My Knife Making Philosophy

I've never really articulated the underpinning ideas that guide me in the process of designing and crafting my handmade knives.  In order to share my thoughts and feelings on the subject I elected to dedicate today's post to communicate what I feel are the most important characteristics and qualities that are required in a great knife.  To do this, I have broken down my ideas into two categories: Function and Form.

Function refers to those important qualities that help a knife to perform at its highest potential.  The characteristics of Form are those that make a knife look beautiful to the eyes and feel comfortable in the hand.  That being said, here are my thoughts on what makes a good knife great.

·         Function: 

·         A knife should first and foremost be an implement designed and crafted for cutting.  This, after all, is what is knife is meant to do.  I’ve seen may knives that “look” cool, but would be absolutely worthless for actual cutting tasks.  Art knives do have a place in our community, but for those intended for actual use, they need to be able to cut.

·         Edge geometry and the overall grind should be matched for its intended purpose.  A knife intended for a specific purpose, such as a chef’s knife or a skinning knife, should have the edge geometry designed for those cutting tasks unique to that style of knife.  Most of my knives are of drop point design, simply because a pocket knife needs to be able to perform many differing tasks and do them well, and a drop point design accomplishes this better than any other.

·         A knife meant to be kept in a pocket for daily use should be accessible and operable with one hand.  This is the main reason why I use thumb studs on my knives as opposed to a nail nick.  The thumb stud allows the user to open and close the blade while his other hand is busy holding the object that need cutting.  A nail nick opening system requires both hands to be free.

·         A blade must be sharp and retain its edge during daily tasks.  I go to great measures to heat treat my blades to that “sweet spot” where the chosen steel performs its best for knife blades.  This allows for a blade to retain its edge for as long as possible without losing toughness.  I also put a razor-sharp edge on all my knives before they leave my shop.

Form:

·         Every knife should be unique and beautiful.  The world is full of “ugly” knives.  Granted, Function is likely more important than Form, but there is no reason that I can see why a knife cannot have both.  Therefore, I take great care to make sure that my knives are both functional and beautiful at the same time.  Each knife is also handcrafted and made unique on its own merits with no two knives ever being exactly alike.

·         Lines and curves should be kept simple, elegant, and aesthetically appealing.  I resist the urge to follow trends with flamboyant designs which may look attractive but give up much in the function aspects of a knife.  My designs use gentle curves, simple lines, and clean looks.  I find that sticking to these standards my designs turn out to be stylish and classy.

·         A knife should be comfortable in the hand and well balanced both physically and visually.  Visual balance can be seen with the eyes when everything on a knife flows together as a whole.  Physical balance and comfort are perceived only when the knife is actually held in the hand.  When physical balance is achieved, the knife simply feels right and becomes an extension of the hand.

·         Materials used should be of high quality and meet the intended purpose of the knife.  This does not imply that all parts should be made of the most expensive materials; it simply means that each part of a knife should be made from materials that match the requirements of that part without “cheapening” the product.  The materials should also be capable of being finished to a high degree of luster and beauty.

·         Embellishments should complement and enhance the knife design, not detract or overpower.  The purpose of file work, engraving, anodizing, pattern-welded fitting, and all the other forms of embellishment is to add to the look and aesthetics of a knife.  There is a fine line where too much embellishing makes a knife gaudy or garish.  In this case, more is just more and not better.  Embellishments should improve the knife and not take away.

·         Simplicity is beautiful.

In summary, a good balance between Function and Form must be achieved in order to attain a great knife design.  Each and every knife I make must be beautiful and meet all aspects of its intended use.  These are the guidelines I use for my designs, and I hope you will agree, that I do my best to achieve the very best that my skills will allow.

-  Brandant Robinson