Thanks for coming here! It is my desire to present you with a positive internet experience on my site. You are in my domain, and I appreciate it. Your time, like mine is valuable, and I'm honored that you've decided to invest your time learning about my life's work. Please bookmark this site as one of your favorites, and come back often, as this site is constantly updated.

What is this site about?

From time to time, I get questions, comments, and criticism about my website. Most of it is very encouraging, supportive, and inspiring. People like what I do here, or they wouldn't be keeping me in orders, and I am very thankful and honored by their time and interest.

Not all comments are positive. Some of the rude commentary falls to the level of name-calling. Mostly, I just delete or ignore this type of input, but sometimes I'll post the funnier ones on some special pages. Please enjoy them for yourself.

Some people get downright confused as to what this site is about. This site is about my work, plain and simple. My name is Jay Fisher, the site is named "jayfisher.com" and the site is about my career and life interest making knives professionally.

If you could post your life's work on one website, how would that look? These days, a curriculum vitae is commonplace for all modern artists, and this is mine. In the future, most professionals' life's work will be able to be seen, cataloged, and verified on the internet. Many professional jobs today require a related web site for details of that professional's work, his achievements, history, education, and even his attitude and beliefs. It simply is the new medium of information and exchange, so why wouldn't any modern professional use it?

The site is about selling my knives, too. You'll see that I don't have many knives available at any given time, because when I post them for sale, they rarely last long before being purchased. Why? Because I do my best to make very fine knives and offer a great product for a comparative price. Since the site gets over 90,000 hits a day, and 95% of the visitors add it to their favorites list in their browsers, they keep a pretty good eye on what is new. I derive all my income from this website and its referrals. As a professional, this is my full time job.

The site is not just about selling knives though. I've tried to share some of what I know and think about knives, craftsmanship, art, and other related information. That's why I have over 8000 pictures and 300 pages of information here. If a person comes to the site and they stay a while, it's because they've found something useful or interesting. I'm constantly adding to the site, updating the pictures and information, clarifying and editing, and writing the code, words, pictures, and ideas.

This Internet Web Site and Layout

Most people don't have any trouble negotiating this site, but occasionally I get a comment about the layout. Currently, I'm not using frames. Frames are the arrangement that allows you to have a permanent list of links usually on the left side of the page. Supposedly, this allows a faster hop to the page of interest. But it does cost, too. First, it costs screen width. Frames force the rest of the screen to be narrowed, which, in my opinion, makes a narrow, list-like page, accompanied with a narrow, list like frame. It is proven that people scan these type of layouts rather quickly, and I don't want you to quickly scan, I want you to take your time. Also, because of the amount of pages (over 200), frame use would make a long, scrolling list by itself, constantly begging your attention away from the page. I don't want you to be distracted. Thirdly, why be like everybody else on the net? The interesting thing about the internet is that there is no standard format, no requirement that all pages look alike.

I had a laugh when one internet professional web builder insisted that large pictures are bad, and never should you even consider having a hundred thumbnail photos on a page. This person may be big on creating quick loading, fast, concise single page web sites, but she has absolutely no knowledge or experience running a professional web-based business. With today's fast computers, huge ISP memories, and large monitors, it is necessary to have plenty of large photos and full pages. When was the last time you visited another knife maker's site and saw only a handful of small pictures of his work and very little information? Did it leave you wondering, wanting more? When you go to a large knife manufacturer's website, note how small and vague the photos of the knives are. What can you actually see in a picture that is only two inches across? Are they hiding something?

When I go shopping and learning on the net, I like to see lots of information and lots of large, clear pictures. I don't want to see a little picture that quickly downloads on a telephone modem. Who's using these modems nowadays anyway, and why would we adjust our presentation to the slowest, smallest common denominator?

Another consideration is that most internet business websites are catalog-based. When you go to these sites, you are looking for a specific product, the info, price, and a picture of that specific product. This is not that kind of site. This site is a reference, contact, and descriptive illustration and detailing of the life's work of an artist, craftsman, and writer. I've designed the site to be interesting, informative, illustrative, coherent, thoughtful, and entertaining. It is not a manufacturer's catalog. Take your time, look around; the highlights are at the top of every page, and when you get done with the page, a large group of links is at the footer. If you ever get lost, go to the Table of Contents page linked at the bottom of every page with every single link to every single page on this web site.

Mostly, people come to this site via a search engine. I keep detailed stats on my traffic, so I know how, when, and from what area they are coming. I know what page they go to first, how long they stay, when they leave, and how many visits they have. They might come in because they entered a search phrase like "fine daggers." They enter, then, on my Daggers page. They immediately want to know what a dagger costs. There is no price scale anywhere on the site, because there are over 65 factors that determine the final price of a custom dagger or knife. They get frustrated, because they just want to know how much a dagger costs! Ah, if it were that simple. If I only had six designs, six prices, six available models, then life would be easy...

Because I'm a true custom maker, making exactly what a client wants, there are as many arrangements, feature sets, and types of knives as there are clients. The truth is, in all the knives I've made (about two thousand so far) I've only made a handful of knives that have the same blades, finish, fittings, and handle material in my nearly thirty years in this business. And while I may make them similar, they are never exactly alike, because I vary the filework or engraving. So, any client of mine is assured a one-of-a-kind original, never repeated again. So, there is no chart, no specific price that you can get if you just say "I want a dagger." You might be surprised at how many such inquiries I get like that.

My website is undergoing continuous reconstruction, in order to meet standards compliance with the new World Wide Web consortium guidelines. To the programming savvy, this means that the site is being changed to dynamic web templates and cascading style sheets, in strict xhtml language. This is a pretty tough change, I've got to go through many pages of code, making corrections, cleaning it up, and leaning it down. I'll spare you the nitty-gritty, but this represents years of changes, all taking place in 2008-2009 (I hope!). You'll see the old top border and bottom border replaced with a neater, cleaner template, and the rewritten pages loading faster and looking better. This very page is now compliant.

In the older site, I had adjusted the site to open separate windows when most of the page links and picture links are selected. I did this for several reasons. It seemed to make it easier to have more than one window open if you're comparing knives by pictures or patterns. But this old way could quickly clutter up your browser and slow your system down with a bunch of open windows. Following common internet practice, I'm upgrading these rebuilt pages to simply move you forward, and to not open any new windows. That way, you can simply use your back button to return to your previous place.

The interesting thing about this site is the variety. That is why I settled on knife making and art, because I get to work with a variety of materials, shapes, processes, and designs. You get to see a lot of them here. Please do take your time, bookmark this site as a favorite, and come back often. There is no hurry to acquire your custom knife, I want you to take your time, think about your investment, learn about this world of fine custom knife making. Then, when you're ready, we'll nail down the specifics of your project, and you'll have a valuable investment in a one of a kind work of art that fits you perfectly.

Occasionally, I get letters (emails) of inquiry where the writer has offered up some sage internet advice. I do consider each comment and request, but some are humorous. People who've learned how to insert personally designed graphics into each email are sometimes so proud of their savvy and computer-based achievements, that they want to offer their critiques of my site. Most people realize that in email, short, quick, to-the-point text is king, and the rest is just fluff. Here's an example with my response:

The Internet and bad information

Just like any modern source, you have to have a strong B.S. filter when you browse the net. There is a huge amount of useless information, misleading data and commentary, and outright lies behind the facade of an internet presence. Not only are large and meaty web sites coated with the stuff, even the small players are getting in on the act. Now, with video sites, the fluff is exploding into a hopeless mess. People are even throwing out "instructional" videos like chum to sharks, hoping to catch an eye for their drivel, scented with bad information, lousy techniques and bad process. They're hoping to ultimately cash in on the information exchange, but never will. If it were all only about information, this business would be rife with process and knife construction techniques, data, and clarity. But it is not. There is a bad way to make a knife, sheath, and accessories, and a simple comparison of what a professional makes with the products of novices and factories will yield plenty of particulars to detail the divide. It's not just information, it's technique, skill, and the eye of an artist, which is becoming a rare commodity indeed.

Read more humorous clips, emails, and funny stories on a special page here

Professional knife making training and certification

There is no easy answer for those who wish to learn knife making, as there is no recognized organizational reference for knifemakers, no official license requirement for making knives. There is also no complete and thorough text of information to detail all the facets of this skill. Read every book you can find on the subject, apprentice under someone if you desire, and start making. Feel free to read the information on this site, though, as you will surely become more knowledgeable about custom knives from this site than any other single knife maker's site on the internet!

There is no such thing as a certified knife maker. Some organizations have made attempts to endorse or proclaim a knife maker's status in their organization, but no official entity exists for custom knife makers to certify or guarantee that they are qualified to make knives professionally. With the growth of government entities and regulations in our litigious society, I imagine that someday this will come. Knife makers will be certified, regulated, and watched over by entities that do the same for the firearms or tools industry. At that point, knife making may be much harder to get into as an established maker.

Internet Knife Sales

Where is this all going? What is the history, and why does it matter?

There used to be only a couple of ways to buy a fine custom knife. You could buy a knife magazine like "Blade," "Knives Illustrated," "The Knives Annual" (Knives 2004, 2005, 2006, etc.), "Tactical Knives," or others, and thumb through the articles and ads to look for something interesting. You could go to a local knife and gun show to see what you might find locally. You could travel to a big city knife show. You could postal mail a request for a list from a knife maker's organization, then call or write the individual makers. You could call every maker you could find and ask him if he would make your knife. With travel expenses, snail mail, far too few pictures, and the limited choices in print, buying the very knife you're interested in was tough!

Everything has changed. Internet technology is the present and future media of custom knife sales. It’s almost instantaneous, almost free, and a tremendous way to interact with custom sales and products. Companies (or individual craftsmen) who do not utilize this medium will be left in the dust. Knife shows are on the decline, dealers are turning to the web, and clients would rather spend their time in a comfortable chair browsing a good website than traveling to an expensive show. When you want to buy something like laundry soap or socks, nothing beats a local store. But when you want a custom piece of investment art, fine utility, or a combat weapon, and you want it just the way you like it, the internet is the only way to go.

For example, before the net, if I wanted a unique ball bearing set for a machine or power tool, I had to locate the manufacturer (either by subscribing to a register, visiting a local dealer or writing letters and making phone calls), detail the part (several conversations), send the money and wait, and hope it's the right part. Nowadays, I just punch in the info on a search engine, find several suppliers of my part, confirm it’s the right one (usually a photograph does that), and purchase it online. If I'm not sure of the supplier, I use a credit card, which allows me a good deal of protection from scams, as a charge can be reversed. It’s incredibly easy.

In the old days, if you were selling widgets, you had to go door to door, business to business, and give just enough information to close the sale. Then, you had to return for the next sales pitch. Nowadays, the web requires all the information you can provide, the clients seek out the seller, and the seller has time to work on his business and be more productive.

There will be a time in the near future when all unique businesses like mine can only be located on the net. There will be a generation (probably my grandchildren’s) which will have the internet as their first contact and information tool. It is truly an amazing thing!

The other amazing part of this experience is that information is the key to success. In the old days (before the internet), clients stumbled along, knowing just enough to make their purchases, listening and looking for recognized names and popular brands, and took their place in line to receive the product. Now, they want as much information as possible to educate themselves on the product and purchase, to see testimonials from professionals using and buying the product. As time goes on, the hyperbole on the web will be identified, weeded out, or easily ignored, as this is a truly educational medium. More knowledge about the product will allow them insight into unwarranted claims and hype, to help them make an educated purchase. I've always said that 50 percent of this business is education, and the internet allows that at a free cost to the consumer, client, user, or collector.

Design Patents, Manufacturers, and Artistic Handmade Knives

Many collectors are concerned about processes moving into the mass production markets (usually foreign) and the impact on their collections and value. This is a clip from one of my email conversations about patenting my designs, processes, and applications in fine handmade custom gemstone handled knives with embellishment, etching, carving, and unique shapes, sizes, finishes and execution.

