Last year, I taught Double edge grinding at a hammer in at Johnny stouts shop. There were several top makers there. Each of a different discipline. We got into a huge argument as to which was better. And then the fight broke out!
Dean was hitting me over the head with a hammer. And I broke a perfectly good Burr King grinder throwing it at him!
Well not really! In fact we all had a blast.
There was Allen El. ( His last name gives me a fit trying to spell it correctly),. Teaching The Pantograph Mill. on his exotic ultra modern folders.
Harvey Dean on handle fitment, and guard fitment.
Bill Rupel on Slip Joints. Fit and function.
A very talented forger, who my old mind cant remember the name at the moment. (Sorry guy. I'm getting old!)
I taught double edge grinding, and guard fitting and soldering.
It was a Great Day! We had a very large group of students. Some new to the craft. Some an old hand.
So what did the makers from the different disciplines talk about?
Who makes the best belts of a given grit type. For grinding. For finishing. For hogging.
What grinders run the smoothest over a long day in the shop.
Which tracks the best. Holds up well.
Different techniques of finishing many different handle materials.
Adhesives. Buffing wheels. Carbides, drills- Hss vs-cobalt, and the cost effectiveness.
Shippers, Insurance on shipping.
Sheath makers. Leather suppliers, steel suppliers,
Shows, traveling, where to eat at different shows, and you guessed it.
Collectors and all the misconceptions.
Not once did the question come up as to what was Superior. Why? Because we all do this for a living. We are all professionals. We already know the answer. It has been answered over and over again over a long period of time.
News flash. There in no answer other than there is no Superior way to make a knife . It depends soley on the skill of the Craftsman. We are Craftsman. Very few of us, very few of us call ourselves Artist. This is a label the public bestows on makers who's work they find exceptional. We are craftsmen first and foremost. We are honored to be called Artist by some. But are no where arrogant enough to bestow that Title on Ourselves.
So why the discussion on collectors, because they are the great variable. So many of the demands so prevalent to day are to satisfy the collectors. At our level, using knives rarely get used. It is a sad statement, but true. Heck, we could probably make them out of ALU. and get away with it. Or super cheap steel. But we don't and won't. We try to produce the very best product we possibly can. This is why our knives bring more than the average makers does. Many years of quality that shows.
So where does the "what is better?" come from . We all agree. It is not only old myths and misconceptions, but to a large extent, due to the collectors. they really have no clue as to how or why we do why what we do. They see the Art side of it. The polished bladed, and polished makers at the shows. Not the dirty shop, and filthy maker in the mist if creating another Tool!
Each of them must justify what they collect. What they put their money in. Some do it for the pleasure of collecting. Owning something unique. Many do it to turn a profit. More so now days than ever. In fact we have one poster here a B/F that can talk about nothing else but profit and how to make more. (So far, than goodness he isn't in this one). To make a profit, prices have to be justified. Many times double to more of what the maker charges. This is where the Better or Superior comes in. You see this at every level.
You can go to a small gun show, and there will always be a gun dealer that will have a hand made knife for sale and claim that the maker is the best there is. Ask the same dealer what he thinks about Bob Loveless. D'Alton Holder, Jerry Fisk, Ron Lake. All you will get is a blank stare. But what he is selling the "VERY BEST THAT MONEY CAN BUY". Never mind that you are a pro in the knife business and have never heard of this guy. Not to mention that the blade is a kit blade with terrible fit and finish. And don't bother introducing your self. The sell has never heard of you either! ( If you screw up and tell him you make knives, the first thing out of his mouth is So you make home make knives?
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WE see the same thing at major Knife Shows. But at a different level.
The tactical dealer will tell every one who Will listen, that the knives by so and so can chop through a cinder block and still shave. Then tell you how useless a Art Knife is.
The Art Knife dealer Will put down the Tacticles.
The collectors of Stock removal will tell you why the latest wonder steel is Superior, and any knife make from it, from ****maker will go up in value more that any other.
Same with the Forged Knife Collectors. Only the Forged knife has tradition, heart, soul.
The Guild Knife Collectors. Only Guild Knives will go up and hold their value!
Same with the ABS Collectors. You will hear, Yeah, he does an OK job, but he isn't a MS.
( Now before someone gets offended, and gets on my case, "JF", let me say that it is no way, all collectors, or all dealers. Indeed a very small percentage do this). Most are of high integrety. But the ones that do are no different than the huckesters at the carnivals that push the ginsu type, cuts through a brick, and never gets dull "JUNK".
It's all bull. Every bit of it. We as makers don't' pay attention to all this hype at all. We see it as a bit silly. Not to mention grossly misinformed to down right ignorant.
But like any Craft, we all need New Blood! Makers and Collectors alike to keep the Craft alive. This is where it all comes together to bring us all down.
Now go back and read the very first post in this long thread. Now just where do yo think the newbies gets these questions from. It is innocent enough. He genuinely wanted to know. A typical newbie question. He heard the hype. And here we go again. Problem is. It happens at every single show on the planet.
Some of it, or all of it, in just about every Knife Mag. you pick up and read.
It's not helping any of us. It is in the long run, causing more and more divisions. Exactly what none of us need.
It sadly started with the makers, but over time we learned better. Now how can we get the Collectors an dealers to either learn, or at least not use so much misinformation to make a profit.
My guess is that we can't . I can tell you this. if one way of making was truly supperior, that would mean that all the other accepted methods are inferrior. If this was trully the case, especially at the level, and at the prices many of our knives sell and trade for, We wouldn't last long. But to the contrary. We are doing quite well.
This, in and of its self says volums.
Now for the politically correct disclaimer: This is only my opinion. Yours may vary.
Next week we explore, Chevy-VS ford-Vs Dodge. Will NasCar ever settle the question???
Mike
