A customer at the fall fair in Salem asked for a knife that 'felt like a friend'

Joseph Lopez · 2026-04-01T18:45:10.57172+00:00

I was selling my work at a craft fair last October when a man spent nearly an hour looking at every blade. He finally picked up a simple camp knife and said, 'This one. It feels like a friend.' He explained his old knife, a gift from his dad, had been lost on a hike, and he wanted something that felt just as right in his hand. I spent the next two weeks making him a new piece, focusing entirely on the handle shape and balance he described. It made me think about how much of our work is about the feel of a thing, not just how it looks. How do you all figure out what a 'right feeling' tool is for a client who can't quite put it into words?

Talk Freely

Loading…

A customer at the fall fair in Salem asked for a knife that 'felt like a friend' | Blacksmiths - Talk Freely