While patents are a worthwhile idea for some items, please remember that copyright law protects every piece of art, design, pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works from the moment of inception, under section 102 of the Copyright Act. This means that knives, like other artistic works, are protected. Knives and knife designs are works of art, and if they have not been produced in history, nor previously recorded by some method, they are protected by law as intellectual property.

An example would be a sculptor who first designs by drawing, and then sculpts his work. If his work is original and not a copy, both his drawing and his sculpture are protected for the duration of his life plus 70 years. Anyone copying his work is subject to prosecution.

How to design and create knives that are exempt from another's copyright protection? It's simple really. Design your own knife, record the design, record the copyright. You can look to others for inspiration and ideas, of course, but can not legally copy an exact design or knife (or any other artistic or sculptural work). If the design is old, older than 70 years after the death of the creator, feel free to copy away, as these designs and works are copyright free. More on this in my upcoming book.

Unique one-of-a-kind knife designs and creations

Occasionally, I get an email or comment about the unique style and creation of a knife. Usually this is a person who has one of my custom knives, and he remembers that I've told him that his piece is "one-of-a-kind." He can be downright distraught to find out that the pattern has been recreated in another knife. I'm including this section to clear up any misunderstanding.

When I design or work with a customer's input to design a knife style, that style is reflected in a pattern. You can see all my copyrighted patterns (over 370) on the patterns page. That pattern is simply a guide to the layout of the knife, and I often am asked to mix patterns, that is, match the blade from one with a handle from another. This may be bold enough of a change to dictate creating a wholly new pattern, or it may just be a hybrid knife. No pattern in my inventory of patterns is exempt from use on any project! There will, however, be differences in the final knives, making nearly every knife unique and one-of-a-kind.

I rarely, if ever use the same handle material on two knives of the same pattern style. If I do, I usually change the filework, the finish, the embellishment, the bolster materials, or the sheath. If a knife is marked with a specific name, commemoration, or design, that also makes it unique. And there are subtle differences that accompany each handmade knife adding to that unique property. The only knives that resemble each other closely are the basic tactical models that are bead-blasted, with bead-blasted micarta handles. These are all very similar in construction and execution. One could also argue that even within the same gemstone rock, there are such differences in appearance that no two pieces are matched, and that makes each gemstone handle unique.

Once, I had a client protest because he bought a knife, and then saw on my site that I had listed a picture of the knife style with the text "taking orders." He claimed that his knife was supposed to be one-of-a-kind, and that I wasn't supposed to make that knife ever again! I told him that I would never put the type of handle material used on his knife on another of the same style, or finish it in the same way, so his knife was unique. I've got so many materials to choose from, why would I? I guess he thought that I would never design the blade shape and handle profile ever again. How ridiculous is that?

Here's the thing: if the knife style is a popular one, I will get more requests for the knife. This is nearly always followed by requests for a change in handle material, embellishment, or sheath construction. If it's a popular shape, I will create it again. It is my business to create what clients want, and since a lot of effort goes into the knife design, it's only fair not to deny that expertise to other clients. Also, if a client works up a design, I let him know up front that if I make the knife, I'll add his design to the pattern inventory. This is my way of honoring his (and my) effort, and improving my capabilities. If he doesn't like it, he can make his own knife!

Even if I made a group of knives all the same, this doesn't affect the value of a client's investment. All my knives have appreciated over time, and will continue to do so no matter what happens to me, my career, or my work. I've created enough pieces, put out enough artwork that my reputation is well established. The hard part for me to realize is that the value of a client's investment will continue to increase, long after I (and he) have turned to dust... as the knives will still be around.

Client's designs and exclusivity

From my FAQ page:

If I submit a design, will you make my knife?

Perhaps I will, but maybe I will not or can not make your knife. I'm limited by the amount of knives I make, and I reserve the right to refuse to make a particular knife. There may be many reasons for this. If my order list is long, I may not be able to accommodate your needs in a timely fashion. The knife design may be unworkable, or not in my design style. Not every maker makes the same type of knife, and though I make a lot of types, I do not make them all. The materials requested may not be available. The budget for the knife may be unworkable. A specific request for materials used, geometry, mechanical fittings, or finish may not be something I would recommend, so I wouldn't make a knife in that fashion. No worry though, you are on the internet, and there are many other fine knife makers who may accept your commission.

Now and then, I get an inquiry about a client's own design. He usually states that he has worked long and hard on his design, maybe he even has a host of designs (I even met a guy that had a book with hundreds of pages of knife drawings), and he wants one or two of them made. Usually, these guys are very protective of their work, sometimes copyrighting it, but always convinced of the high value of their knife drawings. They're certain that the shape, contours, or features of their design are worth a great deal of money, and they don't want the designs to fall into the wrong hands, where their hard labor and investment of time is "stolen" by a factory or self-serving knifemaker. They want me to make their dream come to reality, never to be seen again.

Usually, they have not considered the labor, skill, and machine techniques that must go into their idea. The value of a fine custom knife is not in the drawing or design, it's in the execution. Sadly, their designs, though lovingly created, are not worth much. So they hop around from knife maker to knife maker, searching for one who will keep their secret and make their knife for cheap.

I usually steer clear of these types. They are sad to learn that their drawings are usually not unique; in the millions of years man has been making knives, nearly everything has been considered at one time or another. They also are distraught when the find that true design patenting is a long, expensive process, and even it a design patent is granted, they must have plenty of money to defend it in court, proving their ownership of the design, proving that it has never before been designed in the history of man, and proving damages to themselves by the defendant. This is no small court matter, and unless the design revolutionizes the knife world, not much damage can be proven.

Their designs may be copyright protected, but they have to be recorded somewhere. Simply having them on a piece of paper does not prevent someone from coming up with a similar design. Some recording method must be used.

If a knife is truly a great design, why not honor that, name the design for the designer, and share it with the world where it can be appreciated? This is not the case with most of these guys, they think they will somehow get rich off their drawings. I know of no one in human history that has gotten rich from knife drawings. If the person is exceptional at drawing, perhaps he should become a fine artist. That will get him rich, if he's very good!

Copyrights, Knife Designs, and Other Knifemakers

One day, I noticed a lot of traffic coming to my site via a forum (or bulletin board), indicated on my web site analysis program. I followed the URL back and discovered that someone had asked for a source to trace knife patterns that he could use to make his own knives. Another member recommended my site, in particular my patterns page, which had over 340 knife patterns posted on it at that time. To his credit, he did mention that there would be copyright issues.

I posted a short, clear request stating that it would be polite if he asked first if he could use my patterns, as they are copyrighted, and I got back a flurry of responses, angry comments, and rude advice. How dare I enter "their" forum and for the first time attack a member! A member had recommended the theft of patterns and violation of my copyrights to another member, and I was the bad guy for saying anything!

When a design or pattern is created and copyrighted, it is protected by national and international law, pure and simple. If you choose to violate the law, you are a law breaker and a criminal, pure and simple. No amount of justification, verbiage, attack, or commentary will change the fact that if you have taken someone else's work without their permission, you have broken the law and are a criminal. Yet this doesn't seem to stop many knife makers who are stumped for ideas.

I made the recommendation that the maker take an idea that he sees in a design and create his own design, something of his own he can be proud of. For those makers who can not come up with a viable knife design, I also stated that I routinely grant permission to other makers to use my designs, and only ask that they credit my site and my clients, who have put a lot of their own effort into those very designs. It is a matter of honor and dignity and respect to those clients (soldiers, military, law enforcement, professionals) that have put their ideas into the designs. When a pattern is taken without permission, it disrespects a whole group of people, not just the maker.

What these geniuses didn't realize is that on the information-based, word-driven, search engine-dominated Internet, if they used my name they would get many times the traffic and interest, because my name and web site is so well established and recognized on the Internet. At the time of this issue, I was getting well over a million hits a month. They would actually benefit greatly from asking my permission, using my name as a source, and using my name of the knife that they wish to create. But because the guys that violate copyrights know deep inside that what they are doing is wrong, they will skirt permission, slink into the site, cut, copy, and paste the patterns, and hope no one knows the difference. And all they have to do is ask permission! I'm a friendly guy, and might even post a link to their efforts, granting them more traffic and exposure.

Another idiot went on to state that I should be honored that anyone would want to use my patterns. What a fool. Ask any artist, writer, craftsman, or creative person if they feel honored when their designs or creations are stolen. I wonder how he would feel if others had unrestrained access to his work and routinely stole it to "honor" him. The truth is, people who make these claims have never and probably will never create anything of value that anyone wants, much less make a thriving business on their own.

In another case, a concerned knife designer (yes there are knife designers) let me know that my patterns were being directly copied and reproduced by a company in Pakistan, and being sold on a cheap internet site. Some of the patterns were for knives I hadn't even made yet, but this guy was trying to build his business on my work. A total of 16 designs had been made, and I expect to see more. I related the fact that copyright law, section 102 of the code, prohibits the copyright infringement on designs and finished works, graphics, sculpture, drawings and representations which are protected. I informed the site, and they removed his listings. Like most modern companies, these sites do not want to have their name associated with breaking the law which is what copyright intellectual property infringement is.

In my upcoming book, I talk more about this and other problems in this profession. My only hope is that by discussion and exposure in this very medium of digital information, it becomes clear that solid, law abiding, respectful practices will benefit our profession, and we will achieve greater respect and success as businessmen and artists.

To learn much more about copyright infringement, knife design and how it applies in this field, please take a look at my Copyright Infringement page.

Knife Pricing and Justification

Once in a while, I get questioned on my knife prices and pricing structure. An interested person thinks his quote is high, and wonders why he would have to pay what I charge for his knife. I try to answer most reasonable questions clearly; perhaps he desires engraving or a complicated custom filework that takes many hours to complete. Maybe the handle material is rare and expensive, or the sheath work is time consuming and the materials exotic and hard to acquire. If his question is valid, I'm obligated as a business professional to answer his inquiry logically. Sometimes, this is not enough for him, and the urge to justify what I charge seeps into the conversation.

Justification is explaining every detail of the cost of a knife. When you justify, it degrades each creation or work of art into a list of costs and returns, a line by line breakdown of knife making steps, costs of materials, utilities, time spent on each process, and the costs of each expendable. It demeans the whole process into a work order; the making of a piece of fine craftsmanship becomes an accounting of regimented steps. It is a glorious waste of precious time.

Sometimes, a client will ask this because he's seen my "My Knife Prices" page and thinks that the knife he's described should be at the bottom of my pricing structure. He's gone with a bead blasted finish and a micarta handle with a plain sheath, so shouldn't that be the cheapest knife Jay makes? What he may not have accounted for is the size of the pattern chosen, the materials used, or the difficulty of construction. My least expensive knives are mainly skeletonized, that is, they do not have ANY handle or bolster material, and only rudimentary milling. Everything that is done to the plain bar of steel in knife construction adds to the cost. A person who tries to make even a seemingly simple knife of good quality is shocked at how much work is involved.

I wonder if he would question one of the big knife manufacturers as to why they charge what they do for a knife? Would he go to a hardware store and ask them to justify why they set their prices where they do? Of course not, so why would he ask me that? People often see an individual artist and craftsman as a person, not a company. But this is a business, I am a company, and needing to justify prices is a slippery slope that is best avoided. Justification in any business is a drain of resources and time, and a sign of uncertain value. No one asks why an NBA player takes in millions every year, it's simply understood that the product he delivers is paid the going rate. If the rate is high, and he's still employed, that must be what the market has set for him. The same is true for custom knives. My prices are set, I have many orders and commitments, so the value must be in line with the market, or I'd be out of business.

The price of a knife is what it is. It's determined by features that go into the knife, the materials the knife is made of, the difficulty of executing each feature, the level of quality (intricacy and finish), embellishment and its difficulty, and all of the previously mentioned attributes applied to the accessories such as the sheath, case, or stand. The price is also set based on the marketable value of the knife and the workmanship.

When an interested person questions the price and insists on justification, it means that he can't afford the knife, and he should probably rethink his knife purchase.

