This topic comes around every so often. I feel that pretty much anything you have thought of or drawn out, more than likely has been done!! I once had a design for a knife that
I was sure I had never seen and was pretty sure it must be an original!!
It was an original idea to me and that was about as far as it goes!! With this new original idea in my head I set about to do some research. While researching I ran across an article on 17th century knives. The page contained knives that had been recovered and although they may not have all been intact the article had pictures that showed the shapes of the knives and suddenly there it was!...………….
A knife that was so close to the shape I had come up with, that I could have designed the one in the picture!! Could not help but laugh!!
So much for an original!
I never set out to copy anyone's design! However I do keep a reference file of knives. Those are the ones that something about the knife catches my eye. It may only be the handle, it may only be a bolster, or pommel, a guard or a combination of the handle colors, etc., etc.. I never post a pic that if I have the name of the maker that I don't credit them with the picture.
I don't maintain this file to make a copy of the knife, rather as a reference of what to include on a handle or the amount of drop in a drop point knife!! Never do I copy a knife entirely. I have the pics to reference whatever it was that made me like that particular knife!! However I am pretty much a firm believer that the knife concept has pretty much been done. Every since man decided to make his first knife shaped object!!
I often see this is my knife and blah, blah, blah! No, it is not!!!
It is a dead copy of a Randall knife! The maker doesn't even have the guts to say,
"this knife is Randall inspired"! First of all if you make a dead copy, it is not yours to brag about! If you don't have enough spirit to say that the idea, is someone else's. Well it says a lot about you!! If you use a blank and say this knife is made entirely by me, well as stated it says a lot about yourself!!
Saying a knife is inspired by someone is OK, saying that this knife is a knife blank, that I finished up with my guard and handle, or I re-worked the shape of this blank and finished it out that is OK. You are making it your own and you have not represented it to be all yours!
However I will say once you post a picture of a knife or actually make a knife and it is unique,...……... the moment you put it out there, you no longer have control of it! Not in todays world!! Sure knives can be patented but, as mentioned by others. As stated, it takes timeort and money and then the infringement on that patient is very hard to police!!
As Ed said, I have contacted the maker of a certain knife and told them I was so taken by their design, that I would like to use the general concept to make a similar knife. I have always been meant with good results.
How ever some makers thinks since they are making a living off of this design and don't want you to use any part of it! You have to respect their wishes!!
In my book there is no statement that means more to a maker than to say, all work on this knife was accomplished in house by myself!! It is a statement of pride and it should be!!
Most makers I have talked to about the subject, adhere to the old adage, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.”. That and they don't worry to much about yours looking as good as theirs. After all they didn't get to be masters at their craft overnight!
My father once told me,
"if I do a good job my name gets around fast enough, but if I do a bad job my name will beat me from job to job"!!
I heard that for the first time when I was 14 yrs. of age. It is one of those things that did not set in, as soon as I heard it! After thinking about it I knew exactly what he meant, and I have always tried to live my life and do my business along those lines!! So far in life it has served me well!!