Cowbell materials and options talk

Redmeadow Knives

Redmeadow Knives

John Conner
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Aug 29, 2010
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The Redmeadow Cowbell has been going strong since January of 2020. Dibs through the Newsletter seem to be working out well. It seems to be the best way to get Cowbells to those of you that want one and have been waiting.

I'm about to order new handle material and want to know what you guys would like to see. At the moment they're only available in Linen micarta and Richlite.

Though I'm not fond of working with it I'm considering adding G10 to the options. Not set on the idea yet and would like to hear some feedback.

Being what I consider an 'entry level' custom, I'd like to keep the options simple but want to offer more colors. G10 would allow me to do that.

Any other suggestions are welcome. I'm really enjoying watching these knives take on their own personality and hope that those of you that have them, are enjoying them.

John
 
This is going to sound silly.

While I like G10, I prefer wood, micarta or Richlite on knives that are not stainless.

Those materials will take on their own worn, stained, darkened, faded, or dirty look like the blade does.

G10 is colorful and brings more variety but I don’t feel like it ages the same as the others and stays “new” too long.

See? Ridiculous, right?
 
Rupestris said:
This is going to sound silly.

While I like G10, I prefer wood, micarta or Richlite on knives that are not stainless.

Those materials will take on their own worn, stained, darkened, faded, or dirty look like the blade does.

G10 is colorful and brings more variety but I don’t feel like it ages the same as the others and stays “new” too long.

See? Ridiculous, right?
Click to expand...
I agree with this, for the most part.

But I wonder if how the g-10 was originally finished makes some difference?

My personal folder that I've carried for several years now has a really cool "pocket worn" look to it. It's hard to describe.....it's shiny and slick but it doesn't look the same as when it was new, yet it isn't beat up or scuffed or bad looking at all. It's hard to describe.
 
Rupestris said:
This is going to sound silly.

While I like G10, I prefer wood, micarta or Richlite on knives that are not stainless.

Those materials will take on their own worn, stained, darkened, faded, or dirty look like the blade does.

G10 is colorful and brings more variety but I don’t feel like it ages the same as the others and stays “new” too long.

See? Ridiculous, right?
Click to expand...
We're peas and carrots there, that's the reason why I rarely use G10. Some colors look great but a lot of them have a cartoon tone to them that seems a little too sterile to me. The Ivory has a warm look to it though.

J. Doyle said:
I agree with this, for the most part.

But I wonder if how the g-10 was originally finished makes some difference?

My personal folder that I've carried for several years now has a really cool "pocket worn" look to it. It's hard to describe.....it's shiny and slick but it doesn't look the same as when it was new, yet it isn't beat up or scuffed or bad looking at all. It's hard to describe.
Click to expand...

I'm gonna give some a try and see how it goes.
 
Redmeadow Knives said:
We're peas and carrots there, that's the reason why I rarely use G10. Some colors look great but a lot of them have a cartoon tone to them that seems a little too sterile to me. The Ivory has a warm look to it though.



I'm gonna give some a try and see how it goes.
Click to expand...
I agree about the loud bright colors, personally.

I use black about 99% of the time. I don't mind gray, olive green, tan....natural/darker/earth tones.

White can be cool in the right application and mixed/highlighted with black.
 
I'm generally a wood or micarta kinda guy. I like to see a little figure/pattern/texture. It's true that some G10 can mimic wood though.

If you add G10 to the choices, keep the overall selection small - no kids in a candy store thing.

Parent - what do you kids want for lunch?
Kids - DUURRR

Parent - do you kids want hot dogs or spaghetti for lunch?
Kids - either A or B or nothing. Simple choice.

I'd also look at the current selection and see if it could be pared down? Are there any that haven't been picked in the last 2 years? Broom them.
 
I'm also a wood or micarta guy, g-10 is generally too homogenous/heavy for me (yes I consider weight on all my knives, as I generally travel by and camp off of a bicycle). Of all the domestic hardwoods, Osage Orange stands out as the most durable/stable. What if a box of 100+ year old Osage magically showed up at your doorstep - would you be willing to try it out?
 
I appreciate you offering to make my pins/thong holes copper. My suggestion would be to make this an offering - copper, stainless, brass, etc. if it doesn't add to the "kid in the candy store" factor.
 
jmgruber said:
I appreciate you offering to make my pins/thong holes copper. My suggestion would be to make this an offering - copper, stainless, brass, etc. if it doesn't add to the "kid in the candy store" factor.
Click to expand...
Uh-oh, you said the b-word!:eek:😁


Wood is great, but need to leave something special for the annual Cowbell. Otherwise if they're all special, then none of them will be.🤪

 
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jmgruber said:
As a new clan member is this a word I should not use 🤐
Click to expand...
I made the same mistake a while back too, so don't feel bad. The b-word deeply hurt John at some point, and he doesn't like to talk about it. Suffice it to say he prefers bronze.





😆
 
Some makers do a nice texturing on G10. Generally, though, I prefer micarta. Suretouch looks interesting but I haven’t tried it yet.
 
I just recorded a video about the Cowbell and this topic. If you want to see the rambling madman you're dealing with stay tuned, it should only take 14 hours to upload it to Youtube. It will also give you an idea of what you'll have to deal with on a phone call, for those of you that know... you know😆
 
Box_Opener said:
Some makers do a nice texturing on G10. Generally, though, I prefer micarta. Suretouch looks interesting but I haven’t tried it yet.
Click to expand...
Suretouch is really nice, but on scales that small I don't know if it would really get to shine.
 
A quick cringy video that gives you an idea of what's goin on in my pea brain when it comes to the Cowbell.

So in case you ever wondered how much of a weirdo you send your hard earned money to, there he is🙃
 
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Redmeadow Knives said:
A quick cringy video that gives you an idea of what's goin on in my pea brain when it comes to the Cowbell.

So in case you ever wondered how much of a weirdo you send your hard earned money to, there he is🙃
Click to expand...

🤔
 
I dig the whole setup you have going on now. I liked the limited amount of options while setting my order up. G 10 has never been on my radar for fixes blades. Always micarta or wood. Maybe some burlap or paper would be cool? I like the idea of the copper option as well. I do love a good liner combo too. Don't know if that is something you would be interested in doing. Either way, great knife and anything added would only be a bonus.
 
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