Do You Like Heat Colours on the Neck of Your Knives? (Poll)

[MSicardCutlery]

Heat colours are the result of the knife tange and neck being heated for fit up (burning in). You get a variety of metallic colours ranging from bronze to blues, most everyone here has seen them at some point. I typically leave them on my knives because I like the aesthetic and they're just part of the construction and assembly process most of the time, but my opinion can't really take presence over that of my customers and regarding feedback it's been a pretty mixed bag.

Some people love them, some people hate them, and before the new year starts I'd like to get a better sense of how people lean. Maybe I'll dispense with them going forwards. Perhaps not.

 

[Nemo]

Not a big fan of scorch marks.

How do you get rid of them? Sandpaper?

Do you burn in all of your handles? Hard and soft woods?

 

[Tekkz]

I don't like them. And I'm glad my custom from you didn't have it even though I forgot to ask!

 

[MSicardCutlery]

Not a big fan of scorch marks.

How do you get rid of them? Sandpaper?

Do you burn in all of your handles? Hard and soft woods?

No need to abrade the steel at all. They're just heat induced oxides. A quick rub with a little BKF or comet takes them right off.

Pretty much all of them. It's the fastest way to get fully flush fits. The exception is really only brass end caps like on @Tekkz custom

 

[Dan-]

I really don’t like them. It reminds me of scorched pots and pans.

 

[esoo]

I enjoy it, but it has to be part of the complete aesthetic - both the blade finish and the handle have to work with it. The wrong combo and I rather have plain.

 

[KasumiJLA]

Never been a fan. For me it's not something that I find aesthetic. It's exactly like a machi gap, some people like it and others don't. But whatever the choice, you rock Matt!

 

[labor of love]

I like them. Wish more makers left their knives as such.

 

[mengwong]

I like them, they’re a distinctive touch on my @MSicardCutlery knives.

For maximum mystique may I propose leaving one side coloured and the other side plain, and then you could sharpen to a dual grit hybrid edge, et voilà

 

[Naftoor]

all of my catchesides have them. I don’t have any other makers that do it in my collection. I like it, pop of color, adds a talking point about metallurgy to nerd out about if anyone asks about it.

Weirdly enough, I hate timascus and the colors that it gets from heat treat even though it’s essentially the same.

 

[timebard]

It's a nice touch that makes more sense to me on fully reactive blades than stainless, but not a big deal either way. My Eddworks has it and I think it adds a bit of extra interest to the aesthetic.

 

[shopshopshop]

I like it on my stainless Msicard knife. Feels like it goes with the handle (burned oak I think?)

 

[Gshep91]

I like it on most of your stuff, but I think that’s part of the “Msicard look” so to speak. Although I will say I prefer it to be more all or nothing, for lack of a better term.

The first picture looks great to me the second is a little less so

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I like it and also think it lends to the "Matt Sicard look". I can easily see it being the standard but with an opt out option.

 

[labor of love]

It’s time to start experimenting with what kinda patterns you can make. Making a makers mark within the burn mark would be pretty solid imo

 

[Delat]

I like it but generally in combination with some other element of visual interest in the blade like ku or tsuchime. On an otherwise plain finish it looks a little jarring, but that’s probably just my bias against plain migaki-type finishes in general.

 

[Heckel7302]

I like it if it has a blue/purple/rainbow color and the steel isn’t ground/polished. Like this

 

[MSicardCutlery]

I like it on most of your stuff, but I think that’s part of the “Msicard look” so to speak. Although I will say I prefer it to be more all or nothing, for lack of a better term.

The first picture looks great to me the second is a little less so

View attachment 289997View attachment 289998

Gotcha. Yeah the second blade is a stainless. Those have to be heated way more to get the same amount of colouring, and even then it's never as vibrant as carbons.

 

[Logan A.]

Depends. I think makers like Kamon, and especially catcheside do them really well. Other makers it look a bit less elegant. I enjoy that you do them on your knives! Some fine tuning with the depth of color would take them to the next level imo.

 

[Stevem627]

I have no problem with the color on a knife at all. It just screams “This was made by someone, not a factory! “.

 

[Gshep91]

Gotcha. Yeah the second blade is a stainless. Those have to be heated way more to get the same amount of colouring, and even then it's never as vibrant as carbons.

Figured it had something to do with steal type/temp

 

[M1k3]

I think it depends on the color scheme. If the handle is on the darker side of things, then I think it fits much better.

 

[Mikeadunne]

I don’t like it. Reminds me of this dude in the kitchen:

https://sharpknifeshop.com/products...3nqLN_QFNJ-5N4KKxLHC7lMBmW_lOcSRoCOcAQAvD_BwE

 

[JASinIL2006]

Not a fan. I don’t think I’d buy a knife that had those burn marks.

 

[Godinlhi]

I personally like it most of the time. Maybe you could offer people the option to keep or remove it when ordering a custom.

 

[Pie]

Hell yeah. I like seeing stuff like this because it highlights the efforts of the maker.

I get aesthetically some people like it clean clean, which takes even more work I suppose.

 

[SwampDonkey]

I don't care for it with the migaki/scotchbrite finish. Just doesn't quite match those and I feel it detracts from the overall F&F vibe of those more ~polished~ knives. On a KU, etched, or otherwise fun knife, I'd vote to leave it. I'm a patina pervert, but just never loved the look on the shiny ones.

 

[Rangen]

I like it on my 270mm @MSicardCutlery gyuto. It speaks to me of forges and heated steel and real blacksmiths, of handmade tools. Also makes it really easy to spot the knife in my drawer rack.

 

[new2brew]

I like it on my 270mm @MSicardCutlery gyuto. It speaks to me of forges and heated steel and real blacksmiths, of handmade tools. Also makes it really easy to spot the knife in my drawer rack.

Heat colours are the result of the knife tange and neck being heated for fit up (burning in). You get a variety of metallic colours ranging from bronze to blues, most everyone here has seen them at some point. I typically leave them on my knives because I like the aesthetic and they're just part of the construction and assembly process most of the time, but my opinion can't really take presence over that of my customers and regarding feedback it's been a pretty mixed bag.

Some people love them, some people hate them, and before the new year starts I'd like to get a better sense of how people lean. Maybe I'll dispense with them going forwards. Perhaps not.

This will not help you!…My gut opinion is I don’t like them. I own one of your knives (leopard wood with walnut ferrule) it totally goes with it ( esthetically). My reaction when I got the knife was as others have said it shows it was handmade. Love the knife by the way. Would not change a thing.

 

[MSicardCutlery]

I personally like it most of the time. Maybe you could offer people the option to keep or remove it when ordering a custom.

It's always optional. Some people do ask for it to be removed, but most do not. Though it should probably be something I put into the order form. I know people can feel like they're putting me out if they ask for something irregular, especially when they don't have the firsthand knowledge to have a sense of what they're asking entails in terms of time and work.