High-End Customs On a Beer Budget?

Megalobyte

Megalobyte

Joined
Jun 5, 2002
Messages
2,761
Hi all. I am fairly new to collecting high end customs. I dont really go for the tactical types, more towards the extremely upscale, usually damascus, heavily file worked and inlayed folders, bordering on so called "Art knives". In the last few weeks, i have seen hundreds of high end customs. The ones that really appeal to me are generally in the $1,000-$3000 range, and they show incredible workanship, use of beautiful materials, and a keen attention to detail. (I know, expensive tastes). I have purchased a Charlie Dake damascus/white pearl folder, my most expensive at $1700, a small, but very pretty Mike Zscherny black pearl folder, and my newest purchase is a very nice Mel Pardue mammoth/damascus folder. As i have been looking at various high end custom knives, i had been wondering something. Is it possible to find a custom knife maker that makes a great knife, literally as good as the finest $2,000 knives, but for whatever reason, he charges MUCH less, like only $500. In other words, if youre into very high end, and expensive customs, are there any really spectacular customs out there that represent a great value at a fraction the cost of the much pricier knives. The most bang for the buck. Can you get a knife that competes favorably with knives 3 or 4 times the price, or do you truly only get what you pay for, and conversely do NOT get what you dont pay for? So, thats my question, and i would LOVE it if you all would give me your top picks for exceptional values, and the websites they can be found at. Thanks to all who respond.
 
You can find a very nice knife for $500. But it will have no where near the quality of materials (ie: expensive) or exhibit the same level of detail as that Dake does. Really nice MOP and mosaic damascus can easily consume most of that $500 budget. Say nothing about fancier things such as precious stone inlays and labor intensive options such as precision filework and fluting. You can certainly find high quality knives that are dressed up for $500, but they are exactly that, not really Art Knives, just dressed up knives.

A couple guys that come to mind as far as offering superb value in my eyes are Tim Herman and John W. Smith.

Tim's knives are just supremely elegant by design and superbly crafted. You are paying for the design and craftsmanship that goes into the knives, not the materials. True art all the way. I don't have any pics handy but do a search in the Custom and Gallery forums for some beauties.

Mr. Smiths knives are some of my favorites and I will own one someday. He forges his own Damascus (and colors a lot of it), does gold inlay, fluting, very nice filework and generally uses mammoth ivory or MOP for scales. Nice stuff. You can find some VERY nice pieces in the $1000-$1200 range. Check them out;

Sorry that I couldn't be of more help. But in all honesty, if I could find what you are looking for for $500, I wouldn't tell anyone

http://www.knifeart.com/johnwsmith.html

;)
 
If you wan fancy knives (damascus, mop, ivory, scales, file work etc.)
at a cheaper price, check out knives from South African makers. The Rand is much lower than the dollar and many South African knives are very good values. www.knifeart.com and www.bestknives.com carry many South African makers. Many of their knives will be in $400-$800 range which is about 30-40% cheaper than equivalent American knives.
 
Meglobyte:

The short answer to your question is no.

Now there are some $500 knives selling for $2,000 but not the other way around.

Materials, skill and additional labor make up a large part of that extra $1,500.00.

As always, when you are looking for knives over $1,000 check the person's background who is making the recommendations.

And as with most things, if it sounds to good to be true..it probably is.

Anthony, question for you. Who's work are you comparing? As in which South African maker compared to which US maker?

What criteria are you basing this on?

If your adding 40% to a an $800 knife, you looking at almost $1,200.00 US. You can get a lot of knife for that kind of money!

Also, are you including intangibles, i.e. name recognition, aftermarket strength, getting the knife repaired, etc.

I have checked out Rob Brown's web site and other pictures of his work. They look excellent for the price.
 
