What's happening in the David Mary Custom shop?

Explanation for this one: GripX can dent during molding from the edge of hot boltaron pressed into it. Hence the extra tape on the handle where that edge will touch to prevent the issue. All part of the learning curve.

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Threw the sheath for this unclaimed one I finished a week ago in the garbage because it was leaving pretty deep noticeable scratches at the tip and wasn’t tight enough for my liking.

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Oh no I forgot the handle tape on the blue handled Sparkling Smile before I put it in the press. Can’t remember if I covered the GripX with the boltaron edge or just the wenge bolster. Might have some extra sanding to do. 🤷‍♂️

Caught this one in time.

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I was ready to say “let this be a cautionary tale”. The dent issue has definitely happened to me before but maybe Matt has tweaked his process and gotten better hardening with the resin. I don’t know. Either way I’m going to keep the handle tape as part of my process.
 
David Mary said:
enough for my liking
Click to expand...
The closest verified quote comes from his 1983 book **_Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs_**, where he wrote:

> **“I have never made a photograph that I was entirely satisfied with. I have made some that I liked better than others, but there is always the feeling that I could have done better. … I have a wastebasket full of prints that didn’t quite make it.”**

In interviews and workshops, Adams frequently emphasized **relentless selectivity** and **culling**—he estimated that he printed only about **1 in 100** of his negatives, and even then, only a fraction became public. A related, oft-cited remark from a 1970s interview is:

> **“Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.”**

This reflects the same philosophy: **greatness emerges from discarding the merely good**.

### Summary of Authentic Adams Quotes on Selectivity
| Quote | Source |
|-------|--------|
| *“I have a wastebasket full of prints that didn’t quite make it.”* | _Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs_ (1983) |
| *“Twelve significant photographs in any one year is a good crop.”* | Various interviews (c. 1974–1980) |
| *“You don’t take a photograph, you make it.”* | _The Camera_ (1980) – implies editing/selection |

So while **“my trashcan was full”** is not a direct quote, it’s a **faithful summary** of Adams’ lifelong practice of **ruthless editing**. The spirit is 100% authentic.


Above is generated by the Grok AI . I asked about Ansel Adams' habit of throwing away more than he kept of his work .

Might be expensive for a knife maker ! ;)
 
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