Dogs don't bark at parked cars

I happened to get wind of a website where a guy had cut, copied, and pasted my comments about the steels I use on his own site, and followed them with his own abrasive and insulting opinions. He was careful to take every comment out of the context of my original paragraphs. He called it an "evaluation" and "review" of articles on my site.

I have no articles on my site. I do not get paid for what I write here, all I try to do is explain my way of thinking, my experience of making fine, high quality custom and handmade knives for three decades. I guess I must have some public punch with my opinions and presence on the Internet, otherwise why would he have felt the need to attack me? Perhaps he was only trying to draw attention to his web site. By the way, as far as I can tell, the guy has never made one knife.

I took the time to respond to him directly, offering that it would be considerate if he would have contacted me first if he had concerns about statements on my site. It would give me a chance to correct them if needed. I also mentioned legal issues. He was kind enough to respond and claim that he would act professionally in the future. We shall see.

Copyright Infringement (it's prosecutable)

This episode brings up some huge legal issues about this digital medium that are currently being studied, discussed among lawmakers, and flooding into the justice system. There is, first, the legal issue of copyright and intellectual property law. Every part of a web page, all software, patents, books, photographs, trademarks, videos, and even the fictional characters in stories are intellectual property. And don't be fooled, copyright protection applies immediately upon creation of the work, so don't look for a copyright statement (there is one at the bottom of every page of this website). If you and your business or personal pursuit is on the Internet and displays copyrighted property belonging to someone else, and you have not obtained their specific written permission to distribute or display that work, you are liable for damages. Even if you just use a small part of that work, just a few phrases or sentences from a page, the copyright protection still holds true. One MUST obtain written permission first. This is routinely done, and I've granted several entities permission to use my words on their own web sites, so it's not some unattainable goal.

How could this guy have done his attack better? Well, for one thing, ideas, opinions, and modes of operation or technique are not copyright protected. He could take some serious lessons from this very web site. If you've arrived at this page, you've probably noticed that I do NOT list any specific company, other knifemaker, factory, or entity directly anywhere on this site, particularly in the realm of criticism. I do not directly quote any of them. Yes, I have plenty of my own opinions, but I will never make a direct reference to an entity or person. I'm very careful to paraphrase words in strings of ideas, and never cut, copy, and paste from other sites or sources without their written permission. By the way, please think about all those testimonials that you've read on my site now.

To learn much more about copyright infringement, knife design and how it applies in this field, please take a look at my Copyright Infringement page.

Libel (it's prosecutable)

Another, perhaps more volatile and litigious concern, is the nature of those direct criticisms. It's one thing to criticize a largely public figure or celebrity, and quite another to libelously attack a small businessman, one running a one-man show and deriving all his income off contacts and business from his Internet web site (that's me). It would be easy to prove damages done by those comments, because (little known to the attacker) web site traffic, connections, IP addresses, server locations and site ownership are all easily traceable with modern web analysis software. It amazes me how many people entirely overlook this fact. Lawsuit time. We may complain about our litigious society, but when it starts to hurt my business, I won't hesitate to protect my income, which supports me and my family, my business, and my home. This is how it is done in our society and judicial system.

What does this have to do with dogs barking? There is a proverb that states, "Dogs don't bark at parked cars." On one hand, it means to me that this guy was just a little dog yapping as I sped by, and it doesn't mean that much. On the other hand, it means that me barking at him is foolish, because he's just a parked car, going nowhere.

From my What I do and don't do page:

You might be surprised to read some of the hate mail I get over my Services Offered page. Frequently, it's from aspiring knifemakers who insist on me helping them make it in this business. Funny thing, they wouldn't ask another professional like an electrician, surgeon, or web site developer to give them some points, answer a few questions, or help them to sell some of what they make, but they demand that of knife makers. After all, it's only one question, why wouldn't Jay Fisher answer? Isn't this site about making knives?

This site is my professional business storefront, not a information source on how-to. My profession is making knives, but I am not a teacher, instructor, or resource for anything knife-related. Even though, there is a tremendous amount of information available at jayfisher.com, and all you have to do is read it. This very page has invaluable details about the art, tradecraft, and business of making knives, yet rather than read what is available here, some emailers rant, spew, and then push send.

I go into more detail about this topic in my upcoming book, but here's the boiled-down version: most people treat knife making as a hobby, not a profession, so they think other knife makers are just like them. I suggest they go to one of the big knife manufacturers and ask them to answer their questions for a few hours... what? They wouldn't do that? Then why do they attack me for not helping them out? Because I'm a single individual, therefore must only be a hobbyist, like them. But they are wrong. This is not a hobbyist's site, this is a professional business.

In my upcoming book, I detail this phenomenon and the reasons for it. It is one of the troubling spots of this new information technology we call the internet, and one of the costs of having an intensive, information rich web site. Many people are new to this medium and don't know just what a site is for. Though there are many types of site out there, and they may ask their questions on a bulletin board or post, why not circumvent that process and ask someone who is a professional in their field? Would they be willing to pay for the professional advice, like the advice of a doctor, and appraiser, or a mechanic after he's evaluated an engine? Of course they would pay them, but a knifemaker... no. After all, he's only a knife maker-

I get specific on this issue in my coming book. Stay tuned!

Who's business is this?

Once in a while, I get an email or request to change how I do business. Most of the time, it's things like payment plans, layaways, or delivery periods that the potential client is not comfortable with. Since I'm a singular businessman, they figure I'll be happy to go with what they want. After all, the customer is always right... right?

There can be a big difference between working with someone to their singular benefit and being fair to everyone. Working with an individual client by bending the rules, methods, and way that I do business says a lot about the client and about me, too.

The client may think that he is somehow special, more important than other clients who don't get a special break, service, or offer. He may think that old Jay is like most knife makers and artists, desperate to make a sale, and will jump at the chance to do anything that the client desires. This type of person often thinks that businesses like mine will cater to their individual needs and wants, with just a little nudging. Usually, that nudging takes place with dollar bills, and even occasionally unsolicited gifts, promises, or manipulative methods that may have worked in the past on some other artist or craftsman. This same client would not even consider offering a large chain store, his grocer, his mechanic, or his physician the same types of hints, suggestions, or bribes. He wouldn't offer it to his banker or his employer. But Jay Fisher is fair game, because he's just a one man show and surely, he can bend Jay to his personal wants.

This type of person couldn't be more mistaken. I operate my business with integrity. That means being fair to everyone. Though you may see some artists and craftsmen jump at a dollar bill dragged under their nose, I don't. Yes, I work for money, but I do it in a way that I expect to be treated, and I'm not desperate to make a sale. This is my business, but you would be surprised at how others think they know better than I do just how it should be operated... for their personal benefit.

I want it to be clear that 99% of my clients are respectful, patient, and understanding. It is because of them that I'm in business and have been blessed with the journey and successes I've known over the decades. They receive the same respect, patience, and understanding that they have offered me. You know if you are one of these fine people. My humble thanks to you!

I'll go into more detail in my book, under the heading of "Things they didn't tell me about when I started this outfit." Some of the details will be priceless.

Concealed Carry of Knives: Issues and Concerns

You would be right in guessing that I receive a lot of correspondence about making knives specifically designed for concealed carry. Whether it's military or law enforcement, urban or rural knife enthusiasts, everyone would like to have a little edge on what they perceive is a potential threat in our modern world.

In most states, knives of a certain blade length can not be carried in any concealed fashion. In other states (like mine) any knife that is capable of injury is illegal to carry concealed... period, unless it's on one's private property, within your automobile (which is also your private property), or in any official capacity (rather vague designation). So in truth, New Mexico actually has some very strict prohibitions on concealed knife carry! This is a bit stunning, because we are a fairly rural state, with every rancher, cowboy, and young man having at least a small pocket knife at his hand, though many of these now are carried in belt pouches, thus rendering them not concealed. Every state varies. I recommend highly that you get a clear picture of your own state's laws and the laws of any state you're travelling in by clicking on Bernard Levine's FREE links to state knife laws here.

Please remember that new laws are in the works at all times. Knives fit into concealed carry permit laws for many states, so knife carry may be considered under those statutes. Be sure and check your own state's permit options and requirements, which differ from standard state knife laws.

When looking over your state's knife laws, you can also get an idea just what they might be used for, as laws are refined during cases where specific knife carry laws may apply. In our state, for instance, if you are convicted of carrying a concealed knife (remember, in New Mexico, that is any blade capable of injury), it is a petty misdemeanor. So, as you can imagine, this law is only loosely enforced, and I think it's there more for the capability of law enforcement to detain and help convict suspects of violent crimes where the knife or blade plays a roll. Our state does not routinely arrest and charge people with carrying a knife in their pocket, though they could... and every state is different. Common sense applies here. If, for instance, I wanted to carry a knife with a six inch blade all over town, mounted right on my hip in a sheath for all to see, that is perfectly legal. But in our state, the same goes for firearms. Of course, you have prohibited areas for firearm carry, like banks, bars, and schools, but no clear definition exists for knives. In other words, I see no reason that a person can't carry an 18" bowie knife on his belt sheath into a New Mexico bank. I've seen guys carrying big knives in plain sight on their hip into banks here, and no one even gives them a second glance. Don't take my words as advice though; I'm not an attorney, this is not legal advice, and even small localities may have more stringent restrictions.

My point is that appearance does matter. Everyone thinks that if you have a pouched folding knife on your hip, you're a blue collar working guy, and it's just a tool. If you have a 6" bladed sheath knife on your belt, you're probably some outdoor enthusiast or hunter. But if you happen to have a knife that is purposely concealed inside a belt buckle, up your sleeve, at your back, or in your boot, you are a criminal (at least in this state you are, assuming you're on public property and you do not have a concealed carry permit).

For me to make knives and sheaths purposely dedicated to concealed carry is a dicey issue. There is no law against me making this kind of arrangement (though there is a specific law prohibiting me from making switchblades, butterfly, and automatic knives in our state). The question is: do I want to purposefully design knives as defensive concealed weapons? What, in the long term, does this do to our tradecraft to be known for aiding in bending, if not breaking existing laws? Prosecutors may point to knife makers and manufacturers as the source of guidance and bearing on this issue. If a maker cranks out knives and sheaths made purposefully to deceive, he casts an inerasable stain on his business practices, i.e., to make a dollar at any opportunity, by encouraging skating around laws.

In our state, a jury is left to determine the specific "character" of a knife. What do juries know about knife character? Nothing: that's what. The general public is grossly uneducated about knives, if you're reading this that is probably crystal clear to you. I do not want to be subpoenaed to testify as to the character of a knife and sheath combination I make.

Look, there are many cheap imported knives that allow and encourage illegal concealed carry. I look forward to the day when a beautiful edged tool can be proudly carried at your side like a piece of fine jewelry and dress, admired and respected. It pains me to think of man's oldest and most cherished of tools hidden, concealed, and secreted away because of possible offense, political correctness, or perceived notions of nefarious activity.

Where and how you carry a knife is ultimately up to you, not me. For a matter of public record, I do not encourage concealed carry without a permit. There are a host of other issues related to the mechanics of concealed carry of knives and I talk about them in detail on my sheaths page here.

To cover this from a technical perspective, here's a paragraph from my knife sheath page that details the mechanical issues:

I do not make sheaths to accommodate wear on the arms or legs. The reason for this is that the knife must fit snugly in the sheath, even with alternate means of retention, like straps or snap flaps. When the knife is pulled out of the sheath, it is in the direction of the limbs smallest diameter, which will pull the entire fixture down the arm, or down the leg. In the arm it is particularly troublesome, because the wrist is smaller than the girth of the arm at the elbow, so the straps are trying to pull down the arm. It's the same reason that socks won't stay up! You're trying to pull downhill yet have the sheath stay in place. So the only way to counter this is with a long strap that goes up the arm that the sheath is mounted on, over the shoulder, and is retained around the neck. What a mess! It works good in Hollywood, but in reality is an entirely different affair. Also, there is a problem with knife sheaths mounted on the leg. In order to pull against the taper of the leg, just like on the forearm, the knife must be pulled up. That means that the area to pull the knife must be as long as the sheath throat and full knife length added together. No man can lift up his pants that high, he'd have to be wearing shorts... so this is impractical. If the pull is downward on the leg, he's pulling against geometry (again) or the knife may have to have some type of complicated retention method to prevent falling out... What a mess. Then, there is the whole concealment issue. As a professional, I can't be known for helping bend concealment laws. So, generally, I stay away from this type of mounting, unless it's for law enforcement or federal agents. See the entire contents of my "Sheaths" page here.

