Knifemaking is the building of a knife, which includes the blade, handle and other accouterments. Blades are made by either removing metal from a steel blank via a grinder – known as stock removal – and the forging to shape of hot steel into a blade in the process known as bladesmithing. Other parts, including bolsters, guards, pommels, etc., are needed to complete the finished knife.
Zac Brown’s Southern Grind deploys formidable spokesman, Johnny Joey Jones, a double amputee Marine staff sergeant.
Johnny Joey Jones, Triple J to his friends and Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician to his Marine Corps brethren, wrote a poem about a particular day, a particular explosion, a particular knife, while on patrol in Afghanistan.
Jones, a double amputee and motivational speaker, is the spokesman and more for Zac Brown’s Southern Ground, which is an umbrella company that represents numerous 100-percent American-made and -sourced products, including the knife company, Southern Grind. Proceeds from the sale of these patriotic items benefit Camp Southern Ground, which strives to give kids of all races and religions, and especially those with neuro-developmental challenges, the positive influence of a camp experience. The camp also helps military families by offering the same experience to children who are dealing with a deployed, injured or deceased parent.
In May 2010, about three months before Staff Sergeant Jones would step on an IED and lose both legs above the knee, he was on patrol with a group of Marines. (In the Corps, EOD units go where they are needed, with whom they are needed.) They came to a small canal. “There is always lots of learning,” Jones said, and in this case, it was that you don’t want to use foot bridges to cross waterways. Such crossings would create bottlenecks, ideal spots for the enemy to booby-trap.
Prior to losing both legs above the knee Johnny Joey Jones was an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician in Afghanistan.
To get across, first the sweeper, the Marine with the metal detector, went and then the mine-detecting dog and his handler went. “We think the dog stepped on the mine,” Jones said. “The Water So Cold” tells the story.
Joey Jones not only took the lead in combat, he became a mentor to recovering wounded veterans like himself.
The knife was a folder issued to Marines. “I was going to cut off his gear, but guys reached down to pull him out. Days later I realized I still had his knife in my cargo pocket,” Jones said. “I gave it to his first sergeant to give it back to him,” Jones said. That first sergeant is the man in the poem of whom the speaker asks about the Marine’s condition.
Jones has had a poetic streak most of his adult life. Since separating from the service, he has earned his Bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in public policy. “I don’t go back and edit,” Jones said. He wants the poems to represent him authentically, as he was at the time.
Check back to read more about this inspirational wounded warrior.
To learn more about how Jones and Brown met and the knives made by Southern Grind, be sure to subscribe to BLADE® Magazine.
In “Fighting Folders” Michael D. Janich instructs viewers on the myths surrounding folding knives and how to employ them in a self-defense situation.
You don’t have to have been in combat to know that sometimes Plan B—the knife—can quickly become Plan A when it comes to self-defense. Often our everyday carry is a folder. This DVD can get you started on proper grip, one-handed openings and other tactics using folding knives. The $39.95 price is less expensive that a class and can be watched repeatedly in the comfort of your home.
The solution was fairly simple and came along in the early 1970s, just a few months after the historic debut of the interframe. Ron added a small steel tab at the end of the knife, offering the user a quicker and safer alternative to depressing a bar.
“The tab lock is really not a lock mechanism,” Lake explained. “It is just a tab on the end of a lockback that offers a mechanical advantage. If it isn’t there, I just have a bar to release the lock, and depressing that bar can be hard to do when the hands are soft, cold or wet. The tab gives you a larger surface to push on.”
Ron admits that the tab lock was something of an afterthought, trailing along behind the notion of the interframe. Sometimes the good idea can indeed be made better. As a young knifemaker, he continued to mull over the prospects for a better release.
“I had only been making knives for six years,” he laughed. “I didn’t even know another knifemaker and didn’t know what knives were supposed to look like. I came up with the interframe design and then thought about where I could put a release mechanism. I still make interframes and that’s about all I do make, and they are with the tab.”
