Best buy customs?

Brad Duncan folders. Lots of knife for the money. I love mine. Nice fit and finish and built like a tank.
 
I'll second Brad for folders and maybe George
Tichbourne for a working hunter really good prices and great looking.

 
Now featured in Tactical Knives:
http://www.ckg.org/Frigault/Frigault.htm

Plus he's a Canadian, eh!
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Dale C. Tipert aka 'wyrm'
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I have a question. Are you meerly basing your answer on price?

Are you taking in other factors such as materials being used, position in their respective markets? What about aftermarket desireability?

Bruce Voyles has contacted me about writing an article on what to look for when purchasing custom knives.

I would be curious to hear what you all think.



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Les Robertson
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
 
I am not necessarily speaking of price, more like value. You typically get what you pay for. I was thinking about knives that really have a lot of value for what you get.

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Dennis Bible

....Almost here, The Leading Edge....
http://www.theleadingedgeonline.com
 
For me I'm looking at what I get fit,finish,blade material and such within a given price range.



[This message has been edited by Stumpy (edited 05-06-2001).]
 
I believe that Les is making a excellent point about using price as the only criteria in what is considered a best buy. In my recommendation of Brad Duncan folders being a best buy, I considered materials, quality of work, and price. Brad uses Bg-42 steel, titanium, carbon fiber and other materials that are considered to be on the cutting edge in custom folders. His knives are well built and very nice looking. Being an up and coming maker, you can get his work at relative bargains compared to more established makers. I believe his knives are on par with most of these makers and his prices will not be this way long as buyers become more aware of his work. As for as aftermarket desireability, this was not very important to me as I carry and use his knife every day. It will get scratches and dings which will hurt its resale value, but I am very happy with the knife and have no plans to sell it.

[This message has been edited by samhell (edited 05-06-2001).]

[This message has been edited by samhell (edited 05-06-2001).]
 
My previous best knife value was from GenO Denning. Perfect fit & finish, nice ergo's and a blade that performs all at a price more akin to a factory effort. I just pre-ordered one of Ed Caffrey's EBK's which just might be an even better value. Where else can you find a Mastersmith quality knife for $100 and change? His new line of folders look promising as well. Have also heard Allen Blade and Matt Lamey make some knives worth every penny spent. Hope to be able to verify that claim soon, as I have orders in with both those boys. Value to me is best represented by knives that are equal (if not better) in design, build quality and performance than similar offerings by others making comparable knives, and that come in at a lower price. The above mentioned makers all seem to deliver on that premise. On a purely personal note, my RCC/Broadwell sub-hilt simply knocks my socks off, and I consider it the best dollars I have ever spent on a knife. Expensive? For me, yes. Can better performance be had for less money? Don't know, don't care. Often the sense of gratification one gets every time they handle one of their favorites can be viewed as the ultimate judge of value. Some times it is really hard to put a price tag on personal preference
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[This message has been edited by blademan 13 (edited 05-07-2001).]
 
Best buy? What are you looking for?

Best buy in a working knife means I won't be as picky when looking for minor costmetic flaws that go unnoticed by the vast majority of people. It also mean a corresponding pricepoint that is lower with good proven materials used in the construction. I am also looking for a proven and functional design.

Best buy in a display knife? That one is much harder. It really depends on your tastes. Folder or fixed? Art, fantasy or, working style knife? How about exclusivity?

Geno Denning offers a good value to me personally. Why? Very good materials (ATS-34 and stag in my case). Design - I think it originated with George Herron and it is a real good design for real work use. Execution - even grinds, mirror polish, etc.
Sheath - an excellant work of leathercraft. Value here is not determined by exclusivity but, by the actual quality of the knife.

Kit Carson folders fit this description as well. His knives are relatively low priced when compared to his peers making knives at a similar level of quality. Exclusivity here is a little bit of an issue that helps the value side of the equation. The comments above apply here as well with regards to fit, finish and, material selection.

Value in design? While Chris Reeve Knives don't fit the true definition of custom, the One Piece line of fixed blades offers true value as well for the overall design and execution. A lot of people make hollow handle knives. Only one makes them from a single piece of steel. This uniqueness provides some value in the design arena.

Value in a design is much more subjective and harder to find. Here I look for something beyond the locking mechanism in folders, a specific trendy blade grind in a fixed blade or, new trendy materials.

Walter Brend has made a reputation on his #2 knife. A lot of other guys make recurves too but, don't have the value a Brend in the design aspect.

How unique is a blade shape anyway? How is it integrated into the overall design of the knife. Does the knife have graceful lines that flow tip to butt?

