I've watched scores of your vids, Jim. Maybe a hundred. And this knife is absolutely the most beautiful cutting tool I've ever seen on your channel. Absolutely beautiful. I'm frickin' weeping, man.
Recently saw a knife sell for more than the ask on this Ron Best Knife. Because of the materials used, this is not an unpractical knife. And it's a much better value then some of traditional high end knives above this $5,000 price range. Looks? Ron Bests knives are just my cup of tea!
That knife is absurdly beautiful. Just to be in the same room would be an honor, let alone owning it. I hope one day I can own a piece or the same quality and craftsmanship.
I have to say, this is my favourite knife of all times( I don't own one obviously), I have rewatched this video many times over and this piece never ceases to amaze me. (even though I managed to spot a minor minor flaw)
Awesome video Jim! I'm looking around my room right now at all the shit I can pawn on eBay to try to build up enough cash to buy myself one of these... not even close though ☹️.
Another great video, thanks! Mine just completed, pearl inlays - awaiting delivery... He's a great guy to work with, my first "commissioned" knife; initial email contact with him March 24th, notified it was done May 9th! Wondering how you feel it compares to the Fischer "Battle?" Only saw one comparison online between the two. Brandon (below) is right! Keep up the good work?
Just came across a newsletter with info claiming that King Tut's dagger was made with parts from a meteorite. Its going to be your final grail, Jim. Nothing could top that.
I'm not into knifes that much, but I respect the quality build, and love the design. I have to get at least one high dollar pocket knife in the future.
Jum love ur videos. Gives me a closer look of what i cant afford. But on a serious note can you make a video on how to care for your knives. I mean lubrication, cleaning, etc. More specifically i have heard and read a ton of different opinions on what the best lubricant is for folding knives (pivets)
Jim, don't shortchange your photography skills. Very nice pics at the top, lots of depth and detail with great lighting- almost like custom car shots. The pics in th middle, while "pro", are shot from above with flatter lighting. Good "documentary" shots, but yours are actually cooler. just sayin®.
Hey Jim, i was wondering if Bill Tuck has a website or something that I can go to to see some of his work. I'd never heard of him prior to your mentioning him in your video.
Hey Jim, love your video's. I notice you are doing size by size comparisons quite often. Maybe you could mount a camera straight above the table for those shots of just make photo's from straight above and add those into the video while editing. Just an idea. Perspective is a bitch. The Photo's are superB!
Jim Skelton i have a few swiss army knives and a gerber lock back i use for camping etc however this is by far the most beautiful knife i have ever seen. i have a rudimental understanding of blacksmithing however i cannot see how anyone could create a blade with this beautiful pattern without making it out of some horizontal bars or something.
Art knives are to Tactical knives like jazz is to rock and roll. Guys like Ron Best, Owen Wood, John W. Smith, the late great Joe Kious and Warren Osborne (R.I.P.) all possess(ed) skills that could easily move the goalposts of the tactical world. It would be interesting to see it go the other way...How about a Rexford Art knife? (gus is doing it).
That is a beautiful peice. The only thing I would critique is the lock bar being that turquoise color. I'm just meticulous. It would have looked better if it matched the timascus IMO.
+Hubolds1 there are two types of guys that leave a reply like that. The first is 40 and lives with his mother and the second likes little Chinese boys. I own knives worth more than your Moped.
That false top edge is shit for batonning. And I like to throw my 5000$ art blades when I'm squirrel-huntin... That really is a beautiful monster. The choice between that and the Fischer Battle would be a tough one... Great review.
my grandkids are definitely going to think im fucking nuts... I have human anatomy and internals drawings, fantasy shit, knives and knife making supplies. and an almost unhealthy obsession for platypus and giraffes.
I'm tall and have trouble not running into things, so, there's the giraffe thing. And platypus because they're a freak of nature. Along with the echidna...
some of the knives you have cost more then my mothers rent :p but nice knives & keep up the videos i hope i can get to that point where i can buy really expensive knives
+Nayr747 Jim's a renowned Fluffer in the Adult Film Industry. He's won the "Hands of an Angel" award the last 6 years straight. Very hard to get on his books though.
