Hi guys,

I was thinking over PMs, emails, posts and conversations there have been several remarks on the line of "that would make a good custom project."

One that was just mentioned was about a one where everyone makes a knife to send out for destructive testing. Not something most people can do is make a knife and then destroy it but we all nee the feed back from those tests.

Among others have been various KITH themes, pass-around knife making (I keep thinking as a Hot Potato KITH, pass it around until the music stops and that's your knife) and collaboration projects to name a few. It could get real easy to forget these as we are waiting for one or more of the ideas that are currently running to finish so as not to stretch people to thin or to steal interest from what’s going on now.

It can also be a good way to list ones that have ran recently so people can see what we have been doing. Not to say "We can't do a tactical KITH! We already did it last year!" More of a way to track, like the 2nd Annual Newbie KITH, where we have been and are going with these ideas. If we listed the person who organized it we can also spur others to step forward to take an idea and run with it.

Some ideas, what do you guys think?

Jim

Think that's a great idea. Maybe a KITH/Custom Projects sticky at the top of this with the name of the KITH the person who started it and a link to that thread?

That's a good idea.

Of the KITH's that have been done in the last year or so, I think include:

Newbie KITH (x2)
Kitchen
Kris Kringle
Nessmuk
SITH (Seax)
Spring Fling
Scavenger
Neo-Tribal

Ideas for future KITH's:

Passaround
Collaboration
Famous maker tribute
Iron mistress
Scagel (this just came to me as I'm sitting here)

That's a good idea Jim. It can just be a simple record of what projects were done and when. The host's name can be included and a one liner about the details if you want.

You could make it a chronilogical, cascading list for ease of reading unless you have a better plan. Either way, it's your baby. It looks like Armory's got some of the details already to go. I'm not sure we need to list the one's we're thinking about doing in a sticky, but it would make a great ongoing conversation..., like community brainstorming..., to flesh 'em out. Whadaya think?

Start a new thread with the official record and accurate dates (to the month ya' think?) of all the projects we can remember and I'll make it a sticky.

How about a memorial KITH.You pick a design from a maker no longer with us.

That's a great idea; I didn't even know there had been that many kith's. I'm gonna have to search some more.

Tribute kith sounds great also.

I'll tell you, these kiths are a great learning experience. Great at forcing you to work toward a deadline also. Sorta puts the fire under your butt.

Dave

Just remember, there are a loy of ways to memorialize someone within the bounderies of a 'custom project'. Get creative with something that special.

A pass around knife with a benefit auction might be cool.

Ya' know, come to think of it, Buddy Thompson owns a steak knife that Shane Ivie donated to the Bob Warner benefit auction when Bob was laid up after his wreck.

It was a stunning knife, I just had to keep looking at it. If someone was so inclined, and could get permission from Shane's wife, that would make an awesome kit knife.

If Buddy would provide a photo next to a ruler, with other relevant measurments, a guy could crank out a good batch of blanks from O-1 (the steel Shane used), cut some of the exact mosaics he used, supply handle material, and HT instructions, and viola... a kit!

We could make say..., 100 to start. Let those who contribute recoup the majority of expense for steel, pins, handles, etc. and donate the profits from sales to a charity (chosen by Shane's family) in his name.

Hows THAT for a custom project?

I see what I can do about searching out the previous KITHs, though I think Armory414 got most of them. I didn't even know about some of them.

Jim

There was a combat kith too. I actually started the grinding on my design for that kith today! It'll be ready for another one I'm sure.

Bill

I wanna see a KITH centered on a classic knife, like pick a classic moran, or any old school bowie, or such, and see what ppl can do to remake the knife with a personal touch.

looks like the arrowhead KITH is missing from the list.

The "hot potato" KITH sounds very interesting. Possibly a group of 5-10 guys where there is basically no collaboration between them other than a chronological order of the participants for work on the knife - chosen randomly. Wouldn't it be cool where they all get together and select basic materials to begin with then the first guy does work up to "Milestone A" then passes it and all materials onto the second guy for "Milestone B" and so-on. Sooner or later there's a knife that just appeared from nothing and each maker had his own contribution in design and aesthetics on the project.

I think it'd be awesome to see what came out of that!

-AlanR

Alan

Kind of like a Knife in the Round (KITR)

although, i would rather everyone signup, everyone makes a blade (no handle etc) and send it off to someone else, then put a handle on the knife they just got and send THAT one off, then make a Sheath for the knife the just got, then send THAT one off, and then there are two options,

A: you get your original blade back, and get to see others interpretation of your concept

B: you get a new blade that you haven't worked on at all

I vote for option A. I think it would be cool to have a blade that I started that was completed by other makers.

I too like A.