Blackwood customs?

It's nice to see familiar faces and old friends! Ive had a bunch of request to do another run of fixed blade Henchmans. Rather than trying do them with tapered tangs and glue/ pin construction, integral with textured inlays would probably make the most sense and keep the cost down. Maybe later this year. My girlfriends son is getting very good with Kydex so this would be a good project for him.
 
Still have my fixed blade Henchman.... its in good company :)


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This is mine - a small tac/hunter with a D2 blade. The picture was taken when I first received it from Neil 6 or 7 years ago (IIRC). It has a couple of scratches now from use but has done a fine job by me so far. The handle is secure even when wet, the blade stays conveniently sharp and is light and handy to carry.

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BTW, I have TWO Blackwood design, Benchmade Ruckus' for my work at the boathouse and on the water. THe LARGE 610 and the smaller 615 as an auto.

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I use these almost daily. They take a good beating.

Coop
 
Good to see you here , Neil, I always like seeing your Facebook postings. Wish I own/owned a Blackwood custom or two! I've got this one from quite a while ago, Benchmade 630, limited edition:

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And nobody has whined about productions in the Custom Area, amazing!!
 
I'm a huge fan of his knives, and I think he makes one of the best quality folders out there. Plus he's also a hell of a nice guy. Here's one Neil made custom for me:
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I unfortunately almost severed the tip of my finger with a Benchmade Skirmish. Always loved that knife and have lusted for a true custom version, but given my experience, I am happy enough admiring them from afar :)
 
JParanee said:
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I've been a Blackwood fan for over 10 years and this was my favorite of his designs. About the time I thought I might buy one he stopped making fixed blades and switched to folders. Outdoor Edge made a production knife based on this one, called the Hybrid Hunter.
 
I've got one of Neil's latest and greatest models, the Folding Henchman.....Carbon-Fiber scales with Lightening Strike Carbon-Fiber inlay plus mosaic pins, bronze ano'd ti liners, heat-colored stainless hardware and a 4" blade of CPM30V. :cool:

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^^^ YIKES! This thread just keeps getting better.

I'm substantially jealous. :D

Coop
 
SharpByCoop said:
^^^ YIKES! This thread just keeps getting better.

I'm substantially jealous. :D

Coop
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That auto Skirmish you posted was one of the most beautiful knives I've seen. Not just from Neil, but from anyone. Really incredible stuff. And the awesome picture didn't hurt either :p
 
TGV said:
Now it boils down to... There's a user in me but there's also that itch to have a full on custom to really appreciate. I've searched but just can't see too much on Neil Blackwood's knives. The two big models being the Skirmish and the Henchman Flipper. I can't find any video of the Henchman and not a lot of information here. Are the customs not disirable? Is there a good second hand market if one would get one and wanted to sell it down the road to fund something else?

Please show off your Blackwoods! :-)
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The tactical knife market is a funny thing....

There are a lot of makers in the market position of Mr. Blackwood(Lee Williams, Deryk(sp) Munroe, Tim Galyean, Pat Nihiser, to name a few...there are many others) where the output is minimal or non existent and the marketing/show attendance is equally light.....these makers have also been EXTREMELY hot for knife desirability at one point or another.

What this means is that the knives were once very expensive on the aftermarket, and if a collector purchased at the peak price, they are unlikely to want to take the financial hit that current prices may reflect. Tactical knife buyers, more than just about any other segment have their favorites, their "has beens" and their "wanna bes"...and very short memories....the environment makes speculation tricky if you don't know what you are doing.

Any time you use a handmade knife, it tends to knock the value down quite a bit. You have to answer your own questions as to what you want the knife for, and what you hope to do with it, should you lose interest in it....buying any handmade or custom knife is not recommended if you are looking for an exit strategy before you have even placed the order, unless you like losing money.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
Thanks guys, really liking where this thread has headed and hopefully heading :D

That henchman is outrageously gorgeous, very nice score DawKind!
 
It's good to see more familiar faces!!

Based in several emails I got, maybe my "making knives as time permits" wasn't the best choice of words! I'm not retired, playing shuffleboard! :) I still turn out an average of about two folders per week. That's a pace that works for me with the way I like to make my knives. I'm just not taking custom orders anymore and juggling a backlog. So far everyone including myself seems to be happier!! Also, as many on my forum knows, about half of what I produce leaves the country. Some come back on the secondary market but not many. With the economy the way it is, I'm truly blessed to have a strong international following. As a maker, I find it fascinating where my work ends up.
 
Great thread, good to see a post from Neil. His work is always amazing!

Great pics Coop and others!:thumbup:
 
JParanee said:
Neil how are you selling pieces ?

On a first come serve basis ?

Just curious :)
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Right now I'm very busy working on a project with Jim Hintz at Nth Degree Knives. When knives are available, I mix up where I post them, my blog, my sub forum on the CK&G, Facebook, or my email list.
 
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