Important Info! 2019 Forum Knife : Poll Schedule / Content

Thanks. Fortunately, I'm retired and my time is worth nothing. At least if I'm learning something.

 

So how did we get from "A GEC 86 with a single Sheepsfoot blade in 1095" in the first poll to "Decided: Single Sabre Sheepfoot on #86 frame"?

I know Mike eventually added a drawing from GEC depicting Sabre ground, but it certainly was not made clear that Sabre ground was the only option.

So did GEC decide? Did Mike decide? I don't think anything but the 86 frame was voted on by us forumites. There was a lot of discussion, but we never voted for a specific blade grind.

Not trying to be counter-productive, but at this point I would certainly like some clarification.

 

Thank you, Mike (@knifeswapper), for being willing and able to take this one for all of us. Please don't lose too many hairs over it all...

I am looking forward to the short polling periods and seeing how this project evolves. I am not entirely certain why folks are still caught on the blade shape and grind. I know we all have our preferences and Odin knows we have our opinions but I never was under the impression that the blade was negotiable. Much like the blade on the Buck 192 offering, it was THE offering from one of the very few companies willing to throw their name in the hat and the majority voted for it. However, it could certainly be argued that the Buck option was quite popular and there is certainly a part of me that laments that we will not get to build our own special 192.

Regardless, I like knives and I like many different makes, styles, and manufacturers. I don't need the forum knife to fill any sort of "niche". What I do want is to end up with a nice knife that I can say I had a hand in the production of and be proud of it. Many votes did not go my way for last year's knife but it is still a knife that I am pleased and quite proud to own and I expect that this year's knife will be no different in that regard.

 

I believe it was around Page 20 something of the original poll thread, where it was mentioned that the 86 frame, the sheepsfoot blade, and the saber grind, was what was offered by GEC for this years knife. Those were not options to be polled on.

 

There's nothing in that original thread stating sabre grind was the only option. Just the GEC drawing with sabre grind. On the other hand, there is a lot of discussion about sabre/full flat ground without anyone stating that the full flat ground was not an option.

Doesn't really matter to me which one, but I don't appreciate being accused of being counter-productive.

 

And so during all that discussion after the GEC drawing was posted, did you or anyone else weigh in and state that sabre grind was the only option? And are you saying now that sabre grind is the only option? Just want clarification. Again, it's fine with me either way.

 

Thanks for the clarification. And no need to dig thru a 50 page thread. The search function is a beautiful thing. For the record, you never used the word "sabre" in that thread.

 

It was made apparent very early on that the GEC offering would have a saber ground sheepsfoot blade. Plenty of time for people to change their votes to another knife option. Since GEC won, I assume that the majority are happy with the saber grind.

I have a feeling that Bill had a vision for this knife and I'm thrilled we are going to be part of the final design process.

 

John, I'm fine with the sabre ground blade. But it wasn't made apparent to all of us and that is evidenced by the discussion in that thread.

 

Well, the GEC won, but I suspect there would have been even greater enthusiasm for it if blade type and or grind had been based on voting as well....

As it it is/ always was/will be Sabre...we must now ponder the aesthetic details to the end.

 

Too many threads already. Missed it too. What can we get chippy about next?

 

Too many options!!

Jim

 

I've done enough whining about the high saber ground blade, now for some praise - It'll be a heavy duty utility blade for sure, and with Northfield trim, it'll still have sparkle and flash that makes it classy. Even with heavier stock, I doubt Bill will go higher than 1/8" (although I could be wrong, and Mike please correct and chide me hilariously with that dry'n'wry Oklahoma snap if I am), and even at 1/8", GEC will grind them thin enough behind the edge that they'll cut nicely and take a thumpin'. Heck, plenty of people use 1/8" and thicker blades (looking at modern folders) with stupidly, obscenely thick grinds on them, without complaint about their cutting. All the non-knife-nuts I've known to handle my slip joints were most enthralled with the heavy-feeling knives anyway, as the heft somehow suggests confident quality.

 

My biggest frustration right now is that one of the main complaints that began last year and has carried on into the current one is that GEC would not or could not offer us anything special. Whether that comes from them offering us only a 14 last year because of how late in the schedule it ended up being or because of whatever the current perceptions are, the displeasure was voiced loudly and often.

But now that GEC has offered us something that they have not offered anyone else and will prove to be quite a unique knife, something Bill himself designed on a newly offered pattern, all I am hearing is complaints because it won't be enough like knives they have made in the past.

I don't get it. It just goes to show that you truly can't win in these things, I just hope the parties involved in seeing this to fruition don't take any of it personally. It is going to be a fine knife, one that possibly won't be made ever again.

 

LOL
Mike, don’t take this guff seriously. I’ll continue to be your grateful customer. In the case of BF knives, I always encourage a dictatorship, certainly not democracy. You deserve a hero medal!
Joseph