10 Questions for Les Robertson

Les Robertson said:
HI David,

1. How many custom knife makers are there actively making today, how Does this compare w/ 10 yrs, 20 yrs ago?

My best guess is 4,000 makers world wide. It seems to be growing fairly rapidly. New machines that can have a major reduction of the learning curve. As well the ABS claims 1600 members (most being makers of different skill levels.

20 years ago best guess, 1,000 makers.
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I know that thes numbers are most likely an off the top of your head answer, but what in your mind qualifies one to be in this catagory, Full timers, part timers, only "published makers" (those appearing at the big name shows and/or in the mags) or just plain everyone from the full timer to the guy who finishes 2 knives a year? This is not meant to be disputational, I just had a much higher number in my head as I read through the questions and thought how I would answer the same questions.
Thanks in advance for your answer,
Del
 
Hi Del,

I am talking about anyone who is making a knife. I learned along time ago it is the buyers, users and collectors who determine a makers status in the custom knife world.

Some of the best makers in the world are part time.

My guess is just that. There may in fact be 5,000 makers in the world. However, so many come and go every year it is tough to keep track.

That being said, very few make their living at it.

Perhaps the question better asked is probably, how many makers can make a sustained profit over a set time frame?

As this will go a long way in determining who will be able to break through the "wall" and move to the next level.

Les Robertson
Custom Knife "Guesser"
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
 
Hi Joe,

I think that the success of some of the custom and mid-tech tactical makers
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Those mid-tech guys are those the ones who use trip hammers to forge blades and hydraulic presses to create their Damascus? Instead of using a hammer and anvil? :D

The only Mid-Tech tactical that is called that was the collaboration by Ken Onion and Rick Hinderer.

I have said this before and I truly believe it, that if it were not for the tactical folders showing up in the early 1990's. The custom knife market as we know it today would not exist. The factories would not be in the positions they are today and because of this the ABS would be a nice little organization teaching only a hand full of makers a year. In 1990/91 the custom knife market was headed down the tubes.

So when you speak of the tactical knives...speak kindly. :D

Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
www.robertsoncsutomcutlery.com
 
Les Robertson said:
Hi Joe,



Those mid-tech guys are those the ones who use trip hammers to forge blades and hydraulic presses to create their Damascus? Instead of using a hammer and anvil? :D

The only Mid-Tech tactical that is called that was the collaboration by Ken Onion and Rick Hinderer.

I have said this before and I truly believe it, that if it were not for the tactical folders showing up in the early 1990's. The custom knife market as we know it today would not exist. The factories would not be in the positions they are today and because of this the ABS would be a nice little organization teaching only a hand full of makers a year. In 1990/91 the custom knife market was headed down the tubes.

So when you speak of the tactical knives...speak kindly. :D

Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
www.robertsoncsutomcutlery.com
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LOL.......That is why I used the Randall example. The tactical guys were able to pick up where Randall had left off by selling custom and eventually mid-tech/semi-custom/high end factory/whatever ya wanna call 'em knives to people who would have otherwise never bought a traditional custom knife.
The one thing that these folks did that Randall never really did was to not only introduce a percentage of their customers and admirers to the "pure" custom market, but also significantly change the market for certain portions of the "factory" cutlery biz. You'll get no argument from me in that regard. The forged knife market has experienced a pretty darned good uptick, but that clearly came later once you back Randall out of the mix.
 
Bladeandbarrel said:
I think at one time there were 4000 names list in the Knives Annual, correct?
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If this is so, there are easily 10 times more makers out there and most likely more. 40,000 +

I even know a few prolific makers that are not listed, but at the same time, some of those listed are no longer making.

Interesting for sure.
 
Hi Joe

You wrote: "mid-tech/semi-custom/high end factory"

As one of the leading dealers in the world of tactical knives. I can tell you with some authority...you are very confused.

Perhaps I am. Were you referring again to Randall's? Do they even make folders?

As what you wrote has nothing to do with custom tactical knives. Randall lead the way until the mid to late 70's then the custom guys, many who made copies of Randall's stepped up and took the knives to the next level.

