What knives should we post in Shoptalk?

Patrice asked me about this before he started this thread, so I sat back a bit to read what you chaps thoughts were.
Here are mine:

I have always felt that the Gallery and the Custom & Handmade sub-forums are good places for full time makers and those who sell knives regularly to show off their knives and keeping in touch with customers. I rarely go there because I mainly consider them sale related areas.

If you are more of a maker than a seller, I think Shop Talk is a better fit.
To qualify that, it is a good thing to be able to sell your knives, and some on this forum put the bread on the table by selling knives, but there seem to be two types of knifemakers out there ( and probably twenty shades of gray between them). Makers....and ....Sellers.
I see Makers as those who enjoy the process of making a knife , and use the selling part to gain income, or support the knifemaking.
I see Sellers as those who endure knifemaking as a necessary evil to selling knives, and earning an income.




What makes a good Shop talk thread???
Information !
Photos of knives and some info on how it was made can foster a good conversation and learning experience about that style/technique. Giving a few tips or a WIP style walk-through of the process also makes it Shop Talk material.
If you post clear photos, with a good explanation of the materials used and the procedures employed -
Someone is going to learn something from it. The more info posted, the higher the likelihood that a conversation will ensue where many will learn as well as share.

If you have made a knife you are proud of, and plan to sell it, and the only reason you posted the Shop Talk thread was to show what you will be offering for sale, or already sold....then the other sub-forums are better places.

I am going to make a new thread about posting on Shop Talk ( and BF in general), so as not to hijack Patrice's thread.
 
Thanks Stacy, no hijacking since is what I asked about. You can use this thread and maybe just rename it better if you want to keep what people already said.
 
Rick, I may have stated the reply wrong.
I fully agree that the only place to sell is The Exchange.
I was saying that a full time maker who just finished a really nice knife that he wants to show off should post it in The Gallery or Handmade & Custom, not Shop Talk. These posts should not be sales related, either. If it is a WIP about making a Musso Bowie, fine....put it in Shop talk, if it is just showing off his latest Musso Bowie....post it in the other areas.

My initial comment was my personal feelings about why I rarely visit those areas, feeling that they are mostly where the full timers post their projects.
 
I'll have to visit more often, I may be missing some good stuff.



3 Hours later:
OK, I spent some time there, and I will stick with my original thoughts.
Most all the threads on The Gallery were just sold or for sale knives. The ones in Custom & Handmade were 50/50.
In many threads the person either implied or directly said that it was/would be for sale. While no prices were given, the fact that the poster was in the business of selling knives, and that this knife or a similar one could be ordered by contacting the maker was clear.
 
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I don't know why anybody would be upset or bothered by knives being posted here. One of the first things that happens when knifemakers get together, is usually.... show and tell. If a guy doesn't want to look at another maker's knife photo, just don't open the thread.

To be honest, most of the time I forget that there's a gallery here.

I think it's a lot easier to believe in what somebody is posting about, if they have at least some photographic proof that they actually try to do what they're writing about. There have been many, many guys come along here that post well written things about knives.... but couldn't make a good knife to save their life. If a guy posts some photos now and again... showing that they're not just talking out their a** all the time, I'm probably going to be more likely to take their advice.
 
NickWheeler said:
I don't know why anybody would be upset or bothered by knives being posted here. One of the first things that happens when knifemakers get together, is usually.... show and tell. If a guy doesn't want to look at another maker's knife photo, just don't open the thread.
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I agree.

It's nice to see what happened as a result of all the questions and responses and how the discussions helped.
 
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NickWheeler said:
I don't know why anybody would be upset or bothered by knives being posted here. One of the first things that happens when knifemakers get together, is usually.... show and tell. If a guy doesn't want to look at another maker's knife photo, just don't open the thread.
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+++++1. This is usually my "go-to" section in order to find out the latest things that my fellow makers are doing.

Although the "WIP" threads are nice on occasions, sometimes I just want to see a nice blade with a little description of how it was made and the materials used. Then, I enjoy the follow-up posts, especially the ones with additional questions and responses. You don't seem to get a lot of that in the Knifemaker's Gallery section.

Just my $.02


Robert
 
It's funny, Sam is one of the few people around here that I've never seen a picture of his work, his shop, his tools..... but he's too particular and analytical about this stuff, with good ideas, for me to not read his posts.

