will take whatever you throw out it and still outlast your arm.
 
to put my heart and soul into every minute and every step of the process.
 
I guess my "Philosophy" is make the best design and geometry and handle that you can in a great steel with great heat treat and carefully considered hardness. That requires research, drawings and sometimes prototypes and testing.

To be a little more clear, say I want to make a chef knife influenced by Japanese design. I would find the most respected designs and what people like and dislike about the blade shape, thickness, height, steel types, and handle designs, etc. Then decide what to build and what twists I can use to make it my own. I will watch you tube of chefs with crazy knife skills and their opinions on knives.

I guess my "philosophy" is that you owe it to yourself and your customer to make a great knife that will outperform virtually any mass produced knife in its category - or why bother?
 
The basis of my philosophy is to produce knives that will be used and loved. I want the user to have that joy one has when using a fine tool. I hope to achieve this by using the finest materials and producing highly practical designs.
 
I make knives to please both myself and my customers. The knife becomes a part of that person, it should reflect that in both function and the beauty of art. The knives I have made over my lifetime will ultimately out live me. While I may be forgotten after death, those knives I made will live on and continue to assist those other people.
 
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