Knife Appraisal

Stephen F

Stephen F

Joined
Sep 28, 2003
Messages
1,235
There have been some very good threads recently regarding critique and opinion. Whether a piece appeals visually is very subjective, however whether a piece is well made and constructed with expertise and skill must be capable of an objective appraisal must it not? Well if I work on the basis that it is then it would be interesting to gather a definitive list of those aspects of a knife that a user or collector appraises to see if it matches their expectations and requirements for "fit and finish" for a chosen application (use, presentation etc).

Now I am still learning how to truley appraise knives, but if I list what I initally look at, I would be grateful if others with more "real life" experience could add to, develop, or critique the list:

So here goes - in no particular order.... how "I" assess a fixed blade knife.


  1. Balance - how well distributed is the weight, not too much in the front or back.
  2. Comfort of the Handle - There should be no sharp or uncomfortable spots in various types of holding position.
  3. How well is the guard fitted - a super clean and precise joint on the blade side - a smooth tranition or clean, crisp joint on the Handle side.
  4. Grind - is it symmetrical, straight, and even across all surfaces.
  5. Ricasso, and choil - a continuation of finish and attention to all edged and grinds around this area.
  6. Blade finish - On hand rubbed - is it consistent across the whole surface. Damacus - is the etch even, no "gaps" between layers, differential thickness not too great between layers.
  7. Blade - Look down the blade top and bottom to check for warp or wave.
  8. Handle Finish - move fingers over spacers, inserts, pins etc to check of continuity of surface and finish.
  9. Filework etc - check it is consistent and even.
  10. How well do all surfaces match and meet - continuity , symmetry and consistency in spacers, lining, expansion/contraction joints.

Probably missed some or not doing something I should, so contributions welcome.

Stephen

PS: This list deliberately excludes aseement of sharpness and blade strength etc.
 
That's a very good list Stephen!

Here's a couple more points I check on my knives as I go and then again when they're all done---

Is the edge centered? You will often see knives where the edge is not centered with the ricasso over its length, even with a very good looking grind.

Is the spine of the blade squared off to the ricasso? I don't mean sharp edges, I mean the surface of the spine should be perpendicular to the flats of the ricasso..unless rounded off. This goes for the choil area as well.

Is the guard square to the blade's centerline?

Is the guard evenly shaped side to side, and equal distances out from the ricasso?

Are all handle components equal thickness? Or is the guard out of square requiring "chasing" of the following components (ferrule, spacers, etc.)?

Is the handle shaped symmetrically side to side? Is it in line with the center-line of the blade? (this one gets a lot of people). It's common for many folks to shape a handle (nice and evenly) yet if you sight down the blade, the point will not center with the butt end of the knife.

Is the butt end of the handle square with the guard? This one is difficult to check with absolute certainty without something such as a 1-2-3 block, granite surface plate, squares, and height gage...but if it's off you can see it.

These are some of the really picky elements. Sometimes the next guy will have better eyes, or just see something differently... so just because the first guy DID check for these points, it doesn't mean the second guy will think they're right on.

A good example is a clip grind. Three guys will look at the clip on a knife and see it as evenly ground, and the fourth will say..."nope, it's just a little strong on this side." But then again, that could happen with every single aspect of a knife. That's partly why I think being an ABS Js or Ms judge must be very difficult.

Good post Stephen :)
-Nick-
 
Nick, Thanks for a very informative response - its great to hear how a well respected maker such as yourself checks his work.


Thanks,

Stephen
 
Damn Nick, you are one picky son of a gun. That tells me a lot about what you put into the making of your knives.
 
Hey Guys-

Yea, I'm probably too picky.

And like I mentioned, just because I check these things, doesn't mean someone else won't think I overlooked some or all of them.

No perfect knives and all :)

Something worth note...two guys I admire and respect very much that are friends AND always have these elements right on the money... Michael Vagnino and Tim Hancock. A new friend that I still haven't met in person but got to pick over a couple of his knives and had all this stuff right? Brett Gatlin, he's knocking out some VERY good work.

Of course there are dozens of others, both smiths and stock-removal. But I don't know all makers and haven't handled all work. I singled out Mike and Tim because I've never seen a knife from them that didn't pass with flying colors.

I am striving to be included in such a group someday.

-Nick-

ps, I am surprised Stephen's post hasn't gotten more ideas thrown in. I would sure like to hear some more!!! :)
 
Nick, at the risk of inflating your already huge head, DON'T CHANGE A THING! :D

Your fanatic attention to detail is one thing that sets you above lots of other makers.
 
I had a disappointment around a year ago when a knife I bought turned out to be somewhat of a "test". The certain maker had decided his prices were low, then priced his knife about double what normally it would have been "to see what the market would bare". I actually traded on this knife, but still it left me with an unsettled feeling and I haven't gotten over it since. Which, made me realize something.. to be more careful if the maker isn't well known yet, or as a buyer be better informed, especially in the aftermarket. How easy is it to find his knives, and what demand exists? I've been guilty of buying something, knowing that down the road I'd probably trade it or sell it if I found something that I liked better. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes I get stuck with a "bag of coal". I have to remind myself, Don't buy on a whim!

Also, I think who makes it (name recognition) also has everything to do with the price structure, in terms of appraising the dollar amount.
David
 
2knife said:
How easy is it to find his knives, and what demand exists? I've been guilty of buying something, knowing that down the road I'd probably trade it or sell it if I found something that I liked better. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes I get stuck with a "bag of coal". I have to remind myself, Don't buy on a whim!
David
Click to expand...

How easy? Depends on your definition of the term. It's very easy in the sense that the information is there for the taking, and not so easy in that the taking involves a bit of work. But consider the following sources of information:

1) The maker himself (herself) - what do they charge for a given model?
2) Dealer sites - what prices are they asking for a maker's knives and how does this compare to the maker's price?
3) Secondary market - forum sales, E-bay etc. What are the maker's knives listed listed at? Do they sell at those prices? Do they sell at all?
4) Other collectors / knife enthusiasts. I have both sent and received numerous e-mails along the lines of "What to you think of knife X by maker Y selling for price Z?"

I have passed on any number of knives that were excellent pieces of cutlery by the criteria listed by Stephen and Nick, but were still, in my view, a poor value becasue of an extremely inflated price.

Cheers,

Roger
 
Roger & others,
Do you know the percentage of knifemakers who routinely sell to preferred customers or knife websites at big discounts? (40% or more to other dealers, including knife websites.) Is that typical?

That was my last hurdle trying to sell one of my knives. On resale, it's hard to get a good aftermarket price if the knives are being sold cheap to certain places, and (retail) expensive to others. If a dealer license is the answer, maybe we can all save some money and get one of those...
David
 
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