Tim Herman's Filework "Screw-up"

[Osprey Guy]

The following are photos of the sample sent to me "on loan" by Tim Herman. It's a folder liner that didn't work out, or as Tim refers to it in his accompanying letter, a "screwup"! We should all have such screwups...

If you go to Tim's website, Hermanknives.com, you'll quickly recognize the handle shape of this liner.

The photos, unfortunately don't come even close to doing the filework justice. My camera's macro capabilities are limited as are my photo skills. It's impossible for you to appreciate how much smaller the detail is in real life compared to these images. The detail could be construed as little horns, comprised of a single piece. I think of them as the "arrows",as I call them, which are made up of two sections, one curves one way, one the other. Try and imagine as you look at the "arrows" that each two sections of every arrow are in reality 3/16"!
So, each one section (or "horn") is 3/32"!!!
Now that's small.

For the purpose of the photos, I sandwiched the filework between 2 pieces of 1/8" Carbon Fiber. The clamps are the 1" variety just to give you an idea of scale.

I'm posting 3 views of the filework, plus one side view of the "rear" of the liner:


http://a1.cpimg.com/image/85/CA/1150...-024001B0-.jpg

http://a2.cpimg.com/image/86/CA/1150...-01F8017A-.jpg

http://a2.cpimg.com/image/86/CA/1150...-01F8017A-.jpg


Handle "Rear":

http://a4.cpimg.com/image/88/CA/1150...-01B00144-.jpg


Hope you enjoy the view. Again, please try to imagine this as really, really small, close to half the size of the "S's" on my Bullseye knife!

Tim has always been one of my favorite knifemakers on the planet. His generosity notwithstanding, having seen what he can do with just a half-round file and triangle file, in my mind he's now elevated to an even loftier status. Thank you Tim.

Dennis

Yeah Baby!

[KNAdmin]

Oh yeah ... that art knife on his signature is one of my favorite all-time designs. It's sleek and sexy; the same way I like my cars and girls to look. There's a lot of makers that can make what I humorously call "a turd on a table" ... which means the same ol knife that's on the next 45 tables at the show. But, there are very few that have a style that separates them from the pack.

In fact, if I ran my own show, I'd spread those guys around in the show arena, between all the others. I mean, a show visitor deserves to see something really, really good every so many stops, right?

But hey ... I'm a marketeer, what do I know about knives!

Jim Bowie used to be my client, but he left the business because of the shows. He said there was too much competition for what he made. They starved him out ...

Alex

[SharpByCoop]

...ooops! Sorry, that's just a speck on my monitor!

One of my private and personal rants are the attempts at 'vine' filework that have such a large center section, that there isn't an appearance of a 'vine'. Not here. Now THIS is how vine filework can look.

Once again, it's the eye for detail and styling that pays off. I've found as I got more experienced and more daring on the few instances of filework I did, that the thinner the beam on the top, the more decorative it looks. But... there's a fine line of failure to screw up, too.

Nice work, Tim. Nice shots, Dennis. Thanks to both.

Coop

[Osprey Guy]

I may have to try and photograph this again. It's easy to understand why you'd think this was what I know to be a vine pattern. It's something more than that...something even more intricate...I couldn't quite catch the detail fine enough. I have sample photos of very fine vine filework. They are exquisite but different from what we have here. If this was a great vine, as we know it, no matter how good it wouldn't have got me this excited.

Each "piece" or section is delicately seperated from the next and the impression is more like small curved, graceful arrows. In the 2nd or 3rd photos, look very carefully at the pattern more to the left side of the picture where it's a little more apparent. Imagine these as the arrows I describe, moving from right to left with the emphasis on the "point". The line moves to the left into a point and then swings back and up partway to form more of the arrowshape.

I'll see what I can do...there must be some way, with the equipment I have on hand to show the true nature of the detail.

Dennis

Yeah Baby!

[ron p. nott]

hi dennis hey i like that . you must stop by my shop and show me how to do it . i am serious i always liked that pattern but couldnt figer it out ron p. nott quote :: i am a engraver i just make knives to relieve the stress ha ha ha

[Osprey Guy]

Hey Ron-
I was planning on giving you a buzz anyway...just waiting for you to get back from FL and get settled. I'm more than ready to come back up again. Besides, I've got one or two things I'd like to run past you.

I'll be in touch later this week.

Dennis

Yeah Baby!

[PeterAtwood]

So where's the Tim Herman Video? I'd pay a lot to get a lesson from the Master! And it better have a few TacBabes in it too...

I think the hallmark of really fine craftsmanship is when the end result looks effortless and like it couldn't have been any other way. Tim's work is so ####ed perfect but looking at it you could never imagine it to be anything but. Thanks for sharing.

[ron p. nott]

ok dennis just give me a call . the flordia show was great i had a good time and it was nice talking to tim he is a great guy and willing to tell you every thing you need to know i just wish we had more time to talk well se ya later ron p. nott

[HermanKnives]

Thanks again but you guys are embarassing me. I make plenty of mistakes and my work is far from perfect. The trick is just to not let people see that

Peter, if I had some real tacbabes I'd make lots of videos, lol.

[Osprey Guy]

A while back, I read somewhere (probably in these forums), that the difference between an OK Knifemaker and a Great Knifemaker is that the Great Knifemaker makes fewer mistakes and does a better job covering them up!

Tim-You cover up Real Good!

Dennis

Yeah Baby!