How many of you have never gone back?

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thombrogan

Joined
Nov 16, 2002
Messages
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How many of youse fine folks have been so taken with custom knives that you haven't bought a production knife in years and won't any time soon? It's possible that Mr. Kevin Jones feels this way based on his signature line.

Many thanks in advance!
 
I do, at times, and then Spyderco and Kershaw make some stupendous knives that break my will.
 
thombrogan said:
I do, at times, and then Spyderco and Kershaw make some stupendous knives that break my will.
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So true.

Sometimes, I find some perceived "need" and a production knife that fills it nicely, here and now, while the custom knife to fill that need would be six months or a year or more in the future.
 
I just like knives. I purchase both custom and production knives, and always will. However, more than 95% of what I spend in a year goes to the customs.
 
I used to buy a fair number of factory knives when I was younger. Since I caught the custom bug full on, I have bought some production knives that are licensed models of famous makers designs, like Bill Moran, Jerry Fisk, Bill Bagwell, etc. Most of them were either bought because I felt that i could never get a real one or more recently, because I wanted them for design inspiration and ideas, or as users. I only have one custom folder. The rest of my folders are factory knives like a couple of Benchmades, an old SOG and a REAL old Gerber. There are some production companies who's knives I favor over others.....Benchmade, Blackjack/Bark River and the original SOG knives come to mind.
 
thombrogan said:
How many of youse fine folks have been so taken with custom knives that you haven't bought a production knife in years and won't any time soon? It's possible that Mr. Kevin Jones feels this way based on his signature line.

Many thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Yes, thombrogan you are 100% correct. I will most likely never buy a production knife.

And my interest in custom knives goes far beyond the custom knife's ability to hold up and perform under extreme conditions. I admire the talent, creativity and hard work the maker puts into each custom knife. I'm very interested in the vast history of the forged blade and respect man's quest to improve on it over thousands of years as a necessity to sustain himself and family.

There's the aesthetic appeal for the custom knife, and the fact that there's no two pieces exactly alike.

And with customs, it's much more then just the knife. There's the relationships and friendships we build and enjoy with makers. We are sometimes able to partner with them and share in the design of our custom knives. I will quote STeven, "the custom knife is a lifestyle". I couldn't agree more. :)

Good thread. :thumbup:
 
Kevin Jones said:
Yes, thombrogan you are 100% correct. I will most likely never buy a production knife.

And my interest in custom knives goes far beyond the custom knife's ability to hold up and perform under extreme conditions. I admire the talent, creativity and hard work the maker puts into each custom knife. I'm very interested in the vast history of the forged blade and respect man's quest to improve on it over thousands of years as a necessity to sustain himself and family.

There's the aesthetic appeal of the custom knife, and the fact that there's no two pieces exactly alike.

And with customs, it's much more then just the knife. There's the relationships and friendships we build and enjoy with makers. We are sometimes able to partner with them and share in the design of our custom knives. I will quote STeven, "the custom knife is a lifestyle". I couldn't agree more. :)

Good thread. :thumbup:
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But what knives do you USE, Kevin? I don't know if you remember this, but a few months ago we were having a discussion about "fantasy" knives versus "art" knives that are still functional and my comment was that while you wouldn't want to be put in this spot, if you were taking your Jerry Fisk damascus bowie back to your safe deposit box and happened to get jumped by a Russian boar on Park Avenue, you could fedn for yourself. Out of the 25 custom that I have, I own a few that I either do or would use. But most of the, while not as fancy as some of yours, are safe queens nonetheless. Of course, I have solved that problem recently...if I need a new custom user, I will just make one and hope no one looks at it up close:D
 
While I on occasion will carry a Swiss Army knife (for the toothpick). I have not bought a factory knife in over 22 years (after buying my first custom).

While I have been given several as samples over the years. These I pass on to clients small children. I cannot imagine any scenario in the future that would entice me to buy a factory knife.

Remember; friends don't let friends buy factory knives.

WWG
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
 
i like custom knives

i find them much more appealing than factory knives on a functional as well as an aesthetic basis

however, it is hard to beat a good factory knife when it comes to value

i had not purchased a factory knife for at least 5 years until i picked up the BF forum knife and then bought one of those wal-mart made-in-usa spyderco natives. for $34 it is really hard to beat and is now my airplane knife. i can throw it in my luggage and not worry about it.

to be honest i use the knife on my various leatherman tools way more than my custom knives. i probably have 7 or 8 of them around the house and they serve me just fine


i have also considered buying:

a new CRK fixed blade and mnandi.

i would also buy a randall model 5 or 8 in carbon steel with good stag in a heart beat if i could find one close to makers price. why? i like them
 
thombrogan said:
How many of youse fine folks have been so taken with custom knives that you haven't bought a production knife in years and won't any time soon? It's possible that Mr. Kevin Jones feels this way based on his signature line.