I considered getting into them, so I bought a gorgeous $700 custom 29 Knives. Bolstered with carbon fiber scales... it was amazing. But after flipping it for a little while I decided that I would greatly injure myself because I simply do not have the required coordination. I returned it and have never looked back.
lol i understand, just saw a ron best balisong and they are out of this world!!! would love to see that in video cuz the photos barley look real. anyway thanks for all you do for the community and if you ever do get back into balis' just keep those band aids handy!
+Jim Skelton along the spin are two screw on each side plus those usés to hang the clip...those could and should be hidden at that lvl of création.or screw from the inside like a.........stan Wilson or maybe other if it exist
The one i whittled from wood was as good... But to be fair i was on shrooms and i believe Was dark i also have next to nothing so can take what i can get... Hahaha. Love it tho very nice materials and colors i just would love it on a otf platform personally?
Yeah yory, in some sense I agree with you. As of this point in my life, I prefer function. Do what it takes to make a knife of the highest quality, but I personally don't prefer handwork for handwork's sake. But that's just me. I do believe in higher end knives like this though, there are some who feel you are collecting the maker as much as the knife. Think about it -- The paintings of Van Gogh and Picasso have value not based on the work itself, but on the artist that created it. You could find a new Van Gogh tomorrow and it would have value because of the artist and the sentiment of its creation - odds are the exact patterns of brush strokes and colors could be very closely reproduced by modern art students, yet it is the works of the original "great" artists that somehow have the real (monetary) value. I think, in a sense, so it is with this, on a smaller scale. It is the handwork and the time - the expression of pieces of the knifemaker's soul - in the making of this knife - that give this piece value. In that sense, as a piece of art, I think the chisel work becomes more understandable. Don't get me wrong, If I had the money for this knife, I would own Striders and ferrum forges and many other blades before this. But 50 years from now, those blades will be obsolete, because new better materials and processes will exist to top their functionality, their steel, their toughness. Nothing will come along to top the time a master of his craft expended here though. There is nothing to make this obsolete, because that's not what this knife is about. That is what I think draws people.
yory teperman you could say the same for wristwatches. cheap chinese one and omega speedmaster both show the time correctly. only you need to wind speedmaster every night and its 2.500 Euros. But i would still like the more expencive one.
Oh my goodness, you mean there's a nearly microscopic flaw in a totally handmade product?? LOL. It's handmade, not off a CNC, and what you're seeing is under a macro lens. Pretty much imperceptible in your hands.
So far everyone replying is wrong. This is a video, the magic of a review video is that I actually talk about the piece and value! I know, shocker. Just watch it and you'll find out.
Just wandering, why do we have to pay for the labor on our end, just because for whatever reason he doesn't use modern technics, and machinery to make his knifes? That doesn't seem right, and unnecessary.. it's still a beautiful knife though.
+35823582 Art in its purest form will always be more costly. When you go to someone who uses traditional (proper) techniques, you're paying for the talent, and the years of honing that skill. As far as "it's not fair", of course it is. No one is forcing you to buy from him, you can choose to go to another maker who charges less... that is fair.
yory teperman Irrational to you maybe, but to many people the price it more than worth it. Those people have the money to spend. You're just to poor to understand luxury art.
Just purchased a Ron Best knife from a dealer because of this video. Thanks Jim!
The flow of the knife from the different materials is just incredible.
Ron Best knives are the nicest that I have ever seen.
I couldn't agree more when you said it's like carrying a rolls Royce around on your pocket. Phenomenal maker and an amazing knife
I've watched scores of your vids, Jim. Maybe a hundred. And this knife is absolutely the most beautiful cutting tool I've ever seen on your channel. Absolutely beautiful. I'm frickin' weeping, man.
That is beautiful beyond words. Thank you for sharing it with us, and for turning me on to Knife Habit.
That is the most bad ass knife I have seen so far. I think that knife will always bring big money.
It's very rare that I'm speechless, this is one of those times...
Recently saw a knife sell for more than the ask on this Ron Best Knife. Because of the materials used, this is not an unpractical knife. And it's a much better value then some of traditional high end knives above this $5,000 price range. Looks? Ron Bests knives are just my cup of tea!
I could look at this knife for hours...It's amazing craftsmanship....
Very nice piece. I like hearing that he does so much of the work by hand.
Beautiful knife. Truly an awesome piece from an awesome maker.
Another awesome video brother!!! Gorgeous knife!!!
