To me, if a knife is customized by the buyer, it's both the buyer and the maker's knife. It should be called a Brownshoe-Terzula. But customization should include a partnership in both materials and design.
However, if the knife is unique, not one of 10, 20 or 100 by an individual maker, then it is a custom knife from that maker. Call it a custom Terzula.
If it's a hand made knife, one of a series, such as many of the Dozier knives, then to me it's not a Dozier custom but a Dozier handmade knife. That's OK too. If the buyer chooses handle material from a list, then it's still a handmade, but not custom knife. If the buyer specially orders handle or bolster material, then it's customized by the buyer, but is really just one of the series.
Where things get more complicated is with the maker who has assistants. If a knife is made in a shop with one big name maker and a couple of assistants, who actually made the knife? In this case, I personally believe the shop is a production shop, even if everything is handmade. In the old days this was a "benchmade" knife. Many "production" knives are hand ground and assembled and are really not different in construction techniques from makers who CNC their blanks and hand grind and assemble their product.
Then you get some who say if you don't heat treat your own blade, your not a true knife maker, just an overblown hobbyist. Don't you know, the secret is in the heat treatment. In a similar vein is the stock removal vs. forged debate; it ain't got no soul unless it's been pounded. But then, what about those who pound by hand vs. those who use a mechanical hammer???? It can hurt your brain.
A knife's dollar value as a tool or a work of art is self-evident. If you're adding value to a knife because it's custom, hand-made, or made by someone famous, then you should have the history of the knife's origin, construction and materials. You should write this down on the bill of sale and keep it, or your extra money has been lost. Many knifemakers will provide you with a short "provenance" with your blade to document how it was made, when and out of what materials and by whom. This documentation is a point of pride with many "custom" makers.
However, if the knife is unique, not one of 10, 20 or 100 by an individual maker, then it is a custom knife from that maker. Call it a custom Terzula.
If it's a hand made knife, one of a series, such as many of the Dozier knives, then to me it's not a Dozier custom but a Dozier handmade knife. That's OK too. If the buyer chooses handle material from a list, then it's still a handmade, but not custom knife. If the buyer specially orders handle or bolster material, then it's customized by the buyer, but is really just one of the series.
Where things get more complicated is with the maker who has assistants. If a knife is made in a shop with one big name maker and a couple of assistants, who actually made the knife? In this case, I personally believe the shop is a production shop, even if everything is handmade. In the old days this was a "benchmade" knife. Many "production" knives are hand ground and assembled and are really not different in construction techniques from makers who CNC their blanks and hand grind and assemble their product.
Then you get some who say if you don't heat treat your own blade, your not a true knife maker, just an overblown hobbyist. Don't you know, the secret is in the heat treatment. In a similar vein is the stock removal vs. forged debate; it ain't got no soul unless it's been pounded. But then, what about those who pound by hand vs. those who use a mechanical hammer???? It can hurt your brain.
A knife's dollar value as a tool or a work of art is self-evident. If you're adding value to a knife because it's custom, hand-made, or made by someone famous, then you should have the history of the knife's origin, construction and materials. You should write this down on the bill of sale and keep it, or your extra money has been lost. Many knifemakers will provide you with a short "provenance" with your blade to document how it was made, when and out of what materials and by whom. This documentation is a point of pride with many "custom" makers.