While it may look like a simple endeavor, the fashioning of the tab lock is not for the knifemaker who wants to take a shortcut or go down the path of least resistance. Of course, the tab-lock style is not seen in great numbers among today’s knives, and Ron says there is a straightforward explanation for that. It just is not the easiest thing to do.
“I can make them now with less effort than it took back then,” he advised, “but first of all I have to machine a piece of metal that goes on the end. Then I have to silver solder it on, and it’s a rough piece of metal with everything large on it. Then I remove the silver solder so you can see a nice radius, machine the sides to the right dimension and radius the corners.
“From there, I hand sand the surfaces and polish them up. So, it takes several more hours of work than a standard knife, and about 15-to-20 percent of my time goes into that part of the knife. I also have to take the whole knife apart and put it together again two more times, which I don’t have to do on some other models. For a few years, A.G. Russell just thought I butted it up against the end of the lock and soldered it on, but that could get knocked off easily. Later, I explained the process to him, and I can tell you the tab is on there pretty tight, pressed on and silver soldered.”
Tab Release
Some years ago when Ron, along with Wayne Clay and Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Frank Centofante, co-wrote How To Make Folding Knives, he discussed the geometry of the lockback knife. He remembers visiting Sakai Cutlery in Seki City, Japan, and sitting in the company’s offices, which incidentally included a log cabin from Montana that had been dismantled and reconstructed. The men from Sakai had eight lockback knives laid out in the office, and the geometry between the pivot and the lock was different on each one.
“I asked them who had designed those knives,” Lake smiled, “and they said, ‘We did.’ I asked them why the geometry was different on every one of them, and they told me it was because the toolmaker had made them the way he wanted to do it. To my knowledge nobody had put the geometry of the lockback down on paper until I did. Innovation comes from one-man shops.”
That innovation carried over to the construction of the tab lock, which Ron more aptly describes as a “tab release.” The tab lock actually does lock like any other lockback. The secret to its operation is in the release.
Long-time friend and fellow knifemaking legend and Cutlery Hall-Of-Famer Michael Walker says he agrees that the idea seems simple enough and makes a great impact on the user when it comes to ease of release. “I can say that the tab lock addresses a big problem with the lockback design by adding length, which in turn adds leverage,” he explained, “and the tabs let you unlock without the problem of pushing on a narrow piece of metal. It also eliminates the cutout [in the handle spine], which could restrict use for someone with larger hands. It’s much more functional than the traditional construction, hence he was awarded a patent.”
Lake says he believes his patent was awarded about 1973 and expired around 1994. It not only included the tab, but also extended to the interframe and the bushing inside the handle that spaced the blade away from the frame. Indeed, the tab was part of a larger patent and an afterthought that developed into a novel approach when his inventive mind pondered the question of an efficient and effective release.
“I decided that having the tab at the back of the knife would have a mechanical advantage,” Ron reasoned. “You can close it not only with the thumb but anything else that could be used to press the release. It doesn’t make any difference how long the lever is. It could be in the middle of the handle with the tab on it.”
As for the patent, Ron says he doesn’t worry too much about it. “Centofante put [the tab lock] on his knives, and we were friends,” he remembered. “Some other folks have used it, too. Centofante put his tab on one side of the lock, and the patent specified at the end of the lock lever.” Along with Clay’s lockback, Lake’s and Centofante’s versions of the tab lock both appear on the cover of How To Make Folding Knives.
Over time, Ron says the patent has become even less meaningful to him. The drawings or blueprints are long forgotten—probably shoved into a drawer somewhere in his shop. The concept of trade dress is enough for him. A form of intellectual property, trade dress refers to the look or characteristics of an artist’s work that provide the work’s instant recognition to the consumer.
“After you do something for so long, it does establish trade dress,” Lake commented. “For example, if you saw a lockback lying on a table with a tab on it, would you know who made it? Yes, you would know that knife is mine. That is trade dress.”
