I am a low scale knife collector but am starting to fall in love with the William Henry wood inlays. I have handled my friends WHs and they are absolutely beautiful. Since the knife will be under constant use would the wood inlay be a a good idea? I certainley dont want to break a WH.
William Henry Wood inlay
- Thread starter ender
- Start date
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Hi ender welcome to the forums. with a handle like that are you into whitewater?
I would not call the WH knives low scale, but they are not what are considered Custom Knives. If I may I would like to be a little more general in adressing the use of Customs made with dressed up or higher end materials.
For heavy use, I would choose a handle material of Carbon Fiber, G10 or Micarta, or metal. Wood sneaks into the equation here if I do not mind getting it marred with use. There are makers that also handle fixed blades in stacked leather washers and they could be considered depending upon the environment they will be used in.
Now for those fancier materials it is up to the individual. When I carry a nice custom, it is relgated to a pocket by itself (no change or keys to scratch it up. Depending upon the material I might use a soft pouch or sheath to offer the knife more protection.
I would treat a folder handled in wood that I wanted to keep nice in the same manner.
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" The real art of living is too keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post.
In memory of James Mattis
I would not call the WH knives low scale, but they are not what are considered Custom Knives. If I may I would like to be a little more general in adressing the use of Customs made with dressed up or higher end materials.
For heavy use, I would choose a handle material of Carbon Fiber, G10 or Micarta, or metal. Wood sneaks into the equation here if I do not mind getting it marred with use. There are makers that also handle fixed blades in stacked leather washers and they could be considered depending upon the environment they will be used in.
Now for those fancier materials it is up to the individual. When I carry a nice custom, it is relgated to a pocket by itself (no change or keys to scratch it up. Depending upon the material I might use a soft pouch or sheath to offer the knife more protection.
I would treat a folder handled in wood that I wanted to keep nice in the same manner.
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" The real art of living is too keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post.
In memory of James Mattis
stjames
Sebenzanista
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- Messages
- 6,465
Ender, an Orson Scott Card fan, perhaps?
I'll agree with Gus that wood might not be the best choice for a constant user, ivory and other natural materials are also susceptible to the elements. Man made substances like micarta, carbon fiber and the like might not be as attractive but wont show the wear and tear of daily life nearly as much.
The Guild has some definite rules about what separates custom from production knives, and the subject is the cause for endless debate. While the Guild requires that a high degree of sole authorship go into a custom knife, just how much is a mystery to me. Some collectors will argue that a true custom knife must be one of a kind, with the end user having at least some input into the design or it is not really custom. Some will insist that overly sophisticated machinery will disqualify a maker from being custom. Others definition of the term might include these factors to varying degrees.
I try not to get hung up on definitions, and just buy what I like. I dont really care if one man made the entire knife, from hand turning the screws to polishing the blade, or if a pack of trained chimpanzees were employed. I just want the best made knife that I can afford.
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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
I'll agree with Gus that wood might not be the best choice for a constant user, ivory and other natural materials are also susceptible to the elements. Man made substances like micarta, carbon fiber and the like might not be as attractive but wont show the wear and tear of daily life nearly as much.
The Guild has some definite rules about what separates custom from production knives, and the subject is the cause for endless debate. While the Guild requires that a high degree of sole authorship go into a custom knife, just how much is a mystery to me. Some collectors will argue that a true custom knife must be one of a kind, with the end user having at least some input into the design or it is not really custom. Some will insist that overly sophisticated machinery will disqualify a maker from being custom. Others definition of the term might include these factors to varying degrees.
I try not to get hung up on definitions, and just buy what I like. I dont really care if one man made the entire knife, from hand turning the screws to polishing the blade, or if a pack of trained chimpanzees were employed. I just want the best made knife that I can afford.
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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
- Joined
- Oct 4, 1998
- Messages
- 4,131
Sorry ender. Ender is a kayaking move
I am a little reluctant to bring up the Custom vs Factory vs small shop vs handmade parts vs cnc-ed parts and laser cutters again, but there is some great information in some old threads that you may be interested in.
The William Henry and Chris Reeves knives really are not considered customs by the knife industry. I consider them fine knives that are hand made in a shop. Before I get jumped on for saying that I am friends with Chris and Anne, I think very, very highly of them and their knives (own 4 of their models I use 3 and one is a safe sitter), and I think very highly of Matt Conables work (Trust me this man knows how to make a custom knife too!)
I have met some of the folks that work in Chris shop and a couple of them are quite capable of making some fine knives of their own design. The blade on the Sebenza is one of two benchmarks for me on any hollow ground blade I purchase. The other benchmark is the work of Walter Brend. I love the entire design of the Sebenza blade from edge geometry on up.
In the beginning there was
In machined vs handmade parts
In Sebenza Vs Custom
Some of these discussions are a little heated at times, but there is some great information from some major industry players in these threads. You will even find information from Chris that addresses the issue.
There are some other thoughts by some that might have changed with time as they obtained more knowledge and there are thoughts that I still do not believe. They may be true, but they go against the knowledge that has come my way. The definition of a custom knife as far as the industry is concerned has pretty much remained the same since the Forums started. The bottom line to all this as far as I am concerned is that it is important for you to be happy with what you buy when you consider purchasing a fine piece of cutlery and the best way to insure your satisfaction is to obtain as much knowledge as is realistically feasible depending upon your situation. There are some short cuts to obtaining that knowledge here in the old posts of this forum. Going to shows and reading books can be a next step in the journey if you are inclined. The search never ends for makers, purveyors, and collectors of knives. Keep in mind nothing beats handling and studying as many knives of all types as possible.