Comments and Complaints About this Website

I get them; every website with hefty traffic does. The complainers. The guys trying to offer constructive criticism. They're just trying to help, or they have a beef, or they're just unhappy about the way a particular view, idea, or concept is presented on this site. Sometimes, they're actually disturbed by how I've constructed the site, what I've included, and how it's structured in the markup. Even though before emailing me they read that I only answer emails about serious knife inquiries, they insist on giving me their two cents. Mostly, what I see from them is that they have some preconceived notion about what they think this site should say, what it should be about, and even how it is presented. Since the reality is different than they think it should be, they protest to me, perhaps thinking that I'll change it to suit their philosophy or design ideas.

I also get plenty of email with positive support and encouragement for what you see posted on this site, and the positive comments outweigh the negative by many, many times, so I know I'm doing something right. I've even had positive comments from dealers who market the factory knives that I've railed against on these pages. Other makers have gleaned much information here, and I hope that I've inspired others and caused them to think about their knives, their businesses, their internet future.

With both types of comments, I try to be pragmatic. If I get enough requests for a change, and the change makes sense, I might consider it. Take, for instance, my Knife Anatomy page. I built this page because a lot of guys were trying to identify parts on a modern custom knife, but had no clear frameset to discuss those parts, areas, or components. Rather than type a detailed description in every email, the potential knife client can go to the knife anatomy page and identify the exact component. From there, we can have a conversation about his knife interest. Now, the page has taken on a life of its own, and is one of the top hitters on my site, with plenty of outside links to it, and new ones every week.

If you're reading this, you have more than a passing interest in knives. To you, I want to make this point crystal clear. This site is about my knives. It's all about the knives. In my focus on writing, photography, publication, presentation, web site development, marketing, education, growth, and business, one thing must and does take precedence over all the others ... the knives. I am here because of the business of pieces of steel sculpted into blades, wood and rock carved into handles, and skins and plastics formed into sheaths. The embellishment, the presentation, the promotion, the representations are all about the knives I make. Thanks for being here!

What is the Ratio of Online Knife Sales to Knife Show Sales?

This question comes up more and more. Dealers, knife collectors, makers, and enthusiasts are trying to figure out if the net is the place to shop, if shows are the place to be, and if they have focused their dollars in the right place. The truth is, no one knows what volume of internet sales exists, who's buying how many knives, and how that may compare with knife or craft show knife sales.

The show sales would be a more reasonable venue from which to draw data. Most guys know if a show is a good show; makers are pretty straightforward about the show's success, and often share this data with other makers and show promoters. If it's a successful show, the maker will probably return, and that's another good indicator. But those are only spot indicators, and are controlled by the venue, the advertising, the local economy in the show area, the type of knives brought to the show, the price ranges, and many other more minor factors. For example, a simple problem with hotel room booking requirements, or carrier-wide airline cancellations can make or break a show for a maker or client. The cost of travel, the limited time and availability of show merchandise, and the troublesome process of carrying knives to and from the show will only worsen.

The Internet is an altogether different medium. One can not claim to have any serious data on overall knife sales, but it is generally agreed that Internet knife sales have crushed show sales years ago. Specialty items like custom handmade knives will continue to soar in sales over the net, and shows will continue to decline. On the Internet, a client can take his time, learn to get to know the maker through the maker's website, see many more pictures of his work, testimonials, and much more information on his maker than he can in the short time they could meet at a knife show. Though many say this face time is important, makers can encourage clients to stop by their place of business when they travel (I do!), and the client can get to know the maker in his studio, at his storefront (he does have a professional business storefront, doesn't he?), and one on one. At the studio, the client can handle each pattern he's seen on the website, look over the various projects and materials, and get a clear picture of how a professional knife maker works in his real place of business. That will give him much more information than a quick meet and greet at a distracting knife show.

The horizon is bleak for shows, and though I believe they will continue, they will never have the grandeur of the late 1980s and early 1990s. More and more makers (like me!) are realizing their time is better spent in the shop, creating beautiful pieces, and maintaining a worthwhile website that their clients can comfortably peruse in their own pace. The backlog of orders is testimony to the success of an Internet-based custom and handmade knife business.

Do you absolutely need some face time? Nowadays, this is an option with Skype's and Teleconferencing, and I do that too!

Some thoughts on Knife Dealers

When a knife dealer claims to know trends and directions of the vast field of custom knives, he is only talking about of the types, styles, and price range of knives that he has experience with. For instance, he may not even know that there are hundreds of fine gemstone handled knives that will never make it into the secondary market to be resold, simply because the knife client or collector wishes to keep his knives, and is not interested in reselling them. The dealer may be completely unaware of this price range and type of fine knives, as his clients and acquisitions may be limited to the interest of his own clients, and their ability to buy. The most limiting factor is that a dealer will never have access to knives that are bought directly from the maker if the maker refuses to sell to dealers (I do, and so do many other makers of fine knives). If the knives are rarely resold, the dealer may not even know they exist. So, if a knife client purchases from a dealer, the client may not acquire the best of knives from the dealer, because the best knives usually never make it into a dealer's hands. Where to get the best of knives? Directly from the maker, that's where.

As the internet grows and continues to be a direct source of purchase, this narrowing of knife dealer's access to high end knives will accelerate. I believe that dealers will continue to thrive, selling what I consider to be middle market knives, but more and more specialty knives will be purchased directly from the maker.

You might ask why a maker would sell to a dealer in the first place? There are many reasons; a new maker might want to get established through a dealer who has access to a large client base. The maker may not wish to trouble himself with the ongoing effort of a website. The maker may not be a good salesman and is uncomfortable dealing with this aspect of the knife business. There is nothing wrong with any of these reasons and that is why dealers will continue to exist.

Most dealers nowadays require a percentage of the sale price of a knife. So it is generally expected that the maker should drop his price for the dealer by that percentage, so the dealer can benefit from the price difference, and sell the knife for what the maker ordinarily would. Though this may be acceptable to some knife makers, I believe this is unethical. How ethical is it to say that a dealer who has the ability to buy multiple knives at one time should get a discount over a soldier who puts his life on the line defending our country every day? Take the occupation out of the equation. How ethical is it to set prices differently for different clients for the same knife? No matter how you try to justify it, it won't wash. It is unethical to vary the price of a knife depending on who is buying it.

I know this goes on in the knife and art markets, but it's a dirty little secret that no one mentions to the final client. How would you feel if you found out that if you only purchased directly from the knife maker, you would have saved 20 percent? And makers who would try to sell you the knife at the same price as the dealer are saying to their clients: "you don't buy enough knives from me, so you have to pay more." What? Maybe this goes on across the nation in large volume stores and with massive purchases and acquisitions between companies, but knife making is a one-on-one personal purchase, and this is not Wal-mart.

The ultimate limitation of purchasing from a dealer is that the knife will NEVER be custom. Custom knives are made to the client's requirements, and eliminating that contact, conversation, and interaction between clients, patrons, and the knife maker eliminates the possibility of a true custom knife. So any time you see the word "custom" mentioned in a conversation about a knife purchase from a dealer, it is in error.

What about discounts or volume breaks?

I don’t offer discounts. It wouldn’t be fair to other clients.

• How would it appear to say that an Army soldier must pay more for his knife than a knife collector because he can only afford one knife?
• How fair is it to clients who have ordered or have on order multiple knives from me at a fixed regular price to then give a discount to another person?
• How fair would it be to sell knives at a lower price to a dealer who makes his living off the labor of knifemakers (and their reputation), than a young man who is defending our country (and my family) against terrorists with his life on the line?
• Just what would be the standard by which discounts are made and to whom?

This is an odd curiosity about this business that I elaborate on in my upcoming book. It seems that knife makers appear a desperate lot to some buyers, like fruit salesmen at at common market. Who would think of going to an art show and trying to get a couple of paintings at a discount? Who might go to the hardware store and offer to pay a lower price if he bought two hammers instead of one? You wouldn't do this to your tailor, your auto mechanic, or your grocer.

If these comparisons seem a little off the mark because the fields are so different than knife making, let's look at some that are very similar. Would you go to the jewelry store and ask for a discount if you bought two rings instead of one? Think this is still different than the knife maker? How's this: go to the hardware store or the mall, to the section where they sell... knives. Take two up to the counter and request a discount if you buy both of them. See what the sales person tells you. What? You wouldn't do that? Then why would someone try this with a knife maker?

It's simple really. Knife makers are often, sadly, considered mere hobbyists in our culture, not craftsmen, not artists, and not deserving of the respect that most people give other artists and craftsmen in metals or other media. Perhaps some of them think that knife makers are desperate to make a sale and will do anything to move knives. Others may think that it is simply good business practice to ask, because heck, you never know what kind of deal you'll get. I understand the desire to pay less than everyone else because more than one item is moving. But volume discounts are for large chain stores or business to business ventures and typically deal with hundreds if not thousands of units, not one-of-a-kind works of art.

This request may originate in the buyer's idea that pricing is fluid. For you other makers who entertain this belief, please note that the practice of ever-changing prices will hurt your business long-term, and drastically affect the investment value of your knives. I'll go into more details in my book, but here are some of my own experiences with people who think prices are fluid instead of calculated.

I encountered a man who didn't have enough money to purchase the knife he wanted, so he asked me to change the price. He said, "The price is just a number you put on the knife! Just change the number!" I told him I would never sell him a knife.

I follow a strict pricing structure, a program that accounts for every effort, every ounce and inch of steel, every expendable, the overhead, electricity, and utilities it takes to make a knife as well as the current market value. See "How much do your knives cost?" above. This structure defines my exact cost to make the knife, and thus the exact price to sell it. With so many modifications in the features and options of a knife, I take into account over 65 variations in the pricing breakdown. Tool steel, gemstones, and exotics are very expensive, more so every year, as are abrasives, electricity, shipping, materials, and supplies. These costs are all figured into the quoted price.

Another time, at a custom knife show, a woman desperately wanted a knife for her husband, and had gone over all the show tables and returned to mine three times. She had her eye on a knife with a mosaic gemstone handle, one with clear areas of agate in the matrix of the stone. It was obvious that she wanted it badly. She asked first if I would drop the price for her, and I politely said no.

Then she looked at the agate and said, "This area here, it looks like epoxy. You should discount it for me."

I took the knife from her hand and told her that it was agate, not epoxy, and if she thought the knife had a flaw there was no way I would sell her a piece she thought was defective. She left my table in a huff. It was a couple months before the piece went to a collector who knew what he was looking at.

Besides being unfair, for me to discount any knife would suggest that the knife is not worth what the structure has assigned, or that I can’t sell within that structure framework, or that the knife has some flaw or defect. This degrades the piece, its value, my craftsmanship, the client, and all other clients who purchase my custom knives. It degrades the long term investment value of the piece, as well as the whole process. Experienced collectors or knife aficionados and professionals who depend on tactical knives, chef's knives, and working knives don't haggle about price. In some cultures haggling is expected, but this is not a produce market, and I'm not desperate to make a sale.

Incidentally, how would you feel if you worked for a company and every payday, someone from the accounting department came by to negotiate your salary in a downward direction? What if they told you that because they are paying for multiple paydays over the period of months or years that they deserved a break on what they would pay you. Even if you are desperate, once you open the door to this type of thinking, do you think that it would then remain fixed or would it continue to spiral downward, making your attitude spoil and your work less than... optimum?