While I was attending Northern Warfare School (The Army sent me to Alaska in November on an all expense paid vacation...first night I spent the knife in a condemned building...Only the best for the Officers :D)

During my two weeks there, one of the things we did was try to make a shelter...main word being tried. Part of the exercise was to cut out a piece of ice for a window in the shelter. A fellow Captain from the 82nd Airborne was sporting his Randall 14...and boy was he proud of that knife. He took it out and started chipping at the ice about 12 x 12 when he went to lift the ice up, the knife tip broke. Oh, I forgot to mention it was -25.

Of course I had to laugh and he quickly replied "Oh yea lets see what your knife can do". I cut out a 24" x 24" piece, put my knife under it and jumped on my knife. The ice lifted up with no damage to my knife. I lifted up his block of ice, dug out the broken tip. He was in disbelief, he kept say my Randall 14. I corrected him and told him he had a Randall 15. He asked me what the difference was...I smiled an put the broken tip in his glove and said "About this much".

He asked to see my knife and then asked me why it didn't break. I explained to him that the steel was cryogenically treated, meaning it was dipped in liquid nitrogen at around -162. Consequently -30 would have no effect on my knife.

He asked who made it and I said "Walter Brend". I explained that the cost about double what his did. He said he didn't care. Some sales are so easy!

Les Robertson
Actual Knife User!
 
Hi Don,

I don't think any one knows for sure. Ive checked the Guild list on their site and have seen makers who have passed away still listed on there.

There may be 40,000 makers. :D

That is why I became a dealer...the world already has enough lousy knife makers and didn't need me to add to that number. :D

Les Robertson
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
 
Hi Ken,

Thank you.

How did you like Panama? My Battalion went there in 1987 for the two week Jungle School at Ft. Sherman. Was it called that when you were there?

The jungle is truly an amazing place.

I was selected to go back for Panamanian Airborne and Jungle School. Then Graham-Ruddman kicked in and the budget shrunk, so much for the fun stuff!

Politicians, Kings, Ambassadors, et al, are always better served when they step aside and let the professionals take over.

Les Roberston
Qualified to Jump Out of a Perfectly Good Airplane and execute a dynamite PLF!
 
Les Robertson said:
Hi Joe

You wrote: "mid-tech/semi-custom/high end factory"

As one of the leading dealers in the world of tactical knives. I can tell you with some authority...you are very confused.

Perhaps I am. Were you referring again to Randall's? Do they even make folders?

As what you wrote has nothing to do with custom tactical knives. Randall lead the way until the mid to late 70's then the custom guys, many who made copies of Randall's stepped up and took the knives to the next level.

While I was attending Northern Warfare School (The Army sent me to Alaska in November on an all expense paid vacation...first night I spent the knife in a condemned building...Only the best for the Officers :D)

During my two weeks there, one of the things we did was try to make a shelter...main word being tried. Part of the exercise was to cut out a piece of ice for a window in the shelter. A fellow Captain from the 82nd Airborne was sporting his Randall 14...and boy was he proud of that knife. He took it out and started chipping at the ice about 12 x 12 when he went to lift the ice up, the knife tip broke. Oh, I forgot to mention it was -25.

Of course I had to laugh and he quickly replied "Oh yea lets see what your knife can do". I cut out a 24" x 24" piece, put my knife under it and jumped on my knife. The ice lifted up with no damage to my knife. I lifted up his block of ice, dug out the broken tip. He was in disbelief, he kept say my Randall 14. I corrected him and told him he had a Randall 15. He asked me what the difference was...I smiled an put the broken tip in his glove and said "About this much".

He asked to see my knife and then asked me why it didn't break. I explained to him that the steel was cryogenically treated, meaning it was dipped in liquid nitrogen at around -162. Consequently -30 would have no effect on my knife.

He asked who made it and I said "Walter Brend". I explained that the cost about double what his did. He said he didn't care. Some sales are so easy!

Les Robertson
Actual Knife User!
Click to expand...

