Another re-shoot of a previously photographed knife

[Buddy Thomason]

First and foremost, this is a killer Timothy Potier Bowie knife with silver sheath. I shot it about a year ago. Here's that picture:


Then I shot it again yesterday on this funky slate stone I bought at Home Depot for $1.99, challenging myself to find a way to make the two work. Maybe it did maybe it didn't but here it is anyway:

[Rocket_Jason]

Nice photos Buddy, both of them. Although I like the second one better.

I was looking at your photo gallery and noticed the knife below right off. What a complete package! Who is the maker? Did they make the sheath too?

-Jason

[SharpByCoop]

Buddy, that second shot just blows the doors off the first with the good lighting and beautiful colors. Yes, it's a little busy, but that's OK. The knife is not, so of any knife you can get away with it. I love the rarely-seen checkering on handles, and your second shot shows it nicely.

Jason, you have great taste. If I ever got a handle on that particular knife, Buddy would have to pry it away. It's one of my faves. I'll let him tell you who it is. He's a Mastersmith also.

Coop

[Rocket_Jason]

Joe Keesler? I can't make out the touch mark, but I think I have seen similar knife made by Mr. Keelser.

[RBSlaughter]

I agree with the guys.. #2 is a nicer shot. They are both very well done, but #2 has better lighting, and seems to me to have a little crisper colors on the knife, and the focus seems ever so slightly sharper. I like the new background with the warm earth tone colors, and the texture is also something that appeals to me. Lastly, your placement of the knife over the sheath to create the "X" draws my eyes to the center of the photo, and then they wander out over the knife.. An improvement in my opinion. Just another excellent picture Buddy...Best, Rich

[Buddy Thomason]

Originally Posted by Rocket_Jason

What a complete package! Who is the maker? Did they make the sheath too?

Jason - Yes, that is one of Joe Keeslar's signature patterns. He forges them in different sizes and uses different levels of materials and embellishment. He makes his own sheaths and they will match the knife in terms of plain or fancy factor.

Joe is the current president of the ABS, a former US Marine, all around nice guy and is especially known for his beautiful yet simple file work technique which he demonstrates around the country at ABS hammer-ins. Joe is also enthusiasticly supportive of the ABS youth program - a very good thing IMO. He and his wife live in France part of every year where Joe collaborates with a growing group of excellent bladesmiths there. That group in France, along with the Brazil group and their side-kick Jerry Fisk, look to be the very strong beginnings of what may ultimately become (this is in no way official, just my own wild and un-substantiated speculation) the IBS (International Bladesmith Association).

Interestingly, without planning to, I traded this knife away recently but through life's twists and turns it came back to me. Guess I was meant to have it always. Fine by me - I love it! In particular I love the 'finger guard', slender 'waist' and broad spine above for thumb placement and the fat handle. This design is one of the best for general 'utility' and camp chores I've ever seen. Joe uses a hollow-grind on these. This one also has copper pins and a copper 'spacer' between the scales and the tang.

Please forgive the quality of this next image. It was the first composite image I ever tried after starting to learn knife photography from the experts here on this forum, maybe three years ago. At least it gives you another look at the knife.



Thanks guys, for the comments about the Potier Bowie images. I also like the second shot. It just goes to show that if anyone who wants to learn to do knife photography, they can if they'll just keep at it and absorb the information flow on this forum. Most folks will make much faster progress than me because most folks don't insist on making the same mistakes several times just to make sure they were actually mistakes! Above all I have valued the photo contests on this forum. Participating in those contests time after time after time is what, for me, translated learning into doing.

[rhrocker]

Well, someone has to be different. I have to admit that I like the first shot, because it brings out more detail as to my way of looking at it. It's those perfect horizontal grind lines, probably made by stone, that blow me away. I would think that type of perfection could only be done on a machine, but it isn't. Yes, # 2 is lighter and crisper, sure can't argue with that, but I love seeing the detail I can see, in the first. Maybe I should have that knife someday?

Edited to add: The detail of the checkering in the 2nd photo has the first one beat all to heck. So there you have it, there always has to be an oddball in every forum )

[Rocket_Jason]

Horizontal grindlines made by a stone? I dont think so, looks like hand sanding to me. And I agree, I like seeing that detail in a knife. Is there a way to capture the blade details as well as the handles?

[rhrocker]

Yes Rocket, by stone. I use them all the time. Used like sandpaper, you start at the guard, and pull back to the point. If you are very good, the "pull" will be perfectly straight, as in the example above. The stones I use vary from 40 grit, to 2,000 grit. They are used with water, although I like Windex, as it evaporates so fast, it won't allow rusting.
Stones, yes, I think so.

[Rocket_Jason]

Stones? Really? I have never heard of that one. Guess you learn something new everyday. I like the idea of using stones, but how do you get around the plunge cut with a stone? Sandpaper flexes and allows you to get into the plunge. Do you just drag it over the plunge (slowly of course) and not worry about it?

[rhrocker]

Dr. Jim Lucie taught me. He has a little tutorial somewhere on this site, and I'll try to find it for you.

[Buddy Thomason]

This is the beauty of side-by-side comparisons. Coop has been tireless in reminding us that it's hard to conclude much of anything without side-by-side shots. And this is exactly the kind of important detail that can be observed. Imagine the second shot of the Portier Bowie as is but WITH those horizontal polishing lines also visible. So that should be my next goal - repeat the shot but this time capture all the data that's there to be seen! I appreciate this type of feedback very much. Thanks!

[hammerdownnow]

The checkering really pops in the second shot. Very rich colors. Just cut and paste the blade from the first shot...hahaha. Hey, I was there when you scored that Keesler I think.

[Buddy Thomason]

Indeed you were, Roc - the Scagel hammer-in in Michigan. I think it was August 2 or 3 years ago now.

BTW, here's a better image of Joe Keeslar's filework on the knife Jason mentioned. Joe does it all by hand and very quickly too.

[SharpByCoop]

You keep teasing me with that amazing Keeslar knife. I'm going to drop in on you sometime and nab that. I love his filework. It's a little bit of carving and engraving too.

Coop