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Inlay Knife Designs - Old and New Designs and Concepts

My name is Garett Finney and I am a knife inlay artist for those who don't know me. I customize Case and Buck knives and my closest competitor is Painted Pony - Michael Prater.

I have originated a few designs that sold very well but there comes a point where I am running thin on design ideas. Really aside from squares, triangles and other traditional shapes there are the usual vertical and horizontal lines but beyond that I guess there are curves. Then it must be moving onto scenes and objects like cars. here's a few of my designs where i try to get out of the box.

Let me know what you all think about design ideas! I am all ears!

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Permalink Reply by Jan Carter on March 26, 2014 at 20:12

BTW, i do like the top one a good bit!!

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Permalink Reply by Garett Finney on March 26, 2014 at 20:47

The top one has a centerpiece I made up. I cast a bunch of different chips of stone Into a black mix

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Permalink Reply by Garett Finney on March 26, 2014 at 22:09

Thanks everyone for all the great ideas! The candycane type inlay is a very nice popular one. Where you put a bunch of pieces next to each other. It's a winning design for sure.

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Permalink Reply by Brad T. on March 27, 2014 at 10:12

Garret,

Obviously your work is as good as the Yellowhorse & Prater offerings. Staying true to your instincts about your designs and materials, will separate you from them. Keep creating beautiful things.

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Permalink Reply by Garett Finney on March 27, 2014 at 11:23

Wow thanks Brad! Very kind and inspiring words. In that case I should probably focus more on materials than design! Although I will try and coin some designs like the ones above.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Scheuerman (Manx) on March 27, 2014 at 12:18

Yin Yang, tribal patterns, Celtic designs...I imagine you could make those as basic or complicated as you are comfortable with. Awesome work, Garett!

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Permalink Reply by Garett Finney on March 27, 2014 at 12:26

Thanks! Ok so I am getting that people want to see symbols or objects inlaid. I just worry about my prices going up. May be hard to make a sale what do you think?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Scheuerman (Manx) on March 27, 2014 at 12:45

I think it's more of people trying to think of new designs for you that aren't too difficult to make, Garett. I for one, have no clue as to how much work is involved in your work. Symbols and designs seem to me the easiest to make. And the Celtic/tribal stuff seems pretty popular right now...just throwing some ideas at you. :-)

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Permalink Reply by Garett Finney on March 27, 2014 at 13:00

Everyone is very helpful and I appreciate every bit of feedback I get. I will certainly try and put these ideas to concept

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by John McCain on March 29, 2014 at 13:59

Love your work Garett.I would love to see you do something like a sunrise pattern-Picture the top half of a bicycle spoke with various colors of MOP (gold lip,pink lip, white, etc. radiating out from a central point-Perhaps a bumbblee pattern similar to a candy stripe- Maybe, textures, such as checkering in parts of your handles-Also many of your handle materials you already inlay with other materials. Even items as mundane as BB's can look great in the proper surrounding material. Lastly, How about a wire inlay in the resin mixture- Could be geometric , scroll, or figurative. BTW, although your bolster work is superb,I like the plain bolsters better, in many cases- Your handles are so beaufiful, it sometimes seems like overkill.Just throwing out some ideas-Here is a rough example of a figurative wire inlay concept borrowed from a Browning logo-

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Permalink Reply by Garett Finney on March 29, 2014 at 15:10

Sounds like an interesting and specific concept or scene.. Can you draw it out on paper? Would be cool to see exactly what it is how you have imagined it.

I just bought a bunch of cool bugs including scorpions, wasps, beetles, spiders from ebay in the form of clear cast paperweights.. Going to put those in some knives mixed with stones and other materials.. May be cool.. who knows.

I also have had many other ideas I plan on doing like exotic bird feathers, porcupine spines, gar scales, and some gold dust I panned from the creek in my back yard. I think there is an unlimited supply of things I can cast then put in knives.. even some flys used for fishing sounds interesting..