Considering Moving

i4Marc

i4Marc

Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Messages
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I'm considering moving out of NY state. It's getting pretty bad here for a number of reasons. Which states have the highest concentrations of custom knife makers?
 
I've lived in New Mexico my whole life but Colorado is on my list after college. Don't know about the knife scene but the landscape, people and climate are winners.
 
I would say the Southern belt from Florida to new Mexico has a high concentration. Other attractions are several big shows, the Moran school, and it rarely gets below zero.
 
Texas/Oklahoma area seems to have a high concentration, as does Montana/Wyoming (if anything involving people in that area can be considered high concentration) and Washington/Oregon. You'll find other makers everywhere though, so I'd look at all the other factors as more important.

Right now the best value for your money in the Mountain West is Idaho (been thinking about moving there myself). The best value for your money in the country though is Texas, without a doubt. Great employment scene, above average wages in a lot of industries, low taxes and, maybe most importantly low real estate costs. Houston is the cheapest major city in the country. The downside is that its hot, but on the other hand it never gets very cold. Folks are friendly (or they were before the invasions from Louisana (after Katrina), Michigan (after the 2008 crash), and California (after decades of stupidly high real estate costs there)) and the government largely stays out of your business.
 
Hmmmmmmmm, maybe I'll move out of the U.S. altogether and move right next door to Sam Lurquin. :)
 
I've heard a lot of good things about Texas lately.

I can speak from an Idaho perspective. The cost of living is relatively low and the climate isn't too bad (in general). About the only time the state makes the national news is for a senator playing footsie in an airport bathroom or currently Bergdahl. Otherwise things are pretty even keel, you get your wackos but that happens everywhere. Like Travis said about Texas, we had an infusion of Californians over the last 15 - 20 years that brought some of their problems with them. Since the 2008 crash housing prices have gotten back to affordable for the average Joe. I imagine most of the mountain West states (MT, WY, UT, CO) have had the same experiences. Even within a single state there are going to be huge variations, Southern Idaho looks nothing like Northern Idaho, I can't afford to hobnob in Sun Valley, and so on.

Not sure about the concentration of custom makers in Idaho, I've met a few and had a shop tour. The lower population does have a negative effect if you want that high concentration of makers and shows in a single city. There are some very good makers within a day's drive in any direction though. There are some production makers in Idaho like Buck in Post Falls or Chris Reeve in Boise which probably spawns off a few custom makers every now and then.
 
Id say get out of NY and move out west. Im thinking about making the move to colorado myself.
 
Washington state has some really top talent. Nick Wheeler, Bruce Bump, Salem Straub, among others.
 
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