Ideas for our resident artisan's

[VertigoBE]

In a thread not so long ago, @Von Gruff had mentioned that his immediate market for the knives he makes is starting to get a bit saturated and he was looking for some new ideas around which he could develop a product line. I've made a few suggestions over time, but so far these are only things (knives, tools, leather gear, canvas gear, etc.) that I might find interesting to see produced, but where Gary does not know if there is a larger demand for the item.

So we came up with the following idea, to create a thread whereby members of AH can post an idea, a concept of a tool or a range of leather items or anything, where the many artisans of AH can then draw inspiration from.

A few rules though:

1. only one idea per post, so we can follow the interest of each idea through the number of likes it receives from the AH community.
2. be descriptive. Don't just say "I'd like a leather pouch for my belt", specify what you would like it to look like, what use it would have, perhaps a picture added for reference, size's, weights, colour's. etc. As much info as possible, so our resident artisan's can get an idea of the product and perhaps create something around it.

I see personally no issue with "please make your own rendition of this commercially available product, but with your guaranteed superb quality and level of workmanship"

Finally, if multiple artisan's want to pick up a project, we could have ourselves a bit of a competition going on


Let's see what this thread gives, and how we can continue to support our dear "local" artisan's, instead of some faceless corporation.

V.

 

[VertigoBE]

Obviously I'll start off: Combining the interests of many on AH, for Meat, Braai and good tools. Especially with the summer period now arriving (in the northern hemisphere)

A full set of BBQ tools, rolled up into a nice sturdy leather sleeve of sorts. Consisting of a meat fork, tongs, a spatula and a good meat knife.

something like this, but much better quality, fit and finish of course:

the modifications I would make to the above:
- on all three, the wood handle part to be about 1 quarter shorter, with more steel sticking out. Working over bbq fire, it'll be too hot to hold it there anyway, and having more steel real estate should help with the cleaning afterwards, as well allow you to grip more stuff length wize with the tongs for instance.
- Men being men, I would also make the spatula extra strong, with a good sharp edge on it, so it can be used to quickly cut a sausage in two while holding it with the tongs, because you left your meat knife at the beer keg, or be used to quickly scrape a cooking plaque.
- on the tongs, i'd like to see the teeth continue on the underside of the steel. Many times I've cut up sausages at the bbq, to be served as fingerfood, and after cutting it all up, I do not want to just scrape it from the cutting board into the serving plate. I'd rather grip the entire sausage (in pieces now) in one go and "elegantly" place it on the serving plate.
- for the fork, perhaps a trident model could be made? To make it a bit more fancy than just a double spike?
- more fancy wood? must be stabilized though, because it will see a lot of grease, water, detergents, etc. over the years.
- I would probably go for stainless, but perhaps carbon steel could age nicely?
- it might be cost prohibitive, but on the spatula, the meat fork and the meat knife, I'd like to see a full tang, with a part sticking out of the back. That way a beer bottle opener is always close by.

Now as far as the accompanying meat knife, this would mostly be like a very broad, general purpose chef's knife, but without the need for a fine point, as you are not doing very delicate work anyway at the bbq, after your 5th (or 10th) beer. It will not need to cape an elephant, nor cut fillets from a hare, but it should mostly have the look of "the knife". Perhaps something a bit cleaver like. Much broader than usual, so when the spatula has replaced the knife at the beer keg, one can use it to transfer meat that has been cut onto a serving plate. I will not put a picture up, but let the different artisan's create their own interpretation.

Cheers,

V.

 

[Ridge Runner]

This is an interesting idea. I'll be following to see what ideas members suggest.

 

[mdwest]

Ive been making knives for a few years at this point (nothing near the quality or as beautiful as @Von Gruff s work).. I started trying to apply the wood working skills and steel working skills from knife making to other projects over the past couple of years, more out of boredom than anything else..

a couple of the things I have done.. that have actually been pretty big hits with friends and family (I've made dozen of these things at this point and given them away to those that have asked for them).. have been old school "rocker" style pizza cutters... and exotic hardwood cutting boards and charcuterie boards..

Ive been blown away by what the "retail" value of some of these things are.. Ive seen guys on Etsy and other places selling similar pizza cutters for upward of a couple of hundred bucks (they are ridiculously easy to make and pretty low cost to make as well).. and similar cutting boards will go for anywhere from $50-$200.. when there might be a total of $25 in materials and an hour of labor in even the most exotic board you can make..)

