Custom knife being made (am I getting a fair deal)?

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Jdawson01

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So I'm having a custom edc knife made for me and I was wondering if the cost was fair. It's an 8" oal knife made with 01 tool steel. It will be a custom g10 handle with grinds in it and a kydex sheath for $260 shipped to me. The guys facebook page is "sick boy knife works". His knives look great but I'm not sure if 01 is a cheap steel or if I should go with a higher end steel for that price? Any thoughts?
 
Welcome to the forums!

O1 is a fine steel, plenty of high quality fixed blades made out of it, only you can really say if you need something "better".

As far is the deal being fair I think that depends a lot on how your feel about the quality of the knife you get, reputation of the maker, design etc. I haven't heard of this maker before, have you done any research to find reviews from others who have bought knives from him? For me personally if I did my homework and felt comfortable with the makers work, and liked the design I would have no problem with that price. Keep in mind that the cost of materials and tools/consumables to make a quality knife by hand is not cheap. Then add on top of that the time it takes to turn out a professional product.

Good luck, and make sure to let us know how it turns out.
 
That's my next step is looking up his reviews. All of his products look amazing in pictures, but I'm unfamiliar with his name as well (not to say he couldn't be great at what he does). I hope it turns out as good as I'm thinking! I'll keep everyone updated.
 
Value is worth pretty much nothing it's worth what you would pay for it. That being said i might pay that much on the knife depends on the circumstance and the actual knifes quality
 
I don't mean to be rude, but shouldn't you have looked into all this BEFORE ordering the knife. :confused: Also, I'm not sure how the rules of value seeking apply here. Finally, all of my custom knives have been O-1 and I am very pleased; you probably will be also. Please let us know.
 
Congrats on your custom.

Regarding O1 and "(am I getting a fair deal)?", ask yourself the following:

How was it shaped?
Stock reduction? CNC? Forged? Vertical mill? Water jet blanks?

How was it heat treated?
Outsourced? A kiln in someone's garage? Heated with a blowtorch & quenched in some 10W-30? A complex process involving metallurgy lingo and quantum physics?

How was it finished?
Hand rubbed satin? Mirror polished? Stone washed? Acid etched?

What it the handle made of?
Wood? Exotic wood? Carbon fiber? Ivory? Timascus? Oosic?

Who made it?
A new knife maker? An ABS Master Smith? A well-known maker? Instagram Special?

Etc. etc. etc...
 
Assuming the workmanship is quality, and the materials good (and 01 steel is a fine steel)and considering the labor, forging, grinding, and heat treating, sanding/polishing, etc., plus shipping, and insurance, I think the maker will be lucky to break even at that price, or will, at a minimum, gain little profit . So yes, I bet you get a fine deal.
 
I have no experience with that maker but the price sounds about right to me for what you described. O1 is a good steel, especially for tough outdoor work. Keep it oiled though, it can rust.
 
I love this forum, you guys always have extremely informative responses. I haven't purchased the knife yet, which is why I'm asking these questions ahead of time. Im a firm believer in research before I make an expensive purchase.
 
Jdawson01 said:
I love this forum, you guys always have extremely informative responses. I haven't purchased the knife yet, which is why I'm asking these questions ahead of time. Im a firm believer in research before I make an expensive purchase.
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O1 is good steel but it's not stainless. You need to be prepared for rust.

The O1 is only as good as the maker's heat treat. You can only find this out through reputation. I'd suggest you find out who has his knives and uses them. See what they say about their edges. I'd learn something about making knives. Does he do hist heat treat himself or does he send it out. Does his subcontractor have a good reputation, why did he chose them. Ask the maker how he determines his heat treat is OK...for example does he test his knife's hardness, does he test the blade's performance, does he test each blade?
 
Probably not a guy I'd buy a knife from, personally..but hey its your money.

Just a snippet from his fb profile..

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Yeah, I think I'd steer clear based solely on that, uh, baggage. His knives could be great, but still . . .
 
That's the only downside I've seen. Too much personal info on his business page. Not smart to put racial preference on anything business related. And the knife near his gf's throat isn't exactly good marketing, but, that may not be a reflection of his quality. I'm still open to other customers knife makers but I don't know too many.
 
Jdawson01 said:
And the knife near his gf's throat isn't exactly good marketing, but, that may not be a reflection of his quality.
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But it is of his character. And there are way too many good guy makers out there to put up with that ugliness. In my opinion.
 
You will know for sure in about five years time.

If you find you reach for it every time you go out knowing you need such item, and choose it over other similar items, then you'll have a bargain.

$260 is not excessive for a knife be it factory or custom if its half good. They all have a bit of luck factor as one might break in the first few years, or get lost, and another give great service for a lifetime. Your car won't; nor your TV, nor a lot of things. There will be always a bit of a gamble, a bit of luck, but better take the plunge than never be adventurous. Just saying I can think of a lot worse things to blow $260 on.

I don't know the maker, and you liked what you saw, so enjoy. It would be boring if we all just had Opinels; it would be even more if we were all just sheep.
 
Just make sure to tell him you're having it made for a civil rights charity auction:thumbup:
 
OK, well, wow....the racial stuff is crazy...that would be a no for me right there, although....nice boob-age I must say.

To answer your question, I'm going to differ from most of the fellas above who say if he's good, then ya, it's a good price. No, it isn't a good price for the knife you've described. 01 is fine, G10 is fine...Kydex is fine....but $260 for an 8" OAL fixed with those materials is about $60-$100 high, based on the current market for a small relatively unknown maker like this guy. What I mean is, I can go to the FB exchange & find comparable knives all day long for around $100 less. It does matter that the steel is 01. It does matter that the scales are G10. If the blade steel was Elmax or 20cv or 90s, and the scales were a Shadetree micarta or a stabilized hardwood, $260 would be cool....It is clearly overpriced at $260 for the knife you've described, made by this particular gent, as he falls into a category of small hobby-ish makers, and that market is very well defined - it is overpriced, it just is.

Now, if you end up going thru with this, you pay the $260, & you absolutely love the knife....then who cares. Best of luck brother!!
 
Knowing what this guy is about, sending him money and owning anything that touched his hands would be a shame. Check out the knife makers section here instead.
 
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