Fear of Customs?

CWL

CWL

Joined
Sep 15, 2002
Messages
10,304
Folks,
I've been wondering why so many knife collectors only buy production or benchmade knives when there are so many great custom knifemakers around.

Is it because some people just like "name brand", are they scared of the unknown? Perhaps people think all customs are priced like a Randall (yeah, I know Randalls are just benchmades).

To me nothing beats holding and using a knife that has been handmade and forged one at a time. To me the uniqueness and rarity is as special as the blade itself. Most of the blades available in the For Sale section are cheaper or the same as comparable machine-made models -who don't more people take advantage of them?

It can't be for investment purposes either, since few production, benchmade or customs really go up in value in the long run.

Anyone care to share why you only buy production models? :confused:
 
availability and cost.

ive owned many true customs, and still have a couple. the makers whose products i would currently like to own are very difficult to come by at retail prices. id love an anso rock lobster or another hinderer.

just gotta be patient.
 
Generally knife buying/collecting is in phases. A lot of people never move out of the initial few phases into the custom world. I haven't. I doubt I will. If I ever get to a show and find one, I'll get it. But putting 100s up to wait for a few years is not in my interest. Besides it can be a bit intimidating. It takes time and research to ensure you aren't overpaying for what you get. Thankfully Bladeforums has a lot of fellows willing to share their experience. I've asked people what they thought of a knife and they told me exactly why it was overpriced. Good stuff.
 
Honestly, for me it is fear of the unknown. I don't want to fork over the dough for something that might be a pile of crap then have nothing to fall back on when the maker won't answer e-mails or return phone calls. And I don't want to buy something that expensive from a person who may or may not be in business next month.
 
Waiting time for one. I've looked up a couple custom makers. First off, you start with a hefty price. Then you move to a lengthy weight depending on if they have a wait list going. Randells aren't "true" customs, but the wait list for one of those is upwards of five years. :(

It's much easier to go out and satisfy the new knife urge with two or three new ones then put myself through a 6 month wait for a rather expensive knife.

That being said, I do plan on picking up one over the summer. :D
 
It is a matter of costs. Is it worth that?

I wouldn´t pay that much on a folder (150 euro for a good production to 450 euro and more for a custom made).

I do carry a custom fixed blade, made by my idea through a knife maker whos prices are not that far away from a good factory made fixed blade. I had to wait about two or three month.

He offers some small serieal affordable models, that i would call to the custom realm too.

Not much more than a production (twice as much no sheath). Look for the Izula as a basis.
 
I buy both. There are lots of fine production knives out there that I own or want to own. But everytime I decide to drop a decent dollar amount on a knife I always look to the custom market first to see what is available.

I also tend to have a preference for handmade production knives.

Percentage wise I would guess my collection is 20 - 25% customs.

As already stated, lack of availability of what I'm looking for, and long wait times, are usually what prevent me from going custom more often.

I currently have three customs on order, one will hopefully be delivered in the next week or two, the other two are a year or more away.

In meantime, I have to feed the habit. :D

Kevin

PS. Also, many of the customs , the ones that I really drool over, are way out of my price range.
 
I only buy customs and CRK knives.

This is one of the reasons I joined forums in the first place; to intereact with different people, seeing & hearing about the knives they buy. What folks like and what they don't. I also like the interaction WITH knife makers.
 
T.K.C. said:
I only buy customs and CRK knives.

This is one of the reasons I joined forums in the first place; to intereact with different people, seeing & hearing about the knives they buy. What folks like and what they don't. I also like the interaction WITH knife makers.
Click to expand...

I am on par with TKC I have ALOT of customs, but many of them are fixed blades (I have a "thing" for hunters and big bowies). I have a good arangment of folders from Hinderer, DDR, RJ MARTIN, Lambert, etc. I havent gone much over the 1K mark yet. Just cant seem to stomach it when I am saving for a 50 cal.

The big thing with me is the interaction with the knifemakers, the planning, the pics while they are in progress, picking handle materials, steels, blade styles, gaurd materials (if its a fixed blade) and just making what I WANT. I cant do that with a production, I just look for production knives that have MOST of what I want.

