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Custom or Production.

Depends to an extent how much I paid for the custom. I'm OK going with either one, although I have to admit that I generally find myself with a good/higher-end production blade.

- Mark
 
Custom.

Design, fit/finish, material, heat treat, construction....

Some products are sufficiently good in some specs listed above, though.
 
So I always went production.

BUT

I just got a Jeff Crowner Custom that I will give some info on shortly.

I have already determined it is far superior to any production I have ever owned.

Carl-
 
Funny that you should post this ? now, as I was recently going thru all of my knives and noticed that nearly all my fixed blades are custom, whereas most of my folders are production. Never intended it this way, just happened.
 
Ahhh....to me it doesnt much matter if I like the knife.

Ive been thrilled w/ every RAT Ive owned, and every Barkie (mostly the Bravo line)

However full on customs allow total freedom in blade material, handle material, and overall design. You could get your perfect blade.
 
With the quality and value you get from the custom makers we have here, I will probably never buy another production fixed blade.
Stomper, Fiddleback, Breeden, Gossman etc. You tell them exactly what you need and you get it. No need to buy a production knife that is close to what you want.
 
I always avoided customs on the mistaken assumption that they were cost prohibitive. Boy, was I wrong! I have an SDS Nessmuk and now a Landi PSK. Both are robust and suitable for real work. Both exhibit great craftsmanship. Neither one was especially expensive.
 
When I started getting into knives, I avoided customs for the same reason as others - the perception that you were paying more for the same thing, but after I took the time to browse the BF makers pages, I am not sure I would buy another production fixed blade.

Now, looking at the cheaper custom knives, the main concern one would have would be quality, since in a production knife you know that the same process is applied to each knife in a quality control setting. In a cheaper custom knife, you may be going with a newer/somewhat unknown name, which is to say that their quality control isn't that well known yet.

Personally, my go-to knife for camping and hikes is very nicely priced custom by Eric Knight.
 
Umm, why not both? I buy both, and treat them the same. Aside from the fact the customs hold more value in my eyes, and I like them a wee bit more. Aside from that, it is personal preference.
 
While there are makers here that make some really, really nice knives, I still can't afford them. Yes, yes, I know, many of them are surprisingly affordable. Until I started hanging out here on Blade Forums, I had no idea that customs could be had for so little. Now I realize that, if I save my pennies, someday I might be able to buy one. So far though, it's production or nothing, and I'm very happy with the ones I have.
 
I suppose I would have said I'd use either a custom or production a few years ago, but now it's likely to be a custom. Or a RAT. I've gotten rid of most of my other production blades. Nevertheless, there's no reason not to use a good production knife. I think the key is to find a knife you really like.
 
I guess it goes without saying that I'm a fan of the RAT products. But I also love a good custom blade. I've been burning up the exchange lately, trading off and picking up customs to try out. Currently on a Koster kick, trying out as many models as I can get my hands on.

I like production knives for value and for taking a beating. I don't really care what they look like, they're tools to me.

Customs reserve a special place in my lineup. I care for them a little bit more, use them on more special outings and the like.
 
When I see a knife that I want, it makes no difference. I may see one posted here buy one of our makers or I may see something at the store that catches my eye. I keep my options open. I have never bought a custom folder and probably never will. Buck, Victorinox and Kershaw gets most of my folder dollars.
 
For the most part, I use customs. My EDC is a custom fixed blade, and my hiking knife is a JK custom AK. For camping, I pack a JK custom Hudson Bay.

But there is definitely room for production blades in my lineup. My favourite neck knife for fishing trips is a Camillus Becker Necker, and my go-to heavy chopper is a BK-9. When I feel like carrying a light but reliable fixed blade, I always reach for one of my Grohmanns.

All the best,

- Mike
 
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