- Joined
- Sep 28, 2003
- Messages
- 1,235
Hi,
I would like to show you my new knife, although it could actually be classed as art. There again it is quite functional, and quite practical, it cuts things which most other knives do, but its just a bit too pretty to frighten anything, certainly any inanimate objects will not be intimidated nor as respectful .... with the the exception of paper, which of course is pretty timid. Also, I suspect that it may not cut that well because the piece of metal at the top of the blade, or is that the end .... anyhow the piece of metal that comes between the blade and the handle has some engraving on it, which apparently blunts the blade during the "artifartifying process". So whilst I am not quite sure if it is a knife or art, what I can tell you is that it is a sharp(ish) object shaped like a knife in a style reminiscent of the old style Bowie ......... or so I thought, I showed it a couple of friends of mine and one told me it was a fighter, another said it was a large fixed blade hunting knife, then I looked on the internet and I saw some similar ones which where camp knives, another called a large utility knife, ...... there was another that called it a camp bowie! I guess the only consistent definition I could find on the shape was that it was a large fixed blade.
The maker of this knife shaped object with a large fixed blade, is someone who I thought was a well known custom knifemaker, however when I said that to him he was quick to make sure I understood that it would depend on why I was contacting him, and what I was requesting, as to whether he actually was a custom knifemaker or not. I told him that it didn't really matter what he called himself, I just wanted to get a handcrafted knife shaped object with a large sharp(ish) fixed blade. He stopped me at this point and told me I would have to sign a waiver he would send me by courier in which I accepted that my knife shaped object with a large fixed blade would not actually be 100% handcrafted, and that I understood that he did actually use some power assisted equipment in his work shop. After a week or so with our lawyers agreeing the terms of this waiver we were able to talk about the project, I told him I had an idea of the shape .... "great" he said "its a custom order, you know you will have to pay more for that?", I went on to explain my idea was based on one of his large fixed blades, but with a different shaped handle and upswept blade. The maker sighed and said "OK, but thats not a custom order, its a customized order ...... slightly cheaper you see it I make if closer to my specifications than yours."
I then asked him if he could make it as an integral, but he didn't understand what I meant, and in the end we agreed he would make it from one piece of steel . He then asked me what steel I would prefer, I told him modified 1056 ........ "Thats a problem" he told me.
"Why?",
"Well you see, during the modification process we add some chromium, which means that your knife shaped object with a large sharp(ish) fixed blade won't be made out out of a single piece of steel."
"Thats OK" I told him.
"Well you say that now, but who knows in a few years time .... I tell you what if you want the 1056M lets get our lawyers to draw up an agreement!"
"... ummm OK!"
During our conversations I asked him how long he had been a knife maker. It surprised me when he said he had stopped being a knifemaker in early 2007, apparently he was forced to do so by the department of fair trade because of 1 and a half complaints they had received about him misrepresenting his business. It appears that his use of design and the incorporation of embellishment on more than 56.5% of his annual output meant he had forfeited the right to use the word knifemaker (apparently at 74% you must call yourself an artist or illustrator), and must now refer to himself only as a person who shapes metal into knife shaped objects.
But I digress ..... It was a great process, only took 3 months to place and confirm the order, but the person who shapes metal into knife shaped objects either to your or his specifications has a very long waiting list due to all the legal meetings he has to attend.
So here it is, after a long long wait ... my new
" knife shaped object with a large sharp(ish) fixed blade, made by a person who shapes metal into knife shaped objects either to your or his specifications, using a mixture of hand tools and power assisted equipment "
.... well to be honest I didn't really like it when it arrived so I sold it before I took a photograph.
In fact I was thinking of selling most of my knife shaped objects with large fixed blades, you see I bought them because I liked the look of them, but I was talking to someone the other day, and apparently they don't look good in my portfolio (I must be getting one for Christmas as I am not sure what it is) ..... now this came as a bit of shock because they looked good in my display case .... anyhow I wouldn't want friends and family laughing at how silly my portfolio looks . So I talk to some guys about them but apparently the value of my knife shaped objects with a large sharp(ish) fixed blades depends on what type of animals are being sold at the market. My friend said I must have bought when there was a lot of Bulls being talked about and bought, (must be the Spanish Bull Fighters who push the prices up or something), because it looks like the prices I paid are much higher than when the Bears are at the market, guess they just use guns on them.
To be honest with all the lawyers and having to watch out for all these different types of animals its a bit like hard work ....... but I still love my knife shaped objects with large sharp(ish) fixed blades, so I'll probably just leave them in the display case and look at them instead, well apart from the one or two that I use to try and rub through paper and dent wood.
Cheers
Stephen
Accumulator of knife shaped objects with large sharp(ish) fixed blades
... And of course this is completely fictional, no knifemakers, collectors, or users where harmed in its production!
