Why are hireable bladesmiths so hard to find.

I hear you, after drawing a specific knife over and over for years trying to get it right I stumbled on a maker here that was already making the knife I was seeing in my head. Have you handled the knife you have been considering? Maybe you would have improvements to make it more comfortable for you, you might have to buy the poor quality one just to see it in person. Good luck in your search , the worst that can happen is you "have" to get another knife right😅!
 
I can see that. I've not drawn knife sketches for a long time, but I have spoken to makers and worked the design through their hands. I also found knives I've wanted mostly done by other already or blades with history that I was able to purchase outright (debating on having a Scythian short sword or dagger made or buying an original antique [if the price is right]). I did find other makers with a Pikal design I enjoyed, but none that I liked as much as that out of production one I put up the picture of. I think one of the makers someone mentioned prior actually had something similar, but he seems a bit too big to make a custom without being a ridiculous amount of money (like an Anthony Marfione v a std Microtech).

I haven't bought a new version from the company because they've been out of stock for nearly a year and the "new" version honestly looks like a piece of metal that broke off of something - the art of it is gone. And I'd have literally no use for a half sharpened blade that will rust with just hand sweat from training. I'd need to send it to a maker to be remade and at that point I'd rather change a bunch of stuff on it - metal/tip length/grip swell/grip material/skull breaker/etc.

I currently have two makers who think they can do something. I might go with both of them and give one to my buddy that got me into knives - dudes big into Kali and I think he would love this blade.
 
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os_tempore said:
I haven't bought a new version from the company because they've been out of stock for nearly a year and the "new" version honestly looks like a piece of metal that broke off of something - the art of it is gone. And I'd have literally no use for a half sharpened blade that will rust with just hand sweat from training. I'd need to send it to a maker to be remade and at that point I'd rather change a bunch of stuff on it - metal/tip length/grip swell/grip material/skull breaker/etc.
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So you want someone who works with stainless - have ya heard of Magnacut? It is sort of the next big thing in blade steels, lauded for its balance of toughness and edge retention, with corrosion resistance rivaled only by stain-free steels like H1 and LC200N, that last steel also being a good option. David Mary, the maker mentioned earlier, works with it and is known to have made some really good MBC-style knives. But yeah, gotta be careful about getting a tough enough stainless, I would not have this knife in M390 or anything.

Hearing a knife called a "Pikal" is kind of confusing to me, as many companies have a knife called a Pikal, like the Spyderco Pikal. Is it a STYLE of knife, like a karambit, or do all these makers just have a different version, I wonder. Like how various different companies offer karambits.

When it comes to blade shapes, I don't think ripoffs are possible, only design. Like, I don't think Lord Wharncliffe was a ripoff artist just because the Seax exists, but there are stylistic elements, say, what makes a Yojumbo a Yojumbo that should not be ripped off, just in answer to the discussion of making a blade inspired by another's work. There comes a point where the logical conclusion is that every blade shape is "owned".
 
I agree, its inspiration. The actual blade is not being copied - its being bettered! David suggested MagnaCut to me and I'm game to try it. He is going to try something when he gets enough MagnaCut orders to necessitate buying a sheet of it. I also might get another from someone else, but as with all things - who knows!

As for the Pikal, I believe it is a specific style and an obscure design with the reverse sharpened edge over a false bottom edge. From what I've seen I beleive the angle of the dangle is where it lives on its own and distinct from a karambit. I don't know the history of the blade design or who came up with it first, but from all the iterations ive seen it's like a sharp 6th finger made for upstrokes and pulling cuts - similar to a karambit, but with less hooking/catching action.

Its probably not unlike the karambit where theyre mostly all called Karambits by style and in the name. I almost wonder if this thread is going to make the Pikal blow up like the Karambit did!?
 
Hashishiin said:
There is a totally empty subforum of basically "Ask for service/s" that should be used, thinking of making a post there myself but I wonder if it is visited
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Just like the Wanted To Buy section only being viewable by those with memberships that allow selling, the Services Wanted section is only viewable by those with Knifemaker/Craftsman memberships. That said I've posted requests in that section a few times over the years and never gotten a single response - so it would seem that the people with the appropriate memberships just aren't looking there.

The best way is to view the maker's section of the Exchange and contact the ones who do things similar to what you want. It seems that relatively few are interested in taking on full custom work, with many more being open to changes on patterns they already make.
 
os_tempore said:
I agree, its inspiration. The actual blade is not being copied - its being bettered! David suggested MagnaCut to me and I'm game to try it. He is going to try something when he gets enough MagnaCut orders to necessitate buying a sheet of it. I also might get another from someone else, but as with all things - who knows!

As for the Pikal, I believe it is a specific style and an obscure design with the reverse sharpened edge over a false bottom edge. From what I've seen I beleive the angle of the dangle is where it lives on its own and distinct from a karambit. I don't know the history of the blade design or who came up with it first, but from all the iterations ive seen it's like a sharp 6th finger made for upstrokes and pulling cuts - similar to a karambit, but with less hooking/catching action.

Its probably not unlike the karambit where theyre mostly all called Karambits by style and in the name. I almost wonder if this thread is going to make the Pikal blow up like the Karambit did!?
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Don't worry.... Pikal isn't anything New.
Your post won't be overrun with people thinking something new is about to hit the market.... haha.

You might get better, or more search results by including Reverse Grip in what you are looking for.

*Since David Mary was already mentioned. Many of us have had him make That style (or similar) for us already. Very satisfied customer. He's one of the Good Guys.
 
It'll "trend" soon (Once Bud K starts selling it for $4.99)! You're welcome.

It's like searching through peer reviewed article, this search!

As for David Mary, we've spoken and I think I'm going to go ahead with one from him and possibly another maker. Not for comparison, but so I can have 2!!
 
C931F3BF-D0C8-4769-990A-639DA687DA50.jpeg
It’s not my style but I recently stumbled across this karambit that reminds me of your picture.
 
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