What about knives that sit on my site for a long time unsold? Sometimes, a knife might sit on my site for three years before it is purchased. There are so many types of knives, styles, and options that it takes the particular individual who that style satisfies to meet his knife on my website and purchase the knife. Sooner or later, every knife sells. I have my own 30+ year history in this trade and business to attest to that. And if a knife doesn't sell for the calculated price, then I'd just as soon keep it for my very own, because I love knives! I just can't seem to keep any-

Am I too hard on factory knives?

I've read here on the internet that I'm hard on factory knives. Is it being too harsh to reveal the truth? Perhaps people who defend factory knives have spent their own hard-earned money on them and feel the need to defend their purchases. Maybe they hope that the value of their dollars are well-applied, and they won't be seen as mere consumers of a mass-marketed manufactured product. But when you openly compare factory knives to knives made by well known established knife makers, you open the conversation to reveal the differences in glaring reality. The most important thing to realize is that:

While there may be many complaints about design, materials, construction, fit, finish, presentation, service, and accessories in factory or manufactured knives, there are usually only two complaints about fine handmade custom knives by a well-known professional knife maker:

• The knives are expensive
• There is a long waiting period.

The same people who complain about those two realities will never attack the maker's knives, their design, their fit and finish, the maker's reputation, the service, or the accessories. They will usually agree that the knives are worth the price, particularly since the value and cost of the knives increases year after year. I've seen this continually in my own work. It's a stunning fact that the knife value is increasing while the knife is on order and waiting to be made! If you order a knife for $1x and wait three years for it to be delivered, it may well be worth $2x by the time it reaches your hand! Do you then wonder why then, even if a maker has a long backlog of orders, someone would order from him? The investment value of fine custom knives by well known makers is substantial and the savvy knife client knows his money is growing even before he has the knife in his hand. Show me a factory or manufactured knife that does the same thing!

What is a Custom Knife?

I've often heard or read of makers calling their knives "Custom." What does this mean and why do they do it? A custom knife is a knife made to order, with specific details and instructions from the knife client on how the knife is constructed, it's materials, its design, its finish, its accessories, and its embellishment. Making a custom knife entails an involved conversation between the knife client and the knife maker. It may be as simple as specifying a profile pattern and handle material (see over 360 I've made on my Patterns Page here), or may involve the client's own drawings, ideas, design, embellished artwork, and sheath, stand, or case.

The most important thing to realize is that:

Why do makers specify that they make custom knives? The word custom in the handmade knife world is very important. It signifies the maker is highly skilled, or he wouldn't be able to accommodate individual client's needs and directives. It means he is a direct participant in the conversation between client and maker. It means he can make the knife a client wants, not only the knives the maker wants to make. Incidentally, I never call the knives that are available in my inventory on my site custom. So when you do see the word custom or custom made on one of my knife pictures, descriptions, or featured pages, know that my client had direct, involved input in the design, components, arrangement, and accessories of the knife package.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of misuse of the word "custom" by knife makers, enthusiasts, and knife buyers and owners. Makers will try to gather their work under the classification of custom by claiming that the specifications the knife was made to are the maker's, therefore the knives are custom. This is just foolish, and demonstrates to any knowledgeable knife client that the maker is desperate to make a sale, and probably is an unscrupulous businessman to be avoided. If the knife is not specifically made to order by the client who purchases the knife, it is not a custom knife.

Sometimes, a knife that is made to order is resold. The seller might try to sell the knife as a custom knife. If a knife is resold, it is no longer a custom knife. It can be reasonably stated in the description that the knife was originally made as a custom knife for John Doe, but if a name is not specified, and the original owner is not known, it is not a custom knife and should not be sold as such. To sell a knife on the open market and call it custom raises red flags about the maker, dealer, or seller and they should be avoided.

The same holds for a knife claimed to be any custom knife. The maker or seller should disclose who's specifications it was made for. If I tried to claim one of my inventory knives as custom, I would then state, "This is a custom knife made to Jay Fisher's specifications by Jay Fisher." See how ridiculous that sounds?

How do you know if a maker is a true custom knife maker? The answer is (as always) right here on the internet. The maker's web site should have plenty of pictures, descriptions, and details about the custom knives he's made, and who he has made them for. He should have many profiles and designs, because if he's a true custom maker, many designs will be presented and created over the years. If he only has a handful of designs, and they are similar, the chances are good that he is not a custom maker willing to consider many and varied client's ideas.

My knives, web postings, and "professional advertising copy"

If you've read the knife descriptions on my knives for sale pages, you'll see quite a write up about each knife. I take a lot of time to describe why I've made the knife, what its purpose is, how it's constructed and why, the materials, the properties and reasons for the materials choices, the ideas behind the accoutrements, the embellishment, and the overall artwork.

On one bulletin board, years ago, when I posted a particular knife's description, I was accused of having "professional advertising copy" and was snubbed by the members of the site for describing my own work! I removed all my postings and am not nor will ever be associated with that group again. It hasn't hurt my business one tiny bit.

It's a funny thing; I guess some people consider knife makers as backwoods hicks and want them to come across that way. "Yup, I just stuck together some steel and wood and leather and made this here knife."

Truly, there are some makers who come across that way, but the successful ones are professionals, with professional attitudes and methods. Do I pay a professional to write up the advertising copy for my knives? You bet I do, and that guy is me. Who would know more about the knife I've made than I would? Why wouldn't a potential buyer or client who invests his hard-earned cash in a knife purchase want to know all the details and passion that is the foundation of the particular knife creation? If it were me, I'd want to know everything, every small detail about the piece of artwork. My clients appreciate this, and I've never had one knife client tell me the he knew too much about his knife!

Opinions, Disagreements, and Defense

This site is about my work, but I've also included a generous amount of my opinions about knives, steels, blade geometry, handles, bolsters, guards, sheaths, stands, and cases. I've described at great length the materials and techniques used to build a modern custom knife, and I've made it clear that these are my opinions based on over thirty years making knives, over twenty years as a full time professional knifemaker (this is my real job!). Most of the people reading this are interested in knives, some are enthusiasts, and some are a bit obsessive. Some of the obsessive types are not obsessive in a constructive way, and they are what I term: "obsessive-defensive."

What this usually means in the knife world is that they've spend a good deal of their money on a knife that is manufactured and then they've read somewhere on this site that a particular feature, material, process, or presentation of their factory knife is poor or cheap, and they feel the need to obsessively defend their purchase. Sadly, this will not make their money go any farther, no matter how many times they recite how great their knife is, how well made, how valuable, or how unique. They will often go on all the knife forums and bulletin boards posting over and again to anyone who might read that their knife is superior, better than other knives, made of better materials, of higher value, or any number of details to justify the dollars they've spent. They may even claim that their purchases are an investment, but this is foolish, as no factory knife sells for more than it is purchased for, unless it is very, very old. They won't convince the masses of their opinion, they won't increase the value of their factory or poorly made knife, but they will spend countless hours trying.

I get emails from these types. Not very often, but they do come in. Usually, the emails are in the form of constructive criticism about some comment I've made that might directly apply to their knife purchase or collection. They simply want me to change what I've written, to reflect their opinion, and because this site gets so much traffic, it might change many more minds in the handmade knife world. Stubborn me, I won't cooperate, and don't even answer their email. So they go on to the next venue, bulletin board, posting, web site, or comment box until they reach agreement and find themselves a happy home.

You'll see this type post often on knife forums, usually anonymously. This allows them their rant, they may even find sympathetic voices, but it does not relieve them of the buyers remorse they have for a cheap knife.

What is the answer? It's simple really, and I've repeated it countless times on this website. A fine knife worthy of investment will appreciate in monetary value over time, a knife that is not worthy will depreciate. I'm not saying that a factory knife or poorly made knife does not have its place in the world; it does. In the utility arena, where knives are abused, uncared for, and eventually discarded, this type of knife reigns. But to compare them to fine handmade collector's or investment knives is ridiculous.

For those who are obsessive-defensive, I'll offer this: Trying to change the value or opinions of the entire world by writing to individual websites or ranting on bulletin boards and forums is as rational as trying to push a rope up a wall.

Terminology in This Field

We speak a language of words. Words are used to describe physical objects, processes and techniques, and even skill sets and training. I do my best to choose the words that are applicable in this trade, but invariably, differences occur followed by sometimes heated discussion. At the time of this writing, I'm mainly referring to a conflict that arose on a major knife bulletin board forum posting. A guy claiming to be a "Master" of his trade took issue with my description of how I carve a sheath. Argued about a term I used. The word: "carving."

When I use a term, it is not off the top of my head. This particular term was taken from a published text by Al Stohlman, with input from A. D. Patten and J. A. Wilson, arguably the fathers of American leather crafting. The term was referred to describing the technique I used in several of these published works, which sit in the Library of Congress. These are real books by real masters.

The point is that when I use a term, I'm very careful about its source. Sometimes, a word is gleaned from the current language of the arts. For instance, the word "filework" can not be found in any dictionary, though the word is common among knife aficionados. Words are often misused, such as the welt of a sheath being called a gusset. I try to clarify some of these terms on my knife anatomy page.

When we have a source for terms used, that gives them weight, punch, and a recognition. Creating or using terms just for the sake of ego is another matter. Take the term: "Master." When one proclaims to be a master of his trade, that declares that he is experienced, knowledgeable, and proven in his field. But to put the word "Master" in front of his professional job title requires that he be officially recognized by a professional entity. You might allow me to say that I'm a master of gemstone handled knives, merely by virtue of having made more than any other single knifemaker in history. But if I put in front of my name: "Master Lapidarist Jay Fisher," this would imply that some official entity would have recognized me with a published certificate or a sanctioned recognition of that title. Frankly, you may master an art (or many arts) but you can not proclaim yourself a "Master." Someone else, some official entity, must do that for you.

You may be thinking that such discussion is frivolous, but in order to present yourself and your works to others, particularly people who will send you money for your product and artwork, you should be absolutely clear about what constitutes the basis of your description. Bloating your job description might be seen as a disingenuous, even dishonest act.

People who read are not stupid. People who read the web, understand the value and direction of fine art and craft, and invest thousands of dollars to pursue their artistic collection or interest are not fools, and they have my respect. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have a job or career in this exciting field. I respect them enough to be forthright.

In other countries, there are classifications, such as "Master Harness Maker," or "Master Saddler" that are titles bestowed by trade groups and training schools on accomplished and educated tradesmen. In the United States, there is no such official title for leather workers or leather craftsmen. So one could say, "He is a master at leatherwork," but he could not rightfully use the term to describe himself, "Master Leatherworker: John Doe."

The only official title I know of in this field is that bestowed by the American Bladesmith Society, where qualifications for hand-forging knives must be met. This appears to be loosely based upon the European system of formal trade titles. This system has been traditional in Europe, classifying workers as laborer, tradesman, or professional, with sub-classifications of apprentice, journeyman, and master.

A title I do use frequently is "Professional." This indicates that what I do here is my profession; this is how I derive my income and support myself and my family. The term is accurate and descriptive as well as trade-oriented.

What about factory refits (retrofits)?

My name came up in an internet posting of a craftsman's worry about comparison to my gemstone handled knives. I took a look at this guy's work and process. It was clear that the man invested a lot of time, effort, materials, process, and skill in making his gemstone handles to apply (glued) to factory knives. There really is no comparison.

Unfortunately, retrofit  knives of any kind are not a good investment for the knife client, not because of the craftsman who makes and applies the handle, but because they are applied to cheap, common, and mundane factory knives. No matter how complicated, well-executed, and magnificent a piece of rock or other material is made into a handle, it does it no justice to apply it to a common factory knife. This retrofit does not make it an investment knife, a knife worthy of collection, or worthy of note in any way.

It's kind of sad, because as the guy in this case has the skill to make gemstone handles, he's probably got the skill to make the knives: the blades, the bolsters and fittings, the designs, the sheaths or stands, too. If he would apply that same dedication to the complete knife, it might surprise him how well he does.

Tying an individual maker's name to a factory refit doesn't do a maker any good, either. There are dozens of guys who have attached gemstone and other unusual materials to factory made knives, and there is a huge company here in the southwest that regularly offers this service. The knives are, and will continue to be cheaply made and of little value.

