Custom made knives vs production made knives.

I've been at this a long time (check my join date). I've had many productions and many customs.

There was recently a youtube video of some blogger walking through the last Blade show....and asking the custom knife makers what they thought was the "newest trend in custom knives". One of the makers said....and I'm paraphrasing...that the newest trend is that production knives have significantly caught up to custom knives. I agree with this 100%


Years ago the differences between custom and production were more significant. Nowadays...they have indeed caught up. As others have mentioned in this thread, the Cold Steel Demko models are amazing for a sub $200 knife. Spyderco, Benchmade, etc have knives that are centered, with smooth action and premium steels - all for $100-$200. Then the newer Reate knives, Olamic, and others take it to the next level. My Reate Pena is so damn close to the custom.

the biggest difference I see today between custom and production is with multiblade knives. GEC is good, but there hasn't been a production multi blade that can match a custom by Bose, Shadley, Ploppert, etc. Single blade traditionals...yes...brands like GEC and Viper make excellent single blade traditionals that can rival custom but not multi blades like stockman patterns.

If we are talking tactical, I'm willing to bet that a Shiro, CRK or Koening will hold its water with most any custom maker, unless you want something very specific. For years I'd say that my RJ Martin flippers were unbeatable but I have to admit that the newer Koenig and Shiro flippers are outstanding and come extremely close to my RJ Martins. Enough that I'd seriously have to think about spending $2k+ for a custom nowadays.
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
That depends on the Maker! Some have excellent quality control, others, not so much! The same can be said for production knives..
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But my question is... What about your customer service after the sale. Are you there for that customer? That's where I see the downfall of many custom knifemakers. If I am going to pay for that custom experience, I want piece of mind too.
 
AshesFall said:
Now in my mind I'll always feel custom made knives are way better then production made knives and most of you will probably feel the same way, but maybe there's some people out there that feel some production knives are better then or at least equal to a custom made quality knife and would much prefer them over a custom for whatever reasons.

So this thread is about just that. Who out there prefers productions over customs and why?

Also which production knives do you feel are close, but not quite at the refinement level of a custom? Or does anyone feel there are production knives out there that match or exceed the quality of a custom?
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In general (but maybe not always) I would think a production knife would be better engineered than a custom knife. Look at it this way, when a production company starts a new knife model, they likely build several batches just for testing- like edge retention, corrosion resistance, hardness checks, destruction testing, etc....They will then improve and refine the knife multiple times until it is finally proven and ready for production. For a custom knife, there is only one knife, it will not be going through a series of tests, including destruction tests.
 
So many variables on each side. Overlaying all with the subjective nature of loving something "custom", the issue becomes rhetorical.
 
I'd rate my production Shirogorov Neon variant at 17/20.

By comparison I'd place my custom Anso Neo at 19/20. Only because perfection is humanly unachievable.
 
Me personally, I love both. I love high end dressy customs, but also respect and enjoy sturdy hardworking production folders. In fact, whenever I've got a dirty or rough job I'll be using a knife for, 100% of the time it's a production folder because they're replaceable where most times, a custom isn't. Plus, why would I mess up an expensive knife when a replaceable cheaper one will do?
 
In my opinion and for my money I think there are several production knife companies that make just as good a knife as any custom maker. While customer makers can apply more attention to detail they still have to be on target for heat treatment, tempering, geometry and design.

Yeah sure there are exemplary custom knife makers that have earned a reputation for their ability to hit the high mark for a top grade custom knife in every aspect but you’ll be paying many times more than a reputable production knife maker that will perform just as well as the custom. Not only that but some production makers also have custom shops in house and are also top grade. I have a few and they are superb in every aspect. Custom doesn’t always equal better, it just means they put more attention to the detail to your specifications.
 
I think you get better bang for your buck with production knives.
Also, there are reviews, comments from other users, and you pretty much know what to expect from manufacturers.

