- Joined
- Oct 19, 2005
- Messages
- 19,687
Hello Knife lovers, welcome aboard. I'm Andy Roy, and I started Fiddleback Forge Knives in my garage in 2007. I had been bitten by the knifemaking bug after making a few simple knives from files and old hickory knives I'd cut up. At the time I was an engineer working in an antenna design company. Knives are so much more interesting to me than electronics and before long, I had followed my passion into a business. I started out part time, and then on May 1 2009 (layoff) became a full time maker. I started out making 6 a week in my basement (we had moved). I don't know if it was myself, or my wife who was more surprised when a few months in, we were still making ends meet. Knives turned out to be the right direction for me, and Fiddleback Forge, with your help and support is growing. We now make our knives in a separate facility from my home, churning out over 30 knives per week and have two employees and an apprentice helping us to finish the work.
Handles and grinds are the focus of my knives. I am a toolmaker, and strive to make a real cutting tool that is comfortable to use. The grind I like to put on knives (I still do all the bevel grinding) is the convex grind. I fell in love with convexed knives from the Himilayan Imports khukuri. I like the strength of the convex knife, and I find them the easiest to maintain. This is especially true in the field, certainly sandpaper is easier to carry, and less likely to break. The other aspect of my knives that make them special is the handle. I shape each handle with grinders and files, and try to make each handle comfortable to use, and naturally indexed in the hand. I always liked carving walking sticks, back in the Boy Scouts, and I think the shaping still appeals to me on that level. I think for a long time, the comfortable handles sold the knives, while I worked out exactly how to make the convex grind look as good as some of the other grinds. As a knifemaker, I strive to make the handles more comfortable, and the grinds cleaner with every batch.
I sell my knives two ways. I work with four dealers who are excellent folks that I am very happy to work with. Those are Knives Ship Free ( www.knivesshipfree.com ), Arizona Custom Knives ( www.arizonacustomknives.com ), The Knife Connection ( www.theknifeconnection.com ), and USA Made Blade ( www.usamadeblade.com ). Please help us out, by checking out their sites, and supporting them as well. I also sell directly right here on Bladeforums at weekly Fiddleback Friday event. For those who do not know, each week I put a selection of the knives that week up for sale in a thread titled Fiddleback Friday. Its first come first serve, and common forum 'law of the sharks' applies. This event has been a success, and we at Fiddleback Forge thank everyone who paticipates.
There are a few important threads pinned to the top portion of the Fiddleback Forge forum at Bladeforums dot com.
1. The user pic thread is for folks to be able to post and browse pics of my knives.
Also, feel free to look at pics till you can't stand it anymore at: http://public.fotki.com/FiddlebackForge/
2. The warranty thread is for folks to post warranty issues. I will respond in the thread there. It explains the warranty, and a bit about the warranty history at Fiddleback Forge knives.
3. The introduction to Fiddleback Forge thread, ie, this one.
4. The Fiddleback Flea Market, which helps folks who are gold or better members at Bladeforums to sell their used Fiddlebacks.
There are a small family of knifemakers that I have worked with, and have learned to make knives with me and at my shop. I'd like for you to check them out as well. First I'd like to mention Dylan Fletcher, of Fletcher Knives who makes his knives out of our shared shop. Also, check out Dan Eastland of Dogwood knives. They both have forums here at Bladeforums where you can find their work. Two newcomers came around this year that are both so talented its hard to stand. Those are Damon Lusky of AK Knives (technically, Dylan's apprentice) and Adam Andreasen of Valkyrie Knives. These two guys both walked up to a grinder, and pulled a perfect convex sabergrind first try. This year we also added Judy Yoon of 40 Point and Allen Surls of WAS Knives to the shop family. I am very proud to have been able to teach a bit of knifemaking to this family of guys, and I can tell you that I have learned as much from each of them as they have learned from me.
Thank you for supporting Fiddleback Forge Knives. We are excited and humbled to be able to make knives for you, and hope you enjoy USING our tools!! Function comes first here, but we strive to make a knife pretty enough to show off.
Warranty- I back my knives with a satisfaction guarantee. When you get the knife it should make you happy. If it doesn't, return it in unused condition within the first month you own it. I'll refund your purchase price, plus shipping (domestic) back home to me when I receive the knife in unused condition. I guarantee my work to be free from mechanical defects under normal usage, and will repair or replace such a knife/problem as necessary as long as I remain able to make knives. Natural handle materials such as stag, bone, wood, pearl and ivory may shrink, crack, and/or discolor with change in temperature, or humidity or age. As this is normal, expected, and can normally be avoided with maintenance these issues would not be covered under this warranty.
