Half custom Half factory ?

Strider · Apr 15, 2000

I asked this over on the General forum but I guess that people are either to busy reading the latest MD soap opera thread or trying to figure out which knife does it all for under 30 bucks. Where does a knife with a custom ground blade by say Brend/MT or Corby/Paragon fall. Its not custom yet its more then production so what catagory or title do they fall under? I would ask that Mayo guy but he's to busy trying to figure out a scheme for a new rigged contest.
Bob

Paracelsus · Apr 16, 2000

One criteria that makes sense to me is that a custom knife should be made by One person. Ideally, it should be one of a kind. Many makers produce nearly identical versions of the same knife. These are usually called custom knives also.

Some think the the literal definition of 'custom' demands that such work be made to the specifications of the buyer. But to what degree does the buyer design the knife? He may request only certain materials. He may design the blade, and detail all aspects of the construction. If a buyer purchases a sole authored knife from a retailer like Larry Connelly or Les Robertson, is he Not buying a custom knife? Is it then just a knife, not production, not custom, and maybe not exactly 'handmade', either.

The way the word 'custom' seems to be used in the knife world is a little more liberal than than literal. What I am sure of is that the word 'custom' means designed, made, and finished by One person.

Any Group of people involved in producing knives according to the design and specifications of a Maker is involved in a Production process. So the knives that make are Production Knives, even if they are of extraordinarily high quality.

Usually, it will take several words or More to adequately describe any knife. I use whatever seems most appropriate to me.

Paracelsus, semiotic

[This message has been edited by Paracelsus (edited 04-15-2000).]

Strider · Apr 15, 2000

Paracelsus
I am well aware of the various differences between custom,custom to a clients specifications,sole authorship knives etc. My question purely has to do with what the knives I used as an example are called in the business.In other words is there a label for them like say "Hybrid Factory" or maybe "Half & Half" Most collaborations are designed by a maker say in the case of SpyderCo/Terzuola which are then entirley put together and produced in a factory in SEKI. I'm talking specificlly about production knives that a custom maker also has a hand in its conception in these cases with a hand ground blade.
Bob

lifter4Him · Apr 16, 2000

Bob, I would have to say they are production knives with hand ground blades. Also, I understand that some of the productions coming out of Seki,Japan have hand ground blades but ground by unknown makers. I know that Scott Self of Tinives calls them hybrids, which is as good a term as any.
As for custom knives, years ago Bob Loveless called that term a misnomer. He said most handmade knives should be called benchmade unless they were specifically made to a customer's design.
Here's another one for you-what do you call supposedly handmade knives that are made with purchased blades ground by someone else?
Personally, I call it dishonest. AG Russell says that there were a few makers making knives with blades ground by the late Bob Engnath.
Hey, I'm just a fountain of useless information,huh?

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Dave (Phil.4:13)
I Can Do All Things Through Him Who Strengthens Me

tom mayo · Apr 16, 2000

here i am....back from the skeet range.. man was it windy today....missed plenty...winds fault of course...Id say...they are factory knives with custom ground blades.....half breeds...or maybe half brends....know pun intended!!!

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http://www.mayoknives.com

Strider · Apr 16, 2000

Lifter
Yeah I guess thats as good a name as any. Now if you took the thing apart and just kept the blade would you then have a custom made blade....

As far as the blanks issue and putting ones name on a knife like that I would also call it dishonest. what if a blank blade was attached to a stained glass lamp what would that be called LOL.
I heard that the highest winds on record accured in the Pacific Ocean area yesterday near a couple of small vacation islands. The news reported that the winds because of the direction they were blowing seemed to help every sport shooter for miles around except one guy who was to busy running around trying to win free ammo

Bob

Brian_Turner · Apr 16, 2000

OK, let's try again.

I'd call the knives in question production knives, with hand ground blades. Or just production knives. You don't class them differently if they are human-inspected during QA, or if any single process involves human intervention. The manufacturing process is still a production process. Maybe I'd see things differently if the blade were hand forged, but IMO, just hand grinding it doesn't change the knife's classification.

WRT custom v benchmade, I define custom as singularly designed and constructed for a customer (HEY! - Custom - customer!). The "customer" can be the maker, the purchaser, Les Robertson, whoever. The methods of production don't matter. If you want to program CNC for a single knife, you're doing a boatload of work - not necessarily less than you would handmaking.

The key for me is the singularity of the design and production method. Are you producing one knife, or are you producing one knife of many?

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AKTI Member #A000832

"Sometimes you eat the bear, and sometimes, the bear eats you."

nailer · Apr 16, 2000

I call my Brend bladed MTs and WWs cool knives. Other than that I see them as production knives with custom blades. My Kershaw Ricochet is prodution knive with a hand ground blade. There is a difference, don't you think? After all, my Brend #2 Fighter is a custom.