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Old 05-27-2017, 07:52 AM
Ed Caffrey's Avatar
Ed Caffrey Ed Caffrey is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Great Falls, Montana, USA
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Morning Jim!

It's all a matter of perspective.... and I suppose evolution as a knifemaker. I consider many of the knives that I'm taking to Atlanta as "plain". There's also the matter of what people and clients have come to expect from me. It doesn't take me much more time, and no more materials to make a knife feel and look as good as it functions.

I've always worked from the notion that a knife is first and foremost a tool. What that means is I put just as much, or more emphasis on the blade's "usability" as I do everything else. All of the "extras" that separate my knives from being "plain", are those things that people have come to expect in my knives, and things that I enjoy doing.

I think it's interesting that you mentioned "premium S30V steel". Because of where you live, and the environment where you're clients use those blades, the corrosion resistance aspect is very important. The majority of my client base view that particular steel as a "fad" steel. I've made a number of knives from it, and none of my clients like it, because at it's target hardness, it's extremely difficult for them to resharpen. If feel that's something that many Knifemakers overlook....the client being able to maintain a knife.

Personally, I can't imagine building any knife from S30V, and selling it for $200 without loosing money. I suppose it all boils down to the fact that any handmade/custom knife is worth what a client will pay for it, and what the individual Knifemaker is satisfied with getting for any given knife. I spent a lot of years building and selling forged Hunters in the $150-$200 range.... but doing so lead me to where I am today.... currently my forged Hunting Knives start at $400, and more often sell in the $500+ range. That has as much to do with building/maintaining a good reputation, as anything. And that only comes from doing the very best I could on ANY knife that ever left me shop.

I think the thing that separates many makers is how they look at building a knife.... I know many who will only put a given amount of time into building a knife, if their intent is to sell it for a specific dollar value. My view has always been that it doesn't matter how much time and effort I have to put into a knife.... if my name is on it, when it leaves my shop it must be the very best I can produce, or is simply doesn't leave.

All that being said, I have to smile when I think about all the different knives, knifemakers, and philosophies of knifemaking that exist. That's something I find really cool about his craft....there's room for everybody, every method, every mindset, and every kind/type of knife.


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