My comments regarding Randall were related to that time deep in our ancient past......the 1970's:D back then, the guys that I ran into aspired to graduate from thie Gerbers, etc, to a Randall when their rich uncle got out of the poorhouse. I remember a shop on Bragg Blvd. in Good Old Fayettenam called Cumberland Knife and Gun Works that had a whole case of those puppies. The Randalls were the knives that the snake eaters and the "retards that jump out of a perfectly good airplane repeatedly" I ran across lusted after at that time.;) By the end of my reserve hitch right before GW 1, I was seeing a number of guys upgrading their factory stuff. My brand of choice for a brief time was the SOG line. I had a then new Tigershark and Tomcat. I bought some Blackjack stuff too, including the Warner-Moran Rio Grande. What I lusted after was a Walter Brend model Benchmade folder, but I never had the cash the few times I saw them for sale. It wasn't until the early 90's that I started hearing about all of the custom guys and I have been hooked on and off since then. BUTm if I had been flush with knife buying cash back in my early days in the Reserves, i would have bought a Randall 14 or 15 with a Border patrol handle because that is all I knew of handmade knives other than Ruana and the famous smiths like Bill Moran and Bill bagwell and I had only seen pictures of those in mags like SOF.

P.S. I like your early taste in tacticals. sir. The two stock removal stainless knives makers whose stuff I fell in love with the first time I saw them were Walter Brend and Ron Gaston. I just couldn't afford their knives back then.
 
Hi Joe,

I hear ya. Back in the late 70's and early 80's I was into Gerbers...mostly because that was because I could afford them. First time in the field at Ft Benning the handle came of the Gerber Dagger...what a POS! A little tang and a lot of obviously sub-standard glue.

The search for a "good" knife began. I bought my first Robert Parrish because it was a hollow handle fighter I could afford..$185 (2LT's were making 17K a year then). Loved Ron Gaston's work. But really liked Brend and Jim Siska's work for the field. Had lots of tac fixed blades come and go. Thats why I became a dealer...it is the only way the Junkie can afford his habit. LOL

Oh, and who are you calling a "Retard"? :D :D I blame it on that Damn Song in the Green Berets. I was standing only 1/2 a mile from Airborne school when the training Sergeant walked up, looked at my very naked uniform and said "Airborne and Ranger School" (he had been saying that to most of us) then he got to the guy next to me and said "Airborne and Ranger School". The 2LT said "Wrong Sergeant". He was right, he got the Mortar and Pathfinder School. He didn't wear anything on his uniform...who knew he had been a Navy SEAL for 5 years, before he joined the Army. :eek:

Les Robertson
Deep Down in your Koolaid Pumping Nasty Leg Heart, what do you really want to be??? Airborne! Now drop and give me 10 to the winds.
 
Les Robertson said:
Hi Joe,

I hear ya. Back in the late 70's and early 80's I was into Gerbers...mostly because that was because I could afford them. First time in the field at Ft Benning the handle came of the Gerber Dagger...what a POS! A little tang and a lot of obviously sub-standard glue.

The search for a "good" knife began. I bought my first Robert Parrish because it was a hollow handle fighter I could afford..$185 (2LT's were making 17K a year then). Loved Ron Gaston's work. But really liked Brend and Jim Siska's work for the field. Had lots of tac fixed blades come and go. Thats why I became a dealer...it is the only way the Junkie can afford his habit. LOL

Oh, and who are you calling a "Retard"? :D :D I blame it on that Damn Song in the Green Berets. I was standing only 1/2 a mile from Airborne school when the training Sergeant walked up, looked at my very naked uniform and said "Airborne and Ranger School" (he had been saying that to most of us) then he got to the guy next to me and said "Airborne and Ranger School". The 2LT said "Wrong Sergeant". He was right, he got the Mortar and Pathfinder School. He didn't wear anything on his uniform...who knew he had been a Navy SEAL for 5 years, before he joined the Army. :eek:

Les Robertson
Deep Down in your Koolaid Pumping Nasty Leg Heart, what do you really want to be??? Airborne! Now drop and give me 10 to the winds.
Click to expand...
I was one of the few types of Nasty Legs that you guys would tolerate in small doses. One who told VERY large self-propelled cannons that shot very far where to drop their lovely 200 pound projos:D
 
Hi Joe,

Arty is everybody's friend.

The Army taught me call for fire. But they also sent me to the Joint Firepower Control course at Hurlburt Field in Florida (beautiful base).

Taught me how to call in Fast movers as well as how to do artillery better.

When we were in Puerto Rico I got to call in Naval Gunfire on Vieques Island off the coast of Puerto Rico. This was the Island that was used in Clint Eastwoods "Heartbreak Ridge". We weren't in the nice part that was in the movie. :D

Ok, thats enough...back to custom knives. LOL

Les Robertson
reminiscing late at night!
 
LOL....back to knives. Are you going to be at Batson's this year?
 
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