Machete Warranty - Machete's are guaranteed for satisfactiion on arrival same as my knives. I also guarantee that the blade won't break, and the handle won't pop off. Either of those two happen, and you get a new machete. However, edge damage is common to machete's, and to be expected from machetes, and is therefore not covered under my warranty. File it out like any other machete and go on having fun cutting.
Stupidity - I don't cover stupidity. Ask yourself why your knife failed. If you're batonning a skinner, then you have fallen into the stupidity catagory. They're designed to cut flesh. I can likely fix your knife, and will do it as cost effective as possible, but you are not getting a free knife. Skinners, kitchen knives, Nessmuks etc are designed, and intended to be used for their specific intended function. Get an outdoor knife with a thicker edge if you are going to be batonning it through knotty wood. I believe this is common sense, but it had to be said.
Dealer website links:
www.knivesshipfree.com
www.usamadeblade.com
www.bladecousa.com
www.the-knife-connection.com
Pricing (these are base prices without sheaths):
Very Small Knives: Runt, Karda and BLJ, etc.....- $220
~3 Bladed Knives: Bushboot, EDC, EDCII, HikingBuddy, Bushcraft Karda, EDKarda, Woodpecker, Carver, F2, etc..... - $250
4 Bladed Knives: Bushcrafter, Terrassaur, Ladyfinger, Arete, Recluse Bushie, Snubnose, Bushfinger, Bushpik, KPH, Nessmuks, Sneaky Pete, etc.... - $275
Woodchuck, Hunter, Bourbon Street Skinner, Protagonist - $325
Forager - $350
Fiddleback Fighter, Woodsman, Duke - $380
Camp Knife - $490
Competition Cutter - $550
BLC - $$$$
Commonly used up-charges include:
$60 for stainless steels
$50+ for using Ironwood
$35-100 for stabalized woods
$40 for expensive g-10's and micartas
$40 for custom phenolics
$50 for hand rubbing
$40 for Bolsters
$60 for forged curly cue
$40 for tapering a tang
Contact:
Fiddleback Forge, Inc
5450 Technology Parkway
Suite 700
Braselton, Ga. 30517
470-239-4263
e-mails:
andy at fiddlebackforge dot com
fiddlebackforge at att dot net
paypal payments:
fiddlebackpayments at att dot net
Handles and grinds are the focus of my knives. I am a toolmaker, and strive to make a real cutting tool that is comfortable to use. The grind I like to put on knives (I still do all the bevel grinding) is the convex grind. I fell in love with convexed knives from the Himilayan Imports khukuri. I like the strength of the convex knife, and I find them the easiest to maintain. This is especially true in the field, certainly sandpaper is easier to carry, and less likely to break. The other aspect of my knives that make them special is the handle. I shape each handle with grinders and files, and try to make each handle comfortable to use, and naturally indexed in the hand. I always liked carving walking sticks, back in the Boy Scouts, and I think the shaping still appeals to me on that level. I think for a long time, the comfortable handles sold the knives, while I worked out exactly how to make the convex grind look as good as some of the other grinds. As a knifemaker, I strive to make the handles more comfortable, and the grinds cleaner with every batch.
I sell my knives two ways. I work with four dealers who are excellent folks that I am very happy to work with. Those are Knives Ship Free ( www.knivesshipfree.com ), Arizona Custom Knives ( www.arizonacustomknives.com ), The Knife Connection ( www.theknifeconnection.com ), and USA Made Blade ( www.usamadeblade.com ). Please help us out, by checking out their sites, and supporting them as well. I also sell directly right here on Bladeforums at weekly Fiddleback Friday event. For those who do not know, each week I put a selection of the knives that week up for sale in a thread titled Fiddleback Friday. Its first come first serve, and common forum 'law of the sharks' applies. This event has been a success, and we at Fiddleback Forge thank everyone who paticipates.
There are a few important threads pinned to the top portion of the Fiddleback Forge forum at Bladeforums dot com.
