A little help needed

M

matt

Joined
Oct 24, 1998
Messages
413
I am turning 40 in less than a month and was thinking about getting a custom traditional but I know nothing about custom makers,could anyone suggest a good place to start looking or suggest a few makers to consider? thanks for any help you can provide,I would like to keep the price under $500 and I like trappers,peanuts(of course) and stockman patterns but a single blade would interest me as well.
 
Check out Tim Britton. He's been making knives for over 30 well years
 
Ken Coats
Rick Menefee
Bill Kennedy Jr.
Ken Erickson
Bret Dowell
Gene Wiseman
Mike Alsdorf
Todd Davison
Keith Johnson

Many others that escape my mind this early in the morning. Try doing forum searching in this forum and the Exchange. Should turn up lots of posts and photos.

Good luck!

EDIT: Matt, I think there is a slipjoint maker in your hometown but I cannot remember who it is.
 
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Most of the makers are bladeforum members. You can find their email addresses on their profile page. For those who are not members here, you can usually find their phone numbers and email addresses on the Knifemakers Guild website.
 
I don't know to much about customs, but I really like Mike Alsdorf's work. Along with Todd Davison, but his work is a little fancy for me. I'm not a big fan of all the filework on the inside. Byt either way, it doesn't really matter, because i'm never going to buy a custom. :D
 
All good names given so far, but I would add John C. Howser of Frankfort, Kentucky. Great knives, great guy.
 
Railsplitter said:
Ken Coats
Rick Menefee
Bill Kennedy Jr.
Ken Erickson
Bret Dowell
Gene Wiseman
Mike Alsdorf
Todd Davison
Keith Johnson

Many others that escape my mind this early in the morning. Try doing forum searching in this forum and the Exchange. Should turn up lots of posts and photos.

Good luck!

EDIT: Matt, I think there is a slipjoint maker in your hometown but I cannot remember who it is.
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Brent Cramer is an Indiana boy also. His knives are superb.
 
All the names listed are great.

If you are hoping to actually get the knife by your birthday you will probably need to buy one on the exchange (Todd Davison, Keith Johnson, Mike Alsdorf and Ken Coates all usually have a few knives on there each month). If you want to order something specific, you will be in for a much longer wait.
 
I've got to say something because I think it will help the OP. Yes, I realize this might upset a few people:

If you want to spend your hard earned money at that price point for a custom, handmade knife, bro... then go with a knife smith who forges his blades and has been vetted by his peers, i.e. who is a dues-paying national or international guild/society member and has earned his right to call himself a knife smith by learning how to forge and heat treat himself, who exhibits his work at shows, and who has won the respect of his peers through his guild membership. That's the kind of person who can make you a real custom knife that you can be proud of.

Don't pay that kind of money to a guy who stock removes and sends his knife to be heat treated somewhere else. And certainly don't pay that kind of money to someone to whom nothing I've said above applies, but for some reason he has a website like he thinks he's some kind of porn star, complete with music videos.

Sorry for pissing anybody else, but I think the OP needed to hear that. There's a lot of trash passing as custom, handmade craftsmanship on these forums. I'm drawing the line in the sand here... for the benefit of the OP.
 
I'm not saying you shouldn't buy a knife from the "other" kind of knife maker at all. You can, and I'm sure they can make fine, usable knives. All I'm saying is don't pay that kind of money (because a lot of these clowns charge that kind of money). I'd say sub-$100 is about right. Anything else, and you should start shopping for the kind I recommended, a real knife smith.
 
Magnaminous_G said:
If you want to spend your hard earned money at that price point for a custom, handmade knife, bro... then go with a knife smith who forges his blades and has been vetted by his peers,
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With all due respect, EVERY maker named in this thread has been more than vetted by his peers.

Magnaminous_G said:
All I'm saying is don't pay that kind of money (because a lot of these clowns charge that kind of money). I'd say sub-$100 is about right. Anything else, and you should start shopping for the kind I recommended, a real knife smith.
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A lot of us are friends with these fine gentlemen you dismiss as "clowns" and I frankly don't see how it would be possible to make a custom for less than $100 let alone make enough money to eat.
 
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The writer of the offending post has been contacted and advised that though he is certainly entitled to his opinion. inflammatory posts and rhetoric are not welcome here and that there will be consequences if pursued. Let's please not get sidetracked so that we may continue to offer recommendations to the OP.
 
Thanks for the information everyone, I don't expect to have it By my birthday,I'm just wanting to see whats out there.I can be patient when I have too.
 
matt said:
Thanks for the information everyone, I don't expect to have it By my birthday,I'm just wanting to see whats out there.I can be patient when I have too.
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Here's an idea to keep in mind (if the maker you choose to work with can swing it). I once commissioned a knife from Joe Kious around my birthday (his backlog was about a year at the time) and told him it was for my present to myself and he told me it would be ready. Sure enough, my next b'day rolls around and I get a phone message saying something to the effect of "Happy Birthday, your knife's ready":D).
 
I have just ordered a tim britton two blade, large, stag trapper,He was very patient and helpful.If it looks anything like the picture on his site it will be the best money I ever spent,thanks again for all the suggestions.
 
Matt you are looking for a custom folder. Except for Damascus blades, i don't know of any knifemaker who forges folder blades. They are all stock removal. As far as function goes, there is no difference between a forged or stock removal blade.
For fixed blade knives there are lots of makers who forge their blades.
All the knifemakers listed above have made many fine folders. What it comes down to is mostly style as each maker tends to have their own unique 'look' to the knives they make.
There are threads in this forum specific to an individual maker and by going through these threads you might see that the 'style' or 'look' of a certain maker's work appeals most to you. You can also do a daily check on the Knifemakers, Folders For Sale forum and see a variety of folders, again to get an idea of which maker's work seems right for you.
Also check the For Sale by Individuals-Custom forum to see what pre-owned folders get posted. Most of these Custom Folders are in the same condition as when first received from the maker as most people do not use their Customs.
roland

Whoops. After submitting my post i see that you have already chosen. But my suggestions are still good because why stop at just 1 Custom folder ?
 
Hi Matt, hope your 40th goes well Sir!..I think the list of makers so far given to you is truly a fantastic list..
Lets be realistic..your first custom?..dont want to spend too much?...check out John Lloyd....we put up a thread of his knives...hes breaking into the scene very recently, and I believe it wont be long before the price of his fantastic knives go up-because his workmanship is supurb...do yourself a favour and bang in this talented guys name in the search column of our traditionals here.... either way, you must let us know of your decision and photos of your knife :D
Good luck.
edit..duh me , I just read your last post..., ok ..photos next!
 
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