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Old 04-04-2007, 07:48 AM
NJStricker's Avatar
NJStricker NJStricker is offline
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Ray, I think I can speak for the rest of us when I say Thanks for taking on this task.

I do have a few comments as well. First, another term I see used a good bit, especially by Mike Stewart at Bark River K&T, is Semi-production. From Mike's definition it seems to be the equivalent to your Mid-Tech.

One comment that came up in one of the past threads on these various definitions is that if we start breaking things down too far we end up cluttering or muddling the entire concept of custom knifemaking. We potentially confuse the customers and collectors, if not ourselves.

Take me as example. I am a newbie, and am finishing up my first sole-authorship knives (my definition, not yours.) It is a stock removal blade from ATS-34.

I don't have a customer. I made the knife for myself. Without going into the argument that I am my own customer, according to your definition, I can no longer call this knife Custom Made or Customized.

I have not yet made another design like this. I may do so in the future if I decide I like this particular design. So, it is--temporarily--One of a Kind.

I used my drill press to drill the pin holes, and a Dremel with cut-off wheel to do the stock removal. According to your definition, I can no longer call my knife Hand Made. It is Hand Crafted.

Being that I am a newbie with little equipment and work in a corner of my garage, I sent out my ATS-34 blade to TKS for heat treat and cryo. By your defiinition, my knife is now Mid-Tech.

I think there are a lot of people on this forum, and elsewhere, who would have a big problem calling themselves "Makers of Fine Mid-Tech Knives."

Consider the following hypothetical conversation between a knifemaker and customer at a big knife show:

Customer: "I really like your knives. Are these custom knives all your work?"

Maker: "Thank you! Yes, the work is all mine, well almost. And they are not custom, as they were not made to the specifications of a particular customer, I just put my own creativity into the making of the knife."

Customer: "But this knife is hand made, correct?"

Maker: "No, it is not hand made, it is hand crafted. I used a belt grinder to do the plunge cut and form the bevels."

Customer: "Huh? But it is entirely your work, isn't it?"

Maker: "It is all my work, except I sent the blade to a nationally-recognized company/individual to do the heat treat. So, I can't really even call my knife hand crafted. It is a Mid-Tech knife."

Customer: "You mean like a kit. . ."

Maker: "NO!!!! It is NOT a kit knife!!! All of the work is mine, except for the heat treat."

Customer: "So it IS one of a kind. . ."

Maker: "No, it's not one of a kind. The one you are looking at is a working grade version with canvas micarta handles. Beside it on my table I have a similar, but fancier, knife of the same design with engraved nickel silver bolsters and stag handles."

Customer: "Okay. . .so do you make custom knives, or don't you?"

Last edited by NJStricker; 04-04-2007 at 08:12 AM.