(Keep in mind I am just a collector and I learn here every day from you folks.)
This is just a start for you. By entering key words (Sebenza, Reeve, MT, Micro, Guild, Machined for example)you can easily bring up old threads on the subjects.
From there you can go back and find a lot of information on the subject of Custom and Factory or Shop made knives. We had our verbal battles at times, but there is a lot of information there. Sometimes you have to separate the wheat from the chaff to understand the points being made. I know and am friends with at least two guys who used to feel that some of the higher end shop made knives were customs, you will see their posts. I bet their opinions have changed since those posts were made
. We have had a lot of fun with the topic over the last two years!
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" The real art of living is too keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post.
In memory of James Mattis
[This message has been edited by Gus Kalanzis (edited 12-19-2000).]
I am a little reluctant to bring up the Custom vs Factory vs small shop vs handmade parts vs cnc-ed parts and laser cutters again, but there is some great information in some old threads that you may be interested in.
The William Henry and Chris Reeves knives really are not considered customs by the knife industry. I consider them fine knives that are hand made in a shop. Before I get jumped on for saying that I am friends with Chris and Anne, I think very, very highly of them and their knives (own 4 of their models I use 3 and one is a safe sitter), and I think very highly of Matt Conables work (Trust me this man knows how to make a custom knife too!)
I have met some of the folks that work in Chris shop and a couple of them are quite capable of making some fine knives of their own design. The blade on the Sebenza is one of two benchmarks for me on any hollow ground blade I purchase. The other benchmark is the work of Walter Brend. I love the entire design of the Sebenza blade from edge geometry on up.
In the beginning there was
In machined vs handmade parts
In Sebenza Vs Custom
Some of these discussions are a little heated at times, but there is some great information from some major industry players in these threads. You will even find information from Chris that addresses the issue.
There are some other thoughts by some that might have changed with time as they obtained more knowledge and there are thoughts that I still do not believe. They may be true, but they go against the knowledge that has come my way. The definition of a custom knife as far as the industry is concerned has pretty much remained the same since the Forums started. The bottom line to all this as far as I am concerned is that it is important for you to be happy with what you buy when you consider purchasing a fine piece of cutlery and the best way to insure your satisfaction is to obtain as much knowledge as is realistically feasible depending upon your situation. There are some short cuts to obtaining that knowledge here in the old posts of this forum. Going to shows and reading books can be a next step in the journey if you are inclined. The search never ends for makers, purveyors, and collectors of knives. Keep in mind nothing beats handling and studying as many knives of all types as possible.
(Keep in mind I am just a collector and I learn here every day from you folks.)
This is just a start for you. By entering key words (Sebenza, Reeve, MT, Micro, Guild, Machined for example)you can easily bring up old threads on the subjects.
From there you can go back and find a lot of information on the subject of Custom and Factory or Shop made knives. We had our verbal battles at times, but there is a lot of information there. Sometimes you have to separate the wheat from the chaff to understand the points being made. I know and am friends with at least two guys who used to feel that some of the higher end shop made knives were customs, you will see their posts. I bet their opinions have changed since those posts were made
------------------
" The real art of living is too keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post.
In memory of James Mattis
[This message has been edited by Gus Kalanzis (edited 12-19-2000).]
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2000
- Messages
- 2,330
A william henry is a thing of beauty but definitely not a hard-use knife. For people who have to work in a suit, it would make a great daily carry piece. I've been eyeing the Lancet for some time and may just give in next year. There is a version of the Lancet that comes with a very nice fishtail oak handle which may just be what you are looking for. If you want a larger blade, WH's new global series has handles of black palm.
***
Hmmm... A pack of chimp knifemakers?
ROTFL!
James, I am in total agreement with your views on this issue. Quality should be the defining factor in any knife. I have great knives which I treasure from both custom makers and production companies. Pardon my saying but a crappy knife still a POS regardless of how it was made or who made it. Just because a knife was "handmade" or "custom-made" doesn't automatically make it a great knife, unfortunately.
This is just me speaking but sometimes it looks like a case of my knife is 'more custom' than your knife thing.
Andrew
[This message has been edited by redvenom (edited 12-21-2000).]
***
Hmmm... A pack of chimp knifemakers?
ROTFL!
James, I am in total agreement with your views on this issue. Quality should be the defining factor in any knife. I have great knives which I treasure from both custom makers and production companies. Pardon my saying but a crappy knife still a POS regardless of how it was made or who made it. Just because a knife was "handmade" or "custom-made" doesn't automatically make it a great knife, unfortunately.
This is just me speaking but sometimes it looks like a case of my knife is 'more custom' than your knife thing.
Andrew
[This message has been edited by redvenom (edited 12-21-2000).]
stjames
Sebenzanista
- Joined
- Oct 26, 1998
- Messages
- 6,465
Andrew, thanks for the kind words. See, everybody, you only have to go half way around the world to find someone that agrees with me
Just a few more customers and Ill be ready to start up the Twelve Monkeys Bladeworks.
Whether it was a single artist, a skilled group of craftsmen, or Santas Elves working at the North Pole, I hope someone has made the perfect knife for you and that its under the tree as we speak. Take care and Happy Holidays, everybody!
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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
Whether it was a single artist, a skilled group of craftsmen, or Santas Elves working at the North Pole, I hope someone has made the perfect knife for you and that its under the tree as we speak. Take care and Happy Holidays, everybody!
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James Segura
San Francisco, CA