Custom made knives vs production made knives.

NewBlades16 said:
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.
Click to expand...
I’m there for my customers if they are there for me:)....If you’d heard some of the BS customers try to pull on makers & production knife companies. You’d understand exactly what I mean.. in 23 years I’ve only had one customer that I finally told when I sent his knife back to him after a repair of the handle that he abused. We are DONE! after telling him if you get the stabilized hardwood, you can’t use it in a commercial kitchen, because the sanitizer solution will ruin it. Get the Kirinite manmade material. Of course he said he didn’t use it at work. Well, he did, and it’s obvious to me when a wooden handle has been repeated dipped in Sanitizer... along with other BS.
 
I don’t read as many threads in G,B&U about production knives as I do about custom makers. At least I don’t think so.
IMO, it all boils down to bragging rights.
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
I’m there for my customers if they are there for me:)....If you’d heard some of the BS customers try to pull on makers & production knife companies. You’d understand exactly what I mean.. in 23 years I’ve only had one customer that I finally told when I sent his knife back to him after a repair of the handle that he abused. We are DONE! after telling him if you get the stabilized hardwood, you can’t use it in a commercial kitchen, because the sanitizer solution will ruin it. Get the Kirinite manmade material. Of course he said he didn’t use it at work. Well, he did, and it’s obvious to me when a wooden handle has been repeated dipped in Sanitizer... along with other BS.
Click to expand...
I totally get where you are coming from. Dishonesty and being taken advantage of is a "Done" deal as you said.
 
Customs, MidTech and Production - these are marketing terms.

Makers claim their knives are customs to make them seem more prestigious and more exclusive. There is an element of craftsmanship about these things, no doubt, but really this term allows makers to ask for higher prices for their knives.

A knife being a custom doesn't mean that it is better than a production. It doesn't mean that it has better fit/finish. It doesn't mean it has better materials. It could mean those things, but it doesn't have to.

In the end, it's about money and then probably about pride. Its not about fit/finish, craftsmanship, or materials because in the modern global market you can find productions that rival the majority of customs on any one of those categories.
 
P D said:
Customs, MidTech and Production - these are marketing terms.

Makers claim their knives are customs to make them seem more prestigious and more exclusive. There is an element of craftsmanship about these things, no doubt, but really this term allows makers to ask for higher prices for their knives.

A knife being a custom doesn't mean that it is better than a production. It doesn't mean that it has better fit/finish. It doesn't mean it has better materials. It could mean those things, but it doesn't have to.

In the end, it's about money and then probably about pride. Its not about fit/finish, craftsmanship, or materials because in the modern global market you can find productions that rival the majority of customs on any one of those categories.
Click to expand...


I disagree

like I said

when it comes to folders the gap has closed but not production vs custom fixed blades

it’s rare to get a quality production sheath for a fixed blade even

to be honest the average person has not even handled very high end custom pieces .....it’s just not in their wheel house
 
The pics in post #47 basically close the thread. Each piece is amazing. I think of Wheeler's hand sanding videos when I see those perfect flats. The Lurquin hamons are too much.
 
Richard338 said:
The pics in post #47 basically close the thread. Each piece is amazing. I think of Wheeler's hand sanding videos when I see those perfect flats. The Lurquin hamons are too much.
Click to expand...
Yes they are very nice ! Even amazing looking but, will they cut, slice or chop better or perform better than a good well made production knife ? Looks don’t make a knife . Neither doses flawless fit and finish or artistry. I’m not saying they are not made better, or not as desirable, what I’m saying is no matter how flawless and magnificent they are they are still only capable of cutting, slicing or chopping as any other knife that has the proper metal, hardening, tempering, geometry, design and edge. And after some serious usage they will probably show the wear and tear more so than a plain Jane work horse knife.

I do admire finely made custom knives and the pure talent, skill, artistry and all that goes into making such a fine piece but I haven’t the kind of income or desire to spend the amount of money they fetch. I have three knives that were made in the Buck custom knife shop and they are very well made. Maybe not as fine as some of the knives pictured above but for me they are perfect. They do an amazing job for their intended use and look very nice as well but they are probably a fraction of the cost. I’m happy as can be.
 
