Conversation - What constitutes a custom knife these days?

Fripfrop said:
I would say the cheap, handmade junk from Pakistan doesn't qualify as a custom. Or a knife. At best its just handmade junk. Which you said yourself.
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And yet, if you saw a Pakistani junk knife, and you reached out to the maker and said “Sir, I’d like one built exactly like this but with a 6” blade instead of 5”,” and then they made it for you, wouldn’t that be custom? Sure the knife is crap made by a rube in a back alley, but that rube is making a knife special for you to the spec you requested.

Custom doesn’t have have to be quality, at least in my mind.
 
19-3ben said:
And yet, if you saw a Pakistani junk knife, and you reached out to the maker and said “Sir, I’d like one built exactly like this but with a 6” blade instead of 5”,” and then they made it for you, wouldn’t that be custom? Sure the knife is crap made by a rube in a back alley, but that rube is making a knife special for you to the spec you requested.

Custom doesn’t have have to be quality, at least in my mind.
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No, I don't think it'd be a custom at that point because it's still a piece of junk. Now, if you were to take your junk knife to a reputable knife maker who then made you a functional knife that looked just like, then yes I think it would be a custom. The difference really is in the details. I've seen Pakistani "damascus" brought into knife stores with such terrible delamination that you could literally slide a piece of paper between the layers... I think at that point it's no longer a knife and more just a paper weight.
 
This is a lot like people talking about what is "craft beer". That gets technical quick once you throw an actual brewer into the conversation. If I was going to take the brewing angle I'd then say that a custom knife is made by a business that is at least 75% owned by the knife maker, who then creates innovative designs of high quality. You could have semi-custom knife companies who were similar to custom makers, but with a bit more operating space and staff, but still having lower production numbers (like a microbrewery).

Is there an official definition of what is a custom/semi-custom knife offered by groups like the American Bladesmith Society, the Knifemaker's Guild, or the American Knife and Tool Institute?
 
Custom: tailored to customer's specifications, usually by individual knife maker.
Customized: any knife modified to better fill the needs of the user.
Handmade: made by one or more individuals by hand. By hand is of course a floating term.
Mid-tech: lower volume knives, usually made with CNC and fancy machinery and then put together and finetuned by manufacturer.

That's my opinion anyway.
So in other hand: custom, mid-tech or handmade are different things and not usually directly associated.
 
Its not confusing. A custom knife, or custom anything, is something that is custom made for a specific customer. A one-off piece. It doesn't have to be hand made either, it could be fully CNC machined.

Lots of companies or makers offer customization of their pieces, but they are still just variations of a mass produced pattern. A bespoke or custom item is unique, and made to the customers specifications. This goes for knives, furniture, clothing, jewellery... anything. A tailored suit is customized, but not fully custom or bespoke. Bespoke suits are unique and made on request. Cloth, buttons, cut, lining can all be feely chosen. They are not necessarily higher quality then off the shelf items, but they are made to fit you perfectly, and only you.
 
Custom means the customer told the maker every detail and it was made to the customers spec. 1 or 1,000 doesn’t matter.

Semi custom means customer chose some details on what is otherwise a stock knife.

Hand made seems self explanatory. But tools are always involved, so does that preclude power tools? If power tools are allowed is there a limit? CNC allowed? Lol.

Forged is the one that bothers me. If they forge a billet, then use stock removal methods to shape the blade and tang. Is it stock removal or forged?
 
Delgadonine said:
Only if you need and want it.

The knife you chose likely represents you and your personality. Pakistan instead of The USA? Your choice. Your money.
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No.
The cheap Pakistani knife is Only a custom knife IF you ordered it specifically to all its specs... (You decided what blade length, it's thickness, it's profile, edge angles, scale type and thickess, colors, Etc., Etc., Etc......
 
The Grendels said:
This is a lot like people talking about what is "craft beer". That gets technical quick once you throw an actual brewer into the conversation. If I was going to take the brewing angle I'd then say that a custom knife is made by a business that is at least 75% owned by the knife maker, who then creates innovative designs of high quality. You could have semi-custom knife companies who were similar to custom makers, but with a bit more operating space and staff, but still having lower production numbers (like a microbrewery).

Is there an official definition of what is a custom/semi-custom knife offered by groups like the American Bladesmith Society, the Knifemaker's Guild, or the American Knife and Tool Institute?
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Haha..... I've been Both a Professional brewer, and now This.....& I have No idea, what your analogy was about??? It's ok.

Back in my day micro breweries were 10k barrels of less per year


It is funny, the similarities between knife making and brewing, there Are alot.
 
Crag the Brewer said:
No.
The cheap Pakistani knife is Only a custom knife IF you ordered it specifically to all its specs... (You decided what blade length, it's thickness, it's profile, edge angles, scale type and thickess, colors, Etc., Etc., Etc......
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Elaborate, please.

So anyone can make you, your knife?

Or your knife can be made by anyone?

Isn't Custom more about Psychology than Math?
 
Delgadonine said:
Elaborate, please.

So anyone can make you, your knife?

Or your knife can be made by anyone?

Isn't Custom more about Psychology than Math?
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I'm talking not in a spiritual sense, but literal..... Nothing metaphysical.


If you order a knife, and the maker makes the knife to the customer's specs....it's a custom knife.



Doesn't matter the cost or geography.
Doesn't even pertain if it's Handmade or not.....

That's a completely separate question.
 
Thank you Crag. I understand your point of view more clearly. I factor in Psychology in a 'Custom' more than you. Perhaps, your definition of 'Custom' is easier to achieve and explain.
 
Delgadonine said:
Thank you Crag. I understand your point of view more clearly. I factor in Psychology in a 'Custom' more than you. Perhaps, your definition of 'Custom' is easier to achieve and explain.
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Easier to achieve? Haha.... No, just that words have meanings.


I get what You are saying.
You want a relationship with the Maker.
That's Great!

We as makers are Actually a Brand. People believe in us. They want to be a part of that group.... That's probably better defined as "Brand Loyalty" .



I'm the same way......
 
what custom means in the industry today (and many other industries too) has expanded to include lots of things that I don't consider custom.

I tend to follow along with the definition of custom that it is made to order for a particular customer.
 
My definition of the modern custom knife is one which is made by a custom knife maker, in a private shop, and the blade is forged/ground by hand.

A example of a non-custom.......Randall's.

It gets complicated because many makers today have their own customs and also have collaborations with factories. Enrique Pena comes to mind.
Sometimes makers can have custom versions of factory made knives, like Andrew Demko.

However.......a maker who does not offer you a choice in handle material or steel is still making a custom knife. Some makers will collaborate with you, some won't. The knives are still full custom's.

This is my definition. yours may be different but as I often say......."I'll know it when I see it!"
 
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