Stay Sharp,
Sid
 
As far as best value, I saw the tactical folder best value has to be JW Smith and Kit Carson. Both of these gentleman make the best and smoothest tac folders. The knives also have incredible resale value. You can get your money back if you need to sell one for some strange reason. Both gentleman use excellent materials, and fit and finish is virtually flawless. To me, the fixed blade field is much more wide open. The tiny details of a folder are not there. I think for fixed blades, a lot of the new guys are best values here. Especially if it is a working fixed blade you need. I have 2 from a maker named Brett Bennett that are absolutely fantastic. 416SS bolsters, satin finish D2 heat treated by Rob Simonich, and gorgeous wood scales. For the price I paid, these knives are most definately a bargin.
 
In my opinion some of the best buys can be found on the secondary market. Take for example the Carson that I have in the for sale forum.
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Frank Q.

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"The greatest of faults, I should say, is to be conscious of none."
Thomas Carlyle
 
I have been really lucky in my last several purchases and trades. As of right now I think best buys are:

Mike Cooper. You get a solid durable knife with good fit and finish for a reasonable price. Mike works hard to make sure each knife gives you more than you pay for it. His customer service also adds to the value.

Max Burnett of Ogg custom knives is a real bargain in true custom knives. Stock removal or forged, bowies, neck knives, daggers or just about any other style you can imagine. Everything is done by him and top priority is given to quality.

Brett Bennett. This is a relatively new maker who has a real natural talent. I have done photos of a few of his knives, and I own one of them. I would put his fit and finish up against just about anybodys knives.



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I know nothing about best buys from the point of view of investment and potential resale. I try but I'm sure I've made plenty of mistakes. [Does a tanto style Polkowski CQ have a special value? I don't know. I don't care: it's a beauty] I've always liked Canadian makers and was lucky enough to buy some good ones before they became well known, and I've relied on Les for his hand-picked beauties and his Vanguard series. If those were good choices the credit goes to Les and not me.
But I will say that as far as using knives are concerned, George Tichbourne makes a helluva knife for what he charges. So does Neil Blackwood, especially in stellite and talonite. I have a couple of rarities, like the first mosaic damascus [I believe] done in Canada, by Wally Hayes. A one off CKG collaboration knife is another one. These may be of interest only to Canadians, but they have a uniqueness and significance that are meaningful to me and,to me, that's a best buy.
 
I can honestly say that in my experience, and in terms of return on investment, no maker has come close to the value offered by Jerry Hossom.

My criteria may be a little different than some, but Jerry's willingness--even eagerness--to get the buyer involved in the design process is without equal, and is paramount in what I look for from a maker. He is first and foremost interested in making a knife tailored to the individual buyer's needs and wants.

That said, he also uses the very best materials, has probably the most ergonomic handle designs, offers some of the sharpest, strongest edge bevels available, and can balance and lighten a big blade better than anyone I've found.

I've traded for his knives in the secondary market, and have been happy to offer more value on trade, knife for knife, than his original asking price represented. You very rarely see one of his blades on the exchange forums, and when you do, it doesn't last long.

In short, based on value-to-investment ratio, he's the best I've found.

--Will
 
I love these threads. Since so much is depending on what type of knives you like and your amount of disposable income. As well as how savy you are regarding resale value of knives. I'm one of those guys that never sell a knife once I get it in my hands, and I like a lot of different style of knives, I don't consider myself to be a sophisticated buyer. I buy what I like and try to get the Most Bang for the Buck.

I consider all of the custom or hand made knives I own to be of exceptional value. In no particular order those makers are; Max Burnett, Mike Cooper, GenO Denning, R.O. Easler, Mike Irie, J.A. Lonewolf, Ron Nott, Darrel Ralph, P.J. Tomes and Art Washburn.

The knives I'm waiting on; Kit Carson, Allen Blade and Bobby Branton.

I've also started talking to Ed Fowler regarding a "Prong horn" which IMO is the ultimate high-performance knife. After seeing Ed's video on how he makes a knife I consider them to be a BARGAIN.

It's all relative.

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"Will work 4 Knives!"
My PhotoPoint Site
 
Tough question.

Last year I paid 600.00 for a slip joint and left it on the makers table until after the show. (Only so the maker could take orders on it). A photographer and a dealer offered
me 800.00 for the knife (2 offers). That's pretty good value even though I did not take either of them up on it. This kind of stuff happens all the time to a lot of folks.

Is it a good value when you are on a long waiting list for an "expensive knife" from a maker whose work is worth more than what you paid the day you take delivery?

Is it a good value when you buy a well made knife from a maker who then becomes popular and who's work is now in high demand.

Was any of those a better or not as good of a value as something not as expensive that I use quite a bit. I am not sure which one I enjoy the most or which one is the better value.
Gus
(No help at all)



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" The real art of living is to keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post in memory of James Mattis
 
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