Jay Fisher - Fine Custom Knives

References to this Website

References are an important part of any teaching, instructional, or important work that deals with information. This website is all about information; I've made it my career goal to have the most detailed, descriptive, and informative website about the modern custom knifemaker in the world.

Many people think that I have such a detailed web site because I'm just trying to sell knives. While it certainly helps to have plenty of information about the individual knives that I do have for sale, please know that it's the knives that sell themselves, because of what they are, how they are made, and how they are photographed and described on my two rather meager "Knives for Sale" pages on this website. At the time of this writing, these two pages have only two available knives for sale, and there are over 620 other pages on this website, and none of them are offering to sell any knives.

I make this point because if you search around on the internet, you'll see my name and this website pop up on discussion forums, particularly in the areas that deal with making knives. You'll read posts from guys (mostly all guys, since women are fairly rare in this tradecraft) claiming that although Jay Fisher has some great information on his website, you have to read it with caution, since Jay Fisher is only trying to sell his knives.

In some forums, you'll read that my site is downright dangerous, because young minds may be swayed by misinformation on my website, so everything one reads here is suspect. I've got a great section detailing this sad notion on my Heat Treating and Cryogenic Processing of Knife Blade Steels at this bookmark. I call it a sad notion, because no matter how hard I try to bring truth and professionalism to my tradecraft, it's still rife with misconception, ignorance, and lies. There really is no excuse for this, since we live in the information age, but you can't force people to read, learn, and then actually become accomplished in their field before they spout off their foolish concepts. They do it because it takes a lot less effort than to actually make something of themselves before posting. This is why, specifically, on my Heat Treating and Cryogenic Processing of Knife Blade Steels page, I've gone to the extra effort of listing several dozen actual technical references that are available to confirm what I know.

This brings me to the point of this page, references. Since I've been at this for so long (over 30 years as a full-time professional knifemaker), this very website has become a source of reference for other writers, scholars, and researchers. I'm honored that people would reference my website and works, and more so that they have found useful, intelligent, and helpful information here. I thank them for their support, and list some of them here, and I'll continue to list new ones as they occur, particularly in published works.

Page Topics

Lies, Falsehoods, and Fake References

Along with positive, informational and educational references to my work and writing here, some ridiculously funny ones occur as well. Some of them are quite astounding. The reason I bring these up is that the people who do this are using my name and my website as a reference without my permission, without any logic or reason, and some of them are just making stuff up and claiming they got the information here! Shockingly, some of this is not about knifemaking at all!

For instance, I was surprised to find that a book was published using my name and actually listing my URL: www.jayfisher.com, as a reference for something written in the book. The book was not about knifemaking, and I have no idea what was published or claimed specifically in the book, since I'm not about to spend a penny on purchasing it. Why? Because the title of the book is "Decentralized Economic Social Organization—DESO and Neo-New World". No kidding. From what I can read on the Google Books and Amazon samples, this is the worst sort of socialist drivel that someone has cobbled together, and it's full of nonsensical gobbledygook and gibberish that people learn to hate from socialism instructors. Nonetheless, someone has published this garbage, and in doing so, my name has popped up in it in a very surprising way.

In the "References" section, on page 511, reference 4, is this text:

“Most of the information regarding Sofia Celeste’s father is from the professional life of Jay Fisher, as written by Jay Fisher in his website. All information pertaining to knife making is from Jay Fisher’s website, [http://www.jayfisher.com/index.htm] with consent of Jay Fisher.”

Let me be perfectly clear, so there will be no misunderstanding. I do not know, and have never conversed with, in any way, the author of this piece of work, Reed Camacho Kinney. I don't know who this jerk is, and all I can tell you is that his email address posted on the front page of his book is in Mexico. This guy has illegally used my name, referred to my website, and claimed he has gotten some information from me with my permission, and this is a total lie. I don't know anyone who is named "Sofia Celeste" or her father, and have written nothing on my website, ever, about this person.

I can only guess at this point what has happened here, but it's clear to me that this is a false reference, since I am the one this guy has listed. No matter how it has happened, it's a made-up falsehood, and everyone who reads the rest of his creation has the right to know what he has done. I would suspect everything written in his book, every single word, since errors like this are simply not possible without intentional deceit. Please know that if you have Googled the name of his book, or his name, you may be led to this very website and this very page, where I have posted the truth for you to read. I did send a cease and desist notice to this guy, but, of course, no response.

This shows you how you have to be very careful about what you read and particularly who is posting it or writing about it. As the information age continues, this "wild west" internet mentality will be diminished and defeated by real information, logic, and record. Claiming falsehoods and lies will catch up with these people, and sooner or later and they will be known by their fruits.

Page Topics

Positive, Educational References

Because this website is the largest, most coherent website by any singular modern knifemaker in the world today, it's only natural that it will be referenced in scholarly, educational, and professional works. Researchers and professionals who need valid information about knives will often find something of value here, and I'm happy to have the site referenced this way. Of course, because of copyright laws, the text of this site cannot be cut, pasted, and copied without my permission, but this does not prevent the legal and lawful use of the information I present here from being shared for educational purposes only. When this happens, copyright law clarifies that the reference must be given, credit must be acknowledged, for the educational information presented.

For example, I'm happy to have my Knife Anatomy page listed as a reference in the book, "Death Investigation: An Introduction to Forensic Pathology for the Nonscientist"
written by Ann L Bucholtz in 2013. On Page 192 is this reference:
1. Fisher, J. Knife Anatomy, Parts, Names, Components, Definitions, Terms Jay Fisher-World Class Knifemaker, 2013. Retrieved from Www.jayfisher.com/Knife_Anatomy_Parts_Names_Definitions#Knife_Anatomy_1.htm . [August 2013].

This is in acknowledgement and appreciation for the reference, and with special thanks to the author and all the forensic pathologists that reference one of the most popular pages on my website, Knife Anatomy. They find something of value there, and I appreciate the reference!

By the way, there is a special section inspired by and directed to Forensic Pathologists, Physicians, and Criminologists on my Knife Anatomy page at this bookmark.

Page Topics