Definition of a Custom Knifemaker?

Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones

Joined
Oct 28, 2006
Messages
13,363
There’s no doubt many new custom knifemakers coming on to the scene. Some think too many.

So it brings to mind what is a custom knifemaker? Now I’m not speaking in the simplest definition of the word, however when do we (collectors, established makers and dealers) consider a tinkerer or hobbyist a legitimate custom knifemaker. Is it fair for a hobbyist, who makes 6/7 knives a year to sell a knife or two at craft fairs or to his hunting buddies, to share the same title as say a Jerry Fisk or a dedicated part time maker such as Lin Rhea or newer maker hungry for knowledge such as Eric Fritz?

Does it have anything to do with the quantity of knives a maker produces or is it all about the quality of the knife produced?
Or is it as simple as if you are able to sell your knives you are a maker and if not you are a hobbyist?

Do these makers that just dabble in making knives yet, take a slice of the collector dollar pie concern established makers? Even though most of these makers/hobbyist are usually in for the short term, they do take some of the knife buying dollar.

Sometimes these makers/hobbyist fade away leaving collectors with knives with little monetary value? Does this concern collectors.

We no doubt need talented new makers that are willing to invest the time to become the established and successful makers of the future.

Just throwing this up for discussion. Thanks in advance for your opinions and thoughts.
 
I personally don't think quantity has a thing to do with it. I'm not sure quality does either.

Many hobbyists are able to sell the knives they make, and to me they are custom knife makers.

To me, a custom knifemaker is anyone that makes and sells (or gives away) knives.
 
A knife maker is someone who makes knives. A custom knife maker is someone who makes custom knives.

If you make a knife to the specifications of a person who will then pay you for the knife, you're a custom maker.

I agree with Keith. I don't think quality or quantity makes a difference.
 
I was going to post basically the same thing as Phillip, but then I thought about makers like Don Fogg and Vince Evans. These makers don't make knives to a customers specification. They don't accept orders/commisions, but I still consider them to be custom knifemakers.
 
I probably used the wrong word here and should of used handmade rather than custom.
The point for consideration is; at what point, or what makes a tinkerer/hobbyist knifemaker a legitimate handmade maker?

For example, I have a piece of steel out in the garage, an idler bar from a tractor (may be OK steel). Suppose I grind that into a blade, hand sand a finish, cut and bolt a piece of oak from a rack handle for the handle, take a photo and post it here. Keith and severedthumbs, I will then find it reassuring that you will then consider me a knifemaker from that point on. ;) :)

Obviously, taking it too far there, to clarify my point. :D

Kind of trying to determine even the generalist definition or starting point of illegitimate handmade/customs maker accepted by most to address a broader topic. But this could be kind of like trying to define a Bowie? :eek:
 
I am not concerned with the semantics of custom vs knifemaker. Joe Momma fits a customer's dymondwood scales onto a knife; that's a custom maker. Wolfgang Loerchner does only what he pleases. He's only a knifemaker.

For me, it's absurd to distinguish. Water will find it's own level.

Kevin, you touched upon something underlying: referring to the buyer as a collector. Collectors vs Users is another story in itself.

I think user makers are void from my discussion.

You touched upon the valid question: How many makers are going to do what it takes to endure, and subsequently uphold the value of their sold knives? I don't think it's an answerable question, but a consideration. We have all lost money selling quality collectible knives that have no maker reknown.

When you buy a collectible custom knife, you are often buying more than the qualty being handed over the table. You are paying a bit of a premium for longetivity value. If the maker forfeits his 'obligation' to his customers and disappears into obscurity, we lose.

The crystal ball is mysterious indeed. Keep talking.

Coop
 
I would like to add a thought here,hope I dont sound to stupid....

We are all knifemakers,adding titles such as Custom maker really just depends on what the maker wants to call him/her self.A factory can do a special order for a customer that they consider a custom order and that would put them in the relm of being custom knifemakers also,it can be debated in just the same way as who does hand made/handcrafted/factory/benchmade/etc/etc....Heck when can a stock removal maker say he is a Master Knifemaker (not ABS MS Bladesmith) If a person makes one knife and sells it does it make him a professional knifemaker (it used to be said that once you get paid cash money for a service you are a professional)so that would make the new guy selling his first knife a professional...so if a maker takes a order for one knife made to a customers spec's thus making it a custom knife that should put him on the list as a custom Knifemaker,That could be one of his very first knives he made even though he never took a order like that again and only made what he wanted,also if a maker makes a knife he likes and takes a pattern from say a antique knife and "customizes it" to fit his liking does that make him a custom maker?

What I am getting at is there isnt any set standards by any credited forces to give makers a title name (except the ABS) so makers can call themselves what ever they want and collecters can call makers what ever they want,doesnt matter if they have made 1 knife or been making knives for 50 years,or make 1 knife a year or a couple hundred knives a year.

Basically if the maker and the collecter think the title fits and sounds good that is what the maker is and that is about it...

Ok maybe this doesnt sound to dumb.
Bruce
 
SharpByCoop said:
I am not concerned with the semantics of custom vs knifemaker. Joe Momma fits a customer's dymondwood scales onto a knife; that's a custom maker. Wolfgang Loerchner does only what he pleases. He's only a knifemaker.

For me, it's absurd to distinguish. Water will find it's own level.

Kevin, you touched upon something underlying: referring to the buyer as a collector. Collectors vs Users is another story in itself.

I think user makers are void from my discussion.

