Custom Damascus knife quality question

H

Hippie8388

Joined
Dec 23, 2015
Messages
16
My girlfriend recently got me a custom Damascus knife from Adam Smith. I was very excited but I must say the quality is below what I had expected. The micarta grip I received was dull and appears to be poorly made compared to what was in his photos on Facebook and the blade has this two tone coloration to it that is very distinctly split halfway down the blade. Wondering if anyone has experience with this knife maker as I cannot find any information on him when doing a web search.
 
Welcome to BF.

Please post a pic of the knife.

I cant say, that I know the guy. I see he is in AL, but are his knives supposed to be made in the US?

I only quickly perused his fb site, but I get suspicious when ever I read the claim of 'cheap hand made knives' + there is something about the multitude of 'damascus' or layered knives..........
 
NB assume You are referring to 'Smith Knives' or do you have someone else in mind?

You might have gotten a Pakastani 'carpmascus' special (thats a bad thing) or you might have gotten a knife cheaply (thats a good thing).
 
12_23_2015_damascus.jpg
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So about halfway through the blade you'll notice where it gets darker from midway point through the tip of the blade. Also the grip is hard to see in detail but its suppose to be Micarta sheet but in person its very dull and you can see where two pieces were joined together. Paid $225 for the knife which is probably cheap for anything Damascus, I don't know a lot about them so wanted to get peoples opinions. Knife maker said the blade is made up of 1095 15n20 high carbon steel.
 
Hippie8388 said:
12_23_2015_damascus.jpg
[/url][/IMG]

So about halfway through the blade you'll notice where it gets darker from midway point through the tip of the blade. Also the grip is hard to see in detail but its suppose to be Micarta sheet but in person its very dull and you can see where two pieces were joined together. Paid $225 for the knife which is probably cheap for anything Damascus, I don't know a lot about them so wanted to get peoples opinions. Knife maker said the blade is made up of 1095 15n20 high carbon steel.
Click to expand...

I see no makers mark that he puts on his blades and it looks nothing like any of the examples on his "page".
 
Im tempted to say, that you most likely got a low quality foreign made knife. These will in the vast majority of cases be no good for holding an edge let alone be good for anything useful other than being a wallhanger.

Return if possible or chalk it up to bad luck.

Always peruse bf and do your research prior to buying a knife.
 
Yeah there is not a single makers mark anywhere on the knife and I had asked him to custom make this knife off another one I saw on his page. But the handle just looks so cheaply done that I have a gut feeling it's a knockoff. The fit and finish on the knife is poor and the blade had a couple small 'dirty' spots. On the edges it gets darker and almost looks like it was burned somehow kinda similar to the black marks you get on a knife if you hold it under open flame except not as pronounced. Also I cannot run the discoloration off... Maybe I'm being picky but I just expected more based off his pictures
 
Thanks I feel bad because my girlfriend heard me mention the knife a couple months ago and she got the idea for a Xmas present. I wasn't going to pursue the knife but she got it for me as a gift so it just sucks she paid so much for something that's sounding like a knockoff...
 
It's not a knockoff. It's a real knife, however it's probably made in Pakistan. I see similar ones at the gun shows and the seller is upfront about where they come from. The prices are considerably less than $225.

Return it if you can. But keep it and tell her it's great if it will make her happy; it's the thought... :)
 
Gotcha yeah this guy positioned it as he hand makes these knives. Just talked to him this morning and he said the grip is micarta wood but there's no way. It looks completely composite and it has no wood grain in it what so ever. I guess I'll keep it as I do not want to hurt her feelings and it was an excellent thought and idea
 
It's either wood….or it's Micarta…..not both. Didn't you read about the Micarta trees going extinct a few years ago??;) It really does resemble Pakistan or similar produced knife, and if so $225 is the very tip top of the price scale…..in fact it's off the chart.


Paul
 
Exactly! I have a .454 casull from freedom arms that has micarta grips and it's a composite material not wood at all. This guy is obviously a phoney. Dang can't bring myself to tell her about this, he was going to charge her $275 originally so glad she got him talked down. Live and learn I guess
 
Oh well, even if the knife is not what you hoped, you can seek comfort in owning one of the best revolvers that money can buy.
 
Yeah, wait a few years at least before saying anything to your lady. At least she loves you enough to buy things you want, even if they're sharp or go boom. Definitely don't want to discourage that, just be careful about mentioning wanting stuff you haven't done any research on. :P
 
The price of this one should have been a "red flag". I don't know anyone skilled enough to make their own Damascus who will sell for that price. Also, the grind on the blade would lead you to believe that the man bought the blade, probably cheaply.

You will find that with custom knives, most times you get what you pay for.

Gary
 
Welcome to BladeForums!

Some silver lining for you. The knife brought you here to probably the largest knife discussion forum on the planet.
Browse around as there are lots of places around here to check out.

When you are ready for another hand made knife, head over to the Knifemakers Market on the Exchange. It is where knifemakers from all over the globe have their wares for sale. Fixed, folders and more.
Really great stuff at every price point. You'll be pleasantly surprised what you can pick up for $225.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/767-KnifeMaker-s-Market-Knives-amp-More-for-Sale

A girlfriend that encourages and enables a love of all things sharp sounds like a keeper. ;):thumbup:
 
I would hate it for my GF to waste that kind of money, good thought or not. How about being up front with her? Pehaps say that in doing some research on the knife you discovered it wasn't what you thought it was. Tell her you'd rather not have her hard earned money go to waste so could you return it and shop for another knife together with her.
 
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