Your customers: Thin Blades or prybars?

[jdm61]

LOL. I have always wondered why such folks would figure that they could find their bushcraft knife in the checked luggage compartment of the crashed airplane they just stumbled out of and no other useful items.

There's definitly more than one school of thought on this.

Some people want to go into the woods with a knife, a few feet of paracord and their skivvies. OK, sure, if that floats your boat.

Me? When my people and I are working for Habitat for Humanity, rebuilding Katrina homes or helping flood victims I bring my truck and trailer with all the tools I can carry and thats a lot of tools.

If I see someone pulling on some siding and they ask for a screw driver (this has happened many times) I'll automatically hand them a pry bar and later they'll thank me for handing them the better choice of tools. That's just the way I am.

 

[jdm61]

So sell him a second knife so that he can use.

Yeah, those people get under my skin too.

One of my few customers won't use the Wharncliffe I made for him. He only shows it off to his friends. Oh well....

 

[rustyrazor]

a knife that can't be batonned sounds like i'll have to replace that knife someday to most of the wing nuts that buy one of mine.

caveat; wing nut is a term of endearment... these guys are just hard on stuff and I know it ahead of time so it's built into the designs.

 

[kuraki]

Yeah, those people get under my skin too.

One of my few customers won't use the Wharncliffe I made for him. He only shows it off to his friends. Oh well....

Another customer got rough with his and broke two chips out of the edge. He thought it was dead but I set the entire edge back perhaps 3/16". His getting rough with a thin hard slicer took 20 years of useful life off his knife.

My brother tells me his knife is the only thing he's found that'll work multi-conductor shielded cable better than a utility knife. That's a specialized job that requires a particular sort of tool to ket the job done really well. That's the sort of stuff they do all day every day.

BTW, a knife that can be batonned sounds more like a froe to me.

I think it's really cool you're producing a niche cutting tool for a specialized job like that, that exceeds expectations. While I'm in general, a do it with what you've got kind of guy, I was also a tool and die maker so I can appreciate making something for a specific task. I'd beer smiley you here if the board had one.

 

[Rick Marchand]

There is one! :very_drunk:

 

[Daniel Fairly Knives]

I generally like thinner blades that are complimented with an EDC prybar. I use my S7 KCT pry as much as my knives...

As far as thick blades I like them too, with the right geometry they can excel at certain tasks.

I make blades from .049" all the way to .375" with most being .12-16" thick. I like to run my edges around or under .010" on almost everything.

 

[BKT]

Guys making the thin knives...

What kind of practices are you guaranteeing on your blades? If a customer cracked a blade batoning would you warranty it?

I often do not go under 3/16" because I warranty my blades for life and will support hard use. I will warranty as far as blatantly prying with the knife but batoning and hard edge is warrantied. I would feel hesitant to guarantee a 1/8" knife as a hard use fixed blade.

 

[AVigil]

I love it when a person only fantasizes about losing everything but their knife, they always have their knife lol

In all my survival fantasies I have an Axe, Matchete, dropped point hunter and a machine gun

 

[Rick Marchand]

I love it when a person only fantasizes about losing everything but their knife, they always have their knife lol

In all my survival fantasies I have an Axe, Matchete, dropped point hunter and a machine gun

For folks who consistently carry a knife at home and in the field, there are plenty of opportunities to be separated from your other support gear. No fantasies, needed... although that's fun do, too.

 

[scott.livesey]

Guys making the thin knives...

What kind of practices are you guaranteeing on your blades? If a customer cracked a blade batoning would you warranty it?

I often do not go under 3/16" because I warranty my blades for life and will support hard use. I will warranty as far as blatantly prying with the knife but batoning and hard edge is warrantied. I would feel hesitant to guarantee a 1/8" knife as a hard use fixed blade.

i sell my blades as kitchen knives and recommend only using wood or HDPE cutting boards. as they are high carbon steel, i also recommend no dishwasher, hand wash, double towel dry. the ultra-thins, 0.045" or less at spine, are recommended for slicing only. an ultra-thin slicer, 0.03" at the spine, 0.005" at the edge, Rc64, is for slicing, i don't think anyone would warranty batoning or prying with a blade that thin.
scott

 

[AVigil]

For folks who consistently carry a knife at home and in the field, there are plenty of opportunities to be separated from your other support gear. No fantasies, needed... although that's fun do, too.

Oh if they are in the field, then just be sure to keep your knife with the other support gear.

"Be prepared" when in the field and do not wonder off without your axe, matchete or gun

That has been my policy for over 40 years in the field.

 

[kuraki]

Oh if they are in the field, then just be sure to keep your knife with the other support gear.

"Be prepared" when in the field and do not wonder off without your axe, matchete or gun

That has been my policy for over 40 years in the field.

I'm too fat to carry all that everywhere and people look strangely at me when I carry a machete. Like they're scared or something.

If I could take a trailer everywhere I went like some kind of massive "possibles" bag, that'd be pretty cool though.

Actually, that's why I want a 4x4 conversion van instead of another truck when it comes time for a new vehicle. That's about as close as I can get I think.

 

[Willie71]

Guys making the thin knives...

What kind of practices are you guaranteeing on your blades? If a customer cracked a blade batoning would you warranty it?

I often do not go under 3/16" because I warranty my blades for life and will support hard use. I will warranty as far as blatantly prying with the knife but batoning and hard edge is warrantied. I would feel hesitant to guarantee a 1/8" knife as a hard use fixed blade.

I'm pretty clear about intended use with the knives I make. Considering I've batoned my 1/8" blades into mild steel, or nail Impregnated wood, I'm confident they hold up. I drop my heat treated blades from shoulder height onto a concrete floor to test them as well. I've done this with kitchen knives too. If the blade breaks, and it's at a stress point such as the ricasso, or if a pin hole is too far forward, that's an error on my part. I've had to replace exactly one blade ever, and the tip rolled. It was a heat treat issue. I have to admit I was shocked how much abuse a blade can take when the right steel and heat treat are in play, and I'm talking about blades over Rc60, not Rc57/58.

I always ask the client what the intended use is, and help choose appropriate steel, geometry, and heat treat. That avoids most problems.

 

[AVigil]

I'm too fat to carry all that everywhere and people look strangely at me when I carry a machete. Like they're scared or something.

If I could take a trailer everywhere I went like some kind of massive "possibles" bag, that'd be pretty cool though.

Actually, that's why I want a 4x4 conversion van instead of another truck when it comes time for a new vehicle. That's about as close as I can get I think.

Well yes if you carry a matchete at the auto parts store you will get looks, but in the field not so much.

 

[woodwrkr221]

When I make a knife for an electrician or instrument mechanic I'm real clear up front that it's a hard thin blade and that if they get rough they WILL CHIP THE BLADE.

The one knife so far that's come back I set the edge back no questions asked. He admitted he knew better than to do whatever it was he did but I don't know what it was (cut Romex wiring maybe?)

I've taught myself the hard way not to get the edge thinner than .008" hollow ground cause I can flex the edge with my finger nail if it's thinner and I prefer to keep the edge .010" or a little thicker.

I don't really have a warranty policy to speak of but I'd most likely replace a broken knife anyway if setting the edge back or re-shaping the blade won't keep the customer happy, just to keep the customer buying more knives in the future.