You touched upon the valid question: How many makers are going to do what it takes to endure, and subsequently uphold the value of their sold knives? I don't think it's an answerable question, but a consideration. We have all lost money selling quality collectible knives that have no maker reknown.

When you buy a collectible custom knife, you are often buying more than the qualty being handed over the table. You are paying a bit of a premium for longetivity value. If the maker forfeits his 'obligation' to his customers and disappears into obscurity, we lose.
The crystal ball is mysterious indeed. Keep talking.

Coop
Click to expand...

There you go Coop. :thumbup:

There are hobbyist/makers that make knives only if/when it suites them and we have makers that beat the brush on a daily basis in working for themselves and their collectors in promoting, improving and raising the value and desirability of their knives. These makers are going to shows, on the forums, in the publications, spending money on and updating their websites and joining/participating in knife organizations.
 
SharpByCoop said:
Wolfgang Loerchner does only what he pleases. He's only a knifemaker.
Click to expand...

This is my dream. :cool: I don't want to be a custom maker forever. I think there would be a great deal of freedom in only making what I want. And no pressure to get the knife done when I promised the customer.
Not that I don't enjoy working with customers, because I do. I just think it would be a little less stressful.
I never said a custom maker is better than "only a knifemaker". They're just different. Either one could have more skill, or be in more demand than the other. I do think it's good to make a distinction, though.
 
Let me throw yet another monkey wrench in the machinery. Does a CUSTOM knifemaker have to be someone who makes a knife to someone elses specifications? Perhaps a better term for that type of knife/transaction would be the old London tailor/gunmaker, etc. term "bespoke" which means that the product, be it a Gieves and Hawkes suit, Purdey shotgun, Turnbull and Asser shirt or John Lobb shoes are made to fit the measurements/dimensions/desires of the individual customer.:D Is a custom hot rod or motorcycle NOT custom because Chip Foose or Jesse James made it for a show/contest and not on commision for some collector? To me, a custom knife is a knife with no "factory parts" and I do include knives made in the European fashion where one smith makes the blade and another knifemaker does the rest. Would anyone argue that colloborations such as the BFB, the Kemal pieces or the Wild Goo pieces are not custom knives? Where is gets a bit fuzzy is when someone buys a blade and fittings from one of the suppliers but really throws his own spin on the finished product.
 
jdm61 said:
Let me throw yet another monkey wrench in the machinery. Does a CUSTOM knifemaker have to be someone who makes a knife to someone elses specifications?
Click to expand...

Technically, in my opinion, yes. :D But I think the OP is asking what makes a knifemaker, so this line of conversation is getting off topic.
So I'll leave you with this:

Websters defines "custom" as:
1. made or performed according to personal order 2. specializing in custom work or operation (a custom tailor)
Click to expand...

That's the definition I'm going by.
 
jdm61 said:
Let me throw yet another monkey wrench in the machinery. Does a CUSTOM knifemaker have to be someone who makes a knife to someone elses specifications? Perhaps a better term for that type of knife/transaction would be the old London tailor/gunmaker, etc. term "bespoke" which means that the product, be it a Gieves and Hawkes suit, Purdey shotgun, Turnbull and Asser shirt or John Lobb shoes are made to fit the measurements/dimensions/desires of the individual customer.:D Is a custom hot rod or motorcycle NOT custom because Chip Foose or Jesse James made it for a show/contest and not on commision for some collector? To me, a custom knife is a knife with no "factory parts" and I do include knives made in the European fashion where one smith makes the blade and another knifemaker does the rest.
Click to expand...

I take "custom" to mean "as no other". With no regard to the customer it's made for. So Wolfgang Loerchner would be a custom maker in that sense.
 
Anyone who builds a knife is a knifemaker.

Thats just the way it is.

Every one that drives a car is a driver.

Richard Petty is a driver too.

We all know the difference.

Same thing with the "Knifemakers" we all know the difference.
 
I only consider someone a "custom" knifemaker if they are willing to negotiate the basic design of a knife with their customer (blade profile, handle fit, balance, grind, etc).

For example, if someone only makes very specific blades and and handles and will only accommodate their customers by letting them pick what material the handle scales are made from I don't consider them a "custom" knifemaker. Mass production companies can offer their knives with different handle options just the same. They might have fewer choices, but even with the most skilled and well stocked individual knifemaker you're still going to have a finite number of options. It wouldn't make sense to specify a specific number of available handle options at which point a producer's knives become "custom".
 
I call myself a "Professional Knifemaker".
I do it as a profession.
Tell you what, World Book has a good definition that suits this thread:
"professional - making a business or trade of something that others do for pleasure."
I incredibly seldom call myself a "custom Knifemaker", although I often do custom work.
But, by calling myself a "Professional Knifemaker" I set myself apart from those who do not do it for a living.
It's how I put lobster and caviar in the fridge.
I mean peanut butter and jelly!
 
Until the day he died, my Father was a "Professional Photographer".
All sorts of people have cameras, some even do it part time for extra income. Some sell pictures at local craft shows, etc.
My Father did it for a living.
He did "Custom" work - weddings, graduation pictures, baby pictures,etc., but for the most part, when he was behind the lens, he was capturing what he felt other people would buy.
He was a professional.
He did it for a living.
 
Me too Karl, but heck I have not interest in doing Photography for a living till I die. I stopped doing it for a living in 2000 and much prefer to live off the fruits of that labor and my wife's and just do photography for our own pleasure. I also love to teach so am happy to share any small bit I know with others.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top