A mixed thank you to FIF

Brad Walker said:
Growing up, I was not allowed to have many knives because my dad was scared of them. That caused me to have a love affair with all things bladed. I have a large collection of knives. I call it my knife fetish. I have been a marital artist for most of my life and I can remember Doug Marcaida posting on FB that he was going to be on this show about knives. Knowing his reputation, it peaked my interest. My 2 sons and I started watching. One day my youngest said, "daddy, I think we can do that." So we built a make shift forge and with a railroad track anvil and a pair of tongs we were set. We had a blast and it was something we all did together, outside. We made hooks, leave, key chains, tons of RR spike knives and anything else we could think of. All because of that show. Today, and about 15K later, it is just my youngest and I working in the shop. It's the only activity my youngest enjoys. He is 15 and the picture below is his latest knife. I am super proud of the time and effort he puts into each piece. We stepped away from scrap steel a few years ago and only use blade steel now.

I say all of that to say, the show is what started us down this road. Yes, it's a horrible depiction of knife making but I love it for what it's done for me and my son. Knife making is a passion of mine and my son has that same passion. I do understand the frustration of knife makers who have been doing this for many years and their distain for the show. For us, it got us into the craft and with the help of Youtube and groups like this we have learned that the show, most of the time, shows you what not to do! Anyway, I thought I would give a different perspective of what the show means to at least me. Who is me? Just somebody who wants to be at the cool kids table one day! :D
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Well that alone justifies the show!

Scared of knives eh? I guess you ate a lot of soup! j/k
 
I would straight talk that so called "friend" if he could hold his mud he might be worth keeping around. Yeah, I don't have too many friends but that's beside the point.
 
"How much would you charge for a hunting knife, if I bring you some steel and a deer antler"? I've gotten so fed up with that one, that my answer has become..... "Double what I would normally charge." -- Ed

Excellent answer!
 
chrisstaniar said:
Well that alone justifies the show!

Scared of knives eh? I guess you ate a lot of soup! j/k
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Yep! He stupid like pulled a knife on someone when he was in the Air Force and promptly had it taken away from him. The guy handed it back to him and told him to never do that again. Ever since that, he had a fear of them.

Even our steak knives were dull! :p
 
Ed and Kevin.....well said both. Totally agree.

When I tell someone I do not watch that show...(for the same reason I quit watching figure skating many years ago...as the technical difficulty increased...I got more and more tired of talented skaters face planting on the ice...) I immediately get told what media outlet is showing it....Always starts like this..."Oh you make knives?"...."have you ever seen FOF !!!??"

No I live in a cave...sheesh.
 
I have NEVER seen it. We don't live in a cave but pretty remote in the woods. That seems to be THE question, though. What with this discussion, I doubt that I ever will. I really enjoy REAL reality. Like my own! (Which could lead to a pretty philosophic discussion in it's own rights.!!!
 
There's always one thing that's predictable about that show...accidents.
and you can always see it coming along with destroying handle material before it ever makes it to the actual knife.
the epoxy mixing and applying in a rush is kind of entertaining too. :D
 
I've only watched a few episodes and for the most part share Ed and Kevin's view on it. I saw one episode where one of the contestants became ill with an apparent heart attack. He was escorted out to a waiting ambulance and that was that. No more mention of how he was or anything. Unless something was mentioned in a follow up show that I didn't see, it was like he never existed once he was out the door. That is seriously cold.

I should mention I'm highly critical of most TV that I watch. So there is that.
 
my opinions only-
I think the show has about run its course. It could be so much more than it is. The early episodes were quite well done.
Like all shows it is beginning to loose its luster. The latest episode with the time clock hidden and the ‘mystery’ knife tests and the choice of steel put me on the edge of never watching it again.
Like CSI and jury selection and evidence challenges so has FIF changed the way folks look at knives in a broad perspective.
I still enjoy seeing other makers shops though.
 
opaul said:
The latest episode with the time clock hidden and the ‘mystery’ knife tests and the choice of steel put me on the edge
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Yea, that last episode was pretty cruddy - at least one of the contestants admitted they'd never forged welded before. My first thought was "What are you doing on the show?" and sure enough, he couldn't forge weld. Two of the contestants didn't have a clue how to do the work and it showed. The winner surely did turn out a really NICE looking sword for the final.
 
I am one that enjoys the show, I get a good laugh out of it! Huge fireballs for no reason, making stupid mistakes ruining steel and handle material all make me laugh or yell at the TV.

I like seeing people's home shops and how they work with what they have, gives me ideas on how to improve my shop.

Most of the stuff I see on that show looks like garbage, but occasionally you see a nice blade in the prelims or in the final. Most of the stuff looks really rough. I watch it more to learn from their mistakes than anything else though.

I am shocked at how poorly made some of the final challenge demo weapons look, too. When they lift the sheet to unveil what the smiths have to make at their home forge, many times I cringe at the "quality" that I see.

I like the Beat the Judges version; the smiths bring in some nice stuff they have time to make and I like seeing the judges being put under the same 8 hour time limit as the competitor.

But the show does short change many knifemakers. So much of the process, time, expertise, skill and knowledge is glazed over in favor of huge fireballs, broken handles and blades, injuries and drama that it doesn't really reflect the craft properly. Huge difference between a FiF knife and a real custom made knife.
 
EdCaffreyMS said:
...but the manner in which it's been done, and all the BS/Urban legend crap that it's created and permeated the modern knife community with, and has set the industry back decades in terms of truth about, and quality of the product(s).
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Taz575 said:
So much of the process, time, expertise, skill and knowledge is glazed over in favor of huge fireballs, broken handles and blades, injuries and drama that it doesn't really reflect the craft properly. Huge difference between a FiF knife and a real custom made knife.
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Well said guys.
 
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