Odd thing I saw the other day...I have been instructing some beginners in the basics of knife carving. As part of this I brought in my collection to show the variety of manufacturers and shapes and demonstrate the purposes of each. This was done to allow the student to spend their money wisely when it came to tool purchases.
A couple of students arrived without having purchased a knife and others brought murphy knives or knives of a type that would make Caricature carving a bit too difficult. I have always been a proponent of the mainstays in the field...Ron Wells (now manufactured by Mike Shipley), Helvie, and Denny. Of these I recommended the Denny 1 7/8" blade for a high quality all around knife appropriate for basic Caricature carving. I recommended to a couple of my students to make the purchase through Little Shavers as Rick & Theresa work very well with both beginners and veterans and also because Rick takes the time to ensure the tools he sells are sharp before they are shipped (he also provides a high quality sharpening service). Well the other night the students show up with their new blades and I was surprised to see that the signature copper rivets were no longer there!! It would appear that the manufacturer (whom that is at the moment is a question in my mind) has eliminated the signature rivets and I also noted that the handles for some reason feel lighter (that could just be me). Either way the knives still cut well and are ground as I would like them, I just wished the change had not occured...if it ain't broke don't fix it!!! (Just my honest opinion).
A couple of students arrived without having purchased a knife and others brought murphy knives or knives of a type that would make Caricature carving a bit too difficult. I have always been a proponent of the mainstays in the field...Ron Wells (now manufactured by Mike Shipley), Helvie, and Denny. Of these I recommended the Denny 1 7/8" blade for a high quality all around knife appropriate for basic Caricature carving. I recommended to a couple of my students to make the purchase through Little Shavers as Rick & Theresa work very well with both beginners and veterans and also because Rick takes the time to ensure the tools he sells are sharp before they are shipped (he also provides a high quality sharpening service). Well the other night the students show up with their new blades and I was surprised to see that the signature copper rivets were no longer there!! It would appear that the manufacturer (whom that is at the moment is a question in my mind) has eliminated the signature rivets and I also noted that the handles for some reason feel lighter (that could just be me). Either way the knives still cut well and are ground as I would like them, I just wished the change had not occured...if it ain't broke don't fix it!!! (Just my honest opinion).
Hey Tony,
ReplyDeleteI've made tools on occasion, and at the Congress last year a took a class with Denny. The rivets weren't really needed, and were just extra work for no reason. (How over engineered = higher price.) Sometimes it's not a question of fixing what's not broken, but of being able to provide a product for a reasonable price.
Mike Shipley will be taking over the making of the denny tools.
Dylan
Thanks Dylan! Yeah I figured as much about the copper as it is expensive and is a soft metal. Just one of those things that made it his signature...ah well. In speaking with others it appears is putting the necessary effort into the knife business to maintain the quality we have come to expect with the two lines of knives (formerly Ron Wells and Denny). Thank you again for the info.
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