Of course, the tab lock made an impression 40 years ago when a young Ron Lake showed it off to a who’s who from the golden age of custom knifemaking. Among those present when the tab lock debuted were Corbet Sigman, Chubby Hueske, Cutlery Hall-Of-Famers Frank Centofante, A.G. Russell, B.R. Hughes and Bob Loveless, and a number of others. Since then, the tab lock has been a quiet trademark of Lake’s knifemaking skill, standing the test of time.—By Mike Haskew
Putting on display custom knifemaking at its finest, Knives is back in its 36th edition. The trusted guide for knife collectors, enthusiasts, knifemakers, and dealers around the world, this knife book covers the latest and greatest from front to back. Get it here
Congratulations to Michael Vagnino for winning the 2014 Wooden Sword award, given out to one custom knifemaker each year on page 7 of the KNIVES annual book. The yearly prize (no trophy, just recognition via top placement and imagery in the book) is awarded to a knifemaker for his or her work that stands out from the thousands of images that pour in annually for consideration.
As noted in the book where his innovative knives are pictured:
“Michael Vagnino has busied himself most recently with “Convertible Lock-Back Push Daggers.” Yes, that’s correct, he’s fashioning handmade knives that convert from a lock-back fixed-blade position to a locked push dagger and back again. The models shown here sport 3.875-inch blades, one in CPM-154 stainless steel and the other Wootz steel, the former combined with an antique tortoise shell handle, and the latter in black-lip mother-of-pearl. The maker engraved the 416 stainless steel bolsters, and since the push daggers covert to fixed blades, Paul Long sheaths were necessary as fashionable carry options.
For all he has brought to the knifemaking table the past few years, his innovation, talent, all-around good vibes, and for these particularly striking examples of his work, the Knives 2014 Wooden Sword Award goes to Michael Vagnino. Congratulations, Michael, and keep up the good work.”
Here are 5 ways to get your knives featured in BLADE, either in print or online. Our goal is to include as many different types of knives and as many different knifemakers and manufactures as we can in each issue and online. We try not to double up on any individual or company, though sometimes it’s unavoidable. That means that we’re always looking for makers who haven’t been featured before. There are some restrictions, but those will be covered under each category.
Be sure to Like and Follow BLADE Magazine on Facebook. If you’re on Twitter, look for BLADE Magazine. We’re @blade_magazine on Instagram.
First, please Like and Follow BLADE Magazine on Facebook and Follow BLADE Magazine on Twitter and @blade_magazine on Instagram. That way you can see online stories when they’re posted, which may prompt other story ideas.
3 essentials for all 5 publishing options
Our Enthusiasm
We have to like your knife. But wait! We like ALL kinds of knives: cooking, everyday carry, bushcraft, hunting, tactical. We like fixed blades and folders of every deployment and locking mechanism. We like art knives that we’d be proud to put on our shelves. We like all shapes and sizes of knives, of every conceivable blade design and grind. We welcome smiths, stock-removal makers, manufacturers, collectors. Whether you’re just reaching your artistic stride or you’ve been involved in the knife industry for decades, you’re part of the BLADE community. So, don’t be shy. Chances are, we’ll thoroughly appreciate your knife or your perspective on the industry. The only way we’ll be able to see your knife, however, is if you show it to us in a well-done photograph.
Your Enthusiasm
How hard are you willing to work to make your knife look its best in a photo? Or, are you willing and able to hire a professional to take photos so that you can concentrate on knifemaking? The answer to either of those questions will be the measure of your enthusiasm. Other pieces of information will be required, but those details seem easier to acquire than photographs that do justice to your knife.
