I'm not doubting your passion or commitment to your pursuit.
I do question your exposure to the Dowell's of this caliber, because I have never seen any produced at this level outside of Phil Lobred's collection....have you? The two examples above are simply exceptional....light, balanced and some of the finest knifework I have ever seen, integral or not.
Post up some more examples of Mr. Koob's work and let us all see for ourselves(at least the photos).
Best Regards,
STeven Garsson
I've heard of Phil Lobred (who doesn't when you actually have interest for knives !) and I saw the knives from his collection he displays on his website or in books or that were posted here for years. I'd like to know him in person and I'd love to come to AKI show... but San Diego is quite a far trip from Paris ! Anyway I have to admit : the Dowells I ever had in my hands are the "standard" production, made to be used, not the art pieces you mention. I give you the point.
Regarding Koob, why do I say he's the best in that style ? Making an integral is quite painful. All makers who ever tried admit this. Making it flawless is a challenge because if you screw up something you screw up the entire knife. You can't just make the same piece again. Getting the right curves may be very difficult because you always work on the whole knife, and you can't access where you want as easily as with a non integral construction. Making something absolutely symmetrical from a single billet of steel (even if you use a CNC machine for the first work) is another painful thing. Last but not least, a blade has to cut. To my opinion, the old school hollow grind with secondary bevel is less efficient than a zero grind flat or convex edge. Kressler's knives have great fit and finish but have sometimes symmetry issues. They always have a secondary bevel, and they are not very comfortable in the hand. He made the first integral big bear, though, which was a technical achievement and a masterpiece. Dowell's are flawless as well, but they are made of D2 or 440 steel, hollow ground and secondary bevel. Overall lines and design are gorgeous, but also quite simple. There's no major technical issue in his knives, at least regarding the hunters (not speaking about the art pieces Steven showcased).
On Koob's, everything is close to perfection : symmetry, fit and finish, grinding and edge, technical achievements due to the design, feeling in the hand, balance, steel, etc. Then you have to like the design, which remains something personal. But technically speaking, I've never seen an integral knife that compares to them.
I'm going to post some pictures now.