Why retire the field knife?

M

mach 5

Joined
Apr 13, 2012
Messages
609
So I was just looking at the survival knife thread and people were comparing the survival knife handles to the field knife, and it made me realize how much I like the ergonomics of the FK. I truthfully don't think that for my hands much could be done to improve the grip except for the very minor personal issue that I like the cutting edge to come as close to the index finger and guard as possible. So why retire this excellent design? Its gonna be a new coke, coke classic thing...
 
I'm hoping to be given the opportunity to take another shot at the pattern, I've found a few changes I'd like to make after having used one for awhile
 
I always welcome change, but have yet to find anything I would change on the Field Knife-Perfection for me!!
 
I'm kinda glad to see a maker move through patterns. I want to see the next idea NtM has and have the chance to expand my collection. He wants to stay motivated to continue to innovate and offer great knives. As a small shop he's only got so much time to do anything. Something's gotta give.

Compare CPK to another high-quality maker, say CRK. They are awesome, and you can buy a knife today that has been around for 15 years, and will in all likelihood be around for another good long while. But they aren't each made by Chris any more. I like the idea that my knife was made personally by Nathan. The next one will be, too. To maintain a pattern for a long, long time means this probably will not be the case.

Anyway, not sure if the OP question was meant for general discussion or you were hoping for NtM to provide the answer, but that's one user's opinion. Yes it's an excellent design... the next design will be, too.
 
TRfromMT said:
Anyway, not sure if the OP question was meant for general discussion or you were hoping for NtM to provide the answer, but that's one user's opinion. Yes it's an excellent design... the next design will be, too.
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Discussion invited for sure, but mostly saying thanks for making a great knife and I hate to see it go.
 
The FK is my favourite fixed blade in this size range, although I think it will be nice if the next design has a thinner stock.
 
Karoi said:
The FK is my favourite fixed blade in this size range, although I think it will be nice if the next design has a thinner stock.
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that's one of the changes I had in mind
 
Good question as I was also wondering why. I'm not a collector, all of my knives are used. I have a Dozier skinner, and folders by BM, ZT, and LW. But I'd like to get a FK for hunting, processing meat. It'll probably be my last knife for a long time if I even buy another one. But they are proving nearly impossible to find at least for something reasonable that I'm going to use as intended.

Change is good and I'm glad CPK isn't content to say it's perfect and sit on it.
 
Maybe Nate just gets tired of making the same thing over and over and over, etc. :p

RE: buying a discontinued anything for a reasonable price, supply and demand dictates the price. Busse is a prime example and I suspect that Nate's knives will just go up in value.
 
I retired the Field Knife because I'd made so many of them. There was an extended pre-order sale of them here so anyone who wanted one and was willing to wait a few months could get one with no effort. They were available at a dealer website. There are probably close to 400 of them out there which is a lot for such a small shop.

I know it was a popular pattern and I know I need to revisit a Field Knife again in the future, but we're a small shop and aren't able to make lots of multiple patterns simultaneously so I have to decide how we're going to spend our time. Should I continue to spit out something I've already made so many of or should I focus energy on something new? Personally I prefer to do new stuff because it prevents monotony. I retired the potato knife at the height of its popularity because I'd made 100 of them and I was tired of making them.

We're currently making a really good small EDC knife and a fantastic go-anywhere-do-anything Light Chopper. We're about to release a durable mid sized knife. Looking forward I'd like to make a big chopper and a folder too and I haven't done an art knife or a weapon in a while. But at some point I will come back to a Field Knife again, I promise.

Thank you for your support.:thumbup:
 
Nathan the Machinist said:
I retired the Field Knife because I'd made so many of them. There was an extended pre-order sale of them here so anyone who wanted one and was willing to wait a few months could get one with no effort. They were available at a dealer website. There are probably close to 400 of them out there which is a lot for such a small shop.

I know it was a popular pattern and I know I need to revisit a Field Knife again in the future, but we're a small shop and aren't able to make lots of multiple patterns simultaneously so I have to decide how we're going to spend our time. Should I continue to spit out something I've already made so many of or should I focus energy on something new? Personally I prefer to do new stuff because it prevents monotony. I retired the potato knife at the height of its popularity because I'd made 100 of them and I was tired of making them.

We're currently making a really good small EDC knife and a fantastic go-anywhere-do-anything Light Chopper. We're about to release a durable mid sized knife. Looking forward I'd like to make a big chopper and a folder too and I haven't done an art knife or a weapon in a while. But at some point I will come back to a Field Knife again, I promise.

Thank you for your support.:thumbup:
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Weapon please!!
 
animportant said:
A field knife with good edge retention and darn good corrosion resistance, taking advantage of 3v's edge stability to create a great cutter in a lightweight package. I'm sold.
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I've been thinking a lot on a reinvented field knife ever since our first attempt went into production. I think we can come up with something lighter weight and a little more fashionable, while still capable of 95% of the potential uses the original could be put to, (only 95% because with a thinner cross section it couldn't take as much load....unless, of course, it was fullered...)

it's telling to me that the VAST majority of CPK buyers are men. Something like what the field knife is designed for, is a knife for all- women included- so it makes sense to me that we focus on that demographic for this particular genre of knife. You guys will all still like it, maybe even more than you do now, cuz your ole lady might get bit by the same bug as you :)

if there comes a time when I'm called on to get back at the drawing board, I'll be approaching it from that perspective
 
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^ A fullered version is generally thicker at the spine. It's not a removal of material in a design, it's a redistribution.
 
Really looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with!

Even with a thinner and lighter design, at least it'll still be able to handle plenty of abuse because of the phenomenal steels that you use...
 
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