KKFora Passaround?

Sorry for the delayed reply Anton!! It's been incredibly busy since Friday.

The cracks are a failure simply because they are a flaw. If I were selling $450-$500 knives...something like that might be acceptable (probably not for me still...but that's besides the point lol). At double that price point and more, my customers deserve a perfect blade without flaws.

One of my mentors in bladesmithing told me years ago...that you will always be judged by your worst knife. You can make a million perfect blades, and the one blade that you let go that ISN'T perfect, will be the one that's discussed on internet forums until the end of time...and these blades will out live me, my children, and possibly my children's children lol. In addition, when your blades are talked up to the extreme levels that you WANT them to be as a successful bladesmith, the customer who receives the 'flawed' blade will feel let down and possibly even cheated.

I may possibly make an addition to my bladesmith's mark...a simple dot or circle put beside it perhaps...to denote a 'second' quality blade...which could allow this one to be sold still. But even that doesn't sit well with me. I know that Marko for example has whole runs of knives he considers 'practice blades', that don't bear his name at all. The tough part for me is, with the amount of time I put into these...it's difficult to sell them for less than full price, which makes a dedicated 'second' series kind of pointless.

Ahh well, like I said...I guess we'll see what happens lol. Worst case I will have a beautiful, incredibly functional new knife to use for myself lol .

By the way guys, I only have seven addresses. Out of 12 names. We still have a week or two (depending)...but the sooner you guys get this stuff to me, the sooner I can get it organized.

Thanks!

Oh...and on a side note...once it's done in the US and I get it back to go over...I'm intending to send it north to Tom for you Canada folks. When it gets back from Canada...I'm thinking Europe and Australia.

Just wanted to get that out there for you guys who are feeling left out due to not being in the US

 

If that blade really ever makes it around the world, then in my eyes it would cost much more than a perfectly new cracks-free blade. Sometimes it's the story that really adds value.

 

I agree completely!! A knife used and appreciated by all of my friends worldwide?? Such a thing would be priceless to me!

 

Handle work has been slow to begin!! But, I mounted Robert's handle on it temporarily to use it for Easter dinner at my grandmother's house...so I'll be evaluating it here shortly .

 

Actually looks like a pretty nice match for that blade, doesn't it? Hopefully the balance on the ko-gyuto still works out.

 

It's a very, very good fit honestly. But any similarly sized handle will fit this knife in terms of balance...and making another of these in this shape will easily suit it aesthetically as well. I'm considering a piece of that sharply figured koa you sent me...with either copper or nickle.

I'm also considering something like this...only with the flared butt:



I think the copper/nickle contrast with a bog oak spacer will be really nice. I'll use 1.5mm copper, and 1mm nickel though. We'll have to see.

The ko-gyuto is a very light bladed knife. It balances at the ferrule, which definitely gives it a different feel than this knife. That said, it's not unpleasant, just not so authoritative. Short, light weight blades are difficult to get to feel that way. The Japanese solution of unstabilized ho-wood seems to be the best method lol.

Maybe I'll try balsa .

 

Temporary protection for its trip around the US...lol. This is my first leather saya...so don't judge . All it's got to do is keep the USPS from busting the tip off!

 

Alright ladies and gentlemen...last call for the passaround. I'll probably be sending it out Monday.

Currently on the list (meaning people who sent me addresses and phone numbers)I have:

@WildBoar
@skiajl6297
@John Fout
@cheflarge
@Chuckles
@Jared Thatcher
@Rick
@zwiefel
@gavination
@Lucretia
@cclin
@bradgibson

Missing from the initial list are:
@Jim
Dave (@daveb)
Casey (@Block_and_Steel)

If you were on the list and I somehow missed you, please send me a PM (or refresh the old one?).

The way this will work is I will send out the knife to Wildboar to take to the East Coast Gathering (hopefully a few others of you all will be there). He will pass it off to skiajl6297. I will then let Adam know John's address, and on down the list. This is to protect the confidentiality of each of the members in the passaround. Please, keep the knife for no more than two weeks, and only sharpen if you know what you're doing. To be honest, even going through all of you, it should only need stropping on a high grit stone, felt, leather, or other finishing medium. If, as part of your review, you'd like to see how 'your' edge works with my knives, get ahold of me first. No abuse!! Though I'm sure that goes without saying lol. I'd like at minimum a private review from each of you, if you could please. That's the main reason for this passaround, and your price of admission . I mean, of course I want you all exposed to my work, but the real purpose of this is to gain feedback on this grind, and its performance in various professional and home scenarios.

Plus...I want to put this 'choil' thing to rest...and drop a 2 ton headstone on it .

Anyhow, as I said...deadline is Sunday for joining the passaround. I can't wait to hear what you all think!!

 

WOO HOOOOO!!!!! ump :like :cool1

 

Looking forward to it.

I have yet to have a knife live through 2 weeks of prep without needing a little stone action though

 

Lol...that's exactly what I'm looking to find out .

From the little feedback I've had though...the edge should last pretty well. It will actually be of just as much interest to me to learn which members feel it needs to be sharper, and which don't .

 

Hand cutting sweet potato wedges has been my nemesis on the latest menu.

By the time the knife shows up i wilk be on a new menu. So we shall see. My lowest metrix is When it won't slice a tomato,it needs some loving.

 

Should I let my wife try to cut frozen sausage with it!?! Yeah...she did that to one of my knives...

 

at least she wasnt openning paint cans with them like Jason's wife lol

 

I cut tomatoes with it tonight without issue, and haven't sharpened it since its making. Granted...I don't cut in a month ANYWHERE NEAR what you do in a day. In addition, I'm sure many of you guys can put a far better edge on these things than I can lol.

What kind of sausage? Breakfast sausages?? The link kind??? I just did that with it the other day lol.

Yeah...now, that would irk me just a bit...!

 

Oh by the way Jared...remember earlier when we were talking about fake photoshopped handles??



This is one of them lol.

 

You can sure as heck count me in if there's room yet. If not, at the very least I'll be able to play with this knife at the ECG!

 

Photoshop!!! Awesome man. Oh and she tried to cut a completely frozen 1 lb sausage roll thing.

 

PM or text me your address again brother?

Lol!! How did that even work in her head?

 

there is -20 degree frozen and then there is the softer 32 degrees frozen... Just saying.