High-Quality Images
Poor-quality photos will definitely dampen our enthusiasm to publish them, no matter how beautiful your knife is. If the photo is out of focus, low resolution, poorly composed, lacking in contrast, flat or poorly lit, we’ll ask you to get better photos. As challenging as it will seem, it ensures that a poor image doesn’t run side by side with a stellar one, making your knife look lesser than it really is. You can read more about what we expect by reading “6 Things BLADE Looks For In a Knife Photo.”
Let’s say you have terrific photos, then what?
5 ways to get your knives featured in BLADE
‘What’s New’
The “What’s New” section of BLADE magazine features knives from six manufacturers and six custom knifemakers. Occasionally a tomahawk, tool or knife accessory will be included, but the focus, as always, is on knives.
The “What’s New” section of BLADE magazine highlights 12 new knives each issue, six from manufacturers, six from custom knifemakers. And, guess what? If you’ve never been in “What’s New” before, everything you’ve made is “new” in that not all of our readers have seen your work before. If you’ve already been in “What’s New,” perhaps there is something new you’ve been trying out: a different design or grind, or you usually make fixed knives and now you’re moving into folders, or you’re using a different engraver. After being in “What’s New,” you must wait at least 12 months before you can be eligible again, and makers who haven’t been in before will take precedence. Just to reiterate, our goal is to get as many different knives into BLADE as possible. We will occasionally include a tomahawk, sharpener or other knife accessory, but mostly the section features factory and custom knives.
Requirements: High-Resolution Image, Short Description
All that’s needed for “What’s New” is a high-resolution, print-quality image of your knife. Bottom line: 300 dpi or higher, 8-10 inches on the longest side, be that vertical or horizontal, and .jpg format. Now, for “What’s New” we use “cutaways,” or just the knife devoid of its background. This means that you don’t need to worry about creating an artistic vignette or still life with your knife. You do have to worry about getting the best picture you can get. For more on what makes an acceptable photo, read “6 Things BLADE Looks For In A Knife Photo.”
You will also need to supply a list of specs and a few sentences describing the item’s usage. Be sure to note if there’s anything new-to-you about it. They say there are no new stories, just different ways of telling them, and that could also be said of knives. True innovation does happen, and of course, we’re eager to hear about that. However, a maker might be working on new things all the time in his or her shop and that counts!
‘Knifemaker Showcase’
In BLADE magazine’s “Knifemaker Showcase,” six custom knifemakers are featured every month. A well-done knife image, a mugshot and an interview are required for inclusion in this section.
“Knifemaker Showcase” features six custom knifemakers each month all with a half-page layout that includes a mugshot, cutaway knife image and bulleted interview. The goal here is find out more about you, your start in knifemaking, your influences and your preferred materials, designs and ways of connecting with your customers. You’ll need to answer a questionnaire, explaining why you make the choices you do when crafting a knife. You can type out your answers, or if you’re not into typing, we can interview you over the phone once you’ve had a chance to think about your answers. After you’ve been in “Knifemaker Showcase,” you must wait at least 12 months before you’re eligible to be in it again, and makers who’ve never been featured before will take precedence. That way we can shine the spotlight on as many different makers as possible.
Again, our designers use cutaway images of knifes in this section, so a clean backdrop is best. You want to make sure your contrast is good and that nothing, including shadow, fabric, grass, encroaches on the edges of the knife. To learn more about the differences between a good photo and a bad one, read “6 Things BLADE Looks For In A Knife Photo.”
A mugshot is a portrait of you. It can be taken outside or in your shop, but the background will be mostly eliminated since we’ll be cropping in on your face. Don’t wear sunglasses. This is a chance for readers to meet you face-to-face, so to speak. If you’re wearing a hat, just make sure your face is not cast in shadow. Even though it will run small, your photo still needs to be print-quality. Keep in mind that if you submit a family portrait, for example, we will need to crop in on just you, so the size and resolution will need to be higher to account for that.
You’ll need to answer all the questions on the questionnaire unless something doesn’t apply to you. Too much information is better than too little.