My guess is @Von Gruff already has all of the materials, tools, and knowledge/skills to make these sort of things at an extremely high quality level (whereas I am but a journeyman at best)..

I literally started by just using the scrap pile from my knife making supplies..

 

[nztimb]

I like the idea of the Braai set @VertigoBE and with your outline covering more fully what we spoke of privately, the prefered design criteria you have mentioned as a base to start from so it would be good to get other members input so design ideas can be refined (or extended).

I have a few ideas and will do a bit of drawing this week
end and side use for the tongs as sugested and one sharpened edge to the spatula
Knife is a shortened and slightly wider blade (with end as secondary spatula) than my nakiri and the spine of the blade is the ever handy bottle opener but the spatula can have the projecting area behind the handle
3 prong fork is easy.
As far as the metal choice for these tools, that is a discussion for later but the stainless steel is considerably more expensive to buy and to heat treat.

As far as the wood for handles goes I generally do not have multiples of high grade woods. I keep a selection of different woods with sometimes 2 to 4 of each but seldom have the quantities on hand to do what would be required for many sets of these tools so that is a matter for discussion.

 

[nztimb]

Ive been making knives for a few years at this point (nothing near the quality or as beautiful as @Von Gruff s work).. I started trying to apply the wood working skills and steel working skills from knife making to other projects over the past couple of years, more out of boredom than anything else..

a couple of the things I have done.. that have actually been pretty big hits with friends and family (I've made dozen of these things at this point and given them away to those that have asked for them).. have been old school "rocker" style pizza cutters... and exotic hardwood cutting boards and charcuterie boards..

Ive been blown away by what the "retail" value of some of these things are.. Ive seen guys on Etsy and other places selling similar pizza cutters for upward of a couple of hundred bucks (they are ridiculously easy to make and pretty low cost to make as well).. and similar cutting boards will go for anywhere from $50-$200.. when there might be a total of $25 in materials and an hour of labor in even the most exotic board you can make..)

View attachment 470587

My guess is @Von Gruff already has all of the materials, tools, and knowledge/skills to make these sort of things at an extremely high quality level (whereas I am but a journeyman at best)..

I literally started by just using the scrap pile from my knife making supplies..

Dont sell yourself short as we both have the same wood working background that has transfered to the steel playground. The wood cutting board is a good idea and a friend of a friend is making excellent headway doing exactly that (different customer group though but simply by starting as you have done)
Skill is skill and the end product always shows that skill regardless of what is being offered.

 

[nztimb]

Have had a bit of a draw of a 4 piece braai set. All about 12 3/8 long and the tongs will have a tighter bend so that when they are closed parrallel the extended portion that has an inward bend will be about 3/4 inch wide so that the lengthways hold on the likes of a sausage etc will or should give a full length hold. The knife is a knife, (not a cleaver) with the width allowing for using it as a spatula iff and when needed. I may curve the end more like the spatula rather than leave it square. but any other sugesstions would be welcome. Would put more bend on the spatula and the fork but nothing excessive. I think that one of the synthetic materials for the handles would be best both for cost and for repeatability per set.

 

[supergrizzly]

I hunted in Northern Alberta years ago and one of the guides, who did all of the skinning, had a custom made, surgical grade, small scale knife set for splitting ears, lips and other facial work. The three knives fit into a pocket sized leather, tool roll that held them securely and the roll was about the size of a hotdog roll. One knife was shaped like a drop point scalpel, one like a tiny skinner and the third was kind of like a pointy gut hook for splitting lips and tails. They were all beautifully made, had slim antler or bone handles and were as sharp as surgical instruments. I believe there was a sharpening steel also. I have never seen anything like it but have always wished I had a set. He had made them himself. This would be a great set of tools for those that DIY and need to get things caped for the taxidermist quickly.

 

[Newboomer]

Ive been making knives for a few years at this point (nothing near the quality or as beautiful as @Von Gruff s work).. I started trying to apply the wood working skills and steel working skills from knife making to other projects over the past couple of years, more out of boredom than anything else..

a couple of the things I have done.. that have actually been pretty big hits with friends and family (I've made dozen of these things at this point and given them away to those that have asked for them).. have been old school "rocker" style pizza cutters... and exotic hardwood cutting boards and charcuterie boards..

Ive been blown away by what the "retail" value of some of these things are.. Ive seen guys on Etsy and other places selling similar pizza cutters for upward of a couple of hundred bucks (they are ridiculously easy to make and pretty low cost to make as well).. and similar cutting boards will go for anywhere from $50-$200.. when there might be a total of $25 in materials and an hour of labor in even the most exotic board you can make..)

