OT for knife makers/collectors

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:27 am

I've just ordered a couple of knife kits to try my hand at this. Nothing real difficult (at least I hope not but I guess it's a bit late for that...

), just a couple of simple assemble-it-yourself kits.

Now, what I'm not sure of is how to display them. These are purty knives (according to the pics) so I doubt I'll be using them.

Limited space with an even smaller budget. Ideas?

Thanks!

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:39 pm

Bump for the evening crowd!

Grizzly Adams · Post by **Grizzly Adams** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:57 pm

awp101 wrote:I've just ordered a couple of knife kits to try my hand at this. Nothing real difficult (at least I hope not but I guess it's a bit late for that... ), just a couple of simple assemble-it-yourself kits.

Now, what I'm not sure of is how to display them. These are purty knives (according to the pics) so I doubt I'll be using them.

Limited space with an even smaller budget. Ideas?

Thanks!

Make some nice leather to go with them and wear them as "belt jewelry." You know, kinda like some guys have BBQ guns!?

Pete44ru · Post by **Pete44ru** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:34 am

You could purchase a 4" X 4" X 12" block of cork, weight the bottom, and stick the points of the knives in the top from above in an attractive pattern.

pricecw · Post by **pricecw** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:22 am

Just my 2 cents, but use the knife. Steel really doesn't want to sit on a shelf!

I make knives, and since starting, have bought some nice ones. All get used. You actually learn a lot from using them, and will alter future ones to make them better based on that experience. Plus, the knife will be that much better for having assembled it and used it!

Where did you pick up the kit? There are some good ones out there.

Be sure when you talk about these to let people know they are kits. Kind of a sore spot with knifemakers, and can ruin a reputation quickly.

--Carl

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:37 pm

Pete44ru wrote:You could purchase a 4" X 4" X 12" block of cork, weight the bottom, and stick the points of the knives in the top from above in an attractive pattern.

Hey, if I had daughters I could mount it to the back of the front door like that!

pricecw, I got them here: http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/index.php

I picked up this kit about 3 years ago as my very first attempt:
http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/product_ ... cts_id=733

At least I think it was that one. I managed to miscut the scales and put it away for future reference.

Over the weekend I got the urge to look again and went back to the website. Ordered these two kits:
http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/product_ ... cts_id=710

http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/product_ ... cts_id=723

I had inteded to look at more scale material but got sidetracked. DOH!

I figured with the scales precut, I could concentrate on getting it put together properly. I think where I went wrong on the first one was not really understanding what shape the front of the scales needed to be or exactly WHERE they needed to be. Hopefully I can get a pic in the next day or two to show what I mean.

As far as usage, I carry a 10 year old Gerber Multi-Tool on my hip daily (and have since the day I bought it). It covers my work and home needs. The Cowboy Classic will probably be used on the Summer Safari but other than that I really don't have a real world, daily use for one...I just dig'em!

I'll have no problems telling folks I kit built them. I want no illusions regarding my talents if anyone ever asks if I can "build" one for them!

pricecw · Post by **pricecw** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 6:13 pm

Good place, I have ordered from them before, but not kits. As you get into it, take a look at knifekits.com, they have some really nice folder kits.

You will love knifemaking, I would suggest you use them though, since it will teach you alot about the knife. You will make mistakes putting them together, but that isn't such a bad thing, it will teach you, and the next one will be better.

My problem was I couldn't find a knife I liked for a price I wanted to pay, so I made one, became addicted, and now have spent so much on tools etc, I could have a safe full of MasterSmith knives. Oh well, at least I'm having fun

--Carl

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 9:52 pm

Thanks for the link, I had to do a double take since it's almost a dead ringer for Texas Knife!

Glad to hear Texas Knife is a good outfit. I knew I was happy with the first purchase but I don't run in knife circles so I wasn't familiar with their rep.

The knives will propbably get some sort of use over time following your suggestion since it makes sense. I just can't bear to mess up something purty.

Look at it this way, by doing it your way instead of from a kit you've gained a skill that you can put to use when things go horribly wrong. Either to supply food or funds for your family. Do you have a forge or how do you heat the metal for your blades?

Too many cool hobbies, so little money and time...

adirondakjack · Post by **adirondakjack** » Tue Apr 22, 2008 10:15 pm

I've made a few with texas Knifemaker's blade blanks.
a couple of Russell pattern knives:

And some more. A camp knife using.32 S&W case heads for pin ferrules, and a wicked Buff' skinner. All are carbon steel blanks.

then a folder I carry every day. This one is a Darrell Ralph design and I got it from another outfit. A little filework on the spine, some cocobolo scales left natural, just polished with a dry cotton wheel.

