All this talk about neo-tribal and primitive stuff leads to a lot of shoddy workmanship. Maybe it's just me, but I see a lot of photos on the web that show poor design, minimal hammer control, sloppy fitting of components, etc. But it's "okay" because it's supposed to be primitive or neo or whatever the catchy phrase is.
Then I see something like Marchand's line of Wilder Tools. They look rustic. They look old. They look professionally designed and assembled.
There's the difference and I would caution new smiths to remember that just because it looks beat up and banged on doesn't mean you can neglect the quality in form, fit and function. An aged patina can be beautiful, but a sloppy gap between the blade and the guard simply isn't acceptable. "Primitive" man built the pyramids in Egypt and South America. They built the Nazca Lines and Stone Henge.
I say that to demonstrate what great things you can accomplish with even the most basic of tools. Tomas Rucker ( http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=19492 ) makes some of the most beautiful knives I've ever seen and has a shop that is as minimalist as you can get, literally taking up the balcony of his apartment. Certainly better than what primitive man had, and it demonstrates that you don't have to have a $2000 grinder to make tools that would be welcomed in any collection.
Then I see something like Marchand's line of Wilder Tools. They look rustic. They look old. They look professionally designed and assembled.
There's the difference and I would caution new smiths to remember that just because it looks beat up and banged on doesn't mean you can neglect the quality in form, fit and function. An aged patina can be beautiful, but a sloppy gap between the blade and the guard simply isn't acceptable. "Primitive" man built the pyramids in Egypt and South America. They built the Nazca Lines and Stone Henge.
I say that to demonstrate what great things you can accomplish with even the most basic of tools. Tomas Rucker ( http://forums.dfoggknives.com/index.php?showtopic=19492 ) makes some of the most beautiful knives I've ever seen and has a shop that is as minimalist as you can get, literally taking up the balcony of his apartment. Certainly better than what primitive man had, and it demonstrates that you don't have to have a $2000 grinder to make tools that would be welcomed in any collection.