custom fixed blades or custom folders? A poll....

[TRfromMT]

I'm curious where folks are about custom knives.

Let's say they are not cost prohibitive for you. Money aside, what would be your pursuit of custom knives.

I'm happy to browse and collect and use custom Fixed blades. I will also take a fixed blade and customize it with new scales to make it my own.

Custom folders on the other hand - I just don't get. In my eyes, many of them look like what I could find at a gas station bucket 'o knives. It also seems to me (no real basis for this statement) that the tolearances and quality requirements are more easliy worked out on a production basis than 1-off attempts.

So where are you? Please respond and answer why.

 

[jfk1110]

I could spend all day.looking at custom fixed blades!!!!!!!!

Folders, meh, not really!!!!

Just something about a fixed blade that tickles me and my favorite is MORE....

 

[ferider]

I could spend all day.looking at custom fixed blades!!!!!!!!

Folders, meh, not really!!!!

Just something about a fixed blade that tickles me and my favorite is MORE....

This, pretty much, even though I have one custom folder (or semi-custom ? My Kuros ....) that i _love_.

Plus, custom fixed blades from many of our knife makers here don’t feel cost prohibitive.

I came to BF for folders and stick around for custom fixed

 

[Richard338]

I'm much more into fixed blades, but I think a really well made folder is great too (probably needs to be handled to fully appreciate).

 

[WValtakis]

We must be shopping at different gas stations





But yeah...the obvious answer is both

 

[Zulus]

Got several custom fixed, not even one custom folder :^O
Probably I don't have enough faith
Yet

 

[J Dotson Bladsmithing]

There are a ton of makers that make fixed blades but very few that can make a folder look good, an perform good, Steve Schwarzer, Josh Smith, guys like that make stunning folders that are nothing like gas station knifes.

 

[BuckeyeBladeFan]

The key to this for me is "money aside". Custom gives the knives a "soul". If you set aside price, there is fabulous work in custom folders that gives me more personal satisfaction than a production model ever could.

However, given the additional complexity in making a functional folder by hand, the price difference from production to custom in folders seems far greater than in fixed. And my experience has also shown fewer makers, longer wait times, more lotteries, less willing to customize (e.g., make their design and sell rather than accepting a custom order), etc than their fixed counterparts.

So, practically, I buy custom fixed blades far, far more frequently. But given an unlimited budget? Yeah, I would chase the folders too.

 

[hugofeynman]

I’ve sold all my custom folders. There is only one type of lock I trust in a folder and no custom maker is allowed to use it…yet. A custom fixed blade to my own specs is my thing!

 

[J Dotson Bladsmithing]

The key to this for me is "money aside". Custom gives the knives a "soul". If you set aside price, there is fabulous work in custom folders that gives me more personal satisfaction than a production model ever could.

However, given the additional complexity in making a functional folder by hand, the price difference from production to custom in folders seems far greater than in fixed. And my experience has also shown fewer makers, longer wait times, more lotteries, less willing to customize (e.g., make their design and sell rather than accepting a custom order), etc than their fixed counterparts.

So, practically, I buy custom fixed blades far, far more frequently. But given an unlimited budget? Yeah, I would chase the folders too.

I definitely agree with you, It takes a lot of time to make them things so the price might stun ya a little bit.

 

[TRfromMT]

We must be shopping at different gas stations

View attachment 1726104

View attachment 1726105

But yeah...the obvious answer is both

I'd be lying if I haven't looked at a few Ti-slabbed folders and thought what would some basket weave engraving look like.

If I were to ever break ranks....

 

[shane45-1911]

I haven't bought any folder for several years.

You don't want to know how many fixed blades I have.....

 

[Blues]

I have many fantastic custom folders, and many excellent custom fixed blades. I don't regret any of them. A thing of beauty (and utility) is its own reward.

I also like blondes, brunettes and redheads...

 

[sixplymaple]

Custom folders seem to cost so much more $ than custom fixed blades. Thus, I prefer custom fixed blades .

 

[WValtakis]

I'd be lying if I haven't looked at a few Ti-slabbed folders and thought what would some basket weave engraving look like.

If I were to ever break ranks....

It would look like this


And then there's the reason I love Ti...purdy colors

 

[Blues]

A little too gaudy for my taste, to be honest.





(But even my anodized Darrel Ralph "Apogee" is a bit much for my taste, though a fantastic knife in every respect, otherwise.)

 

[Lee D]

If money was no object, I’d chase after traditional or gentleman type folders. Slipjoints, lock backs and liner locks with lots of bolsters and natural materials.

 

[000Robert]

I love fixed blades the most.

 

[WValtakis]

A little too gaudy for my taste, to be honest.





(But even my anodized Darrel Ralph "Apogee" is a bit much for my taste, though a fantastic knife in every respect, otherwise.)

Yeah, if it was a personal piece I would have stopped at just the gold borders...it looked damn classy.

My Apogee got immediately blasted and satin two-toned...the torch coloring needed to go

 

[P.C.E.]

The only customs I've ever bought were fixed bladed, and that's before I started buying more expensive "small batch" folders.