Look, there's nothing wrong with buying a factory retrofit, but please don't try to make a valid comparison to a handmade or custom knife of sole authorship by an established maker, and don't pay a substantial price for the piece. It was a cheap knife when it left the factory, and does not become better designed, finished, or of better quality in materials and workmanship simply by gussying it up with a piece of rock or other material. It's still a cheap knife, just with a nicer handle.

Refinishing Old Knives

People ask from time to time if I will refinish a knife. I make knives; I don't refinish them. I state so on my "Services Offered" page at this bookmark. I get questioned as to why I won't do this so here is the section giving the details.

Thankfully, this request rarely comes about for knives I've made. I can count on one hand the requests to refinish my own knives that has come in my 30+ years making knives. This is mostly due to the final knife owner, who has valued and cared for his purchase and investment.

This topic usually comes up because knives are made of steel, and steel can corrode. Though modern stainless tool steels inhibit corrosion, they are not "corrosion proof." Steel can and does rust. Stainless steels do not rust or corrode as easily as carbon steels that have significantly lower chromium, but they can and will show signs of rust and pitting if not cared for. The capability for a steel blade or fittings to rust depends on the type of steel, the finish, the heat treating (most high carbon stainless steels do not reach their full corrosion resistant potential until heat treated), and the exposures. See the details of knife care and corrosion resistance on my "Knife Care" page and my "FAQ" page at this bookmark.

Knife handles need their own specific care regime, service, and maintenance. Some have substantial potential stability and longevity problems. Horn, shell, bone, wood, stabilized woods, phenolics, epoxies, and other manmade and natural materials can and will all change over time. Probably the only handle material that does not is gemstone. Of course, any material can be abraded, blemished, and damaged.

Custom and handmade knives do have significant intrinsic value, so the question of refinishing them has some basis. If the knife has noticeable corrosion damage, moisture exposure, or signs of abuse or neglect, the desire of the owner is to simply have the knife "cleaned up," and restored to its original appearance and value. Though it does not seem like much to ask, this is a serious, often unreasonable remedy.

• The knife may be too damaged to repair. The corrosion or damage (such as a cracked handle) may be too deep to grind, abrade, or sand out.
• If the damage were to be removed, this will most likely change the geometry of the grind, the handle shape, the thickness, and thus the designed strength of the knife overall.
• The cost of labor, materials, and time in refinishing is prohibitive, and may approach the cost of creating a new knife from scratch.
• The person who takes on the refinishing job does so at his own peril, both physically and financially. The knife he's working on is not his own, it belongs to someone else. If he makes a mistake or misjudgment, it could mean he becomes responsible for the cost of the knife. If he makes a mistake in technique (like regrinding a blade too thin) it could become a deadly projectile in his shop, hazardous to his own life.
• The knife could be made with materials and techniques unknown to the refinisher. Without knowing exactly how to treat the materials, proper refinishing may not be possible.

Sometimes, the knife owner thinks that the best place to have a custom or handmade knife refinished is through the original maker. After all, he made the knife, surely he can "fix" it. This seems innocuous enough, and it seems reasonable from the owner's perspective. There may be other makers who refinish the knives they've made, but I don't.

There is a tendency by some owners to think that because a maker's name is on the knife, that maker becomes responsible for the maintenance, upkeep, refinishing, and repair of the knife for as long as he is alive. What other tradecraft does this? Does a furniture maker own all the responsibility of refinishing his creations after they've suffered neglect, abuse, or simple aging? Does a car maker own all the duty of removing scratches from the paint of a car that has his emblem on it for as long as that car exists? How many artists regularly take in their own paintings to repair damage by neglect? Does a gun maker own all the responsibility for rebluing and refinishing barrels and stocks for as long as the gun is valued by an owner? Of course not, so why does this occur in this tradecraft? It's another unusual trait of knife making that I'll go into in greater depth in my book. Just because a maker's name is on the blade, it does not mean he owns the knife.

The knife is owned by someone else. Having the maker's name on the knife and taking the knife in to refinish it does not negate the fact that the knife is someone else's property. Extreme care and diligence must be taken while someone else's knife is in possession, and that includes protecting it from theft, damage, or unforeseen events, including responsibility for shipping, handling, and storage. Like many busy knife makers, I'm years in backorders, so the refinishing job should take a place in line, just as custom orders do. That means that if I have a three year waiting list, I will not push back the client who's waiting on his order to be filled so I can refinish a knife. Meanwhile, the knife waiting to be refinished sits and waits for years and I'm responsible for its safety, preservation, storage, and care during those years. Like most makers, I have too much to care for in my own business without taking on added responsibility of someone else's knives.

The knife may not be able to be refinished, no matter the skill, dedication, or determination of the maker or refinisher. Knife blades that are thinly ground as most of mine are should not and perhaps can not be ground thinner without compromising the strength and integrity of the blade. Grinding, sanding, and finishing any material will lead to thinner material. This has an affect not only on strength, but balance, weight, feel, and the way a knife fits into the sheath, stand, case, or hand.

Certain parts of the knife (like the blade) are actually finished before handle attachment. This means that the knife would have to be taken apart to properly regrind the blade. On most of my knives, the handle would be destroyed in order to be removed. The filework, which is preserved during the first grinding and finishing process, would not survive regrinding, as the profile of the blade overall would be reduced, changing the edgework drastically, perhaps erasing it altogether. Bolsters, which are permanent attachments, would have to be removed and replaced with new ones. The handle material, the bolsters, and the filework would all be changed, the knife would have to be brought down to a bare, roughed-in blade. This would bring it to the stage I call on my "Where's my Knife, Jay?" page as step 5 out of 25. This is very close to hand-making a new knife. So the price quote for doing so would be almost the same as making a new knife from scratch. If the knife is several years old, the owner might be surprised to learn that that cost will be several times what he paid for the knife originally!

Once a knife refinishing job is taken on, the responsibility rests with the refinisher, and the knife owner may claim the right to replacement if the job is not or can not be done to his satisfaction. This is a lot to ask of a busy knife maker, and the specter of furnishing a new knife as a replacement is always present. A replacement in this business means a knife at several times the cost of the original knife's price, at a complete loss to the maker.

What is the answer? The answer is the same as every other durable product, investment, or work of art purchased in this world. Care must be taken to maintain long-term value. It's really that simple!

Is Jay Pretentious?

I read a comment on a forum that Jay Fisher is pretentious. I like this; at least they spelled my name correctly.

Pretentious is characterized by pretension: making usually unjustified or excessive claims: expressive of affected, unwarranted, or exaggerated importance, worth, or stature: making demands on one's skill, ability, or means: ambitious: showy. So let's tear this apart a little and examine it.

Unjustified or excessive claims? Just what would those be? The only claim I make on my site is that I make knives, and I express my opinion about those knives. Many claims or statements about my knives on this website are not made by me, but by my clients, in the testimonials spread throughout the site. I don't claim any knife I make to have any kind of unjustified or excessive power, ability, or value. A knife is only a knife, and any knife can be damaged, devalued, or destroyed. I only give my opinion based on my experience. And value? The value of my work (as all others') is bedded in the market. If a knife is not worth what it's sold for, it simply won't sell. Try repeatedly to sell knives for higher than the market requires, and the market will leave you with accumulating inventory. I don't have much inventory, usually less than a few knives, so I must be in line with the market.

How about that exaggerated importance? Just where has old Jay claimed he's important? I'm a knife maker; I'm not president of the clan, speaker of the house, or holder of the throne. I'm satisfied that when I'm gone, the knives will stay around, but the memory of me will quickly fade, just as every knife maker's name will over time. I don't claim any importance on my site, only my preferences and ideas. Any honors given or recognition has come from someone else. And worth or stature? My worth in my tradecraft is only to those who purchase the art, tools, and weapons I make. They honor me with their hard-earned money, and I'm deeply grateful to them. They make it possible for me to do what I do.

How about making claims on one's skill, ability, or means? Well, scratch the means off right away, because I'm not making knives to get rich, no one is, and no one will be who chooses this profession. Ability? You can see what that ability is right here on the site. I've included several thousand pictures of knives I've made, so that illustrates just what that ability might be. The skill I have is hard earned, too, and as I've said repeatedly, I'm learning on every batch of knives I make.

So that leaves us with "ambitious" and "showy." Well, yeah. Of course I'm ambitious. I'm ambitious enough to get up every day, spend 9 - 11 hours in the shop, take no days off for months on end, beat up my hands, strain muscles, write XHTML code, burn my fingers, repair and maintain machinery, defend my writing and knives, add constantly to this site, and make knives for decades on end, as do many of my brother knife makers. You bet I'm going to show off my work, because that is my profession.

What would these insulting commentators have me do? Live a silent life, not comment about my work or my field, not have a thought that makes a wave unless they approve...? Would they have me make plain, boring, or inferior knives so that I may inspire comfort and familiarity with their traditional concepts? To them I say: show me your knives, the knives you've made and spilled your blood on. Show me what you can do, so that I may comment (anonymously) from another place, often another country about how your website, your work, and your attitude is pretentious. Good grief!

Not My Style

No maker or individual can make every style of knife, and as each artist grows, he should endeavor to make the style that pleases him and his clients. Often, the clients themselves will let him know what style they like, simply by spending their hard-earned money. Styles that appeal are quickly snatched up, custom ordered, or requested, whereas styles that do not appeal to his clients are simply not mentioned.

A maker (or any artist) can make a big mistake looking to his contemporaries for a viable stylistic version. This happens a lot because we are living in an age of information, and access to other knives, their descriptions, photographs, and information about specific styles may dominate a particular medium. For instance, there is a large following on bulletin board forums for the style of knife that has a fairly straight carbon steel damascus blade and a stag or mammoth ivory handle. Guys who prefer this type of knife call themselves "collectors" because nothing can be really done with a knife that easily rusts, often has carbon steel fittings that can also rust, and more importantly has fragile handle material like stag or ivory. Though I make this kind of knife occasionally, the relative fragility of the materials limits use, longevity, and functionality of this kind of knife.

Often, these guys will comment on the postings of gemstone handled knives, usually complimenting the knife, but throwing in the comment that it's "not my style." What they might not realize is that it is the style of hundreds of paying clients, who are on a four year wait for just such a style of knife. Fortunately, the style the commenter prefers can be purchased at literally hundreds of other makers' sites, as it is fairly common. It's a safe bet that he will find like-minded stylistic contemporaries who also agree their style is the preferred one...

Will you be my friend?

With Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Yahoo, Xanga, bulletin boards, forums, and other social or related networking sites, there is always a drive and desire to add a name to a list. If you have submitted my name, email, or related URL, chances are I've received the request, but did not respond.

I'm sorry; I simply do not have time to address or involve my name, site, or work in these social networking sites or lists. Being on any list will only add to the emails received, requests, and responses needed and I simply don't have the time to add another task or responsibility to my already overwhelming list.

Please understand, I get lots and lots of these. I realize that the submissions are complimentary, and I'm honored that you would consider me in your list. But opening the door only publicizes that I respond, and invites even more email. The email contact that is inserted is often the subject of intense spam submissions, as dedicated spiders and robots search and scour these lists for destinations to send their junk. Please consider this for all of your friends that you post links to!

The addition can also suggest endorsement, and invite controversy, as associations that are, in reality, superficial and from a business standpoint are taken as collaboration or even assistance for one person and not for another. I write about this at greater length in the book I'm working on, but for this website and my business it comes down to this: I try to limit my responsibilities, email, and contacts to viable professionally-related communication or contacts, which means strictly the marketing and selling of my knives. Otherwise, I'd never get away from the keyboard and monitor and into the shop where I need to be!

Thanks for understanding.

Is this web site real?

I came across a posting on a forum that included a link to my site. The forum topic was clearly a wannabe combat, tactical knife pursuit, with the appropriate types chiming in, offering their ideas about real knives. One of them offered a link to my Pararescue Knives page, with the caveat that he wasn't sure the site was real.

