Work on someone else's knife...

You are right Andrew, there are variables to consider, and trust me I did. If it werent important to me I wouldnt have asked my fellow makers here their opinions. And like you, I have taken everyones input into consideration.
One thing that no one mentioned has to do with the customer. Although this was a long distance arrangement I have spoken to the customer several times, checked out his buisness, and considered his attitude. In the end I thought it was the right thing to do. In the future I might decide differently even in the case that it is the same customer. It all depends.
I can assure everyone that the work I did in no way detracted from the knife's value. If when I was finished, it didnt meet my own personal standards I would have made appropriate arrangements for some sort of compensation.
It still remains to be seen if the customer is pleased with it as it is still in transit.
I value all of your input and I thank you for responding.
 
I may have been a bit hasty in my reply.
Having thought about it, I would sharpen another maker's knife and have. They all need it sooner or later, but I still wouldn't do any cosmetic changes. Especially if he's still alive to do it himself. Just me but, it's like saying...."you just weren't good enough, here, I fixed it for ya". Although on the other hand, there's no accounting for the customer's inability to conceptualize the finished product and being disappointed with the outcome. Nothing on you Erik, we don't know the back story.

Rudy
 
Gentlemen I am going to take a different stance than most on this one! If I were asked to do the same I would have to do some weighing of the circumstances more than likely before I would do the work.

However in the end even if you have the most well known name in the world as a knife maker. You have no right to have any expectations in how your product will be taken care of, used or modified in any way, once it leaves your hands. Patents even, only give you the right to keep someone from copying your work and marketing it, not modifying its design.

You may throw out a disclaimer when selling the knife (which I do) to try and cover misuse, abuse, or modification, and a couple of other things that might get me sued. However there isn't a contract made that some lawyer probably can't beat with enough time and money!

To think that you have some kind of right to what is happening to the knife once it leaves your hands is absurd and smacks of total arrogance.

Lets suppose for a minute that I am world renowned architect and builder. When I finish your project and it is just like you wanted then do I have the right to tell you it must stay like this till times end! :what?:

As stated I would have to weigh out what the customer wanted and see if I feel comfortable doing it, and to talk about someone who would do such work on anothers knife is out of bounds. Too slap down the gantlet and flat say NO!

Well me thinks, that some of us, think too much of themselves! Gentlemen we are knife makers not God! The last time I checked we were all in a business.

Granted we all tend to try and put a small piece of ourselves in each knife we make but no matter how well we do that job it doesn't make us bigger than life! IMHO
 
Last edited:
C Craft said:
Gentlemen I am going to take a different stance than most on this one! If I were asked to do the same I would have to do some weighing of the circumstances more than likely before I would do the work.

However in the end even if you have the most well known name in the world as a knife maker. You have no right to have any expectations in how your product will be taken care of, used or modified in any way, once it leaves your hands. Patents even, only give you the right to keep someone from copying your work and marketing it, not modifying its design.

You may throw out a disclaimer when selling the knife (which I do) to try and cover misuse, abuse, or modification, and a couple of other things that might get me sued. However there isn't a contract made that some lawyer probably can't beat with enough time and money!

To think that you have some kind of right to what is happening to the knife once it leaves your hands is absurd and smacks of total arrogance.

Lets suppose for a minute that I am world renowned architect and builder. When I finish your project and it is just like you wanted then do I have the right to tell you it must stay like this till times end! :what?:

As stated I would have to weigh out what the customer wanted and see if I feel comfortable doing it, and to talk about someone who would do such work on anothers knife is out of bounds. Too slap down the gantlet and flat say NO!

Well me thinks, that some of us, think too much of themselves! Gentlemen we are knife makers not God! The last time I checked we were all in a business.

Granted we all tend to try and put a small piece of ourselves in each knife we make but no matter how well we do that job it doesn't make us bigger than life! IMHO
Click to expand...

:35::thumbup::thumbup::35:
 
I have been a special order mfg for the jewelry industry. I repair jewelry. I will fix anything another artist has made, as I feel it is my responsibility to the industry that has treated me so well. BUT, I charge for it (normally 2x the hr. rate cause the jobs are usually a @@@@@) . I am so glad that I do not know enough to even think about fixing anything knife related ...Teddy
 
Last edited:
Church & Son said:
This will not get you invited to thanksgiving dinner my son
Click to expand...

I know, but I figure as long as I am not on the menu myself it is a good day! Sometimes I tend to rant a little but, I have never owned a knife except the ones I made for myself that I have not done some kind of work on, and even those have to be sharpened occasionally.