BLADEmag.com
“Mightier Than The Sword with Erin Healy” is one BLADEmag.com blog where knifemakers and manufacturers can suggest story ideas of interest to everyone within the industry.
The blogs on our website allow us to take as much or as little space as is required to tell a story. Here is where we have the freedom to explore all kinds of stories related to the industry. BLADEmag.com stories can be about manufacturers, distributors, collectors or knifemakers; they can cover everything from how you made a cast spruce cone handle to how you’ve used knives in your family or on the job, whether it’s skinning deer, cross-chopping herbs in a restaurant kitchen or employing various grips in edged-weapon martial arts. The story can be about one particular knife or a collection. The source can be a multinational corporation with operations on more than one continent or a lone individual in his or her shop. BLADEmag.com strives to be a resource for all things knife, so histories and how-tos are of particular interest.
We welcome guest bloggers, provided the topic you’re writing about is not self-promotional. What this means is that you cannot write about your own knives or services. Pay is non-existent, but bragging rights are impressive. You will need to be able to write well, or be open to guidance and editing. You will need to provide a paragraph-long biography and a mugshot to run with your story, as well as illustrative images.
Requirements: A Good Story, Good Images
The thing about a story, whether it’s a topic you suggest for us to explore or one you’d like to try your hand at writing, is that it needs to have a story—a beginning, middle and end, an angle, a hook. If you as someone in the knife industry find it interesting then, chances are, others will as well. Even though BLADEmag.com will always focus on the knife, we also know that it is the people behind the knife that makes the story compelling to read. The whys are always interesting to include, as well as trying to describe how a material or process contributes to the feel or wow-factor of a knife.
Although knifemaker profiles are reserved for Knifemaker Showcase in print and BLADEmag.com stories online, other ideas for BLADE magazine are always welcome. The final decision for a feature article within the pages of BLADE rests with the editor. Oftentimes in the course of conducting an interview with a manufacturer or knifemaker for “What’s New,” “Knifemaker Showcase” or BLADEmag.com, we find other stories to write about in print.
To get a story into print, images must be top-notch. Focus, contrast, lighting, composition, depth of field all matter. Resolution must be high; size must be large. To fully understand what this means, read “6 Things BLADE Looks For In A Knife Photo.”
Social Media
Make sure to follow us on tag us in your social media photos so we see them and use #BladeMagazine
Requirements: Images, Specifications, Intended Usage, Contact Information
Marine Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Staff Sergeant Johnny Joey Jones inspects a knife at Zac Brown’s knife company. The Southern Grind spokesman remembers the fallen, especially the mine sweeper who died in the explosion that took Jones’ legs.
In 2010 ABC Nightline produced a three-part series on Marine Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technician Staff Sergeant Johnny Joey Jones. During eight years of service, Jones deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. It was while in Helmand, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2010, that Jones stepped on an improvised explosive device, losing both his legs and severely injuring one arm. In the face of inordinate challenges, Jones not only maintained a positive outlook, but became a beacon of hope to his fellow amputees, his fellow veteran collegiates and the public who follow his charity work and appearances on Fox News. Triple J or Joey, as his friends call him, is now spokesman for Zac Brown’s Camp Southern Ground, a 400-acre camp and retreat for children and military families that is funded by the proceeds of numerous artisan shops, including Southern Grind, the musician’s knife company. You can read more about Jones and some of the substantial knives offered through knife-lover Zac Brown’s company in the September issue of BLADE Magazine. (If you can’t find BLADE near you, subscribe.) But no matter how far Jones progresses physically, no matter what business pinnacle he reaches, the Southern Grind spokesman remembers the fallen, one fallen in particular, the man who died in the explosion that took Jones’ limbs: Marine engineer and mine sweeper, Corporeal Daniel Greer.