With a couple hundred pages and thousands of pictures of knife making, my career, and every conceivable bit of information and direction that I have time to write about, photograph, and offer on JayFisher.com, this guy was still not quite certain that this site was valid. Perhaps Jay Fisher is not real, perhaps he is someone who is in some strange and backward foreign land, camped in front of a computer, generating these images and details with a beaten 486 and Windows ME, along with a twenty year old copy of Photoshop. Sure, he makes the knives look real, but animation is so advanced these days, and the writing, well, it could all be just made up. The location of this "Jay Fisher" character is probably some fabricated address; after all, who actually has visited New Mexico, much less lived there? You have to have a passport just to go there, right?

This occurrence brings up a good point: that some unscrupulous entities can create mirror websites that are designed to fish for information, credit card numbers, identity details, and separate the unsuspecting browser (the person, not the program) from their dough. If a site looks like your bank, but does not have the bank's correct URL, this is a significant hint that your password should probably not extend from the tips of your fingers to the keyboard. But can I assure you that I am, in fact, Jay Fisher and that I do operate this web site, make these knives for the military, users, and collectors, and the names, details, and information on all the testimonials is real?

If the depth of this site alone does not convince you, and you are still uncertain when you plug my name into your favorite search engine (along with the word knives, if you please), and you have visited a significant number of sites that might mention me or my works, then you are quite a crafty, careful, suspicious, and wiley character indeed! Hurrah for you. You may be safely assured that I will not fleece your accounts. Be sure not to use your real name or your Internet Service Provider's email address, that you may remain careful, secret, and protected in your shell of isolation. Like an anonymous clam in the unknown area of the vast ocean, you are secure in your brief and unnoticed stay in this world. No one will perceive that you have been, nor will they know when you cease to be. It's... comfortable that way.

For the rest of you, thanks for indulging me with this topic. I bet you know someone like this. No, wait. you've already forgotten them.

Knifemaking as a Career?

Often, I get asked about the career of knife making. Here's a typical email:

There is a lot to read between the lines. I did some simple research on the guy who was selling the $750/3 day lessons, and the guy is not a well-known established maker. He didn't even have a web site. The knives he was making (and instructing about) were distinctly low-end, and that is the very market that will be hurting in an economic downturn. Add to that the new guy who wants to make a career out of it does not have the experience necessary to make a very good knife, simply by nature of his individual time behind the grinder.

Another issue is that only a limited amount of this business is in the production (the making). In my book, I'm going into the meat and potatoes of this career field, the marketing, advertising, research, accounting, and all of those pesky attributes necessary to making a small business fly.

I don't want to discourage anyone who might want to consider fine custom or handmade knife making as a career. Anyone who is considering it needs to go in with some serious adult information about the trade, the workings, the potential and the pitfalls of the field, particularly if he is intending on supporting his family, and paying his mortgage with the profits. It's not wrong to spend hundreds of dollars a day to get instruction; just know the source and their track record.

Of course, I could be way off here; maybe the instructor dedicates half the time to study business practices and techniques...

How much is an old Jay Fisher knife worth?

It happens. You've invested in a knife of mine, maybe a while back, and you're wondering what it might be worth. The reasons are endless. The knife may have been given to you. You may wish to upgrade. You may need an appraisal for an insurance policy or claim. You might have lost your job or fallen on hard economic times and you need to sell. Someone may have willed the knife to you when they passed away. You may have a need for money for another investment. Someone in the family is sick, someone needs help, or your business is faltering and you need to liquidate. For whatever reason, you need to sell your knife or collection of knives. Why not just go to Jay and ask him how much the knife is worth?

This sounds simple enough. After all wouldn't the maker know what his old knives are worth? It might be surprising to find out that the answer is no. The hard truth is, I sell knives I make now, not my old knives, because I'm not a dealer or a reseller, I'm a maker. I don't buy and sell my older knives; simply, I've got too many years of backorders and commitments to pile on another task.

If you just need to know the value for insurance purposes, a professional appraisal is the way to go. There are a handful of guys that can do this for you, just do an internet search and check them out. Be sure to do your own background work on them, determining if they are indeed who they claim to be. They should have plenty of info and connections to the knife world in their background. If they do not, they probably won't be able to give you a viable appraisal.

If selling is your goal, there are many places on the internet where knives may be sold. Some good research would be in order, and perhaps contact with a dealer who regularly deals in handmade or custom knives by big name makers would be a great place to start. Whatever you do, don't try to sell fine custom knives on Ebay or Craig's list, because they are distinctly low end, bottom markets, usually dealing in knives worth less than $200 US. You simply won't find people who buy fine custom knives lurking on these bottom of the market sites anxious to snap up a fine collector's grade knife. Knife forums and bulletin boards are also not good candidates for locations to sell fine custom and handmade knives, as they, too, can cater to the lower end markets, although there are some exceptions. The employ of a professional dealer may also add gravitas, significance, dignity, experience, and class to the ordeal of having to part with some or all of your collection.

A professional dealer may also be able to guide you in establishing what the knife is worth. The things to consider are the same as with any knife. The knife overall, the maker, the materials, the finish, the condition, the age, and the original purchase price are all considerations that a professional dealer should take into account when giving you a value for your knife. Expect to pay a dealer a portion of the sale, of course, because he has to make a living too! The dealer may suggest appraisal of the knife, but do not expect to receive the appraised value in the sale. This is because anyone who wants to purchase the knife will want to do so at a lower price than the appraisal, so that he, too, can get a deal.

Web site fluff and folly

I believe it's important to put plenty of information on my site about my knives and knife making career. A web site is a curriculum vitae, a resource where the client can learn about the philosophy of the knife maker, his directions, his goals and achievements, and his reputation from his own perspective. The knife enthusiast or client can then determine whether the maker knows what he is talking about by defending and describing his methods and directions, and whether or not a knife from the maker is worth the client's hard-earned money.

If you spend enough time on the internet, you'll come across other makers' sites, and you (like I) will probably make a comparison to this site, which is a healthy and reasonable thing to do. It's good for me to know my competition in this giant world of a marketplace. When I see sites that cover pages with a bunch of mythical fluff, I cringe and then reflect on my own web site and development, making sure not to make the same mistakes.

This knife maker's site is about knives, the knives I make, the materials, direction, inspiration, and creativity that fires it all up and gets my wheels turning. While I may delve into facets of this tradecraft that may not directly relate to every individual piece, I try to stay clear of mythology, fantasy, or mystical topics. The only time you'll read about these things on JayFisher.com is when I explain my creative reasoning behind the inspiration for the piece.

When a knife maker or artist claims more than a creative and casual relationship with a mystical, mythical, or fantasy origin for his knives or work, he can appear ungrounded at best, and bizarrely unbalanced at worst. Someone who carries the notion that a knife, steel, handle material, or design has otherworldly powers or relationships is just silly. This is a folly because the reasonable knife client, user, or collector might have some suspicions about a method of construction that has as its basis a ridiculous or eccentric notion. While I do let myth inspire my creative ideas, I rely on my technical knowledge to create a durable, valuable, beautiful, and desirable knife with long-term value. There are no elves waving wands over my creations, just good, solid, and practiced techniques applied by my own hands.

As I've mentioned before on this site, there are no magical secrets to steel ingredients, to heat treating, to knife or blade shape, geometry, or materials. There is no enigma in the blade, no mystical materials; we don't quench in the blood of our enemies, there is no romance to the cutting edge, only artistic interpretation. No sword or crystal has supernatural powers, steel can't cleave stone, and a suitable dagger will not allow you to fly. Fine knives come from trained and practiced hands, not from a hidden tomb in a mountain. They are tools and sometimes works of art made by people like me who love to make them.

At least that's what I tell the creepy Golem that has assembled itself from my metal scraps, wood cutoffs, and stone chips and lives in the darkest corner of my studio...

What is a Professional?

If you've read a hunk of this web site, you'll read the word professional plenty of times when I refer to my own participation, involvement, history, and direction of fine handmade knives. There is a big difference in this trade (as in most) when a person claims to participate, and when they claim to be a professional.

People expect a professional to know his business. If a guy hangs out a shingle and claims he is a physician, lawyer, or accountant, he presents himself as a seasoned veteran of his particular trade or profession. He is, then, held to a higher standard of practice than a volunteer, intern, hobbyist, beginner, or even a part-time participant of his trade.

In this field, since there really are very few professional knife makers, a lot of substandard work is tolerated and even accepted as of some significant quality. Couple that with the huge misconceptions, advertising hyperbole, corner-cutting practices, and limited information about knives, and this field has plenty of downright shoddy work. The truth is, very few people have ever actually seen a fine knife, much less owned one.

Why aren't there more specific comparisons among knives, just as one would compare art, tools, machines, forms, investments, collections, whether historic or contemporary?

• One reason is that few makers of fine handmade works will spend the time to educate their clients, enthusiasts, or the public about knives, specifically, their knives. This can take a tremendous amount of time and input from the professional, time and effort that can often not immediately yield monetary results. What I've tried to do here is to create just such an educational website, free for all to see, continuously evolving and growing.
• You may see politicians tear each other's positions, platforms, and past apart, but you'll seldom see knife makers describe the inadequacies of their competition's knives. Most makers try to be polite with each other, as I suppose many other people do, so they don't want to invite controversy by bringing out the competition's bad points.
• Many makers simply do not have the exposure and skill to defend their own practices. While this may raise some quills among the guys who blindly defend particular brands and names in this field, it is a reality. Simply put, the more knives you make, the more skilled and knowledgeable you should become.
• Some makers lie. Ouch. But true. I've heard guys claim they've made 8000 knives in their career, yet they've only got a couple dozen pictures. And you can easily see from those pictures that the knives they do make do not proclaim either the experience or practiced skill one would expect with having made thousands of knives. There simply is no reason in these times that a maker's work is not documented.

There are many more reasons that few actual valid and structured comparisons do not exist, and I'm not talking about the ability of a knife to chop a pine two by four or slice through a hanging rope, something that many factory knives can be made to do. As the internet develops, I hope that knife enthusiasts, professionals, collectors, and users become more educated about the distinctly different styles of knives, the makers and people who use the knives, and the direction and nature of the knife in our modern world. This very medium, the Internet, is making that happen.

Knife Payment Options

Once in a while, an interested person asks why I don't accept layaways, payments over time, or any other holding plans for any knife purchase, either custom ordered or knives in my inventory. There are quite a few reasons for this.

• I like to keep my accounting simple. I don't want to have to use complicated spreadsheets and record keeping to account for every dime over time of a client's monies, payment plans, or schedules. I don't have enough time to make knives, much less run numbers and keep accounting records.
• In our country, we are taxed on income we make. Accepting payments early requires me to be taxed on money that I haven't made yet! Not a wise business practice.
• If something happens to the client or the order is canceled, I become responsible for the client's money. It's also not fair for me to hold someone's money and then have them then change their mind. If I hold a knife that is being paid for over time, I am responsible for the safety, preservation, storage, and maintenance of the client's partially-paid for merchandise.
• If a knife is sold this way, it must be immediately marked as sold. If some unforeseen event happens and the knife sale is not completed, or if the client simply changes his mind, I now have to resell a knife that has been already marked sold. Since many of the same clients look at the knives for sale pages regularly, they would then question why a knife had to be resold. This brings the knife itself into question, and the knife may be very difficult to sell as the knife is no longer "new" but a used knife resold.
• From a client's perspective, it may be just one knife to layaway, and he is only one client, so why is this so much to ask? To be completely fair, if I start handling layaways, time payments, and other accounting and purchasing programs for one person, I'd have to do it for everyone. Because I have so many clients, and so many new contacts every month, this is simply beyond the scope of my business, and is an unreasonable task.
• For knives in inventory, if a client does not have enough money to purchase the knife, he probably should not be buying the knife. The last thing I want to do is impose deadlines, chase down clients for final purchases, handle someone else's money, and send certified letters trying to get paid. Knife making is hard enough without being a collections agency.
• Layaways and payment plans are not available for other purchases, so it is unreasonable to ask a singular small business and sole proprietor to establish, operate, and offer payment services. That is what credit card companies and banks do, not knife makers.
• Since credit card companies and lending institutions are in the business of doing exactly what a client might be asking a knife maker to do, that is: paying for a product over time, is the knife maker then in the lending business? The knife buyer isn't trying to obtain interest free and no-fee financing for his knife purchase through a knife maker, is he? A knife buyer wouldn't expect a knife maker to carry his note... right?

