Just rolls off your tongue, doesn’t it? Smile. This thread could be a miss, but I think it’s important. I hope you will read thru when you have time.

Thanks for reading. This one will clarify what you see, and why.

I haven’t asked him about this, but Kurt is a friend. I know he will allow me to make a couple of points using his work on my bench. He is currently waiting for two knives. The Bali-Song (which is a gift for his Son), and a knife he recalled and asked about. Do you recall that I made a “Spun Copper Furrel” some time back. Kurt did. Listen to this six degrees of separation......

Probably round about 1974, I got a book by Oppi Untract .... about Metal Working Techniques for Craftsmen. It’s about 3” thick ... just the pages. For years, I sat in bed up to 3am, and read the whole thing about 4 times. Then I read it a couple of more times, “between the lines”, when I had questions or had new knowledge and experience to plug in. In it, it showed “Cold Spinning”. I loved it. In about 1982, I finally got a small bench top metal lathe. My first opportunity to try Cold spinning. I had to make some tools. It worked. I made some neat knives with the techniques. Later in the 80’s, I got into Gold Plating. I Cold Spun Copper, and then heavily gold plated it.









That brings us to last year or a bit before. After a few more decades, I realized how to make better tooling. One afternoon, for my break, I started making a better clamping method. After a few days of spending an hour here and there, it was done. As often happens, that was when Kelly reminded me that more green stuff was needed. The tooling went on a shelf .... finished and never tried. THAT is the measure of maturity - haha. Oh the times I have to switch off of something with a week of work invested, and get back onto something else.

Ok. Eventually I took the time to design a Cold Spun Furrel to work with a great Damascus blade I’d forged and heat treated years back. I showed that. Kurt recalled that maybe 6-9 month afterward. “What did you do with that Cold Spun Knife?” This one? Pic taken of the knife in my tool rack. “When you finish it, I’ll take that!” I’d love you to have it. Thanks very much.

So; that knife enters the bench flow. Excellent.

Now ... in shorthand, recall the whole subject of having a background steady product flow. Almost done. Ok, we tried (roughly in this order) ... Pocket cases, Skeeter Tusk, Copper Cuffs, Aurora Class Knives, Stabalized Wood, Mosaic Theme Knives, Consignments, and Folded Stainless Channel with Titanium. All work to varying degrees. The key is a steady flow and repeat requests.

Right now, the Mosaic Theme 97’s are Top Drawer. I love them. No, there’s no down side. Not a thing wrong, other then the extreme number of hours required. I can’t fit the flow of new months into the hours the knives require yet. And of course, they are concentration intensive. Those are characteristics, not flaws. Now, catch the next part accurately please and we are about finished .......

The “Back Bench Flow” must be all Barnes quality, but done quickly enough to generate a profit. And also be suitable work for a Craftsman who has big differences in daily stamina. It’s just real, that the health issues alter my concentration and stamina at unexpected times. Might be a slow morning. May be a serious backache day. Could be a headache evening. Just recognizing reality. And so I need work to turn to, which can be accomplished in a semi auto mode. A kind of “Gary’s Shop Memory Reflex” mode. What we call the old GSMR, here on the Campus. Haha. But it’s true. I’ve trained myself to work to standards. To understand my processes. But; that doesn’t mean I can sit down and engrave at any time. Here’s my test. 1). Index card - white side. 2). Fine mechanical pencil. 3). Draw a sweeping perfect circle about 3/4” to 1”. Not an oval. Not a broken segmented mess. If I can’t, don’t ruin the previous 75 hours invested. Do something else to warm up.

And that’s much of the answer to “Why in the heck don’t you just FINISH .... fill in project here???! Well, it may be the “Circle Test.” May be the “Kelly Conundrum.” You all know that I think that she is a “real good” Wife. And a great COO that’s (Chief Operations Officer) here at BPS. And so, I know that when I’m face down in a project, she isn’t going to tell me that we are going to need $X at a given time, unless it’s vital. And, she doesn’t ask for anything unless it’s very important to her.



Like this. Opportunity to watch Mazen (from Maryland) the week of ... X. And so, I might be face down into something, but I can’t have family that we haven’t seen for 2 1/2 years ... walking into some monkey temple ruins in the Amazon. I’m going to have to step up with the mower and trimmer.

Now, I mentioned Kurt and his patience; because He, like several others ... Scott and Keith and Gary and Karl and Alice and Julio and others and others, have been very kind to step forward ... while already waiting for something, and purchase a nice immediately available completed item off the tray. Knowing there are other things that intervene within the flow; like rocks and submerged logs and plastic Kayaks.

I hope this has been somewhat helpful. Maybe even clarifying some questions.

Ok. It’s 1:30. Lunch is required.

Thanks so very much for reading.
Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2018 05:21PM by barnespneumatic.

Very nice work all around. I'm surprised others haven't purchased any of your recent blades . I've seen many that are $1000's of dollars in books and online and I would be afraid to put them thru any kind of real life work . They are only made for looking at .
BTW the other day my son and I were working on an airgun refreshing the rubber orings and I couldn't find my pick to pull out old rubber . Well I used as always my MD 97 to pry and pop out of the grooves . Then I noticed Jake had pulled out his Copper Barnes we purchased at the last skeeter shoot . It's a heavy big blade and extremely sharp. He was ready to go at it and I offered my blade instead with the reasoning " mine is dull " . It was nice to see he had it handy and ready to abuse ... I mean use !


Keep up the good work !

Gary can you explain the twisted handle on the dagger pictured ? It looks like wood formed into a twist pattern with beads dressing on the high part of turning.

Thanks
Kurt



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/01/2018 01:38AM by kurt wag.

Hi Kurt,

Just caught your question.

Would you buy that I just wring it out like a washcloth? No??? Ha.

Well, I carved the spiral fluted wood, sanded, polished. Then carved/cut a groove atop each flute. (Now ya see ... right there ... THAT’s NOT something you’d do to start off the morning. Ya might easily set yourself back two days. That’s the time to band saw out parts). So; I cut the grooves. Then, I twisted wire, and then heavily Gold Plated the twisted wire. Then stretched/wrapped the inlay inthe grooves during assembly. Pretty much just does itself ... huh? Haha.

Is that what you imagined? All the hardware on those knives is heavily gold plated, ‘cept for the patina copper one.

Gary

Gary,

So, I guess you're trying to say there is a little bit of time invested in each one of those knives....
They look great!

Scott

Just when I thought I had seen it all.

Lon