Do you carry, or buy others knives?

O

Omega Leather Works

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Jun 13, 2007
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I'm just curious. Do you make all of your own knives, or do you still buy production or custom knives?

I'm beginning to realize that I can probably make most of the fixed blade knives I'd ever need. They wouldn't be works of art like I'm used to buying, but functional? Sure!

In a way it's almost a bummer. I've learned so much that some of the mystique is evaporating. Once you realize that the majority of cost is in time, experience, the makers name and skill, you start to re-evaluate how much you can get away with on your own.
 
Yeah but think of it this way, you carry your own knife and while it might not be quite as good as some there is one thing that no knife you buy has. Pride, the fact that you made the knife you're carry, to me atleast, is worth more than some production knife made on an assembly line of machines
 
In the kitchen I use my own knives about 95% of the time. I still occasionally use my Henckels when I need a knife I can abuse a little bit.
My EDC knife is production (spyderco) because I don't make folders and fixed blades draw attention. When I'm in a position to carry a fixed blade, I always carry my own.

- Chris
 
At the knife shows I have attended I regularly see knife makers purchasing from or trading with other knife makers quite a bit.
 
Burl Source said:
At the knife shows I have attended I regularly see knife makers purchasing from or trading with other knife makers quite a bit.
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I think that's awesome. Especially two makers exchanging their work.

Just to clarify, I don't intend to ever stop buying knives. I'm not a collector, per se, but whatever I am, I'm that before a maker. :D I use my knives (even if it's not as much as I'd like) and don't keep safe queens. I've got a couple of knives on order from Fiddleback, and hope to get places on the books of other makers as well.

So to answer my own question, yes. Even if I could make a few sharp pieces of metal with handles, they won't stop me from buying yours. :)
 
Strigamort said:
I've got a couple of knives on order from Fiddleback, and hope to get places on the books.....................
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Can't go wrong with Andy.

I am probably like many makers. I carry my own stuff. Many are knives that didn't muster up to my expectations (Fit & Finish), but are totally "Work-Worthy" otherwise.

I haven't purchased a knife in many years. I have done a few trades over the years with other makers, but I have realized that if I want a "GOOD" knife, I will either make it myself or get one from one of my fellow knife-making buddies.

Robert
 
I make knives... and I like to buy knives from my knife maker friends as well as carry my own. You can be a knife maker and knife collector all in one :) I know of a lot of knife makers that buy other makers work.
 
Day to day I carry a kershaw cryo, the smaller first version. Before that I carried a variety of other folders in roughly the same size range. While I really like the hand made stuff, the reality is that I've lost most of the folders I carried day to day rather than simply switched because I wanted something different. That makes putting $200+ on the line a bit much. I don't even go in for nicer factory folders, I like to keep it under $50 so it's more an annoyance at not having the knife I'm used to than the cost. Don't get me wrong, I tend to go a few years between losses, but there have been times I lost one a month due to a lot of field use where a drop meant no more knife and I didn't have a lanyard on.

For fixed blades, something I rarely have reason to carry but use around the house and on the occasional hiking/camping trip, I have mostly switched to my own stuff. I still keep a Cold Steel SRK 2nd that I bought nearly 20 years ago in my emergency bag. I've also got the Mark Redmon tactical tanto hybrid I got in a kith a while back in another field kit and I use it for more mundane tasks like hacking out the brambles that like to grow around the house. It is easy to hold with heavy leather gloves on and is tough enough to not be phased by the work.
In the kitchen it's all mine, ditto for small tasks. I have a knife I call a "Curve" that we keep a few of around to use as everything from box cutters to mail openers to kitchen utility tool. I had to explain to my housemate why she wanted to use mine for most foods (blackened acid finish) rather than the shiny one she normally uses. They're 1084 and she likes it bright and shiny.
 
Using my own knife in the kitchen puts a smile on my face. Even if it has small design faults (improofment points)
Same with using a self made knife in my shop.
But I EDC a multitool and have no intention to make one of those myself
 
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