What else ya got?

Railsplitter said:
I think I remember seeing pics of your porcelain Knife Grinder.
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In case you missed it:
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This is the cutlery sign I was hoping for: (note it's over 4' long):
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JohnDF said:
If nothing else, it's nice to discuss something other than GEC and Rough Ryder. ;)
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JohnDF said:
I appreciate all the suggestions, it's fun to see what everybody else focuses on when not focusing on GEC.
I really like a few of the suggestions, especially the vintage hardware store knives, that one has me interested. I think I will just keep casually looking at different stuff and see where it takes me or what speaks to me personally. I'll still get the odd GEC when one calls my name, and of course keep looking for those good deals on 1970's Case knives (my favorites), and possibly find my first custom to see if they are truly worth all the extra money. Maybe slowing down is just the natural order of things.
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It's interesting to read about different areas of focus.
While I indulge in a new knife from time to time, my joy is running "r8shell's Home for Old and Worn Out Knives" :D

I look for 100+ year old knives that end up the "bargain bin" because of damage or obscurity. Often I can clean it up, sharpen the remaining blades and carry it in my pocket.

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I feel like I have landed in a similar spot myself a few times in the past. My first solution was customs, and they are great, but I found I rarely like them more than less expensive versions of the same knife. Even when they are hands down the best, I only want or can afford one. Then I moved to vintage knives and extinct brands, I like Robeson. However, I have found the ones I really like are highly valued by others. Occasionally the rare good find pops up but not consistently enough for my tastes.

My current approach to this dilemma is two fold. First I have developed an interest in various ethnic knives, by that I mean knives that represent a geographic region or historical era or both, I am on a puukko quest now. And second I have started looking at patterns that have never appealed to me personally. That may sound strange but I have found there are not any knives made for no reason, and all historical patterns have a use in the world. What I like to do is select a pattern and accumulate several examples of that type. Then I can test them out to discover there hidden virtues and find what I think is the best variant. I have never tried this without finding knives that I like, and some of my current favorites came from this process. Right now I am discovering muskrat pattern knives, in the past I had no interest in this pattern as I thought 2 similar blades would be redundant, boy was I wrong. I have really enjoyed finding the strengths hidden behind my own biases. BF is a great resource for this type of behavior, it has been other’s enthusiasm for particular knives that have helped develop my own ideas and passions surrounding a particular pattern.

My advice- Try something that you have traditionally avoided, you will almost certainly be pleasantly surprised.
 
Are there any knives that you missed out on that have stuck in your mind? You don't have to accept failure just because you weren't able to snag one the first time around. Here's a few that I either failed to pull the trigger on originally or learned about on the forum. It might have taken a few years, but The Great Material Continuum provided a second chance.

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There are IMHO a number of good opinions John , and I am about at the same place that you are . I had originally started collecting Barlows . Then I started trying to collect 2 each of the Northfield patterns that I liked . One to be Stag and the other in Bone . I am still doing that but I also tried to collect Cattaraugus and Taylors Eye Witness . Both are hard to find at reasonable prices . Now the goal is to buy new GECs that I like that I had missed out on during earlier runs and Old Vintage knives that are very reasonable . With the Goal being to pay way less for the vintages than they should be worth . That saves some money . Good luck on coming up with a decision that you are comfortable with .

Harry
 
I haven’t started yet but I’m going to look at older traditional folders from Europe. There are a lot of very specific styles with small changes between regions and countries. I’ve been looking at these a lot lately. Maybe this is the knife that will make me quit buying knives. Probably not but only one way to find out right?
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BDubbs said:
I haven’t started yet but I’m going to look at older traditional folders from Europe. There are a lot of very specific styles with small changes between regions and countries. I’ve been looking at these a lot lately. Maybe this is the knife that will make me quit buying knives. Probably not but only one way to find out right?
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Fontenille Pataud has a beautiful line of knives. I am expecting one of those Thiers knives any day.
 
I have enjoyed some of the knives pictured here from Portugal. Also some of the pics from Corto Malt's collection have been really cool. So I guess that I am saying look at European tradional knives too.
 
kamagong said:
Are there any knives that you missed out on that have stuck in your mind?
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The GEC #76 Krack-a-Jack... I'm still hunting it, but only at a (fairly) reasonable price.

Old Engineer said:
Now the goal is to buy new GECs that I like
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I will be buying new GEC knives too, but only at retail and only if it's a pattern that I already know I like.
 
I got into the refurbing old Sheffield or Japanese or German if I find them at the op shops kitchen knives....nice new aussie hardwood timber handles or antler....I saw some cows in a field nr Moruya nth of here.They have big long horns..which stand out because every other breed has been docked or shorthorn...Ive tried without success to find out more eg what they do with the horn when the beast is done...might have to go knock on the farmers door...." hi mate Im after your big long horns" THWHAAKK!..." I meant off the cattle" ..
I bet theres a bin full somewhere...
Anyway its a hands on process that I find rewarding.....and reasonably priced. I know there are mail order internet knife making suppliers stateside that sell everything you need to construct a knife of any kind...mostly not requiring a massive workshop....handtools only in many cases wuth great results....give that a go JohnDF JohnDF
 
I got into the refurbing old Sheffield or Japanese or German if I find them at the op shops kitchen knives....nice new aussie hardwood timber handles or antler....I saw some cows in a field nr Moruya nth of here.They have big long horns..which stand out because every other breed has been docked or shorthorn...Ive tried without success to find out more eg what they do with the horn when the beast is done...might have to go knock on the farmers door...." hi mate Im after your big long horns" THWHAAKK!..." I meant off the cattle" ..
I bet theres a bin full somewhere...
Anyway its a hands on process that I find rewarding.....and reasonably priced. I know there are mail order internet knife making suppliers stateside that sell everything you need to construct a knife of any kind...mostly not requiring a massive workshop....handtools only in many cases wuth great results....give that a go JohnDF JohnDF
 
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