After many years, I've realized that though my materials are wide ranging (fine steels, gemstones, exotic woods, leathers) it is not the materials alone that make my success, both for me and for my clients. It is these six points that are too often neglected by other makers, factories, and knife dealers. These are points I incorporate into every project, and sometimes (as many artists do) obsess about. It's not the materials, the fine grinds and finishes, the filework, engraving, or sheaths and stands that alone determine my success, and ultimately the value and success of your investment. It is the six differences listed below, in combination with the items above, that separate me from others.

Fit:

"Fit" is a small word with big meaning. In this trade, it means that components put together and assembled must be so with very close, even tight tolerances. No gaps should be seen between bolsters and blades, between handles and guards, between sheath inlays and leather body. Everything is tight, fused, rigid, and solid. Fit can be felt while the hand runs over the bolsters and handle material. The look, even with close inspection must be (as Tom Clancy says in his quote about my work) "seamless." Poor fit is the number two offender in factory work and amateur knives. Anyone can notice it, fine fit it is difficult to produce, and it sets fine knives, swords, and art apart. It is very important.

 

Finish:

"Finish" refers to the final treatment of the material. Since many materials are used in fine knife making, knowledge of the final appearance of these is first learned through research, then many years of practice and technique. Each material usually requires a different process to finish, and there are a handful of finishes that look good. Fine finish is appealing, professional looking, and enhances the individual material as well as the value of the overall investment. High chromium and high carbon tool steels look fantastic when mirror finished, but it takes ten steps of grinding and skill and technique with the buffer to bring that out. Most makers don't have the patience to execute a fine finish. Gemstones almost always look best when polished; their true internal color, luminosity, and character are revealed thus. But every gem is different, so it takes a whole group of practiced techniques to master the finish. Sheaths, stands, cases, all these require labor and skill-intensive process to finish correctly. A great deal of value of a finished knife, sword, or art project is placed on the finish. Like fit, it is very important.

 

Balance:

"Balance" is not an easy term to define. It is not that a knife should literally balance on the forefinger: the weight of the blade exactly opposing that of the handle. Knives are all different, and must be balanced accordingly. The maker alone is responsible for that, it takes years of practice to develop your own style of balance. Some makers build knives with voluminous, lightweight handles, some with large overbearing blades and tiny "stick" handles. Each maker has his own style. Unfortunately, this is a characteristic that cannot always be interpreted from a photograph (or from the internet. It must be experienced firsthand. You can, however, get a good idea of a knife's balance from the photo. Does it look handle heavy? Does the blade seem to come from the handle at an unusual angle? Does it look comfortable and invite you to pick it up? Some knives look rudimentary, some look refined; this is a balance characteristic. This is probably the number one offense of factories and makers. And it translates to a knife that has abrupt, even uncomfortable lack of appeal. It separates a novice from a professional, and is the cause of many ugly knives. Also, do the accoutrements: sheath, stand, case, etc. balance the knife in style, function, materials, fit, and finish?

 

Design:

Knife "design" is a complicated process. If you've ever tried to design a knife on paper, you'll realize that just 1/30th of an inch difference in a line changes the profile profoundly. The world is full of badly designed knives. Even if a design looks good on paper, that doesn't mean that in the three dimensional world it will be appealing, much less functional. Design is a skill that is continually evolving as the artist grows. A good deal of time must be invested in knife design as an independent skill, and those designs must be brought to full form, and then refined. The blade style must match the handle, for example, you wouldn't want a straight, stick handle on a knife used in combat, because combat knives must have improved grips. You wouldn't want a knife with a curvaceous handle to mount to a straight blade, because movement is translated in the use of the knife, and a knife is not a saw. There are a vast amount of bad designs out there, and many designs that appeal to one individual are rejected by others. There is also a huge history of man's relationship with knives that enhances design appeal, and a maker can apply this knowledge only if he is versed in the history of blades. These points are why I have a pattern inventory of over 350 knife patterns right here on this site, and I add new ones every batch. Design is the center of a knife's appeal. The accessories and embellishment must also work to enhance that original design, not fracture it or detract from it.

 

Accessories:

"Accessories" refers to sheaths, scabbards, cases, stands, display components, and other fittings like accessory blades and  marlinspikes. This is another horribly neglected facet of this tradecraft, art, and industry. I believe that the sheath is just as important as the knife, and it amazes me how many makers are lackadaisical about this part of our trade! You can read more about the excuses and see more details on my "Sheaths" page here. A fine art knife should also have a fine display, not just a sliced-off antler fork stuck in a slab of wood. This is a part of this trade that separates the artists from the craftsmen. It is instantly clear from the accessories whether you are talking about an average knife or a fine piece of knife art.

 

Service:

"Service" refers to the many facets of knife making that are sometimes overlooked, like what you're reading right now. This massive website was created not just as a sales tool, but as a service to my clients, and ultimately to my industry. I've invested thousands of hours in this work, typed every single word (except the testimonials), taken nearly every single picture, annotated, clarified, described, and illustrated everything on this site. I also maintain a massive library of my finished work on CDs, current and available, for my clients or any interested party. I am a full time professional knife maker, artist, and writer, and knife making is my livelihood, so I treat my clients with respect and high regard, whether you're purchasing your first knife with your hard-saved pennies, or are in the field of combat defending your country, or are a wealthy and prosperous collector of fine art. I answer emails promptly, keep my clients posted on their projects, take photos available for their records, provide brochures, and provide free archival engraved acrylic nameplates with each knife. I offer various payment methods based on a low deposit. I design with clients, offer completed designs with annotations of features while including the design fee in the cost of the knife. I offer a pattern inventory of over 350 knives, for free. I research new materials, hunt down rare woods, gems and minerals, and try new techniques. I write about and photograph all of those and they're right here, available on this site, for free! I constantly strive to improve my products, tools, and skills as a service to my clients, to be the best artist and craftsman I can be. It is the most important thing I can do!

Care to talk about any of these points? Email me here. Thanks!