How many custom knives on order do you have?

[Bladeandbarrel]

Russ Andrews-1
Jim Crowell-2
Jason Knight-3
Mike Lovett-1
Matt Lamey-1.5 (Its a biggun)

Thats all for now

 

[Doberman_Dave]

Errr.... At least Joss cut it off at 9+.
Burt Foster
Jason Knight
Matt Lamey
Mike Lovett
...

 

[Architect]

I always order two at a time, one fancy and one plain.


Sawby
Boguszewski (yeah, these orders go back to 2003)
Anso

 

[gold40]

I received a new Randall #4 last year, after a 4 year wait. Its nice, and now I think I have all I need.

 

[Kevin Jones]

I'll have to double check, but I'm pretty sure I have eight on order with seven different makers...

but then....

Kevin, cover you eyes, you will find this positively SCANDALOUS....

I have 5 - yes 5 KNIVES on order with Russ Andrews. Over time, Russ will be making me a 5-hunter set - each with different blade shapes, blade steels and handle materials, but all with the same overall dimensions.

Shocking, no? To think that a collector would have THAT MANY knives on order with a single maker?

Roger

You are the third collector I know that has 5 knives on order with the same maker. How do you guys sleep at night.

I have given my spread to everyone else; you will have to buy it.

Just kidding.

 

[ceiw]

3 Dwaine Carrillo
2 Sibert
2 Koster
2 Trident
6 Duncan (never to be seen because the guy is AWOL)

 

[Kohai999]

I received a new Randall #4 last year, after a 4 year wait. Its nice, and now I think I have all I need.

It is handmade(by a bunch of hands) but ain't custom, even when you customize it.

I got two on order to be delivered from the FACTORY in May, an ironwood handled SS CDT #14 with a special guard, and an 8" Model 2 with burgundy micarta.

Be a sad ass day I thought that was all I needed....lots o need in the world!

Repeat...they ain't custom knives....but they sure is COOL!

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[commodorewheeler]

I've actually lost track of exactly how many knives I have on order right now. I picked 9+ on Joss' survey.

 

[Joss]

Interesting responses so far. There's a much bigger cluster of "9 or more" orders than I expected. This somewhat corroborates Kevin's intuition that people have "too many" outstanding orders.

I wonder what is the likelihood for those people that by the time their order is delivered, their tastes (or available funds) will have changed.

 

[Bob W]

None. I primarily buy through the For Sale By Maker forum section.

 

[RogerP]

Interesting responses so far. There's a much bigger cluster of "9 or more" orders than I expected. This somewhat corroborates Kevin's intuition that people have "too many" outstanding orders.

Only if one accepts the premise that 9 or more is "too many". It begs the question - "too many" for whom? If maker and collector are able to meet their respective obligations to make and pay for the knives, where is the supposed "problem"?

My tastes have changed over time, but this has proven to be no difficulty respecting orders placed. I always ask the maker to contact me before starting work on the piece, and sometimes have made significant changes based evolved tastes or the type and number of knives then residing in my collection.

Now, if my tastes "evolved" to somethign drmaticaly different - like I suddenly became completely obsessed with tactical folders or some such - that would be a problem. But only for as long as it toom me to cancel my existing orders for forged bowies.

Roger

 

[RogerP]

You are the third collector I know that has 5 knives on order with the same maker. How do you guys sleep at night.

Like a baby - why wouldn't I? These 5 particular knives in total won't come up to half the price of a Fisk NLT bowie - and they will be delivered over time. They are knives that I want, made to my specs, from a maker who is a pleasure to work with. Why would I lose sleep?

Roger

 

[commodorewheeler]

Interesting responses so far. There's a much bigger cluster of "9 or more" orders than I expected. This somewhat corroborates Kevin's intuition that people have "too many" outstanding orders.

I wonder what is the likelihood for those people that by the time their order is delivered, their tastes (or available funds) will have changed.

With long order delivery times, it seems that most makers are prepared for changes or cancellations. When my number has come up, most makers have contacted me and asked if I still wanted to go ahead with a knife at that given point in time, and if so, if I wanted to make any changes to my original order.

I've never cancelled an order when my number came up (though I have cancelled a few well in advance of that), and I'd imagine that most collectors don't, but I think that makers for the most part are prepared for the possibility.

 

[commodorewheeler]

You are the third collector I know that has 5 knives on order with the same maker. How do you guys sleep at night.

I have given my spread to everyone else; you will have to buy it.

Just kidding.

There is also a maker with whom I have more than 5 orders. But they will be delivered over a period of years, and the maker doesn't take orders anymore, so I'm actually glad that I will be able to continue to get knives from him.

 

[Joss]

I am pretty sure that '07 was my "most knives ever" year. I'd be surprised if it were quite that many, but then again, I do need to keep better track of these things. It might be time for one of Kevin's spreadsheets.

Roger

Oops - my bad, maybe it wasn't you.

 

[thombrogan]

Now, if my tastes "evolved" to somethign drmaticaly different - like I suddenly became completely obsessed with tactical folders or some such - that would be a problem.

The problem wouldn't be for you or for the smiths with whom you've placed orders. The problem would be the coming Apocalypse.

 

[Kevin Jones]

Only if one accepts the premise that 9 or more is "too many". It begs the question - "too many" for whom? If maker and collector are able to meet their respective obligations to make and pay for the knives, where is the supposed "problem"?

Roger

Problem Roger? No problem at all. Collectors just keep ordering them by the dozens, tossing your old ones aside until we are knee deep in custom knives.

Hell, in five/ten years customs will probably be cheaper then production knives if there's still any custom makers or collectors around. :thumbup:

Too few new collectors coming in.

Too many new makers coming in.

Established collectors ordering new knives like there's going to be no more.

Established makers with orders for years and years.

It will simply be the principle of supply & demand at work.

Joss, you should have set the top number at twenty, that would have really been interesting.

To each his own as we all do this for enjoyment. Just something to think about.

 

[Joss]

Joss, you should have set the top number at twenty, that would have really been interesting.

Hopefully, this is a little interesting, but that can easily be redone. However, there's a limit of 10 answers so would need some groupings. That's what stopped me as I wasn't sure what grouping made sense.

 

[Danbo]

How accurate of a count are you looking for? Are we talking all ordered knives, to include those that the makers have no intention of delivering? Or, are we just talking about the knives that we have a reasonable expectation of receiving sometime?

 

[RogerP]

Problem Roger? No problem at all. Collectors just keep ordering them by the dozens, tossing your old ones aside until we are knee deep in custom knives.

Hell, in five/ten years customs will probably be cheaper then production knives if there's still any custom makers or collectors around.

Sorry - not buying that at all. You've repeatedly used this "5 knives with one maker" bit as some sort of touchstone of doom, ultimately devolving into unsupported generalities as above. So break it down for the little people like me who are utterly failing to grasp the concept - how is my ordering 5 knives from Russ a bad thing, exactly? He wants to make 'em. I want to buy 'em. He's not going to drop off the market for a couple years to satisfy this one 5-knife order. They will be done over time.

So,

1) Why should I be losing sleep?
2) How is this a bad thing for me, for Russ or for anybody else?
3) As someone entirely extraneous to the transaction, your basis for passing judgment upon it is what?

Roger