Many thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Production knives are tools, and also collected by me, depending on a variety of criteria, such as the Benchmade 710, Spyderco Police, Gerber Silver Knight, and the TOPS Armageddon.

That said, if I had to pick one or the other exclusively, I would never buy another production knife as long as I lived.....OK?

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
WoodWorkGhost said:
Remember; friends don't let friends buy factory knives.

WWG
Custom Knife Entrepreneur
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I had a LE Large Sebenza with Bark Mammoth Ivory Inlays and Damascus blade that I would put up against 98% of the custom folders I have ever owned... or fondled at a knife show. Infact, the only custom folders that I have ever fondled that rivaled it in Fit, finish, and overall perfection was a Ron Lake and a Mel Pardue lockback. I have never handled a custom framelock that was outright superior (including a Scott Cook). Just my own experience.

As to the original post, I buy factory models in between tax return checks... the only time I can actually affor a LE sebenza or a custom!
 
I only buy production knives as tools for specific purposes. I don't collect them. I have 1/2 dozen, but I only regularly use a small Sebenze (as EDC), an Emerson mini-commander (as EDC), and a Fallkniven when hiking.
 
jdm61 said:
But what knives do you USE, Kevin? I don't know if you remember this, but a few months ago we were having a discussion about "fantasy" knives versus "art" knives that are still functional and my comment was that while you wouldn't want to be put in this spot, if you were taking your Jerry Fisk damascus bowie back to your safe deposit box and happened to get jumped by a Russian boar on Park Avenue, you could fedn for yourself. Out of the 25 custom that I have, I own a few that I either do or would use. But most of the, while not as fancy as some of yours, are safe queens nonetheless. Of course, I have solved that problem recently...if I need a new custom user, I will just make one and hope no one looks at it up close:D
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I remember your comment well Joe, and it still gives me a chuckle. :D

And good point, as even though I don't use my knives, I know what they are capable of if I ever need to. :eek: ;)
 
Kevin Jones said:
I remember your comment well Joe, and it still gives me a chuckle. :D

And good point, as even though I don't use my knives, I know what they are capable of if I ever need to. :eek: ;)
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To be quite honest, since I got my Mark Sentz folder in '05 and my Ed Caffrey EDK this past fall, the only time my factory knives come out is when I want an idea for a pattern of some kind and they never leave the house anymore. The EDK replaced my Spyderco Moran trailing point, which was the last production knive I bought with the intent of using, for everything except dirty, blade staining shop work. I even tok the EDK to New York with me for New Years. We both ahd a fine time....lol. I gave my Beretta Loveless hunter to my brother a year and a half ago for a hunting trip and have never asked for it back:D
 
I still buy production, I'm more likely to use them though I do have some that are safe queens or that I haven't found the need to put to use.
 
Production knives just don't interest me at all - I really don't ever see myself buying one. And it has nothing to do with price. At a lower price point I would rather support a newer maker and buy a functional tool for which ONE person is answerable.

Roger
 
Kevin Jones said:
Yes, thombrogan you are 100% correct. I will most likely never buy a production knife.

And my interest in custom knives goes far beyond the custom knife's ability to hold up and perform under extreme conditions. I admire the talent, creativity and hard work the maker puts into each custom knife.

There's the aesthetic appeal for the custom knife, and the fact that there's no two pieces exactly alike.

And with customs, it's much more then just the knife. There's the relationships and friendships we build and enjoy with makers. We are sometimes able to partner with them and share in the design of our custom knives. I will quote STeven, "the custom knife is a lifestyle". I couldn't agree more. :)

Good thread. :thumbup:
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I couldn't agree MORE!!:thumbup:
 
I've only had one custom and I ended up selling it as it really didn't impress me that much and was nowhere near the fit&finish of my Seb. That said, I did buy it off the secondary market so it was a knife from a maker of interest to me, but not the knife I would've ordered form him had I a choice.
This is a question that might offend, but that's not the intent. I'm assuming most of you spend a fair amount on customs each year, but is this where you spend most of your disposable income? I ask this as I simply cannot afford to spend too much each year on knife purchases as I'm very active in many other activies as well. As result, my play money is spread out a fair bit. For example, the price of a custom, I could buy a nice carbon kayak paddle or ice axes. A carbon/kevlar seakayak runs four grand while a drysuit costs $700.
For most of you, is this your "thing" above any other interests(if any)?
I'd like to have a custom again, but it will likely be something very rare as opposed to the norm. I just couldn't afford having this kind of money tied up if it wasn't used regularly. In the future maybe, but not yet.
 
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