Les, to my eyes, South African cutlers like Arno Bernard, Andre DeVilliers, Lourens Prinsloo, Corrie Schoeman, and others make some pretty elaborate knives for under $800. I'm talking mastadon ivory, mother of pearl, damascus, filework etc. Obviously, many of these makers do not have the same level of name recognition here that Americans makers and their knives would worth less. I'm just saying that one can get some pretty fancy folders from South Africa at a price that is cheaper than similar American work. In my own personal collection, the only damascus piece I own was made by a lesser known SOuth African cutler named Andre Thornburg. I also bought a carbon fiber liner lock flipper by Brian Geyer for a price lower than I would pay for a William Henry Kestrel. These knives may not have much investment value, but if a man or woman just wants cool knives, then South African makers are a good option.
 
Thanks for the replies so far. As an aside, if you want to see some truly remarkable damascus work, go to

http://www.knifeart.com/johgus.html

As far as high end on a beer budget, i think that Guys like Mike Zscherny and Mel Pardue make some VERY nice knives at or under $800. To me, they do offer the most bang for the buck. I have seen some very nice Pardues recently for around $750 with phenomenal workmanship and materials. Even though Dake's folders are pricey at about $1700, i think they still represent a good value and i believe his workmanship competes very favorably with knives in the $2,000-$3,000 range. I will also check out the makers mentioned by you all, and the S. African makers as possibilities. Thanks again.---Ari
 
Don't forget David Broadwell either. David makes some very nice folders that bridge the gap very well in the $750-$1000 range. And if David doesn't display a true artist touch, then nobody does. While his style may not be for everyone, there is no denying the artistic flair that his work exhibits. Check it out;

http://www.david.broadwell.com/
 
Hi Anthony,

First let me say I agree with your assessment of some of the South African makers.

That is why I asked you for names of the makers. You mentioned the South African makers. Who were the US makers you were comparing them to when you wrote your post?

You painted with some "broad strokes" Im just trying to get it narrowed down a little.

Blademan, you are correct sir!

David is one of the few knifemakers in the world that can do it all. Fixed and folders and any maerial (to include stone) that you want.

His art work is exceptional and his tactical knives aren't bad either.
 
Les, I would say that DeVilliers is directly comparable to Terzoula, Carson, or other tactical makers. Prinsloo, Schoemann, and Arno Barnard and some of the the others remind me more of fancy folder makers like Pease, Durio, John W. Smith. Their work is cheaper than the American cutlers I mentioned. In all fairness I have not handled some of these cutlers wares as I'm sure you have. I am going by the pictures and prices I see.
 
Les, I would also like to say that I agree with your statement that one is more likely to pay $2,000 for a $500 knife rather than the reverse. I look over net purveyor sites pretty thoroughly and I do believe that one can get good deals if you shop around but in absolute terms, you get what you pay for.
 
In a lot of cases the difference between a $500.00 knife and one that costs $1000.00 or more is in the materials and art work. If I order a knife that has a basic price of $500.00 and the say I want blue amammoth handle and mosaic blade and bolster I have raised the price to at least $1000.00. If I also want fancy filework engraving and scrimshaw I can hit $2500.00 to $3000.00 pretty easily. It all depends on how artistic you want the knife.

Personally, I always go for simple. It is what I can afford. Sometimes I look at the more upscale knives and wish I could come up with money for one or two. I would love to own some of the upper end knives by makers like; Rick Dunkerley, Shane Taylor, Ron Newton and many others. Maybe someday.

I am a firm believer that when it comes to top end knives, you get what you pay for. It is true that you can find some knives out there that are way overpriced. If you know what to look for and have researched the knife properly, that isn't going to be a problem. If you do not know what to look for, you should think of having someone with the experience and expertise of Les help you out.

Can you find less expensive knives that are as good as, use the same materials and have the same artistry as the more expensive knives? Yes, from the lesser known makers, but even then a high quality knife with fancy materials and art work are going to be expensive. That is as it should be. These knives cost a lot to make and take a lot of time to do right.
 