I would like to show you my new knife, although it could actually be classed as art. There again it is quite functional, and quite practical, it cuts things which most other knives do, but its just a bit too pretty to frighten anything, certainly any inanimate objects will not be intimidated nor as respectful .... with the the exception of paper, which of course is pretty timid. Also, I suspect that it may not cut that well because the piece of metal at the top of the blade, or is that the end .... anyhow the piece of metal that comes between the blade and the handle has some engraving on it, which apparently blunts the blade during the "artifartifying process". So whilst I am not quite sure if it is a knife or art, what I can tell you is that it is a sharp(ish) object shaped like a knife in a style reminiscent of the old style Bowie ......... or so I thought, I showed it a couple of friends of mine and one told me it was a fighter, another said it was a large fixed blade hunting knife, then I looked on the internet and I saw some similar ones which where camp knives, another called a large utility knife, ...... there was another that called it a camp bowie! I guess the only consistent definition I could find on the shape was that it was a large fixed blade.
The maker of this knife shaped object with a large fixed blade, is someone who I thought was a well known custom knifemaker, however when I said that to him he was quick to make sure I understood that it would depend on why I was contacting him, and what I was requesting, as to whether he actually was a custom knifemaker or not. I told him that it didn't really matter what he called himself, I just wanted to get a handcrafted knife shaped object with a large sharp(ish) fixed blade. He stopped me at this point and told me I would have to sign a waiver he would send me by courier in which I accepted that my knife shaped object with a large fixed blade would not actually be 100% handcrafted, and that I understood that he did actually use some power assisted equipment in his work shop. After a week or so with our lawyers agreeing the terms of this waiver we were able to talk about the project, I told him I had an idea of the shape .... "great" he said "its a custom order, you know you will have to pay more for that?", I went on to explain my idea was based on one of his large fixed blades, but with a different shaped handle and upswept blade. The maker sighed and said "OK, but thats not a custom order, its a customized order ...... slightly cheaper you see it I make if closer to my specifications than yours."
I then asked him if he could make it as an integral, but he didn't understand what I meant, and in the end we agreed he would make it from one piece of steel . He then asked me what steel I would prefer, I told him modified 1056 ........ "Thats a problem" he told me.
"Why?",
"Well you see, during the modification process we add some chromium, which means that your knife shaped object with a large sharp(ish) fixed blade won't be made out out of a single piece of steel."
"Thats OK" I told him.
"Well you say that now, but who knows in a few years time .... I tell you what if you want the 1056M lets get our lawyers to draw up an agreement!"
"... ummm OK!"
During our conversations I asked him how long he had been a knife maker. It surprised me when he said he had stopped being a knifemaker in early 2007, apparently he was forced to do so by the department of fair trade because of 1 and a half complaints they had received about him misrepresenting his business. It appears that his use of design and the incorporation of embellishment on more than 56.5% of his annual output meant he had forfeited the right to use the word knifemaker (apparently at 74% you must call yourself an artist or illustrator), and must now refer to himself only as a person who shapes metal into knife shaped objects.
But I digress ..... It was a great process, only took 3 months to place and confirm the order, but the person who shapes metal into knife shaped objects either to your or his specifications has a very long waiting list due to all the legal meetings he has to attend.
So here it is, after a long long wait ... my new
" knife shaped object with a large sharp(ish) fixed blade, made by a person who shapes metal into knife shaped objects either to your or his specifications, using a mixture of hand tools and power assisted equipment "
.... well to be honest I didn't really like it when it arrived so I sold it before I took a photograph.
In fact I was thinking of selling most of my knife shaped objects with large fixed blades, you see I bought them because I liked the look of them, but I was talking to someone the other day, and apparently they don't look good in my portfolio (I must be getting one for Christmas as I am not sure what it is) ..... now this came as a bit of shock because they looked good in my display case .... anyhow I wouldn't want friends and family laughing at how silly my portfolio looks . So I talk to some guys about them but apparently the value of my knife shaped objects with a large sharp(ish) fixed blades depends on what type of animals are being sold at the market. My friend said I must have bought when there was a lot of Bulls being talked about and bought, (must be the Spanish Bull Fighters who push the prices up or something), because it looks like the prices I paid are much higher than when the Bears are at the market, guess they just use guns on them.
To be honest with all the lawyers and having to watch out for all these different types of animals its a bit like hard work ....... but I still love my knife shaped objects with large sharp(ish) fixed blades, so I'll probably just leave them in the display case and look at them instead, well apart from the one or two that I use to try and rub through paper and dent wood.
Cheers
Stephen
Accumulator of knife shaped objects with large sharp(ish) fixed blades
... And of course this is completely fictional, no knifemakers, collectors, or users where harmed in its production!