This man makes the magical weapons in books a reality
I really love how the pocket clip matches the shape of the blade
Yep...truly truly beautiful
Wholey Geezus......May 8th .Its my Birthday Jim ...That is Crazy assklown over the top nice..
That knife is absurdly beautiful. Just to be in the same room would be an honor, let alone owning it. I hope one day I can own a piece or the same quality and craftsmanship.
Man, your channel is really awesome! I Just love knifes and here i see the best
Vieira Rodrigues knives*
This knife is insane! It is way to beautiful to use
I now wait, for the next entry/tool as most everything is freaking beautiful. Keep it up, please.?
Jim love your taste bud! This blade is sick!
Beautiful craftsmanship . You may be the only person to ever EDC one of his knives when you get yours Jim .
incredible knife and love your channel bud
It's truly 'hand-made'. So rare these days.
Great video Jim. Probably my favorite knife maker with Ken Steigerwalt ...
I have to say, this is my favourite knife of all times( I don't own one obviously), I have rewatched this video many times over and this piece never ceases to amaze me. (even though I managed to spot a minor minor flaw)
What's the minor flaw? Only flaw I could see is a pretty big one, it's not in my collection!
Top review of an absolutely fecking beautiful piece of craftsmanship. Looks kinda 'ceremonial' don't you think..?
Reminds me of the a bit of your Battle by Frank Fischer. Both stunning pieces of work.
is it ok that I was drooling the entire time?
It would be weird if you weren't.
Awesome video Jim! I'm looking around my room right now at all the shit I can pawn on eBay to try to build up enough cash to buy myself one of these... not even close though ☹️.
Another great video, thanks! Mine just completed, pearl inlays - awaiting delivery... He's a great guy to work with, my first "commissioned" knife; initial email contact with him March 24th, notified it was done May 9th! Wondering how you feel it compares to the Fischer "Battle?" Only saw one comparison online between the two. Brandon (below) is right! Keep up the good work?
Just came across a newsletter with info claiming that King Tut's dagger was made with parts from a meteorite. Its going to be your final grail, Jim. Nothing could top that.
I thought I saw this on K Habit when I was getting my Barrett! So it is the exact same knife!
I'm not into knifes that much, but I respect the quality build, and love the design. I have to get at least one high dollar pocket knife in the future.
Extremely beautiful piece of Art PEACE :-)
Since you can flex on most of the knifemakers, you should invite him and Stan Wilson to have a build off. That would be interesting
Gorgeous blade.
0.o sick... just gorgeous!!
Jum love ur videos. Gives me a closer look of what i cant afford. But on a serious note can you make a video on how to care for your knives. I mean lubrication, cleaning, etc. More specifically i have heard and read a ton of different opinions on what the best lubricant is for folding knives (pivets)
"Looks so good make a grown man cry!" - Warrant
Beautiful.
really nice knife art, would love to know what do you think about the Sirius from Jean Pierre Sucheras. chears from belgium
Definitely buying something like this rn I have page up
Jim, don't shortchange your photography skills. Very nice pics at the top, lots of depth and detail with great lighting- almost like custom car shots. The pics in th middle, while "pro", are shot from above with flatter lighting. Good "documentary" shots, but yours are actually cooler. just sayin®.
aoxomoxoanyc yea honestly wasn't really taken back by the other guys
Hey Jim, i was wondering if Bill Tuck has a website or something that I can go to to see some of his work. I'd never heard of him prior to your mentioning him in your video.
www.tuchknives.com/index.html
awesome, thanks. I was spelling his name wrong.
I can't believe he doesn't use CNC... I am just astounded!
So you're Dream Makers are as follows: Ron Best, Michael Walker, Bill Tuck, Stan Wilson. That's a good damn list right there!
+HopHaze It's actually Tuch. Yes, many more, but that is my top list.
+Jim Skelton Jim, I have a 3983 ruby/sapphire bezel. Can you tell me the exact measurements used for the gems?
+bluejet I wouldn't have a clue
alright. do you still wear your ruby/sapphire watch?
Jim what makes you want to carry art knives for EDC and when you don't carry an art knife what is the brand of utility knife do you carry if you do?
At the beginning I was like yeah, it's pretty and all that but...but then when it was flipped open I just said "OH WOW!!!"
When you live up to your last name. This is a true grail.
Amazing!