In the course of eight years of service in the Marine Corps, Staff Sergeant Johnny Joey Jones was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician. In 2010 he lost both his legs in an explosion. No matter what he does: recovering from his wounds, inspiring fellow veterans as they recover, making motivational presentations, representing charity organizations, appearing on Fox News as a commentator, or as current spokesman for Zac Browns Camp Southern Ground and Southern Grind, the musician’s knife company, Jones is always positive and never fails to remember the Marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen who died in service to our country.
A TV Crew Interviews Jones in Afghanistan, Unaware Of The Fate To Befall Him
Jones’ Recovery Is Motivated By Fellow Wounded Brethren And The Fallen
Jones Remembers The Marine Who Died In The Explosion That Took His Legs
Jones’ Second Chance At Life Is In Honor Of Those Who Died In Combat
No Matter The Obstacle Jones Has Some Marine-Tough Encouragement
Read about the styles of knives most often carried into war and lots more in this two-pack of BLADE’s Military Knives issues for 2010 and 2011.
Boldly designed military knives, stories of knives that saved the lives of men in combat, soldiers who make knives for soldiers, and makers who support the troops, it’s all covered in these two special issues. Normally, $11.90, this download .pdf pack is on sale for $5.99.
GiantMouse is pushing the boundaries of two renowned Danish designers, but together with an American businessman are building a better collaboration model.
By now knife industry followers know that renowned Danish knife designers Jesper Voxnaes and Jens Anso teamed up to create GiantMouse LLC. What you might not know is that a California businessman with a love of knives became the organizational drive behind the endeavor. Jim Wirth asked a simple question over beers with Voxnaes and Anso that solidified the venture, and bettered the collaboration model creatively and financially.
When Wirth turned 14, his older brother Chris gave him a small Gerber pocketknife with mother-of-pearl scales as a birthday present. He loved looking at that work of art, and yet, the knife got plenty of use too. From then on, Wirth began attending knife shows, like the former Bay Area Knife Collectors Association show in Santa Clara. He joined that organization so he could attend the meetings and learn more about the knife industry.
His love of knives—and watches—grew and he continued to attend shows, adding the New York Custom Knife Show and BLADE Show. Meanwhile, he developed a data warehouse-business intelligence firm that became an Inc. 500 Fastest-Growing Company. After a merger, Hewlett-Packard bought the company, and Wirth was set as far as his family and living expenses were concerned. He began consulting, advising owners of young businesses and angel-investing, or backing business that show promise.
Jim Wirth, left, a businessman and angel investor, suggested that Danish designers Jesper Voxnaes, middle, and Jens Anso, right, start a new company to produce knives they collaborate on, sharing in profits rather than receiving a royalty percentage.
Wirth had always been a fan of the work of Voxnaes and Anso, so at a BLADE Show, although he’d met them before as a customer, he was more formally introduced to the men through a common friend. Over drinks, Wirth inquired about the royalties each knifemaker was making in their partnerships with well-known manufacturers. Although mum on details, designer royalties on any manufacturing collaboration range from 3 to 7 percent, sometimes as high as 10, of net sales. There are countless variables that determine the final cut, however, according to numerous sources in the knife and product development industries, 5 percent is thought to be fair for both the designer and the factory that takes the risk on whether the product will be a success or not.
Voxnaes and Anso revealed that they had indeed co-designed some knives together. They had even come up with a potential company name, GiantMouse, because Denmark is a tiny country in a giant world and they wanted GiantMouse to be a small knife brand in a giant knife industry. Wirth asked why they hadn’t produced these knives they’d worked on. And with that question, GiantMouse came into being.
The P in the GMP2 version stands for pirate and if you look closely, the mouse logo is wearing an eyepatch.
