Adapt or ?

Lycosa

Lycosa

Joined
Aug 24, 2007
Messages
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When I ordered a high-end folder, I asked if I could have the blade zero ground and I'd pay extra for the service. The company said no. If I owned a knife Co., I'd try to accommodate the customer, if I could. Well, Thank You Tom Krein! The blade grind that I have now on my folder is better than the original. With-in limits, give the customer what they want---or someone else will!
Lycosa
 
Knife manufacturers can not special grind a blade. They all have to be within the same tolerances.
Bill
 
I think knife manufacturers need a "custom shop" like many gun manufacturers have. If the customer is willing to pay a reasonable fee, he should be accommodated if possible.

I recently E-mailed BM and asked to have my 710 D2 reground to convex. the answer was a resounding NO! :(

So, although with a certain amount of trepidation, I got out the belt sander and did it myself. But in the process, I lost a lot of respect for BM.

I'm not a professional, and I didn't want to take a chance of screwing up my EDC. But if the people who made it won't do it, I'll do it myself.

And, for now at least, it's going to be damned hard for then to sell me another BM knife. :mad:
 
The blades are ground on machinery, not by hand. I doubt any company employs a skilled grinder. Why is this hard to understand?
 
Bill,
You mean to tell me all the blades are ground by machine? I never knew that. I'm really glad I bumped into Tom Krein then.
Lycosa
 
I recently called Ford and asked if I could get an F-250 Powerstroke with three wheels instead of four. They said NO! I went to a Mexican restaurant and asked for German food. They said NO!

I lost alot of respect for them.

Allright, allright. I'm kidding. But so were you guys right? You didn;t really expect a knife manufacturer to become a custom shop, right? I knew you were kidding. ((( :D )))
 
StretchNM said:
I recently called Ford and asked if I could get an F-250 Powerstroke with three wheels instead of four. They said NO! I went to a Mexican restaurant and asked for German food. They said NO!

I lost alot of respect for them.

Allright, allright. I'm kidding. But so were you guys right? You didn;t really expect a knife manufacturer to become a custom shop, right? I knew you were kidding. ((( :D )))
Click to expand...

But if you walk in to a Ford dealership and tell them that you want an F-450 with a hot pink paint job, suede seats, and a class IV hitch, he can either turn you away or quote you a price. The smart ones will quote you a price that makes them money, the ones that feel like leaving cash sitting on the table will tell you "I'm sorry, we can't do that".
 
Buck has a custom shop. It's not an easy operation to maintain. They can learn what the market is for mass-produced, identical model knives. It's harder to staff at higher salaries for custom knifemakers.

That's why there are custom knifemakers, to do the work a factory would be hard put to justify. What's so hard about turning to them instead of expecting BM to find someone to do it on a contract basis? You're better off dealing with the craftsman yourself.
 
the_mac said:
But if you walk in to a Ford dealership and tell them that you want an F-450 with a hot pink paint job, suede seats, and a class IV hitch, he can either turn you away or quote you a price. The smart ones will quote you a price that makes them money, the ones that feel like leaving cash sitting on the table will tell you "I'm sorry, we can't do that".
Click to expand...

Benchmade probably doesn't do much retail work on commission though.

Given Benchmades aren't usually serialized, I don't know why a custom shop would be better for a knife owner than just sending it out to a suitably skilled customizer. I suppose the company's only been around 20 years. Maybe if they last as long as Browning or Smith and Wesson or other old gun manufacturers then not having a custom shop will decrease their collectibility.
 
There's a real difference between a DEALER and a MANUFACTURER. If you go to FORD itself, and tell them you want the doors on your truck to open from the front, or a different shape to the tail-lights, they'll tell you to get lost. If you go to a dealer (a retailer), they may have contractors who can give you the specials you want (we are not talking normal options here!) but the quality may not be great.
If I wanted special manufacturing on a knife, I'd go to a custom maker I trusted rather than have a shop contract out to somebody who will provide a profit to them rather than a service to me.
When I bought my car, I wanted dark tinted windows to keep the sun out. I got it done for half the dealer's asking price by the best customizer in town.
Greg
 
Well, I think Tom Krein's skill, as much as they are appreciated, they are still underappreciated. If it were so easy to grind a blade as precise and cleanly to these very thin edges, his services wouldn't be considered to special. I would go even one step further than Bill. Even if a company would decide to employ a highly skilled grinder, I would imagine they would have a hell of a time finding such a person. The very few companies that have such people don't have a problem accommodating your wishes. Call up Bark River and ask them for a special grind. They will respond with:"Sure give us your specs". But they all grind their blades by hand.
 
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