Ultimately, I have been using this same payment process for thirty years. In three decades, I've made and sold several thousand knives using these methods, and they have worked and are working very well. For custom orders, the low deposit and balance due on completion method allows clients to plan for, save, and set aside their final payment. For inventory knives, the simple pay and ship method allows a fast, simple, and efficient process for the client and knifemaker alike!

Early Knives

Every artist has to start somewhere, and knife makers are no different. As we evolve, learn, and improve, we leave behind poor grinds, bad finishes, crude geometries, and beginner's work. Most of us are downright embarrassed by our early works. When I've shown some of my early pieces to friends and family, they laugh out loud. Having someone laugh at your early work is a humbling experience. You might try to describe what you were thinking when you made the piece, why you were limited in your endeavor, and how you have learned. No matter the explanation and reasoning behind the response, it is still  painful to have the result of your efforts laughed at.

Would they have laughed at the early work when you originally presented it? No, most people would not, as it is simply understood that the current work you are presenting is the best you can do at the time. But when you compare early crude works to contemporary ones, the difference is so glaring and the success of the current creations makes comparisons ridiculous. I think that people are laughing more at the ridiculous comparison than the work.

Just about every knife maker would like to have his early works forgotten or destroyed. I've even heard of makers buying up their early works just to spare themselves embarrassment. After all, you want your name only on the best of creations. This is a waste of precious time, time you could be building, growing, or improving your skills, instead of chasing old ghosts. The early knives are a proud testament to your longevity in the trade. They signify the journey through your years or decades of making, they are the foundation for what a maker builds. Consequently, many of the early works of knife makers are sought after, and fetch high prices when resold, perhaps many times their original value!

I've decided to include more photographs of my early knives on the website. I think they are important too, and after thirty years of making, they deserve their historic place in this archive. To me, they are like photos of us when we were kids: simple, innocent, maybe even... cute.

Just my .02

People can be passionate about their knives. It is just such passion that drives me to get up every day to make them, and drives clients who appreciate my creations to keep an eye on the site, read, learn, and build their on private and very personal collections. I appreciate the passion, and live with it every day.

I'm also occasionally confronted with another's passions about a topic, a particular knife style, or type and application of a preferred knife. First, they may claim that they've spent a good deal of time reading the content on my site. This is the first alert, as my site does not have content, but it has my opinions. These are opinions and my personal and professional beliefs after having made knives for over three decades, professionally for over 20 years. I'm thankful to have my knives used by the military, professionals, law enforcement, survival specialists, and hunters, outfitters, and every kind of knife user you might imagine in that time. My combat and working knife models and ideas are based on input from the users and owners, as their money and support is worth more than any other outside evaluation. It's a simple business model really; I make what they like, they help me tune, adjust and create more types, styles, and features, and I make what they like again, hopefully, even better.

If others write who don't purchase my works, that's fine, but the opinions have to be taken with their own limitations. These are the guys that will sometimes gloss over the site content, find something they disagree with, and then offer their own two cents worth. In internet speak, they sign off with the comment, "just my .02." The comment is similar to the comment, "no disrespect intended, but..." which translated can mean: "I assign myself permission to disrespect you." The .02 implication is that the importance of their comment is worth much more, profoundly more, and they are not to be ignored.

While I understand the passion of these individuals, their beliefs are not often based in historic traditions, knowledge or reference, but often based in contemporary knife culture, which is often a self-supporting business of writing and publishing, based on evaluation by individuals who may or may not have any professional experience apart from looking at knives made by others, and taking the knives out back for a few whacks at a tree or some beer cans filled with water (the beer being first properly disposed of in the traditional manner). These writers and self-proclaimed experts in knives and knife use often demand free knives to be given to them for evaluation, and then proceed to give reviews about how the knife can chop two by fours as a valid reason for the knife's worth. They may saw through cardboard, cut a hanging rope, or whip the knife through the air at a row of cans, plastic bottles, or milk cartons as a test of the knife's usability. This is fairly common knowledge in the established knife making community, though rarely talked about, so as not to step on anyone's toes.

There was a time, briefly, in my early career when I considered that I would have to part with my hard-made knives to give to these guys so they could be evaluated, and then published about in some magazine or periodical for the advantage I would have of publicity. I go into more detail about this practice in my book, but as you can imagine, I think the whole affair is questionable. The internet is destroying this practice because publication by individuals (like what you are reading) is available to the millions and millions of readers without any cost, kickback, stipend. You, the reader, can evaluate Jay Fisher's own .02 and decide for yourself if it's worth considering, and if not, simply move on by closing your browser window. Am I here to promote my own knives and artwork? Of course I am, what would you expect from a site named jayfisher.com? Every site is promoting something, the differences are in the way the data, information, context, and facts are presented and by who. This evaluation is up to the reader to assess. I give the reader full credit for interpreting what he sees on my site, with detailed explanation and descriptions. I trust the reader's intelligence completely.

The difference between me and some anonymous poster offering their own .02 is this: I make knives professionally, and you can see a couple thousand pictures of them and the associated 200 pages of information right here. This is not the fleeting, vague, brief comment of an impassioned poster on some discussion forum. Both have their merit, and both have their significance. You add up the pennies; you know how.

The Truth Can Be Painful

While looking over my website traffic stats, I came across a forum posting string from a forum sponsored by a factory knife company. While the sites are not uncommon, the amount of traffic coming from this site was, as factory knives rarely dive into the discussion realm of handmade and custom works. The guys posting in the forum were obvious fans of the factory products (mostly made in China) and were incensed that I had written so many negative comments about manufactured knives in general, knives just like they had spent their money on, knives like they owned and were fans of. Even though I never mention brand names, they were cognizant enough to know that the manufactured knives they owned were what I was talking about. What they got from my site was my desire to have them buy from me, and not buy from their favorite factory. How dare I try to coax away the giant factory's business with my modest website. How dare I make and sell knives and illustrate the exact differences that distinguish well made custom and handmade knives from their precious and revered factory knives.

Yes, that's me, a singular knife maker and businessman, trying to ruin a multi-million dollar knife manufacturer by telling some simple truths. Yeah, I'm certain my one-man show (two men with the new Beauchamp program) is going to make a real dent in the factory's market share. Yes, I'm sure that the factory is worried...

What really happened here is that they got a bit of education, and it tasted bad in their mouths. The forum participants kept repeating how information rich my site was, how much knowledge and data was given to them to read and study, and how reasonable and correct it sounded to them, at the same time berating my direction as a businessman to offer to make a product that someone would want to buy. Just what did they expect from a site named jayfisher.com, designed to illustrate, educate, and sell my knives? Would they make the same demands of their large and faceless manufacturer? Why, of course not. The forum the manufacturer provides is all just one big advertisement, meant to spur sales by envious owners of the cheap knives, knives that will never appreciate one cent, knives that are distinctly low end.

This anonymous drivel is, unfortunately, a product of the internet revolution. Their knife company has tiny little pictures of plastic-handled knives for cheap, with bad finishes, poor design, and second-rate materials, and they chat up how great the knives are. When a really well-made knife and decent information drops in their lap for free, they scurry back to their forum hole where they can find like-minded robots to sing the company song, and rally round the manufacturer who really couldn't care less about the whole discussion. This is part of the game, and the bottom line is this: they don't realize how much traffic they have driven to this single knife maker's site, and how much that, overall, helps guys like me in the internet marketplace. All traffic helps drive search engine placement and optimization, and I thank them for the new clients that will now find my site a little easier in this great, big, beautiful internet world!

Why can't I see the whole picture without scrolling?

Universal and traditional web site design considers the lowest common denominator first. Web site professionals who design sites for a living regularly recommend that web sites are constructed for the smallest, narrowest, slowest, and oldest computer, host, browser, and user known. This is like in third grade, where we painstakingly suffered while the slowest kid struggled with every word when asked to read aloud for the class. Look, I feel for the need for the child to learn, but he deserves individual time and dedicated tutoring, and not by punishing the rest of the class into torturous boredom; that won't help him a bit!

Web development is kind of like that. Most developers (like some teachers) do not have any real world sales experience, much less business development experience. This web site (like most that have the ".com" generic top level domain) signifies a company, and in this case a company means a business. My business caters to serious knife buyers, collectors, and users, not to students, researchers, or guys that are using a cell phone to surf the internet for cool pics for their MySpace page. I use large photographs, knowing that my clients are using monitors over 1200 pixels wide. It's not that I don't care if you're using a smaller monitor, I care about showing the knives and artwork in the highest detail. Since the internet only displays at 72 dots per inch, this means big, and sometimes wide, photographs are necessary. If you're going to drop $1k, $3k, or $10k on a fine custom, handmade, or combat tactical knife, I want you to see every detail. Contrast this method with knife factories, who traditionally offer a final photograph only 2.5" wide on your screen, and you'll wonder what they are hiding!

Though I'm currently going through a website upgrade to make the site current and compliant with code and W3C recommendations, I'm not going to smaller images. In fact, I'm enlarging most of them to display more detail, resolution, and size. Site data, tables, text, and arrangements will flow and resize better after the upgrade, so thanks for your patience while I move through this tedious process.

If you're one of the guys with a 480 by 640 monitor from the early '90s that has to scroll around to see the pictures, and you're not going to invest in one of those newfangled LCD 20" monitors, it's probably unlikely you'll be dropping $2k on a fine knife, isn't it? There are plenty of cheap factory knife sites with the little photos and limited descriptions of their knives, and their web pages will fit nicely on your twenty year old system...

Gratitude

I am exceedingly grateful for those clients and patrons who have supported my work, my art, my creativity over the years. These are a great bunch of people. You might be surprised to find out just who they are. The range of knife enthusiasts is very large indeed!

They may be soldiers, tactical officers, or in law enforcement. They may be veterans, retired, or young and still in college. They may be physicians, dentists, or bankers. They may be authors, artists, celebrities, or professional hunting guides. There are chefs, furniture makers, managers, and guys that work at the Pentagon, all ordering custom knives or purchasing knives from my inventory.

I cannot express how grateful to them that I am. They have made my business over the decades, and kept me in steel, stone, and abrasives. They have patiently waited for their knives, worked through the conversations from design idea to finished prototype. They have invested as patrons in my artwork, and warriors who carry my edged weapons and tools into battle. They've brought me new ideas that I would have never considered, new opportunities I would have never known.

There are many more people who you might not consider who make a knife maker's life and process work. These are the suppliers. There are large companies that make the fine tool steels I use. They may be huge, faceless entities, but it is usually one person I talk to who understands my needs. There are the tool suppliers who give me a discount just because I'm a regular customer. There are the suppliers of exotic leathers who send out swatches just for the asking. There are the suppliers who I've purchased from for decades, guys who know me from back in '83, or '88, or "the '90s." There are local businessmen who have helped me acquire tools and materials that improve my skills and products. There are even people I will never know, in foreign countries, who do not speak my language sending raw rocks halfway around the world so that I make turn them into knife handles.

Another group of people who are important to recognize are those supporters who view this site and who offer support by recommending the site to others, posting links, and even writing emails of encouragement. Many of these people do not expect a reply, are kind and supportive, and do not expect any return or acknowledgement of their input. They only want to say thanks for my work, input, and website. I'm grateful for every email I get, and honored that they would take the time to write.

And then there are those who are close to me. My family has always, unfalteringly been supportive of what I do. I could not ask for more, and I could not do any of this if it were not for them. They understand, offer support, advise, and believe in what I do, even when I might not. God has blessed me by surrounding me with people in a country of freedom that nourish what I do. Who could ask for more?