And before anybody gets upset with my previous post and says something like, "Well what about the guy who has been a fabricator for 35 years but just started making knives?" Well, IMHO, a guy like that has a TREMENDOUS amount of knowledge for hacks like me to draw from.... but a guy like that will post on his strong points and admit his weak points. My hang-up is the guy that is an interweb knife master, but his knives look like poop. It's like getting a personal training session with a 500 pound fat lady... it just don't make sense. ;)

There are also a lot of guys that are long time, established makers like Frank Niro, that doesn't post pictures here... but I KNOW that Frank knows exactly what he's doing.
 
Its SHOPTALK throw up a picture of what your working on, be accepting of feedback, throw out some questions and answers and be accepting of the vise versa....knives on the gallery dont get any real feedback, and the custom handmade section IMO is utilized by the big dogs and collectors.
 
GTH11 said:
Its SHOPTALK throw up a picture of what your working on, be accepting of feedback, throw out some questions and answers and be accepting of the vise versa....knives on the gallery dont get any real feedback, and the custom handmade section IMO is utilized by the big dogs and collectors.
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That is the way I feel also. Seems like if you are not a "Big-Dog", nobody pays much attention in that section. I very, very seldom post in that area because I'm not, and will never be one.

I started too late in life, and have way too much to learn in order to be considered one of the "Elite" makers. I just get by and enjoy meeting new folk and learning new things.

Show me what you got in ShopTalk, tell me how you did it, tell me how it performs, and I will weed out the garbage myself.

Robert
 
NickWheeler said:
It's funny, Sam is one of the few people around here that I've never seen a picture of his work, his shop, his tools..... but he's too particular and analytical about this stuff, with good ideas, for me to not read his posts.
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Thanks Nick, I'll take that as a compliment.

I've often been called full of something, but never was it "good ideas".

Yes, It's hypocritical of me to not post pics.

&
If I lived closer to Frank, I'd go take some pics


(by the way, any updates on the adjustable height post ?)
 
Robert,
This is a great post, exactly how I feel. I have been trying to keep my photo s out of shop talk lately because some say they don't belong, but this is where everybody is supportive of each other. When I post in custom and handmade, its like who the hell is this newb!? It's definitely more for the big dogs.

Robert Dark said:
That is the way I feel also. Seems like if you are not a "Big-Dog", nobody pays much attention in that section. I very, very seldom post in that area because I'm not, and will never be one.

I started too late in life, and have way too much to learn in order to be considered one of the "Elite" makers. I just get by and enjoy meeting new folk and learning new things.

Show me what you got in ShopTalk, tell me how you did it, tell me how it performs, and I will weed out the garbage myself.

Robert
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I totally agree with you guys. Shop talk is for talking about the knives you are MAKING. The other areas are for talking about the knives the big dogs are selling. Everybody from the newest Newb, to Ed Fowler is here for the same reason on Shop Talk.....to talk about making knives. We may not all agree on everything, but we are one big ( sometimes dysfunctional) family.

Even though some photos of "My latest Knife" can damage my eyeballs when I click the attachment, I am glad they post here and enjoy how all the great folks who hang out on Shop Talk comment and advise each other.
 
Poor Stacy! You need a pair of Joo Janta 200 Super Chromatic Peril Sensitive Sunglasses, designed to go completely dark at the first sign of danger to your eyeballs.
 

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bladsmth said:
I totally agree with you guys. Shop talk is for talking about the knives you are MAKING. The other areas are for talking about the knives the big dogs are selling. Everybody from the newest Newb, to Ed Fowler is here for the same reason on Shop Talk.....to talk about making knives. We may not all agree on everything, but we are one big ( sometimes dysfunctional) family.

Even though some photos of "My latest Knife" can damage my eyeballs when I click the attachment, I am glad they post here and enjoy how all the great folks who hang out on Shop Talk comment and advise each other.
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I hear ya, good post:thumbup:
 
Rick Marchand said:
...I promise not to pay attention to the facial ticks I get when Patrice posts his fancy knives in ShopTalk.;):thumbup:
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I'll do my part then Rick and make sure to include some properly stacked kitchen implements in m next "Fancy" knife picture.:p;)

PS:What makes a knife fancy by the way?:confused:
 
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