I do hate the waiting time, but its nice sometimes because it allows you to save and get funds together for something which you might not be able to afford at that moment. Talking on the phone or through email is half the fun, you get to learn alot doing that.
 
I don't have a "fear of customs," and perhaps 5% of my accumulation is custom knives. So why only 5%?

#1 price, especially folders
#2 availability
#3 strong interest in everyday production knives
 
I'm working with a maker at the moment to design and build an 'ideal' knife---the one knife that is exactly what I want down to every detail. If that knife were available off the shelf I would buy it and a dozen spares.

Since nobody has produced a perfect knife for me just yet I'll have to contract with someone to make it. If it really satisfies my wants then it will be money well-spent. But if it doesn't then I will consider myself to have really made a poor financial decision, since I can buy other knives that are equally unsatisfying for 1/4 the price.
 
The main problems that I can see are the cost of customs and the waiting times associated with getting one. I want to get a barlow made, but the maker I had in mind is no longer taking orders. :grumpy: Plus, there are some makers that don't deal directly with customers, preferring instead to do business with vendors. What's the point in that? If I'm getting a custom, I want it made according to my preferences, and chances are that I won't find what I want in a seller's existing inventory.
 
I love customs and even at my young age (I can't vote yet) they are often the only long term purchases I ever make. Making life-long friendships with knifemakers is a big plus for me. I have just started looking into custom folders which take a great deal of patience to receive.....with any luck I will receive three over the next six years. They will all be worth the wait! :)
 
Before getting my first custom, I was just uncomfortable going into the higher price ranges. I imagine that most folks have issues with price ranges and availability. Even if we rule out a motive of buying to sell for a profit, I'm sure many more people would be willing to buy a Hinderer XM-18 if it cost $150 and were readily available. The same reasons that I didn't buy an XM-18 earlier than I did are the same reasons that I don't own damascus Lochsa or a Marlowe.
 
I'm having one made as we speak, it will be my first custom and I'm getting more excited everyday. Kinda feels like Christmas. It's an existing design of a maker here in the forum that I just sketched a new blade design for and asked if he could do it - "no problem" he said. I know I'll love it. And I'm already hooked on getting more made even though I haven't seen my first one yet. In addition to getting the knife, I'm also gaining experience on the design element. For me, it's a fun education.
I think as far as collecting only production models go, maybe people just feel safer and more familiar with them. Brand identity can play a huge role in collectibles of any sort.

Gibby
 
I have just started buying customs, but the vast majority is production. For me, my collection is all about diversity- I wan no 2 knives to be the same, so production fills this well. Because of the forum I have had limited interactions on small Bladeforums runs, so not a true custom made knife but very very close. I have one slip joint planned out for my graduation from massage therapy that will not be ready to begin work on until late next year.

One more reason many choose production knives is that they are afraid to use their customs as they are generally much more expensive. to me that does not matter as no matter how pretty it is, my knives are going to work for their keep.
 
I've never had a custom, nor have I given any real thought to getting one until recently. I am waiting for an SDS Nessmuk now, and I'm really excited at the thought of having a knife that was hand made by a real knifesmith just for me. I saw something that he did for another forumite, and I had to have one. I should add that I'm not a collector - I intend this knife to be a lifelong user.
 
This is the true value of Bladeforums. I was checking out some of the customs listed here. I found one maker's knives that I really liked. I did a search on the forums and found nothing but praise from other members on his service and products. I ordered a custom from him (John Landis) and although I have not received it yet, I'm sure I'll be pleased. I value our members opinions.
 
I used to buy tons of production knives and then sold them all and started the custom thing when I was about 15. Its amazing to me. I love going to shows and being in the whole custom world with other crazy people like me. The knives are damn expensive but when you get into it, its SO rewarding to purchase them. I will not ever say that its practical, but they are a big part of my life. Its like collecting art, stamps, coins etc. I recently became crazy enough to carry a particular 2k dollar knife in my pocket every day and when I am on my lunch break from work, I often just stare at the steel (damascus) and play with it. This is my carry knife.

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My favorite part of customs is that you can DESIGN YOUR OWN! If you are patient enough to save up for one and and wait for one, it is amazing to have something you drew become a reality.
 
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