A Question Regarding Customs Use?

I carry a knife every day at work, at home, and everywhere in between, as long as it is legal; it's just a handy tool to have on you. I use knives for a variety of tasks, from opening boxes at work, to cutting random things in everyday life, to assorted yardwork chores. For example, one thing I did the other day with a knife was to use the blade to pry open a cabinet door after the door handle fell off, so that I could reattach it. I do spend a decent amount of time in the kitchen, but I only use kitchen knives (some custom) there, not the knives that I carry.

As far as how much a knife has to cost before it is too expensive for me to want to carry and use, it's hard for me to say exactly what that value is. The two most expensive knives that I've ever paid for (in cash, not trades), cost me $2650 and $2500, respectively, and I carried and used both of them (one I still have, the other came with a mechanical issue and is being replaced by the maker), so I don't think I've hit my limit yet. But I'm sure I have a limit somewhere, because I can't imagine carrying and using a Michael Walker Zipper or a Wolfgang Loerchner folder if I'm ever lucky enough to get my hands on one.
 
My custom knives are all users to some extent or other. Some have been bought because the design, etc. matched a task I wanted to do--these knives get used for the tasks.
Others have been bought because they were so beautiful I couldn't put it back on the table--these get carried and used as appropriate. As long as the use won't ruin the reason I bought the knife--that's appropriate use.
Greg
 
I have every intention to use the knives I have purchased. However, it may be several years until I eventually use some of them. A knife may get sold/traded before it is used. If a knife is purchased strictly as an investment piece to be sold later at a profit, then it becomes a safe queen. I have every intention of using a $950.00 Bowie I picked up recently. I think most makers really get a lot of satisfaction when customers use their knives.
Bob
 
Larrin said:
Well I agree with you that kitchen knives are probably the most used knives. If you look at the prices for them you'll see that typically custom kitchen knives are less expensive than rest of the cutom market. Especially the Japanese stuff.
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I don't know enough about the custom kitchen knife market to comment on prices, however there seems to be quite a few being sold and of course they all get used. I would imagine professional Chefs spend quite a bit on kitchen knives.

I have a custom carving set, and around holidays its quite nice. No sawing, as one pass of the blade yields a slice.
 
I enjoy & use my knives every day...no abuse & no neglect is key.
Life goes by fast...enjoy & live your life!
 
I think most are unused and the unused number grows exponentially as the price goes up. If you look at the for sale listings, my impression is that most are unused.
I would guess that knifemakers appreciate all customers, whether users or not.
If someone gets more enjoyment out of keeping a knife mint, well, that's OK. I don't think it's akin to keeping a car mint, for instance. You could argue an expensive knife is better and worth the money based on function alone, but you wouldn't convince me of that! Especially when it comes to folders. I think the appeal is largely aesthetic when you're talking about a $500 knife. Maybe you need to use it to fully appreciate it, and maybe you don't. Personal preference.
 
reminds me of something I witnessed about 4 years ago , a friend got drawn in the Onion Lottery in Vegas. Buyers were on him like white on rice to flip it , he kept telling them its a custom and not for sale , he bought it to use. Standing out in the hallways talking ( this was at Circus Circus ) , there was a couple cardboard boxes , well the hounds wouldnt leave him alone , he starting slashing boxes left and right , and said " See it's a user..not for sale ! "
He still carries and uses it to this day.

I no longer have any custom folders ( hopefully remedy that soon ! ), but I do use my custom fixed blades. My buying point tops out at $500 and I have yet to go over that ( except for the Onion Midtech ).
 
Everyone has a different level on where the knives they have/buy turn from users to show pieces.

Some won't evean buy a knife they don't intend to use...some will carry the same production knife for decades while collecting show pieces.

Luckily there is room for all of us on the spectrum.

I personally carry a benchmade edc right now. It sometimes switches over to a Tom Anderson folder or Dan Unger's (Danbo) fixed.

I also have a dozen Murray Carter Japanese style chefs knives. Some I've used...some I just haven't gotten to yet. Murray can make you a knife for about $100 up to several thousand dollars.
 
on_the_edge said:
I have no compunction about using a knife that I have bought.

Price doesn't really come into consideration except when I purchase the knife. More specifically, it is for me just a question of whether I can afford it and whether I think it is worth the asking price. The next question is, "Will I use it?" Many knives will pass my price test, but if I know up front that I will not use it (awesome deal or otherwise) or do not think the knife is strong/practical enough for normal use (but more artwork than user), then I do not buy it. Of course, many makers are adept at creating both in the same piece.