Perfect.... the only thing that annoys me is the blue titanium lock bar is a completely different blue to the rest of the knife
Hey Jim, love your video's. I notice you are doing size by size comparisons quite often. Maybe you could mount a camera straight above the table for those shots of just make photo's from straight above and add those into the video while editing. Just an idea. Perspective is a bitch. The Photo's are superB!
that blade is beautiful. is it real damascus or is it just sot of printed onto the blade
+Bramble D It's Damasteel. A proprietary Damascus made only of Stainless Steels.
Jim Skelton i have a few swiss army knives and a gerber lock back i use for camping etc however this is by far the most beautiful knife i have ever seen. i have a rudimental understanding of blacksmithing however i cannot see how anyone could create a blade with this beautiful pattern without making it out of some horizontal bars or something.
also is there a coating or will it scratch if used???
hey Jim. I just gotta ask this: is there a fixed blade knife you carry on you? if so what's your go to edc model. Thanks and keep up the great vids :)
Godlike.
Out of general curiosity what does this fire on? IKBS?
wow, thats art
Art knives are to Tactical knives like jazz is to rock and roll. Guys like Ron Best, Owen Wood, John W. Smith, the late great Joe Kious and Warren Osborne (R.I.P.) all possess(ed) skills that could easily move the goalposts of the tactical world. It would be interesting to see it go the other way...How about a Rexford Art knife? (gus is doing it).
That is a beautiful peice. The only thing I would critique is the lock bar being that turquoise color. I'm just meticulous. It would have looked better if it matched the timascus IMO.
Or maybe gold to match the backspace and center of pivot.
+specopsbrat or maybe nickel to match the one stuck in your crack
+Hubolds1 there are two types of guys that leave a reply like that. The first is 40 and lives with his mother and the second likes little Chinese boys. I own knives worth more than your Moped.
Hey do have any fixed blade knives?
where can i find this knife
That false top edge is shit for batonning. And I like to throw my 5000$ art blades when I'm squirrel-huntin... That really is a beautiful monster. The choice between that and the Fischer Battle would be a tough one... Great review.
Kinda reminds me of a luxurious, refined car.
Ce couteau est matnifique!
my grandkids are definitely going to think im fucking nuts... I have human anatomy and internals drawings, fantasy shit, knives and knife making supplies. and an almost unhealthy obsession for platypus and giraffes.
I'm tall and have trouble not running into things, so, there's the giraffe thing. And platypus because they're a freak of nature. Along with the echidna...
Is the knife on washers or bearings?
+Crete23 Bearings
+Jim Skelton I have a question for you Jim how much have you spent on your knife collection through out you lifetime
how much for a knife like that ?
about 7 K
I gotta know how much
some of the knives you have cost more then my mothers rent :p but nice knives & keep up the videos i hope i can get to that point where i can buy really expensive knives
How much is that knife $?
What do you do for a living to have so much money for knives?
+Nayr747 Jim's a renowned Fluffer in the Adult Film Industry. He's won the "Hands of an Angel" award the last 6 years straight. Very hard to get on his books though.
+Brett Elkin Very hard...
+Brett Elkin its not that he just got a small loan of a million dollars from his father
+Brett Elkin i fucking hate you. ice tea sprayed all over my keyboard. goddamnit...
jazz03 haha, my work here is done.
I came
I turned off the sound to appreciate the video.
id love to see a high end balisong on your channel jim
I considered getting into them, so I bought a gorgeous $700 custom 29 Knives. Bolstered with carbon fiber scales... it was amazing. But after flipping it for a little while I decided that I would greatly injure myself because I simply do not have the required coordination. I returned it and have never looked back.
lol i understand, just saw a ron best balisong and they are out of this world!!! would love to see that in video cuz the photos barley look real. anyway thanks for all you do for the community and if you ever do get back into balis' just keep those band aids handy!
You definitely have a ‘style’ you prefer.
To clarify: lubricant brand/name
fucken beautiful!
is stan Wilson the only one able to hide those screws????why on every price range is he the only one noticing how huge difference it makes....
This is a framelock. Not a linerlock or bolsterlock.
+Jim Skelton along the spin are two screw on each side plus those usés to hang the clip...those could and should be hidden at that lvl of création.or screw from the inside like a.........stan Wilson or maybe other if it exist
sick
I had to say all is like that is aline like look to me but i will by it i love tham like that
The one i whittled from wood was as good... But to be fair i was on shrooms and i believe Was dark i also have next to nothing so can take what i can get... Hahaha. Love it tho very nice materials and colors i just would love it on a otf platform personally?
