All About Pocket Knives

I am continually fascinated by the challenges of photographing translucent materials like MOP. Here is another effort. I really need to increase my stock of MOP knives for photography purposes, maybe add some abalone.

Mel you did a nice job capturing some of the fire in that pearl, not an easy thing to do.

Great pic Mel!

I've been trying to catch that fire in MOP knives too, here are some of my attempts.

Here's a shot of an abalone (paua) that turned out pretty good.

Sasquach wrote:Great pic Mel!

I've been trying to catch that fire in MOP knives too, here are some of my attempts.

Sasquach, I think you have it figured out! Nice job, knives can be a challenge to say the least and capturing the mop likewise. Terry

Thanks for the kind words, fellows. Charlie, those are some good photos. I find it quite difficult getting the light just right to illuminate the pearl and also leave the remainder of the knife visible; you have done a good job with that.

Thanks Mel.

Your last shot is a dandy!!!

My problem is none of my shots look as good as the knife does in your hand. I plan to try some different lighting ideas I have and see what happens when I have time to play with it. I have a high intensity LED light that can be focused and the intensity can be increased or decreased. I haven't tried using it for photography yet so I don't know what I can do with it. I plan to find out though!

terryl308 wrote:

Sasquach wrote:Great pic Mel!

I've been trying to catch that fire in MOP knives too, here are some of my attempts.

Sasquach, I think you have it figured out! Nice job, knives can be a challenge to say the least and capturing the mop likewise. Terry

Thanks Terry. As you can see in my post to Mel......I'm still figurin'. I want to be able to get shots of MOP and abalone that look as good as the knife does when viewed in person. I've come close a couple of times but reproducing the same effect in the next shoot has eluded me. For instance, I came really close to what I'm looking for in the shot of the Case MOP canoe while the shot of the Hen & Rooster does the knife little justice. I need to perfect my method and be able to reproduce it at will, then I'll be happy.

This Tidioute has handle scales that are made by covering a thin layer of abalone with clear yellow acrylic. When you look at it in your hand it is stunningly beautiful. However, as you can see in the pic below, I have failed thus far to catch that beauty and fire in my photo of it.

Sasquach wrote:Thanks Mel.
My problem is none of my shots look as good as the knife does in your hand. I plan to try some different lighting ideas I have and see what happens when I have time to play with it. I have a high intensity LED light that can be focused and the intensity can be increased or decreased. I haven't tried using it for photography yet so I don't know what I can do with it. I plan to find out though!

I seem to have my best success with natural light. Sometimes it is hard getting the sun where I want it though ... I have a pair of mirrors that I can use to redirect the light. I agree that getting a photo that looks as good as the knife is not easy. What I like is a photo of an old used knife that makes it look more desireable than a shiny new knife.

Well here ya go, Mel. This one is very old (James Boden Sheffield Eng. 1841 - 1876) and much used......but I'm not going to claim that my photo does it any justice. I took this photo a while back and I'm going to have to shoot this knife again when I get a chance, I'm not satisfied with this shot.

Sasquach, love the spread there, especially that MOP Buck, the Abalone Case and the Tidioute. Great collection.
Dinadan, love that knife.
H&R Coffin Jack in the bottom of the wheelbarrow

Great fotos fellers, greater knives imho.

Thanks Bighomer!

That's a fine looking jackknife ya got there Ivoryman!

Is that one of their offerings from Toledo, Spain? H&R does some fine looking stag. Here's a fixed blade with stag slab scales from their Toledo operation. The photos turned out pretty good.

Amazing how well you've gotten Charlie! Knice work!!

Thanks Scott.

Every time I get the camera out I try not to make any of my previous mistakes twice. I figure sooner or later I've got to run out of mistakes.

Sasquach wrote:Thanks Scott.

Every time I get the camera out I try not to make any of my previous mistakes twice. I figure sooner or later I've got to run out of mistakes.

Nothing personal......but it'll definitely be later Charlie. ROFL At least that's been my claim to fame!!

TripleF wrote:

Sasquach wrote:Thanks Scott.

Every time I get the camera out I try not to make any of my previous mistakes twice. I figure sooner or later I've got to run out of mistakes.

Nothing personal......but it'll definitely be later Charlie. ROFL At least that's been my claim to fame!!

I would ask how many mistakes can I possibly make? But after thinking about it......I already know the answer......and it's embarrassing!

I'll keep tryin' though.

You guys have some impressive photos of MOB knives. In my opinion, capturing the depth of pearl is one of the hardest parts of knife photography. No 2 are the same or react the same way under same conditions.

Thanks Squach, the base of the blade just off the tang says SPAIN, but the glare makes it invisible in the pic. Traded a stag Fight'n Rooster for it.

Ivoryman, as I understand it H&R manufactures their blades in Germany then finishes the knives in Spain. I don't know when they started doing it that way but the few H&R products I have with the Toledo, Spain stamp are pretty high quality knives.

I got the camera out last night and did a little experimenting. Seems LED lighting has some potential. I just need to figure out how to get the benefits without the glare. The pic below is the best of the batch I shot but as you can see, I wasn't able to completely avoid the glare of the intense but diffuse light. It did bring out the fire in the abalone beneath the acrylic on this GEC Tidioute.

I only have two, one tang says Germany, one says Spain.
Great job on the Tidioute. It looks like opal now, very cool, don't see many handles that look like opal.

Now that you mention it, it does resemble opal. Looking at the abalone through about 1/8" of clear yellow acrylic gives it that effect I guess. But at least you can see some of the "in hand" beauty in that photo, more than you could in the first pic I posted of it.

Moss Green 92 Talon in burgandy

Nice shot Ivoryman, very colorful!

One of my all time favorite patterns...

Absolutely gorgeous photos of absolutely beautiful knives fellers,keep up the good work.