There is nothing wrong with a buck knife but when it comes to balance and feel and the properties a differentially heat treated blade can make in a fixed blade it is a game changer when you are comparing quality and performance

no production fixed blades that I know off offer distal taper which is what changes a big fixed blade from a paper weight to a well balanced piece

with that said no one needs a knife of such high quality for day to day use but to say there is no difference is to compare high performance sports car to a plain jane sedan
 
Lesknife said:
Yes they are very nice ! Even amazing looking but, will they cut, slice or chop better or perform better than a good well made production knife ? Looks don’t make a knife . Neither doses flawless fit and finish or artistry. I’m not saying they are not made better, or not as desirable, what I’m saying is no matter how flawless and magnificent they are they are still only capable of cutting, slicing or chopping as any other knife that has the proper metal, hardening, tempering, geometry, design and edge. And after some serious usage they will probably show the wear and tear more so than a plain Jane work horse knife.

I do admire finely made custom knives and the pure talent, skill, artistry and all that goes into making such a fine piece but I haven’t the kind of income or desire to spend the amount of money they fetch. I have three knives that were made in the Buck custom knife shop and they are very well made. Maybe not as fine as some of the knives pictured above but for me they are perfect. They do an amazing job for their intended use and look very nice as well but they are probably a fraction of the cost. I’m happy as can be.
Click to expand...
I can appreciate both aspects. I have a field knife 2 coming from CPK that I expect to perform very well in hard use and I will use it a lot. I'm also planning a high end custom that will cost a lot more, and I will use a lot less. Guess which one I'm more excited about?
 
JParanee said:
the list could go on forever





































Click to expand...

Whose are beautifull pieces. No doubt.

But they aren't necessarily better than a high-end production fixed blade.
Beautifull women aren't any better women than ugly women. They may be more fun to fondle.

And presenting a bunch of very high-end customs, does not mean, that other customs are equally amazing, across the board.
 
Custom vs. Production? You can have both.

One of the services I provide for salesmen and individuals is to 'refine' the way a knife leaves the factory. As you might remember from your youth, there might always be some type of flaw or incomplete polish on a commercial knife.

If a salesman has a loyal client who buys factory knives, he will drop the knife or knives off at my home to have the "flaw" removed.

Here's my point, I'm not the only guy in the United States who does this. Even if the professional in your home area is a "knife maker," he is also a perfectionist in repair and modification. My point is to not to suffer in silence! Get to know the professionals in your area. Over time, these craftsmen will know your tastes, you dislike of a factory "feature," even a chip from when your favorite knife hit a cement sidewalk.

And, yes, a mirror finished edge is very affordable.
upload_2020-2-13_7-9-35.jpeg
 
Rasmus80 said:
Whose are beautifull pieces. No doubt.

But they aren't necessarily better than a high-end production fixed blade.
Beautifull women aren't any better women than ugly women. They may be more fun to fondle.

And presenting a bunch of very high-end customs, does not mean, that other customs are equally amazing, across the board.
Click to expand...

from OP

QUOTE

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

I replied

when it comes to production folders the gap is closer but fixed blades it’s not even close

I’m still sticking with that

show me some production fixed blade knives that equal what I’ve posted

Show me some production fixed blade sheaths that equal the quality custom sheaths that are are available

Not trying to be argumentative just truthful

me personally

I can find plenty of production folders that I very much like

when it comes to fixed blades not so much
 
You may be missing my point.

Some customs may well be better than production knives. But that is far from saying "customs are better than production". (Which was the premise in the OP).

I would say, that a custom fixed blade maker has to be very good, in order to match the quality of a good production knife.
That is not to say, that some custom makers can't surpass the quality of good production knives.
 
Last edited:
What is "better" ?
To a knowledgeable collector this has a whole different meaning than to a basic user. "Good" or "better" are very relative here.
As a basic user, I would value first edge holding / robustness / reliability. This is also true for customs but there we will go a whole step further.
On a custom, I also want the aesthetics I like (pattern, materials, finish, balance ...) plus the sheath (for fixed) that compliments the knife perfectly.
And to round it off : "custom" would mean a "one of its kind done specially for you to your own specs".
How far goes "to your own specs" ?
This one is modified to my own specs (otherwise a current pattern made by the maker). The one in the middle. The idea was to get a perfectly balanced knife. It is :
xu1wyK7.jpg

And then, there is the one I designed and let a maker achieve. This is another level of satisfaction, for sure :
BgH8cVJ.jpg


I believe this is an awesome, way better performing dagger than many others. As I am not neighbour to Cold Steel's facility, I won't be able to beg my way to a pig carcass. Too bad.
In the end, the point is not "better" but maybe, "more fun" ?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top