The three men determined that they would only do limited runs of folders four times a year, 300 in a standard finish and 100 in a special finish. These 100 “pirate” versions would include the GiantMouse logo with a patch over its eye. The GM2—GM for GiantMouse and 2 for sequential order—for example, is a full-size everyday carry folding bowie with carbon fiber handle scales. The backspacer, clip and pivot ring are a rich blue anodized titanium. The nested lockbar is also titanium. The 3.3-inch blade is made of Bohler M390 Microclean powder corrosion-resistant martensitic stainless steel with a satin finish and is ground to a 0.157-inch thickness. The handle length is 4.62 inches, and the knife weighs 4 ounces.
The GiantMouse team knew they always wanted to have some knives available for sale, so they do not limit sales of their fixed knives like the GMF2.
Although the folders are discontinued as soon as the 400 pieces sell out, the GiantMouse fixed-blade runs are unlimited. The GMF2—F for fixed—for example, with leather sheath, is a throwback to a Nordic work blade that can be used for everything from bushcrafting to everyday tasks. The 3.62-inch blade is made of Bohler N690 cobalt high-performance powder steel, ground to a 0.157-inch thickness and finished in a fine stonewash. The 4.43-inch Micarta handle brings the overall length to 8.12 inches. The knife weighs 4.1 ounces.
The way the designers look at it, according to Anso, is that by working very closely and combining their skills, each designer is forced out of his individual comfort zone. Integrating each maker’s ideas and style without compromising on design quality is “a difficult task but makes for a very strong design if done right.” It’s important to each man that the other is able to vouch for everything involved in the design. Both must be happy with the final result of each knife.
Anso and Voxnaes both started making knives in 1989, and they both lived in rural northern Jutland, only about 30 miles apart. They didn’t actually meet until 2005 at a small knife show. They instantly hit it off and have been close friends and colleagues ever since, explained Anso.
The two friends met Wirth at a BLADE Show when Wirth was collecting knives. “With Jim’s well-known talent for business, high ethics and passion for quality, combined with our skills and experience in the knife business, the idea of GiantMouse Knives started to take form,” Anso stated.
As chief executive officer, Wirth drew up the articles of incorporation and launched the website. He also set up the fulfillment center in Southern California. The knives are manufactured in Maniago, Italy, and Voxnaes and Anso handle all interactions with the manufacturer from approving prototypes, through test runs, to quality control of the finished knives. A final inspection is performed when the knives arrive in California. Out of a run of 400, perhaps a half-dozen will be returned because the blade is slightly off center or a flipper action isn’t as smooth as it should be. The knives are then sent to the fulfillment center where they are put in branded packaging and sent to customers.
One might figure that short runs of well-designed knives would be unaffordable because you don’t have a high number of pieces over which to spread the start-up costs. There can also be fees if runs don’t meet a minimum quantity. But the founding trio at GiantMouse committed themselves to this route because it incentivized the designers. “They’re challenged to create more designs. It’s exciting,” Wirth said. And as partners in the company, the designers share in the profits with Wirth. This both pushes the designers and rewards them for their efforts perhaps more than a percent-of-net-sales royalty would.
All along the goal has been to create exceptional knife designs, produce them at the highest quality possible and keep them affordable. For example, the maker’s list price for the GM2, in standard finish, is $325; the GMP2—the P standing for pirate—in special finish, is $375. Ten dollars from the sale of every folder, and currently $20 from every fixed blade, is donated to Save The Children. (The organization helps ensure children at home and abroad receive the heath care, nutrition, education and protection they need to grow up happy and secure.)
Wirth said that he got to go to Demark and see the operations of both designers. Then the trio drove to a knife show. “I sat in the back and listened to Jens and Jesper talking in Danish. Every once in a while, I’d hear ‘Jim,’ and I’d be like, ‘heeey.’ The only Danish I learned was something written on the radio, something like ‘the radio isn’t on.’ Now that’s what I say to them when I see them.” Wirth laughed telling the story. He seemed happy, like you might imagine a 14-year-old boy would be over receiving a beautifully designed knife.
Know What Great Knife Design Is
“101 Knife Designs”will give you both theory and beauty behind the great knife designs.
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