Having a knife custom made?

C

cw821

Joined
Feb 4, 2003
Messages
19
I have a knife design that I would love to have made. I have not had any experience dealing with knife makers. My question is, do knife makers like it when someone calls to have a custom knife made, and then you tell them exactly how you would like to look? Or, do makers just want an idea and then whatever comes out is it. Would this be a pride thing, or would be ok with some.
 
For me I like to discuss what a person is looking for in a knife. What it will be used for. If they have a design in mind we discuss what the intended knife entails and then if I can do it I ask for a drawing with the specs. I will only make what I feel I'm capable of handling. If I can't do it, I try to point them in the direction of a maker that can do it.
Scott
 
I love doing custom work for people. Usually this means working with the customer to design the knife that will be perfect for both the person and the intended use. Part of the fun is designing the knife so if I was just handed a design and asked to make it, I wouldn't have as much fun doing it. I like the knives I make to have characteristics to them that make them identifiable as my work. But if a customer approached me with an exact design they wanted I would be flattered enough that they wanted me to do it that I'd do it, anyway. In fact, I would prefer working from a customer's design than for a customer to buy a knife out of my inventory. I don't like it when people take my word for what a knife should look like. That's why it says "CUSTOM knifemaker" on my card and not "handmade knifemaker".
*steps down from soap box*

- Chris
 
I'll take whatever criteria a customer can give, and work from that. Sometimes, its a general style, list of materials, and a few dimensions. Sometimes you get a drawing.
If I think its something I can make, then we work out an agreement. The customer has to realize it may not come out exactly the same as they pictured, and the maker has to remember they're building a knife for the customer and not to change things to their own liking without discussing it.

Thats about how it goes though, there really isn't much chance of you offending anyone short of sending a picture of another guys work and asking for the same thing with a lower price :)
 
The part that gets me is when the drawing comes in, done on some high tech CAD system with +/- .001" tolerances. Knifemakers grind freehand and that sort of tolerance isn't possible.

In truth customer drawings usually have features that do not work with my equipment tolerances or available radius' so they have to be massaged a bit to make them workable. It is at this stage that it is very important to communicate closely with the customer to iron out the discrepancies before they become problems.

Some of my best models have come from customer collaborations.
 
I don't do "custom orders". If you don't want a "Cuchillo Wilkins" that's fine. This is the knife I make. If you want a Loveless then get Bob to make it.

Sounds pretty anal, doesn't it? I have made knives exact to a person's spec or drawing and it never fails, I get the "well, it's wider here than I thought it would be..." or "I think that a maple burl would look better than the California buckeye that I wanted".

Nope. No customs for me. Not anymore.

Craig
 
I prefer orders only - each piece considered carefully. Some of my best, most fulfilling projects have had a high amount of customer interaction in the design. In fact, I try to elicit opinions, etc.

Good luck with your search.
 
Thanks for the replies gentlemen. That's what I was hoping for, for the most part. I guess I will just have to start looking for someone that has a style I like.

I plan on having a hunter/skinner made with damascus blade (4-4/12"), guard, and pommel, with a stag handle. Not sure how much I want to spend, but then I don't really know how much one like this might cost to begin with.
 
Your best bet is to look around (no shortage of great pics to see) at a bunch of knifemaker's sites (and links to other knifemaker's sites from their sites!) and when you find some work that is along the lines of what you are looking for, email or call them and find out if they will make something along the lines of what you want. As you can see, some people take custom orders and some don't. Most probably take into consideration some of the custom details, and like George said, massage the kinks out until they work. Some things look really cool on paper but once they materialize they're horrifying! I have a whole drawer of my own stuff that proves that point! :rolleyes: Worst thing someone can say is "sorry, I can't do that for you" or "I don't take custom orders. I make what I make and sell what I sell" (sounds like something Popeye would say...)
 
You mainly want a good relationship with the maker. Look for a guy who shows some of what you already want. The end result will be much better. In otherwords, dont look for a Tactical maker to make you a period piece, unless he shows interest in doing that. Does that make since?
A good maker will suggest design changes but if you want what you want...he will do that too.
I'd like to see the design ;)
 
I make mainly customers customs and then picture them
( some of the ones I like)
tweaking them to fit the both of us I want a little of me in there
and most all my client have enjoyed that, most of them are not artists so what I've come up with normally blows them away because it started with them and they can say, I had that made. but to do it to the tee :( , it can be done, :) ,
if you have the money I'll make the time :D good motto aye... :D
if the customer does not want it reproduced he'll pay more,
if he doesn't care then it goes up for others to have made if they want.
I'd say

you'll pay on up to over 25% ( should be a lot more) more for your design I'd say could be ball park..at least with me..
 
I have and will make knives that the customer draws up, but always with the stipulation that it will be near the drawing, but since I am not machining it they have to allow for freehand creativity. Sometimes it just comes out the way it wants to. So far, people have been pleased.

I think the public down here in the southwest is less sophisticated than you guys back east deal with.
 
I like your knife pictures Dan K.. Seems like every time I see your signature picture there is another great looking knife. In fact there was one or maybe two I think I even recognized.

RL
 
cw821 said:
Thanks for the replies gentlemen. That's what I was hoping for, for the most part. I guess I will just have to start looking for someone that has a style I like.
Click to expand...

Don't give up on getting exactly what you want. I personally don't like doing custom orders (I've pretty much stopped doing them) but there are plenty of excelent makers that will do exactly what you want, or at least pretty darn close. Go to some knife shows and talk to the knifemakers that make the kind of knife you like and show them your drawings.

Les
 
I've had a couple of knives made from my drawings and it has been a most enjoyable experiance. In fact I even did a tutorial a while back on how to design a knife using Photoshop. Dan Grey still has it in his tutorial section on his website, the link is.
http://www.knivesby.com/phill.html
I wrote the tutorial for a couple of reasons, one was to make a knifemakers life easier and the other was to help someone that wanted to design a knife to have made.

The most important thing is to work with the right maker. I couldn't have been luckier with my selections, two of them have become dear friends, Max Burnett and Art Washburn. Communication is vital.
 
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