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:35 pm

Good looking stuff adirondakjack! I gotta remember that trick with the case heads!

Just for semantics sake, if I were to buy a blade, wood for scales and the pins to hold it all together already pre-made but NOT in kit form would I describe it as being made or assembled?

What if the scale material or pins weren't already shaped/cut and I did that work myself, same question...

pricecw · Post by **pricecw** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 10:46 am

awp101 wrote:Thanks for the link, I had to do a double take since it's almost a dead ringer for Texas Knife!

Glad to hear Texas Knife is a good outfit. I knew I was happy with the first purchase but I don't run in knife circles so I wasn't familiar with their rep.

The knives will propbably get some sort of use over time following your suggestion since it makes sense. I just can't bear to mess up something purty.

Look at it this way, by doing it your way instead of from a kit you've gained a skill that you can put to use when things go horribly wrong. Either to supply food or funds for your family. Do you have a forge or how do you heat the metal for your blades?

Too many cool hobbies, so little money and time...

I forge in a charcoal forge. Got a hand crank blower for it that is good, but I typically use a small shop vac output port. The hand crank will wear you out fast

My biggest problem is I love to forge much more than grind and finish, so I have a pile of blades waiting on me. I did just teach me nephew to forge blades (part of his senior project in HS). He did a great job, and produced two excellent knives.

Texas Knife carries a number of manufacturers kits, knifekits.com makes their own, so some of what you see is identical, because it comes from the same place.

Usual thing in knifemaking (your lower post now), is the blade. If you made the blade, mark it with your name and call it your own. If you buy the blade, but do everything else from scratch, don't mark the blade, and let people know that is what you did. I have seen forum discussions that go for way to many posts on this. It usually happens when someone sees a knife being promoted as a custom at a show, and the person recognizes the kits it was made from. It is dis-honest, and can bite not only the seller in the future, but the community as a whole. The general consensus is honesty (when is that not the best policy anyway).

You will enjoy this, it is the start of a great hobby, even if you never go beyond kits. Oh, and if you are good at kits and honest about it, there is no stigma attached to making kits, they are a very good gateway to increase your skills. I have seen makers selling well done kits for around $1000, with complete disclosure.

--Carl

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:29 pm

Thanks Carl, I'm getting antsy for them to get here.

Charcoal forge, eh? I wonder if it could double as a heat source to melt WW and also for casting...

adirondakjack · Post by **adirondakjack** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 8:42 pm

I dunno what anybody calls what.

When asked, "Did you make that?" I reply "Bought a blade blank (kit in the case of the folder) and put it together from there.

As somebody who once built and flew R/C models, I knew "kit" means ya still have some work to do, often fairly extensive and fiddly, so I never get too wound up about it.

I have "made" a knife from scratch before, using a broken and rusted machete blade as basic stock, but there's nothin wrong with using a blade blank and finishing it, and making yer own scales to give ya a "custom" knife.

My folder is a high end piece. The KIT cost close to $80, with the AUS8 cryo treated blade, and the rest of the Darrell Ralph designed mechanism, The finish work especially the filework on the spine and the hand made and polished scales makes it probably a $300 piece if ya went out to buy one.

I don't feel at all like I "cheated" not forging it....

pricecw · Post by **pricecw** » Fri Apr 25, 2008 11:42 am

Nope, and I hope I didn't imply that you did. The DDR folder kits are great kits. I have made a few, because I don't do sole authorship folders yet, and I feel there is no better way to learn the mechanism than actually working with it. I further do not care how a person makes their knife, as long as they are having fun. I explained how I do things because I was asked (and I am proud of my nephew for learning a new skill

). If I in any way made it seem like it wasn't OK to use blanks and kits, forgive me, I think that is a great way to get a good knife, generally much better than you can go out and buy, plus you have personalized it.

My note about the honesty was a kind of heads up for a newbie in the craft. A way to not fall into an area that is easy to avoid, nothing else.

Have you tried the DDR3-BL yet? I really like that blade folder, and it really snaps with some mods.

I also carry a modified American Whittler daily. I wanted something I could carve with, and had bought this kit to see the mechanism in the slipjoint. Really like the way it came out.

I also like the FL series to introduce people to the craft. It is a decent knife for a very low price. The other kits are much better, but to introduce a kid into the craft, and show them there really isn't anything to worry about, it is a great kit.

--Carl

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