So outside of price and use considerations, are there limits to what I will buy? In short, no. One-of-a-kind, super-rare, MS test knife, damascus blade, carbon blade, you name it--it's all fair game to me.
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I agree. My weekday EDC is a $485 Al Warren 3" drop point folder with Devin Thomas double stainless damascus and mammoth ivory. I hunt with two of Al's knives that each cost $300. There are 3 questions (1) Is it worth the price, to me (2) Can I afford it, and (3) Will I actually use it.
 
I like most collectors these days don't get the chance to use a knife as much as I would like. I do get much enjoyment in just handling and appreciating them for the precision interments and art objects they are.

That's in fact is part of the fascination for me, in that something so beautiful can hold up to tremendous stress in performing it's intended tasks.

I don't use any of my collection knives, however do use one of Jerry's prototype production knives and a custom carver.
 
Kevin,
You have one of the finest collection of southwestern style knives that I've seen. I can understand how handling such knives would incite admiration and alleviate stress. Some may argue that you do indeed use them......for your pleasure:D.
Bob
 
Some customs will suffer greatly if used. I made a knife for a good customer of hot-blued Rietveld Dragonskin Damascus. He took it on a 3-day walk in the woods, and sweated through the sheath ...and the bluing. He sent it back to me all rusted, with a simple note that said, "Help!" Sadly, I could not do much for him, since the blade had been blued before the handle (bolsters and scales) were attached.

What I did do was make him a knife of talonite and micarta (on the house), and suggested that he carry that one into the woods.
 
Don Cowles said:
Some customs will suffer greatly if used. I made a knife for a good customer of hot-blued Rietveld Dragonskin Damascus. He took it on a 3-day walk in the woods, and sweated through the sheath ...and the bluing. He sent it back to me all rusted, with a simple note that said, "Help!" Sadly, I could not do much for him, since the blade had been blued before the handle (bolsters and scales) were attached.

What I did do was make him a knife of talonite and micarta (on the house), and suggested that he carry that one into the woods.
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I was going back through some old threads and had to comment here.

Don, what a great example of customer service which brings up a point that has crossed my mind.

Why don't makers and dealers for that matter provide a "do & don'ts" sheet to ship with their knives when sold? Daniel O'malley (Blade Gallery) used to have a care & maintenance section on his old website that probably helped keep me from destroying a few custom knives when I was a new collector.

Just a simple fact sheet explaining how to store your knives, how to care for ivory/carbon steel/ damascus etc.. List what you should do and not do with your knives such as Don's example above. Could be very helpful to a new collector.
 
Kevin, such a sheet has accompanied each of my knives (even the "bulletproof" ones) for the last ten years.
 
Depends on the knife. The kitchen knives get used the most followed by the outdoors entertainment knives. The custom EDC, hunter, and shop knives are a bit neglected/collected. My next custom knife, a kitchen knife from Larrin Thomas of Nevada, will show up in the next week or two after being extensively used by some hobbyists and professional chefs (the grind, the steel, the green micarta, the torment of finding out yet another chef in San Diego has used it...).

Kevin Jones,

Lol about splitting logs despite having a gas fireplace! You can get some really nice forged kitchen knives from Moritaka Hamono in both custom and traditional designs. Well, when the lady who reads the English-language emails is back from maternity leave, you can. Takeda Hamono and Shinichi Watanabe offer some great, hand-forged stuff, too. Sharpen up a blade from one of those shops and you'll find yourself chopping, mincing, and slicing everything in your kitchen. Not all of their stuff is custom, but all of it is hammer-shaped/mother-approved.
 
Don Cowles said:
Kevin, such a sheet has accompanied each of my knives (even the "bulletproof" ones) for the last ten years.
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Again Don, good customer service.

But as proved by the customer that bought the hot-blued Rietveld Dragonskin Damascus knife; you can give um the paper but can't make um read it ;):)
 
I've been carrying and using my Burt Foster Blue Collar hunter since I've had it.
I've been using quite regularly on the farm my Blue Collar Camp knife.

I guess they are about the tops in price on a knife I would use. Certainly think people would be missing out on a lot if they bought a knife from Burt and never put it to use. I still find it hard to believe after using the Camp knife clearing brush as to how sharp it remain with no chips in the blade
 
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