1. The user pic thread is for folks to be able to post and browse pics of my knives.
Also, feel free to look at pics till you can't stand it anymore at: http://public.fotki.com/FiddlebackForge/
2. The warranty thread is for folks to post warranty issues. I will respond in the thread there. It explains the warranty, and a bit about the warranty history at Fiddleback Forge knives.
3. The introduction to Fiddleback Forge thread, ie, this one.
4. The Fiddleback Flea Market, which helps folks who are gold or better members at Bladeforums to sell their used Fiddlebacks.
There are a small family of knifemakers that I have worked with, and have learned to make knives with me and at my shop. I'd like for you to check them out as well. First I'd like to mention Dylan Fletcher, of Fletcher Knives who makes his knives out of our shared shop. Also, check out Dan Eastland of Dogwood knives. They both have forums here at Bladeforums where you can find their work. Two newcomers came around this year that are both so talented its hard to stand. Those are Damon Lusky of AK Knives (technically, Dylan's apprentice) and Adam Andreasen of Valkyrie Knives. These two guys both walked up to a grinder, and pulled a perfect convex sabergrind first try. This year we also added Judy Yoon of 40 Point and Allen Surls of WAS Knives to the shop family. I am very proud to have been able to teach a bit of knifemaking to this family of guys, and I can tell you that I have learned as much from each of them as they have learned from me.
Thank you for supporting Fiddleback Forge Knives. We are excited and humbled to be able to make knives for you, and hope you enjoy USING our tools!! Function comes first here, but we strive to make a knife pretty enough to show off.
Warranty- I back my knives with a satisfaction guarantee. When you get the knife it should make you happy. If it doesn't, return it in unused condition within the first month you own it. I'll refund your purchase price, plus shipping (domestic) back home to me when I receive the knife in unused condition. I guarantee my work to be free from mechanical defects under normal usage, and will repair or replace such a knife/problem as necessary as long as I remain able to make knives. Natural handle materials such as stag, bone, wood, pearl and ivory may shrink, crack, and/or discolor with change in temperature, or humidity or age. As this is normal, expected, and can normally be avoided with maintenance these issues would not be covered under this warranty.
Machete Warranty - Machete's are guaranteed for satisfactiion on arrival same as my knives. I also guarantee that the blade won't break, and the handle won't pop off. Either of those two happen, and you get a new machete. However, edge damage is common to machete's, and to be expected from machetes, and is therefore not covered under my warranty. File it out like any other machete and go on having fun cutting.
Stupidity - I don't cover stupidity. Ask yourself why your knife failed. If you're batonning a skinner, then you have fallen into the stupidity catagory. They're designed to cut flesh. I can likely fix your knife, and will do it as cost effective as possible, but you are not getting a free knife. Skinners, kitchen knives, Nessmuks etc are designed, and intended to be used for their specific intended function. Get an outdoor knife with a thicker edge if you are going to be batonning it through knotty wood. I believe this is common sense, but it had to be said.
Dealer website links:
www.knivesshipfree.com
www.usamadeblade.com
www.bladecousa.com
www.the-knife-connection.com
Pricing (these are base prices without sheaths):
Very Small Knives: Runt, Karda and BLJ, etc.....- $220
~3 Bladed Knives: Bushboot, EDC, EDCII, HikingBuddy, Bushcraft Karda, EDKarda, Woodpecker, Carver, F2, etc..... - $250
4 Bladed Knives: Bushcrafter, Terrassaur, Ladyfinger, Arete, Recluse Bushie, Snubnose, Bushfinger, Bushpik, KPH, Nessmuks, Sneaky Pete, etc.... - $275
Woodchuck, Hunter, Bourbon Street Skinner, Protagonist - $325
Forager - $350
Fiddleback Fighter, Woodsman, Duke - $380
Camp Knife - $490
Competition Cutter - $550
BLC - $$$$
Commonly used up-charges include:
$60 for stainless steels
$50+ for using Ironwood
$35-100 for stabalized woods
$40 for expensive g-10's and micartas
$40 for custom phenolics
$50 for hand rubbing
$40 for Bolsters
$60 for forged curly cue
$40 for tapering a tang
Contact:
Fiddleback Forge, Inc
5450 Technology Parkway
Suite 700
Braselton, Ga. 30517
470-239-4263
e-mails:
andy at fiddlebackforge dot com
fiddlebackforge at att dot net
paypal payments:
fiddlebackpayments at att dot net
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