😍😍😍
I've never seen anything like it. I don't see the point in continuing collecting once you own one tbh.
I actually think your photos are nicer than Jim Cooper’s.
He used a hammer and chisel to cut that fuller? Good lord
+powerrangerjesus i think he was referring to the texturing
Yeah yory, in some sense I agree with you. As of this point in my life, I prefer function. Do what it takes to make a knife of the highest quality, but I personally don't prefer handwork for handwork's sake. But that's just me.
I do believe in higher end knives like this though, there are some who feel you are collecting the maker as much as the knife. Think about it -- The paintings of Van Gogh and Picasso have value not based on the work itself, but on the artist that created it. You could find a new Van Gogh tomorrow and it would have value because of the artist and the sentiment of its creation - odds are the exact patterns of brush strokes and colors could be very closely reproduced by modern art students, yet it is the works of the original "great" artists that somehow have the real (monetary) value. I think, in a sense, so it is with this, on a smaller scale. It is the handwork and the time - the expression of pieces of the knifemaker's soul - in the making of this knife - that give this piece value. In that sense, as a piece of art, I think the chisel work becomes more understandable. Don't get me wrong, If I had the money for this knife, I would own Striders and ferrum forges and many other blades before this. But 50 years from now, those blades will be obsolete, because new better materials and processes will exist to top their functionality, their steel, their toughness.
Nothing will come along to top the time a master of his craft expended here though. There is nothing to make this obsolete, because that's not what this knife is about. That is what I think draws people.
Humming bird Knife PEACE :-)
"its easy to justify these prices" ok, no not for me. For you maybe. More worth than my car
+BlackStarMulti imagine how much would a car cost if it was done in the same attention to details and with those expensive materials.
yory teperman you could say the same for wristwatches. cheap chinese one and omega speedmaster both show the time correctly. only you need to wind speedmaster every night and its 2.500 Euros.
But i would still like the more expencive one.
hey jim I was woudring what you work in that you have so much money to spend on knifes
0:36 the carving is not complete, the lower edge is uneven...and in the middle one you can see a blue spot
Oh my goodness, you mean there's a nearly microscopic flaw in a totally handmade product?? LOL. It's handmade, not off a CNC, and what you're seeing is under a macro lens. Pretty much imperceptible in your hands.
no disrespect for the work...its just me and the attention for any detail...
+Marius Chiriac you mean the edge of the stipling?
How much is this knife worth?
about 15k usd
So far everyone replying is wrong. This is a video, the magic of a review video is that I actually talk about the piece and value! I know, shocker. Just watch it and you'll find out.
+Jim Skelton haha savage
About 3.50
+Roy Rojas he says 5k in the video ;)
Like a piece of jewelry.
I wish IT had jimping
Best bang for your buck at 100$ in your opinion +jim skelton
It is a phaze mom!
OMG
Just wandering, why do we have to pay for the labor on our end, just because for whatever reason he doesn't use modern technics, and machinery to make his knifes? That doesn't seem right, and unnecessary.. it's still a beautiful knife though.
+35823582 Art in its purest form will always be more costly. When you go to someone who uses traditional (proper) techniques, you're paying for the talent, and the years of honing that skill. As far as "it's not fair", of course it is. No one is forcing you to buy from him, you can choose to go to another maker who charges less... that is fair.
+Jim Skelton lol, yeah.. I guess so.
+35823582 I hear there is a new Bear Grylls line coming out in a few weeks that you might be interested in.
+Colson Customs= Much appreciate the info, I will look out for it.
$5000 to gut me some cat fish and raccoon
i know where you sleep.
ok ok ok, no knife ever in history is worth 35 grand
+jahn myers google your question. there are at least three knives that are worth well over 35 grand. The gem of the orient went for 2.1 million
+jahn myers Wrong, a knife is worth what the market will pay for it. LOTS of knives sell for more than 35,000.
yory teperman
Irrational to you maybe, but to many people the price it more than worth it. Those people have the money to spend. You're just to poor to understand luxury art.
+yory teperman I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone when I say "we're all laughing at you."
I hear Vaseline is good for sore b-holes.