Custom made knife is to your specs, you choose the shape, size, thickness, steel... it's all your choice.
But you have to find a decent maker, otherwise your knife won't really shine.
Good and reputable makers also charge a lot usually. But in any case - more than ammount reputable manufacturer will charge.
 
A Custom may have (no guarantees from what I've seen posted here recently) better fit and finish.
Depending on who makes it, he or she can make it exactly as you want.
Customs always cost more, and do not necessarily use a "better" blade steel or materials than a "similar" production knife.

Seriously: Does a custom cut/slice better than a production knife?
Can a custom do anything that a production knife can't?
(aside from selling for thousands of dollars, and "impressing" another knife nut, perhaps)

The warranty on a custom ends when the maker dies or retires, which may or may not be before the original owner does, and the knife is out of warranty, anyway.
The warranty on a production knife outlives the person(s) who assembled it.
(though most production knives have a "Life Time" warranty that ends when the original owner dies, or sells, or gives away the knife, or when the company shots down, which ever occurs first.)

I'll stick with a production knife. they do everything I need a knife to do, and are "affordable" (to some extent and depending on maker/brand) on my fixed income.

I'll use the money "saved" that a custom would cost for practical things like more knives, rent, groceries, Mountain Dew, clothing, perhaps a vehicle ... maybe a hunting and fishing license and the required gear ...
 
afishhunter said:
Seriously: Does a custom cut/slice better than a production knife?
Can a custom do anything that a production knife can't?
(aside from selling for thousands of dollars, and "impressing" another knife nut, perhaps)
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All knives cut. All knives are not the same. Many are made for specific uses. Hundreds of patterns exist. From mushroom knives to carpet knives with everything in between.

My custom Anso Neo has an unusual deep belly rearward on the edge making it very useful for butchering tasks. It works like a scimitar. I haven’t found a production folder with the same blade geometry.

So yes, some custom knives can perform better than a production knife.
 
marchone said:
My custom Anso Neo has an unusual deep belly rearward on the edge making it very useful for butchering tasks. It works like a scimitar. I haven’t found a production folder with the same blade geometry.
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That's not because it's a custom, though - it's just the blade shape that Jens chose. He could license that model to Shiro or Koenig, and you'd get a production knife that performs just as well, for your purposes.

If anything, I'd say take a look at the Shiro Neon Zero - it has a very similar big-belly shape.

Do you think there's anything on the Neo that could not be replicated in production?
 
IMO, one isn’t any better than the other in terms of function and f&f. It comes down to personal preference and budget. If you like the idea of owning something that someone shed sweat and blood over while making it even if you have to wait to get it, then custom is the way to go. If you like the idea of owning something from a manufacturer with a strong reputation for producing a quality product consistently and has impeccable customer service, and the product is readily available, then go production.
 
When you can get a folder with incredible tolerances and premium materials in the $200 range, it's difficult to pony up $800+ for a custom with similar fit/finish and materials.
 
There are custom knives and there are production knives.

There are high quality knives and there are low quality knives.

All of these traits co-mingle at some point. You can get high and low quality out of both custom and production.

The only thing that makes custom better FOR ME is that I can get it made like I want it.

The customer-service-after-the-sale thing? Don't know... I haven't needed to send back a custom.
 
A custom is a form of artistry and craftsmanship. You can only do so much in making functional knives i:e: steels and heat treatments. Production knives pretty much have that down to a fine science. The extras in finishing using artistic skills take time and time is money. For cutting and carrying a production is on equal footing with a custom.
 
tyyreaun said:
That's not because it's a custom, though - it's just the blade shape that Jens chose. He could license that model to Shiro or Koenig, and you'd get a production knife that performs just as well, for your purposes.

If anything, I'd say take a look at the Shiro Neon Zero - it has a very similar big-belly shape.

Do you think there's anything on the Neo that could not be replicated in production?
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I have a Shiro Neon variant, the HatiOn Lite. Its and the Neos blade geometries are night and day. And yes, someone could replicate the Neo blade shape, but no one has. The difference in performance is valuable to me.

They are a natural comparison though.
 
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