As a kid it was usually busting a blade by using a knife in a way it wasn't intended to be used for and then regrinding a new shape to that busted blade. Or often it was merely just sharpening one. There was a couple of posts that seemed to suggest it was sacrilege to work on another person's knife. While I would have to weigh out the mitigating circumstances of the given situation. I would not be so bold as too persecute the individual who did the work.

Many knife makers don't want to make sheaths. Some because they just don't like it and some who just don't have the time to do it! So I really felt the sheath was a mute point but even that was being questioned by some! However when asked by the customer to do some work on the knife, some acted as if he had sinned!
Reallly, I mean really. Once I buy something and no one has the right to tell me what to do with it after that point.

The man was not claiming he had made the knife his own! Only that he had worked on it and the idea may have stirred some feelings from within him and he asked how you all felt about that. And yes I do realize you are entitled to your opinion as well as I mine.

I will give you a for instance case that happened to me a few years ago. I use to carpenter and I did a lot of custom order furniture. I once built a built in bookcase for a family that lived in a house, this bookcase covered an entire large wall. It was made of custom ordered wood and had a lot of detail in it and in the way it was constructed. The family moved and they sold the house. I had occasion to see the home years after they moved. When I viewed the built in bookcase the new owner had ripped all the special details off of the bookcase that I had so painstakingly worked on and painted it. Painted it mind you!!!!
My immediate thought was "father forgive them for they know not what they do"! They have no idea how beautiful of wood they have covered with their ugly paint and how much of my heart and soul went into that piece!

And then it hit me, I lost control over that piece the minute I was finished with it and the customer approved it. I no longer had a say in it, no matter my feelings!!! So I guess in a way I have a slightly different perspective than most over this subject. You can wish that no one should ever change one of your creations but you can't control it if they do and therefore you should not be so quick to lash out at them. After all it belongs to them!
 
I'm no one special. I just did what the customer asked.
The major portion was smoothing out the grind lines in the blade to a satin finish. Honestly, it looked better when I was done.
I have no opinion about the original maker good or bad.
The fact of the matter is, I havent been paid yet. I misplaced the blank check the customer sent and I am currently waiting for another knife he is sending me to have a sheath made for, at which time I will recieve compensation for my work....another blank check.
I'm not God. I'm a guy who loves knives. I enjoy just being part of the knife community.
I like the idea that I have fellow knifemakers that I can turn to for advice, a pat on the back, condolences, and even some reprimand.
I'm good with what I did. In the same circumstance I would probably do it again. But I did think long and hard about it before hand.
I hope I didnt ruffle any feathers here.
I try real hard to get along with everyone, and I have no malicious bones in my body.
 
Eric,

As many have there is no right or wrong answer to this question. You haven't upset anyone. In fact, that you even raised the issue says a lot about your character, in a good way.

Jay
 
I think this has been an interesting thread with a lot of valid points made. In the end the guy behind the grinder makes the call.
 
It was a simple question and I just felt like some of you were reading the riot act to Eric!!

rhinoknives said:
:what!: You mean we aren't GOD?:shush:

Don't tell our wife's! LOL.
I really think they all already know that! :s12137:



Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
Click to expand...

Lawrence, I fell off of that pedestal the first time my wife asked, "does this make my butt look big"....................................... I mean I really thought she was asking an honest question!:5: boy did I feel like a :steve: butt when I found out it was a rhetorical question.:lol:

I am so popular with her she refers to me as, "everyone has one, but lucky me I have two mine and my husband"!.......I still don't get that one! :s12137:

Sorry guys I really don't try to be a jerk, my wife says its just a natural talent! for it!!!:s11798:

Shes got a million of these and someday s I hear them all day long, other days she just glares at me!:taz:

How is that old saying, "laughter is good for the soul!:s12205:
 
Last edited:
C Craft said:
It was a simple question and I just felt like some of you were reading the riot act to Eric!!



Lawrence, I fell off of that pedestal the first time my wife asked, "does this make my butt look big"....................................... I mean I really thought she was asking an honest question!:5: boy did I feel like a :steve: butt when I found out it was a rhetorical question.:lol:

I am so popular with her she refers to me as, "everyone has one, but lucky me I have two mine and my husband"!.......I still don't get that one! :s12137:

Sorry guys I really don't try to be a jerk, my wife says its just a natural talent! for it!!!:s11798:

Shes got a million of these and someday s I hear them all day long, other days she just glares at me!:taz:

How is that old saying, "laughter is good for the soul!:s12205:
Click to expand...

Well I have to say that my wife's favorite one for me is,
I told you!!!!

LOL
My reply is, Yes! Several times my dear!

Laurence

www.rhinoknives.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top