I'm not trying to start a flame but I need to ask the question. I've read here that the real quality knives start around $1000. When I surf the "For Sale" forum here its rare to see a knife over $1000 until you get into the folders. I've even bought several of the under $600 variety. Not to besmirch the names, skills, or reputations of any of the makers because I have been very happy with everything I've bought but; are the makers who advertise here generally new-comers or just not yet in the class of the over $1000 a blade crowd?
I hope this question is taken in the spirit it's intended.

I have to add that because I am stationed in Kuwait I have never been to a knife show or been able to handle the knives I've bought until they arrive. All I have to go on is internet pictures and forum feedback. The point is that it sounds like there's a whole 'nuther world or quality out there that I haven't seen yet.
 
are the makers who advertise here generally new-comers or just not yet in the class of the over $1000 a blade crowd?
Click to expand...

There is a truely upscale collecting crowed that wouldn't think twice before dropping $10,000-100,000+ on a knife. Unfortunately, that is not us; and if it were us, we would be looking forward to a little wine, cheese and atmosphere while making our selection. We would not be buying them from a photo in the Exchange Forum. We have some of the right knife makers, but we are the wrong market for high end art knives.

n2s
 
n2s,
I agree that there is an upscale collectors crowd that do drop a fair piece of change on a knife. But, these are not generally user blades, many while well made and beautiful to the eye, they are not utilitarian knifes. From what I have seen here on the forums, most folks tend to be in the knife using side of the business, much more concerned with the performance and durability of a blade. Two different client bases.

To our friend looking for the high end blades, you would do yourself a huge service by contacting Les Robertson on this thread as he knows or knows of most of the makers around. If he did not have what you are looking for, I`m fairly sure he would point you in right direction. In a conversation with him he has conveyed great experiance and knowlage, and is more than willing to share it.

Good Luck
 
I sincerely thank all of you for your insight and input. While it may seem unreasonable to some of you that i should spend nearly $1700 on a custom knife, its precicely because i can NOT afford to buy at that price level that i asked my original question. I came across a few thousand dollars of unexpected money and went a little(a LOT) "knife crazy", but i realize all to well, that in no way do i have the means to afford to drop much more than $500 on a knife, often not even that, hence my search for $2,000 knives at the $500 price point. I have been in recent contact with a highly regarded custom maker, and he has agreed to make me a very nice custom, to my specifications at a little under $600, just within my budget, and i believe it will be one hell of a knife, once i decide exactly what i want. If the knife comes out as i hope and expect, i will have in my possession a beautiful knife that seems to my eyes be as nice as many of the $2,000+ knives i see for sale, but for the much less princely sum of around $600. I do agree that, in life, generally you do get what you pay for, but i think sometimes, if you look around a LOT, and have a good eye for quality and aesthetics, you can get a great knife at a great price, and hence a great value, almost a bargain, but you have to find the right maker, one who determines their prices not based on ego, or an inflated image of themselves, but on the cost of the materials, marked up a 'reasonable' amount for their time and of course skill in assembling them into a knife. Ill keep you posted as to my progress.
 
Megalobyte, I think you have the right idea. Without a doubt, you can find tremendous bargains in knives if you know what to look for. I am sometimes shocked at how little knife costs, and it is not always with just the newer makers that this is the case. I recently ordered a knife from a very well known maker. I asked for a price and was expecting to hear around a thousand bucks. When I was quoted under $600.00 with and upgrade to an ancient walrus ivory handle included, I was to say the least, very pleased. I ordered the knife then and there.

It is usually not to hard for me to stay within a reasonable price range on the knives that I order. I like a simple knife without all the artwork. The only options that I sometimes go for that raise the price are the handle materials I like and the occasional damascus blade.

I am not one that would ever criticize someone for spending whatever they want to on a knife. If you love those Scagel's and you have the money, I say go for it. I sure would.
 
I guess I am lucky in that my taste tends to run more towards meat and potatoes folders. I admire fancy knives but I know I would never carry them, so I don't buy them. The downside is that I tend to want so many knives. I could probably have three really fine art knives for all the money I have spent on more plain knives.
 
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