Will technology rule in future?

[golok]

In view of new breakthroughs in technology almost every year and the rapid advancement of science, I reckon it is quite conceivable that one day, technology will outpace custom knifemakers.

Because technology, in this case machines, is far more superior in various crucial fields like mass production, precision engineering and speed, knives of the future will evolve into tools with qualities which will supersede those forged by human hands.

To say that hand-forged hands will be a thing of the past is of course jumping the gun. There will be plenty of knife collectors who will still be interested in knives done the old fashioned way.

But it's hard to ignore the rapid progress of science and technology. Technology will one day soon make knives which will be better than the ones done by hands. There may be a thin line separating those two but nevertheles there will be a difference.

Take for example, the game of chess. A couple of decades ago, it was ludicrous even to suggest that machine can beat man in this game. Today, man has been fought to a standstill by machine. Kasparov has lost to a machine.

The current champion Kamsky could only managed a draw with the machine. This is a case in point. Same with knives. In time to come, machines will perform better, simply because human hands can only manage so much and no more.

 

[Practical Use]

Personally, I think we are already seeing it start to rule. Look at the qualify of knife you can buy in different price ranges. From Benchmade to CRKT, none of those knives would be available without tremendous strides in machining technology.

Think about the steels. From carbon to VG-10 to BG-42 to S30V, to Talonite. Interestingly, Stellite has been around for many years.

But, I think (and certainly hope), that the joy of holding a fine custom hand crafted knife will always appeal to many of us, and thus the "art" will never die.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

In the making of the knives machines already dominate, very few knives are made by human powered tools any more. However while a C&C grinder can craft a blade given a shape, the ability to take a customers wants and needs and design an optomized blade will remain in human hands for some time to come.

-Cliff

 

[mjolnir]

The analogy about chess-playing computers isn't quite right since that involves only the thinking aspects of human behavior...what we have to worry about is when thinking machines using machine-made knives start coming after us...

 

[Roadrunner]

Quality CNC has already caught up with custom makers as far as pure tolerances and finish, witness the Sebenza. But, the Sebenza is tweaked by hand before leaving the shop, and never will a machine impart the same soul to a knife that a good custom maker can pass into a blade. Machines can't reproduce or exceed human art.

 

[Kuduro]

I think That handmade knives are the real ****. Technology won´t ever overcome the precision and quality of a handmade knive.

 

[dizos]

Machines can't reproduce or exceed human art.

In my opinion, knife quality has already far exceeded the requirements of most knife tasks. Technology is just an expression of the human quest for excellence. It is an insatiable drive to improve our tools. It will always be a human craftsman that use these technologies to build knives. With a knife, form follows function and it is in that interaction that the art, akin to sculpture, of knife building lives.