View attachment 470587

My guess is @Von Gruff already has all of the materials, tools, and knowledge/skills to make these sort of things at an extremely high quality level (whereas I am but a journeyman at best)..

I literally started by just using the scrap pile from my knife making supplies..

I like that elongated ulu (knife). Much more practical than a chef's knife. Might want to make the blade about twice as deep to make slicing tomatoes and onions easier.

 

[CM McKenzie]

Good idea! I will be following this thread with interest.

 

[CBH Australia]

Following with interest myself. Trying to think of a smaller item that might create interest.

The catch is capturing Garry's skillset incorporating wood, leather and steel so he is not overwhelmed with leatherwork requests.

The taxidermy/caping kit could be a unique item for some.

I don't need another steel, but perhaps a full size steel could be of interest to those of us who like to butcher or maintain multiple kitchen knives.

A unique timber handle and a protective leather slip

 

[VertigoBE]

Have had a bit of a draw of a 4 piece braai set. All about 12 3/8 long and the tongs will have a tighter bend so that when they are closed parrallel the extended portion that has an inward bend will be about 3/4 inch wide so that the lengthways hold on the likes of a sausage etc will or should give a full length hold. The knife is a knife, (not a cleaver) with the width allowing for using it as a spatula iff and when needed. I may curve the end more like the spatula rather than leave it square. but any other sugesstions would be welcome. Would put more bend on the spatula and the fork but nothing excessive. I think that one of the synthetic materials for the handles would be best both for cost and for repeatability per set.
View attachment 470952

Great idea on the tongs, having the sides fold in slightly.

For the knife, any particular reason you went for that form?

I had perhaps something more like this mind: (blade form)

 

[VertigoBE]

Following with interest myself. Trying to think of a smaller item that might create interest.

The catch is capturing Garry's skillset incorporating wood, leather and steel so he is not overwhelmed with leatherwork requests.

The taxidermy/caping kit could be a unique item for some.

I don't need another steel, but perhaps a full size steel could be of interest to those of us who like to butcher or maintain multiple kitchen knives.

A unique timber handle and a protective leather slip

Finding a really good steel, like they used to make them, is becoming next to impossible these days. My current steel, I actually had to buy on a flea market!

 

[nztimb]

Great idea on the tongs, having the sides fold in slightly.

For the knife, any particular reason you went for that form?

I had perhaps something more like this mind: (blade form)View attachment 471109

I only drew the squarish end because you mentioned this in your first post but we are still trying to hone in on specifics so what you show would do the same thing and can be replaced in the design concept if that is the prefered style. (It is a good looking blade.
Perhaps something a bit cleaver like. Much broader than usual, so when the spatula has replaced the knife at the beer keg, one can use it to transfer meat that has been cut onto a serving plate.

 

[nztimb]

Finding a really good steel, like they used to make them, is becoming next to impossible these days. My current steel, I actually had to buy on a flea market!

So what length of steel would be apropriate for general use. Something in the 10 inch length by 1/2 in dia maybe.

 

[CBH Australia]

Garry,. Can I suggest that a 12" steel seems to be a common size butchers/ chefs steel . I have several commercial steels including F.Dick
Just checked and it's approx 1/2" so if 12mm or 13mm are stock steel sizes either would be fine.

I've seen what are called Belly Steels or Pipe steels online. I think they are only found as Vintage or Refurbished, they would require a lot more work in shaping.

 

[nztimb]

Garry,. Can I suggest that a 12" steel seems to be a common size butchers/ chefs steel . I have several commercial steels including F.Dick
Just checked and it's approx 1/2" so if 12mm or 13mm are stock steel sizes either would be fine.

I've seen what are called Belly Steels or Pipe steels online. I think they are only found as Vintage or Refurbished, they would require a lot more work in shaping.

I have an F Dick steel from the '50,s to use as a pattern so can use that for a pattern

 

[nztimb]

I had a revelation some time during the night about the steel for the braai/barbeque set. Only the knife has to be the good nitroV stainless while the other parts of the set can be a non hardened stainless. That will effect the price to such an extent that stainless is the very best option on cost basis as well as rust inhibition in use.

 

[nztimb]

Have re drawn the set with a few tweaks. I have a piece of .06 / 1.5mm stainless that I believe will work for the tools other than the knife. Will look into getting more next time I am in the city to have a play with.

 

[nztimb]

Have had some excellent feedback and will lengthen the fork, spatula and tongs to 18 inches for "big fire" cooking