Conversation - What constitutes a custom knife these days?

veritas

veritas

Gold Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2002
Messages
914
Looking for a constructive discussion with honest opinions. This is NOT an indictment of any companies that might or might not be mentioned. I'm honestly curious as I the last 5 years or maybe a little more, I feel like the definition of what makes a "custom" knife has changed or blurred, or has offered multiple definitions.

I've been around the custom knife game since 1998 and for years and years, custom knives and production knives had very specific delineation lines. I always took customs as all made by hand by one person in a shop. How it was made in that shop, didn't necessarily matter. Machines are used of course, I didn't care which machines were used. Companies like CRK were always called "high-end production knives. Knives produced in batches using a combination of machines and some hand finishing by a much larger number of people and processes. Companies like Hinderer and Strider produced what they considered full production knives done in some similar and non similar ways as CRK as well as producing what was called custom knives from Rick and Mick & Dwayne that had things like hand ground blades in different materials. In this regard, i've owned both production and custom knives from all 3 companies. Medford knives is another that comes to mind and there are others that offer amazing knives.

Did the type of machines being used change the definition of what is custom or not? Hand ground blades ok, but waterjet/cnc handles...is that a custom? Semi-custom? Does doing everything in house or sending material and parts out to others change the definition?

The last 5 years, it seems a number of smaller companies have come along who are doing similar things but on a smaller size and scope. Grimsmo, OZ, SPK, Koenig to name a few, all producing amazing knives but can they be called custom knives? Are we still using the "high end production" phrase? I've heard "CNC Custom" as well. Does "semi custom" still apply?
Pricing has also changed over the last bunch of years which has added to the confusion of where to place certain makers and companies.

There is nothing wrong with anyone mentioned here or their business practices and i've owned and still own knives from almost everyone mentioned. I was having a conversation with a friend about a recent purchase and he called it a custom and I thought to myself, is it?

Keep it classy.
-Vin
 
Last edited:
^^^^Curious, if a maker makes two or more models using the exact same materials and process, does that change the "one of a kind" distinction?
 
Just my opinion, customs are made in house one at a time or at most small batches, sole authorship. Maybe outsourcing heat treat or small hardware. Large scale runs from a jobber, water jet, CNC and just “finished” or assembled in house are not custom.
 
"Custom" and "handmade" are two separate things.

A full scale machine shop can produce a "custom" run.

I think many who use the term "custom" in the knife industry probably really mean handmade.

Then there are guys that make handmade customs, one off.....not regular models.
 
Like matt made for me, a hand made custom knife.


J. Doyle said:
"Custom" and "handmade" are two separate things.

A full scale machine shop can produce a "custom" run.

I think many who use the term "custom" in the knife industry probably really mean handmade.

Then there are guys that make handmade customs, one off.....not regular models.
Click to expand...
 
veritas said:
^^^^Curious, if a maker makes two or more models using the exact same materials and process, does that change the "one of a kind" distinction?
Click to expand...
If two or three are made that kinda kills the one-of-a-kind thing, no? One means one, not two or three.....or at least it should.....
 
For me, one of a kind yes it would. But i'd still say they were both custom and handmade. As was pointed out above those phrases sometimes get inter changed. Like two identical Sal Manaro Bullseyes to me are handmade custom knives but if they are identical then NOT one of a kind.
 
I think, linguistically speaking, definitions like this almost invariably get blurred. In my mind, a custom knife is a knife produced by a single knife maker that's not kit assembled or done using blade blanks. But that could vary a lot from other folks on this forum. I don't worry too much about others definitions of it unless I'm considering buying from them, and then I'll either do the research or ask the questions I need to to clear things up.
 
I have always considered the following

Custom - resulting from a conversation between the knife maker and his CUSTOMer to design a knife to the customer requirements and specification
Hand made - a lonely knife maker making and selling a knife design that he is making in his own workshop with his own equipment, possibly outsourcing HT
High end Production - a standard model of knife shape and style with interchangeable selection of blade materials and handle materials
Production - off the peg buy what you see
 
You are getting words mixed up.....

Custom means getting the knife You want, to Your specs....
Doesn't matter if CNC machines made it, lasers, or thousands of slave labours.....



Hand made means no fancy computer controlled technologies....
No CNC, no lasers, no programing, No hit start & Go.
*It could Still mean hundreds of slave labours.


I disagree that quantity of knives has anything to do with it.
 
Last edited:
In my mind, and how I've always thought about it is, a custom is made within the walls of one shop and usually includes a hand ground blade unless their thing is cnc'd blades. The maker may send out his blades to be professionally heat treated, and they may buy their hardware from someone else (minus clip), however if they farm out the blade shaping then it's either a midtech, or a production run (large, small, or whatever).
 
I own 9 custom folders, some made to my spec and the rest bought on the exchange. I consider custom to be when I (or others) go to a maker and tell him what I want, like 3" Damasteel wharncliffe blade, thumb stud, liner lock, with Mokume bolsters and Mammoth scales. And 6 weeks later or so and it arrives.
 
veritas said:
I've been around the custom knife game since 1998 and for years and years, custom knives and production knives had very specific delineation lines. I always took customs as all made by hand by one person in a shop.
Click to expand...
I don't think that is the case. There have been debates about what is "custom," "handmade," "benchmade," "semi-custom" since the 1970s with the start of the modern era of custom knives. Loveless had people making knives with him during that era as well. Milling machines became common in the 1970s and sparked controversy. And the debate further heated up in the 90s as CNC was becoming more common. It is certainly worth discussing, but to say this is a recent issue would not be accurate.
 
Larrin said:
I don't think that is the case. There have been debates about what is "custom," "handmade," "benchmade," "semi-custom" since the 1970s with the start of the modern era of custom knives. Loveless had people making knives with him during that era as well. Milling machines became common in the 1970s and sparked controversy. And the debate further heated up in the 90s as CNC was becoming more common. It is certainly worth discussing, but to say this is a recent issue would not be accurate.
Click to expand...
Thats fair.
 
I believe custom has a broader range and description than say 75 years ago when most custom shop knife makers were building by hand and no machines for repeatability and production.

There are many production manufacturers that have a custom built selection of production model knives in that you can choose the blade steel, materials, finish that you want and it won’t be the same as a production run model but it will be very similar in size and design. I sometimes refer to it as accessorizing or blinging. Lol.

I consider hand made customizing different in that each knife is made mostly by hand, made to order, and will be unique and not a duplicate of any other knife or pattern.
 
You or someone else makes exactly what you need or want. This remains true until your needs and wants change.

There isn't an art or science that can answer the question. Certainly not a poll or public opinion survey.

It's about budget, materials preferred, needs and wants.

My Buck 121 I bought back in 1978, might be the greatest 'custom' knife ever. I mowed a lot of lawns and was only 10. It's a 'safe queen' now. Locked away.

IOW: Pick something that is 100% about mutual loyalty.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top