Indians For Guns

I for one, find it difficult to even wait for a couple of days that it takes for a knife to be shipped to India once ordered.
Then there are guys who are ready to wait a decade to get their knife. That's right, a whole bloody decade!

The knife in question is the Alan Wood Woodslore.
http://www.thetruthaboutknives.com/2015 ... aft-knife/

Came across this maker and knife while reading another article. The knife is not particularly pleasing to my eyes, definitely not enough to make me want to wait a decade for it. The guy isnt taking new orders given the long waiting list. Preowned ones are available on various forums at jacked up prices.

I am no knife expert or even with remote knowledge of these things. Maybe some one here would be able to elaborate on the specialty of these knives.
In India also back in the 60's and 70's one didn't have to wait that long to buy a Fiat car, maybe Vespa scooters wait list was closer to that period.

Atul

Skilled knife makers command good price and long list of clients, no different than any other trade. Aesthetics, material, manual labor (in the US manual labor is very expensive, good knife makers can set $50 per hour of work, or even higher rates), and demand-supply guide knife pricing.

"Jacked up prices" is a bit harsh way to put it - prices are always set at a level someone is willing to pay. Free markets are self correcting.

choombak wrote:Skilled knife makers command good price and long list of clients, no different than any other trade. Aesthetics, material, manual labor (in the US manual labor is very expensive, good knife makers can set $50 per hour of work, or even higher rates), and demand-supply guide knife pricing.

I do appreciate skill and craftsmanship. Also understand that their prices will be directly proportional to their quality and availability. Most of the times, i'd be gladly willing to pay the demanded prices too.
But waiting for such a long period of time for something as simple as a knife, is something i may never be able to get myself to do. But that is just me.

choombak wrote:"Jacked up prices" is a bit harsh way to out it - prices are always set at a level someone is willing to pay. Free markets are self correcting.

Yes, that was a harsh way to put it, sorry for that. Who better to understand this than us Indians. We do pay atleast twice the price for imported air rifles and knives we get ourselves. I dont even want to mention the prices we pay for firearms

Kshitij, since we can't get that "quintessentially British" piece of art, maybe we can Indianise it? I mean, a DIY copy......

@SD,
Sure. As long as you are ok with having it in a steel more easily available than O1 i can get the blade done.

essdee1972 wrote:Kshitij, since we can't get that "quintessentially British" piece of art, maybe we can Indianise it? I mean, a DIY copy......

SD!
This sounds a bit "Prophetic"
Briha

Shhhhh....

Revenge for the Kohinoor!!!

im waiting 3yrs for sog bowie

@swami,
if i am not mistaken the SOG bowie is a regular production model and should be available in stock with most online retailers.

Paying huge sum of money on knife is harsh i began saving money long back if u r thoughts on some super knife that would be meterorite knife

Why does one want a knife?

Is it to have a tool to use, or to have a showpiece, like a Picasso or a Renoir? "You know, I outbid Bill Gates to buy that painting". (I don't know whether Mr. Gates is into paintings, but you get the idea).

If you want a tool, there are a whole lot of OK blades, decent blades, good blades, very good blades, excellent blades, for which you don't have to wait half a lifetime or shell out what would be a month's salary for an average Indian. Unless one is very very very high up, financially, I don't think these highly expensive collector's pieces will any day be used to chop wood or whittle.

But of course, that's only my opinion. I normally buy my art pieces from local craftsmen, or frame up my own photos. So, I am the one guy you'll never find in queue to buy a knife, however great, made of steel or some hitherto unknown metal from outer space. I'll wait only that time it takes a knifecenter shipment to reach!

essdee1972 wrote:Why does one want a knife?

Is it to have a tool to use, or to have a showpiece, like a Picasso or a Renoir? "You know, I outbid Bill Gates to buy that painting". (I don't know whether Mr. Gates is into paintings, but you get the idea).

If you want a tool, there are a whole lot of OK blades, decent blades, good blades, very good blades, excellent blades, for which you don't have to wait half a lifetime or shell out what would be a month's salary for an average Indian. Unless one is very very very high up, financially, I don't think these highly expensive collector's pieces will any day be used to chop wood or whittle.

But of course, that's only my opinion. I normally buy my art pieces from local craftsmen, or frame up my own photos. So, I am the one guy you'll never find in queue to buy a knife, however great, made of steel or some hitherto unknown metal from outer space. I'll wait only that time it takes a knifecenter shipment to reach!

SD,
IMHO, knives like any other tools for the mordern man go a little beyond their fundamental utility. We dont need fancy/rugged time pieces that do a million things besides telling the time with intricate and complex mechanisms that boggle the mind, we dont need cars and motorcycles that can go over 150mph while we dont even have the roads to reach those speeds, we dont need gear that is built to see through war time use for our everyday use, and the list goes on... but we will continue to be drawn to and also acquire these things. I dont know if it is out of the urge to have the biggest, baddest and the best out there or out of a simple admiration of the finer things in life.
For me, i dont like jewellery of any kind, have a fashion sense of a caveman and am not a big fan of other kinds of art either. But well made mechanical things and well made tools appeal to me, so thats what i chase and collect. So as far as knives are concerned, i like to have knives that will work really well when needed and if they are finely crafted and appealing to my eyes, nothing like it.

essdee1972 wrote:Why does one want a knife?

Is it to have a tool to use, or to have a showpiece, like a Picasso or a Renoir? "You know, I outbid Bill Gates to buy that painting". (I don't know whether Mr. Gates is into paintings, but you get the idea).

If you want a tool, there are a whole lot of OK blades, decent blades, good blades, very good blades, excellent blades, for which you don't have to wait half a lifetime or shell out what would be a month's salary for an average Indian. Unless one is very very very high up, financially, I don't think these highly expensive collector's pieces will any day be used to chop wood or whittle.

But of course, that's only my opinion. I normally buy my art pieces from local craftsmen, or frame up my own photos. So, I am the one guy you'll never find in queue to buy a knife, however great, made of steel or some hitherto unknown metal from outer space. I'll wait only that time it takes a knifecenter shipment to reach!

I agree with you SD, I am in the same boat as you. Have good and mean looking knives, may not be functionally perfect but I or any Indian will never have any opportunity to put it to any useful use. Therefore, the functional part/ performance does not matter.

kshitij wrote: SD,
IMHO, knives like any other tools for the mordern man go a little beyond their fundamental utility. We dont need fancy/rugged time pieces that do a million things besides telling the time with intricate and complex mechanisms that boggle the mind, we dont need cars and motorcycles that can go over 150mph while we dont even have the roads to reach those speeds, we dont need gear that is built to see through war time use for our everyday use, and the list goes on... but we will continue to be drawn to and also acquire these things. I dont know if it is out of the urge to have the biggest, baddest and the best out there or out of a simple admiration of the finer things in life.
For me, i dont like jewellery of any kind, have a fashion sense of a caveman and am not a big fan of other kinds of art either. But well made mechanical things and well made tools appeal to me, so thats what i chase and collect. So as far as knives are concerned, i like to have knives that will work really well when needed and if they are finely crafted and appealing to my eyes, nothing like it.

Kshitij,

I agree with your point of view as well, in the sense that unlike old times mechanics could modify Maruti's to look like sports cars. But now if one can afford it he goes in for a Ferrari (Even though it may have him killed on one of the wild moments).
People would go in for real beauties even though they will never enjoy the full potential of the car except show off that he can afford it...
(I am also one of these categories).
I also have some good and mean looking knives.

Atul