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Here are some of my random jumbled thoughts that make up my knife philosophy. Some of it I have learned through buying, using and breaking knives over the years, some through study and crafting knives, and the rest is derived from my worst case scenario way of looking at the world.
10-24-09
I have been studying some of the knives and assorted blade of pre fire arm culture, where people truly lived and died by the blade. I figure these guys knew what did and did not work when it came to using knives as tools and weapons. It has been very inspiring and I am working on some new designs with the old blades firmly in my minds eye. I am excited with what I will be coming out with soon!
7-18-09
The D2 experiments have been a great success, and I will continue to offer knives made from this steel. Most likely I will be using CPM d2, as long as they don't go out of existence. It has been a long time since Crucible smelted any steel for knives but hopefully they will be back in the saddle when a buyer picks them up.
On that note I am now ready to take the plunge into the world of the CPM stainless steels, namely CPM S30V and CPM 154. The popularity of my small utility knife in 1084, 5160 and D2 has given me the confidence to look at these other steels. Stay tuned for details.
I just thought of this lately: Why do some guys about have a heart attack at the thought of spending 300 dollars on a well made, well designed knife that will perform at an awesome level, but have probably bought at least 10, 30 dollar knives that either break, don't cut well, don't stay sharp, don't get sharp, whatever...Like they say most lures are meant to catch fishermen not fish,somehow that applies to knives too. And if you don't have 300 bucks that's fine, I can tell you how to find a good factory knife for a good price. I will say that the first clue is find one of high carbon steel....second, find an edge that is not shaped like a splitting maul....ok rant mode off!
The first time I can remember trying to use a knife hard was when I was about 7 and I had an old rusty, bone handled jack knife that I was trying to cut a small steel tag off of my bicycle with. It failed, the knife slipped and I had my first self inflicted cut. It hurt like hell, as all cuts from dull knives do. I still have the scar, I still like knives, and I still occasionally cut myself. When asked why I was trying to cut the tag off with a knife, I think I replied something like, because it was all I had.
A knife is first and foremost a TOOL. It is a very specific tool for a specific job. Any tool that claims to do it all won't do much well at all. Some tools can be used for a few things, which is all we can ask. I think most of my knives tend to fall under that category.
To my way of thinking, knives should cut, slash and poke holes. They should be comfortable in your hand when doing so. They should be able to be held in a variety of ways.
The only sharp edge on a knife should be the cutting edge/s/point. I take a lot of time ensuring that all non-cutting surfaces are radiused, smooth and comfortable.
I have bought "hard use" knives before, that while damn near unbreakable, were extremely unpleasant to use due to unergonomic handle designs, sharp edges at places other than the cutting edge, and poorly designed cutting edges that were to too thick to cut well.
I have owned other hard use knives that were a pleasure to use, with well thought out designs. Both the poorly planned and the great ones have inspired me to delve into the world and lifestyle of a knife maker.
A knife should be sharp! That is a given. and it should hold that sharp edge well. And when it becomes dull after much use, it should be easy to sharpen, by anyone with a whetstone.
This leads me to my preference for high carbon, simple tool steel. I know that some of the uber high tech stainless steels available today can take and hold a wickedly sharp edge, but once that edge is gone, the individual generally must send it back to the maker to sharpen it, if he wishes a factory sharp edge.
Not so with a properly heat treated and tempered carbon steel blade. Just about anyone can produce a very sharp, usable edge on a carbon steel blade. That means when and where you need it right now, you can have a sharp blade.
A knife should be up to the job it is designed for--and then some. A hunting knife is not designed for the same purposes as a combat/field knife, but sometimes when it is all you have....All I am saying is I don't design a knife to do the least that might be expected of it. But I don't believe every knife needs to be a sharpened pry bar either.
For utility/hunting style knives I personally like a blade under 4". To me, that is as big as I like to be maneuvering around inside an animal. It is a handy size to use for everyday tasks. Above that I like to jump up to a big blade over 8". That's just me.
Lot's of people like the compromise of a 5-7" field knife, and I agree. Most of them carry a 3-4" folder as well, which I would venture to guess gets used a whole lot more than the 5-7" fixed blade. Which leads me back to the theory of a small fixed blade and a big 'un.
I like to carry and use fixed blade knives whenever possible. They are stronger, have no moving parts to malfunction, and are quick to deploy when needed. That said I do occasionally carry a folder when needed, but 90%of the time it is a fixed blade on my side.
My intent is not to make "cool" knives. It is to make knives that do their intended jobs very well--if they happen to look nice too, so be it.
There is nothing new under the sun. You won't find any earth shattering new designs here. Hopefully you will find well executed, simple knives that perform well and do the job they were made for. I just want to make the best knives that I know how, for people who care enough to know the difference.
I like the freedom that forging knives from bar stock gives me. With a forged blade, the smith is not limited by the original dimensions of the steel, he can manipulate it until it is how he wants it. And there is just something very satisfying about playing with fire and pounding red hot steel on an anvil!
If it were socially acceptable/legal I would like to see people carrying big ass bowies around. Think how polite everyone would be then. |
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