[Drac]

It might also help to look at how things were viewed before our times and how they got here. It has been brought up about definitions used by such as Loveless. Also think about older than that. Many moons ago and even to this day in the Scandinavian countries a knife maker is not necessarily the man who makes the blade. That was the smith. In many ways they were working on kits knives. Around here kit knives have no bias against them, but else where I here & read on how kits are for people who can?t make real knives. Over there it isn?t a stigma or a learning tool; it?s a tradition.

I?m not trying to confuse or change the subject. If we are trying to set a standard for things to come where do we want it to go? Honest among ourselves we are. Educators to the customers and examples we can be. Police force of the knife world we are not.

I guess I?m getting a little confused. On one hand I like classification, again the proper name for the item. I like to be able to describe my craft and knives with standard terms that will make it better for the customer. On the other over classification and ?pigeon holing? an other-wise honest guy who doesn?t fit the classification is not something I would want to encourage. The above example of Scandinavian knife makers is an example of how an ancient tradition can change just by giving it a classification.

I don?t want to discourage this but how do we do one without opening up the gates to the other?

Jim