[quote quote=“GibCurry” post=17170]This is going to be fun. …
On the way in I noticed the guy hosting the snack table cutting veggies with a nice looking chef’s knife. A little later he came and stood next to me.
The setting evoked a sweeping history of sharpness in our conversation. …Mareko Maumasi… https://www.facebook.com/MaumasiFireArts
more later…[/quote]
So, as it turns out, Mareko won two of the awards given out: People’s Choice & Best Chef’s Knife. The winning chef’s knife is at http://www.maumasifirearts.com/.
Thanks to all here… I used your insights and information in the old, recent and ongoing subject of “just what is sharp/” to hold my own pretty good with knife-makers Andy & Haley DesRosiers. I had met Andy at the forge pre-function. We restarted the conversation. He pulled Haley in. Right across the aisle is Murray Carter; he stands up and joins the conversation.
Anyone want to guess, on a scale of 1 to 10, just how much fun I was having!!??!! (Answer: somewhere in the high teens or low 20’s!!)
Paraphrasing and not ascribing quotes a couple of interesting points made.
- “The convex edge is the TRUE edge.”
- “Few master knife-makers are also master sharpeners.” (Many are, obviously, really good, but they are outstanding makers of knives. Their understanding and skill with steel is unquestioned, but bringing it down to a perfect edge just isn’t their forte. They test their artistic patience when they forge, hammer & quench not sharpen.)
I know how much fun I was having. They were leading the conversation and I just held on and enjoyed the ride as long as it was going to last!!
I wasn't going to say anything until I had outside verification, so I asked a buddy of mine, Dan, to go to the show Sunday. He's a long time outdoors-man and gourmet chef. ([i]He uses Wusthof & Shun[/i]) We share a love of sharpness and our wives are best friends.
So first I have the above conversation with knife-makers and then as we were about halfway through Dan says to me, "I'm surprised how poor the edges are on some of these knives."
So, it's not just my opinion.
Before we went in to the show, I had told Dan about Murray Carter's micro-examination seminar I did in Eugene, so we had it fresh in consciousness how to look at a knife as we went in. We saw light glinting off simply dull or rolled edges. One 9" tactical had a quarter inch bend from left to right.
That being said, these are still among the top knife-makers in the world. They're just not perfect...
I picked up a copy of The World's Greatest Knives: 2013 late last year and had been ogling a bunch of the knives. (The 2014 issue is out. I haven't seen it yet.)
I went through the list of 55 or so knife makers attending. I found 23 who were going to show knives that I had found eye-catching. I compared that list to the books in the 2013 Knives book and 16 of the 23 on my short list were in the book and I had already marked the pages. A significant percentage of the makers who didn't make my personal short list were also in that book.
Some of the older makers I've known of since the early 70's; now their grand-daughters are making & selling knives.
One guy, Lyle Brunckhorst, has a shop close by... http://www.bronksknifeworks.com/xross_bar_lock_folding_knife.htm
Dan & I spent 30 minutes or more talking to him about the Xross-Bar Lock he helped develop & refine.
Learned a lot. Gained a lot of confidence. Talked to a handful of makers, who need it, about THE fixed angle system.
There were two references to sharpening in booths: Murray Carter's and The Epicurean Edge (co-host, I think.) Murray was signing his DVD and selling stones. The Epicurean Edge had an Edge-Pro on display and some various stones. I think they'd find a nice, attractive and active sharpening booth an addition. And if the show is in the same location there a bit more room to grow.
I took no pictures... there are better pictures already on the web.
Dan found a “EDC pocket folder” he really liked. It opened so smooth, was spectacular to look at. The fit and finish were amazing. The assisted-opening, roller bearings hinge was smooth as silk. The hand-filed jimping was nearly microscopic and virtually perfect. He said “That’s my favorite.” I asked him if he looked at the price. He hadn’t. I had. $8,500.00.
OK, enough random access rambling.
More later, if anything worthwhile comes to mind… so, I’m just going to bask in the after-glow for a little while more…
Any pics? Or a more reference?
