Alveprins Posted April 27 Share Posted April 27 (edited) Hi everyone, finally I've finished the project I started early last year... Please let me present "POTENTIA"! The word "POTENTIA" comes from Latin and means potential. It originates from the verb "posse", which means "to be able" or "to have the ability to". The meaning of "potentia" has evolved over time and has influenced many modern concepts and ideas. For example, it has given rise to the English word "potential", which refers to a hidden or possible ability that can be realized. The knife "POTENTIA" is my expression of all my abilities to date, as well as my goals for the future. Potentia marks a crossroads and a paradigm shift for me as a knife maker. This is my most comprehensive work to date, and it has taken me over a year to complete (640 hours). My goal is to one day (hopefully in the near future) qualify for participation in the Art Knives Invitational (AKI) knife show in Las Vegas. POTENTIA is the first milestone in that direction. Perhaps in time I will be worthy... Here is a LINK to a brochure I've made for the knife. It contains some backstory and step-by-step images compared to the finished works - for those who might be interested. And here are the images! And of course the Promo-video I created before starting and completing the sheath: And then there's the knife stats: Measurements: Blade length: 18cm Blade thickness: 5mm Blade width: 3.2cm Handle length: 13.5 cm Knife weight: 345 grams(w/o sheath) Materials blade: Shaft steel from Kongsberg Automotive. 15n20 Nickel steel. 24kt gold. 2 pcs. 0.03ct natural white diamonds. Materials handle: Stabilized maple. Vulcanized fiber. Railway steel. 24kt gold. 6 pcs. 0.03 natural white diamonds. 8 pcs. red rubies. 1 pc. blue sapphire. Materials sheath: Schaf leather. 925 Sterling silver. 24kt gold. 13 blue sapphires. 2 red rubies. And that's it! One year of work done, and now on to the next project! Alright everyone, have a good weekend tomorrow! Sincerely, Alveprins. Edited April 27 by Alveprins 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Abbott Posted April 27 Share Posted April 27 Excellent. If I hadn't followed the WIP I'd think the pics were CGI. Your detail and finish is flawless. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted April 27 Share Posted April 27 I agree with Don. And to see how far you've come since you first joined this forum! I am amazed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua States Posted April 27 Share Posted April 27 Stunning. 1 “So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.” The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing. Josh http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg J.States Bladesmith | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71 https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Lester Posted April 27 Share Posted April 27 I can't think of a proper superlative to describe your work. Doug 1 HELP...I'm a twenty year old trapped in the body of an old man!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alveprins Posted April 28 Author Share Posted April 28 8 hours ago, Don Abbott said: Excellent. If I hadn't followed the WIP I'd think the pics were CGI. Your detail and finish is flawless. I wish I could say the details are flawless, unfortunately there are allot of flaws in them. Shading is one issue, especially cross-hatching. I have a long way to go until it is flawless. But slow and steady wins the race I suppose.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alveprins Posted April 28 Author Share Posted April 28 8 hours ago, Alan Longmire said: I agree with Don. And to see how far you've come since you first joined this forum! I am amazed. It's been quite a road... I remember my workshop and what it looked like when I first started... two tables stacked on top of each other, with a vice attached to the top one - and almost no lighting.. My biggest surprise though is that if you just keep working in a direction - eventually you get there. I mean, it's obvious in a sense.. but still interesting to experience. You start trying to do stuff the "big boys" do, and in the end the result isn't that far off. That being said - the gap between 95 and 100% is larger than between 0 and 95 in my estimation... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted April 28 Share Posted April 28 7 hours ago, Alveprins said: That being said - the gap between 95 and 100% is larger than between 0 and 95 in my estimation... Quite true! And I've never met anyone who thought they were more than 97%. . It's a very broad plateau. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Dougherty Posted April 28 Share Posted April 28 Amazing 1 -Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Stephens Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 Holy crap! Amazing work. 1 -----------------------------------------------"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly." -- Theodore Roosevelthttp://stephensforge.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Sexstone Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 WOW…….. just ……. WOW…….. I do have a minor criticism thou…. I think POTENTIA would have been better in script…. Or maybe a different font? I think it is too simple and to me distracts from the over all look of piece…..But this is just my own opinion……. and I don’t see credits for the photos so you took them yourself? You are a quick study……nice job….. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alveprins Posted May 5 Author Share Posted May 5 13 hours ago, Dick Sexstone said: I do have a minor criticism thou…. I think POTENTIA would have been better in script…. Or maybe a different font? I think it is too simple and to me distracts from the over all look of piece…..But this is just my own opinion……. and I don’t see credits for the photos so you took them yourself? You are a quick study……nice job….. Hi, thanks! Yes, I agree, it would have been better in script, but due to my own engraving limitations (lettering is quite difficult) I had to go with the style I chose. For future projects, as a part of my own development - I will have to do some test-plates on engraving fonts. I know Sam Alfano has a video course on machine lettering with hand engraver - so I might have a look into that. The photos are by myself, yes. I built a new lightbox for this project - which I will continue to use. I needed more control with the lights, so I had to invest in some of those as well. But I feel I have a good setup now. Only thing I'd like to have is a articulating "arm" in which I can mount the knife. Sometimes it is difficult to get "just the right" angle to capture certain details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Sexstone Posted May 5 Share Posted May 5 I had a collector point out to me how static my stamped name looked ….. I knew I was not up to acquiring the skill to engrave my name…My father was of the generation who wrote in script and his penmanship had elegance ….. I had him sign our name a coulpe hundred times and picked out the best one and had a couple stamps of it made…. Even though it is still just a stamp it made a huge difference…. My first thought was POTENTIA would look good in script …… maybe because of seeing it in script on the video ….. but now i think a different font that would align with the flavor this blade ….. I don’t think script fits that bill either….. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alveprins Posted May 6 Author Share Posted May 6 15 hours ago, Dick Sexstone said: My first thought was POTENTIA would look good in script …… maybe because of seeing it in script on the video ….. but now i think a different font that would align with the flavor this blade ….. I don’t think script fits that bill either….. I could have bright-cut script, then blackened it. Or even cut the outline of the script in a relief, blackened the background, then bright-cut or sculped the script itself. However - this would have required allot of practice. Such things will of course be the way forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Bearden Posted May 6 Share Posted May 6 Amazing work, thank you for sharing. I don't know even 10% of the techniques used here. This is art. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Dunlap Posted May 9 Share Posted May 9 Absolutely beautiful, the craftsmanship is beyond belief! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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