WillC
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2011
- Messages
- 2,142
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A festive WIP for you, and a fun one because I have no idea how its going to look, its freeform man, Im going off off piste, smoke me a kipper.....I may be some time.
This could be for a customer, a very patient one who we have not managed to decide exactly what he would like yet....so this could be his See how it turns out. You know who you are
Working process and availability for 2016
This also brings me to a brief synopsis and demonstration of how I am going to work and sell my high end pieces in 2016. Basically Im not taking commissions. I'm going to make it up as I go along, document the work and it will find a customer as I go. This makes everything more exciting to me, it puts it back into a direct live interaction with the Public on the Forum and work that is actually live and available. Having tried the very long waiting list thing, I will try it this way instead.
The super high end damascus stuff does not suit everyone, nor should it. Rarely but occasionally you see someone who has missed the point with this type of work, so feel it best to clarify one more time should there be no doubt.
I use my best grind and best steels or so close you would not notice in my everyday knives. If you buy a Catcheside Mono or San mai, you get the very best of my knowledge and accumulated experience in Grind, heat treatment, the feel of the knife the way it handles, everything related to performance in that knife. Its Just not as pretty to look at, this high end damascus stuff is just because we can, for the art of doing it and because I am fortunate enough to have found a Market for this purely extravagant line of work and I mean extravagant in time which of course makes them costly. No bubbles here its all worked out on an hourly workshop rate.
So San mai and mono's will be made weekly for direct sale and i will continue to strive for performance and consistency in these.
Please interact and comment on my WIP posts, its so important for feedback and energy, if you think it stinks say so, please don't put us makers on a pedestal, Its lonely, I love to hear good things and compliments buts its really important to get pure honest critique without fear of upsetting or ruining anything. Fear be gone and that is from me as well, I think a constant weight of commitments has kind of worn me into a slightly guilty silence on here but Im nearly caught up, I have some loose ends and some unfulfilled promises still and will be able to finally get all these tied up
So thats my brief rant bit and really quite important news on how my work will now be available.
To sum up, no commissions, no waiting lists, everything will be live and direct. The high end stuff will be an interactive blog and san mai and mono's will be made weekly. All News and availabilities will be made Here and via my mailing list.
I would like to hear any thoughts on this, I realise that its important for some to choose custom details and I will likely still offer custom handle options on some finished blades as I get into a rhythm .....but don't think I am closing myself off from feedback, it just makes direct feedback more important. I want to make enough stock to do as many Shows as possible next year and that means Live interaction and examples to actually try.
Shows
These will at the Gatherings........Blade Show.......and Gembeux in Belgium for a start in 2016 and introduce some more U.S. based ones the following year. Any suggestions welcome...
don't be worried about butting into the WIP with thoughts on anything Ive written here, I just felt like putting it all in one as a case in point, I realise now it could get a bit confusing but ultimately I can put stuff into something properly worded in a proper announcement thread here on my website and on via my newsletter for 2016, in the mean time I look forward to feedback opinions and comment on all the above and we can have the WIP as a kind of light entertainment to all the above.
In the mean time let the Damazacasamza commence!
This could be for a customer, a very patient one who we have not managed to decide exactly what he would like yet....so this could be his See how it turns out. You know who you are
Working process and availability for 2016
This also brings me to a brief synopsis and demonstration of how I am going to work and sell my high end pieces in 2016. Basically Im not taking commissions. I'm going to make it up as I go along, document the work and it will find a customer as I go. This makes everything more exciting to me, it puts it back into a direct live interaction with the Public on the Forum and work that is actually live and available. Having tried the very long waiting list thing, I will try it this way instead.
The super high end damascus stuff does not suit everyone, nor should it. Rarely but occasionally you see someone who has missed the point with this type of work, so feel it best to clarify one more time should there be no doubt.
I use my best grind and best steels or so close you would not notice in my everyday knives. If you buy a Catcheside Mono or San mai, you get the very best of my knowledge and accumulated experience in Grind, heat treatment, the feel of the knife the way it handles, everything related to performance in that knife. Its Just not as pretty to look at, this high end damascus stuff is just because we can, for the art of doing it and because I am fortunate enough to have found a Market for this purely extravagant line of work and I mean extravagant in time which of course makes them costly. No bubbles here its all worked out on an hourly workshop rate.
So San mai and mono's will be made weekly for direct sale and i will continue to strive for performance and consistency in these.
Please interact and comment on my WIP posts, its so important for feedback and energy, if you think it stinks say so, please don't put us makers on a pedestal, Its lonely, I love to hear good things and compliments buts its really important to get pure honest critique without fear of upsetting or ruining anything. Fear be gone and that is from me as well, I think a constant weight of commitments has kind of worn me into a slightly guilty silence on here but Im nearly caught up, I have some loose ends and some unfulfilled promises still and will be able to finally get all these tied up
So thats my brief rant bit and really quite important news on how my work will now be available.
To sum up, no commissions, no waiting lists, everything will be live and direct. The high end stuff will be an interactive blog and san mai and mono's will be made weekly. All News and availabilities will be made Here and via my mailing list.
I would like to hear any thoughts on this, I realise that its important for some to choose custom details and I will likely still offer custom handle options on some finished blades as I get into a rhythm .....but don't think I am closing myself off from feedback, it just makes direct feedback more important. I want to make enough stock to do as many Shows as possible next year and that means Live interaction and examples to actually try.
Shows
These will at the Gatherings........Blade Show.......and Gembeux in Belgium for a start in 2016 and introduce some more U.S. based ones the following year. Any suggestions welcome...
don't be worried about butting into the WIP with thoughts on anything Ive written here, I just felt like putting it all in one as a case in point, I realise now it could get a bit confusing but ultimately I can put stuff into something properly worded in a proper announcement thread here on my website and on via my newsletter for 2016, in the mean time I look forward to feedback opinions and comment on all the above and we can have the WIP as a kind of light entertainment to all the above.
In the mean time let the Damazacasamza commence!