How to evaluate custom knife?

B

Brett

Joined
Jan 18, 1999
Messages
101
I'm buying three custom folding knives sight-unseen from an ebay user. Two are made by Elishewitz (a Phantom and an Ares) and one is by Wayne Clark. I'm using an escrow service, which means I'll have 24-48 hours to check the knives before deciding whether to release payment or to return them.

I already know the general things to look for in a knife, like fit & finish, blade play, etc, but I'm wondering if there are any specific things I should check that aren't so obvious. For example, what sort of paperwork should be included?

I'm confident I can decide pretty quickly whether or not I'll be happy with them as knives, but given the amount of money I'm shelling out I'd like to be really sure I'm getting exactly what I'm expecting.

Also, I'm going well beyond my budget on this purchase, so there's a reasonable chance I will end up selling one of them here after I've had a chance to <strong>cherish</strong> them a while...

-Brett


------------------
brett@rahul.net
www.rahul.net/brett
 
Brett,

I was going to recommend Darrel's article at KnifeArt also, but then I scrolled down and saw that Larry had already posted the link. Go take a look. It has some very detailed and excellent information for critical evaluation of both folding and fixed blade knives.

As for paper work, some makers provide certificates of authenticity and descriptions of materials. But in my experience, this is Not the usual practice. Try to compare the knives to other examples of the makers work and verify that the makers mark is authentic. You could also post photos of your knives here in the forums and ask for feedback from members familiar with those makers.

Best of luck with your purchase. I suggest you don't spend more than your comfort level and don't focus entirely on resale value. Buy What You Like. Knives are NOT investments (IMO).

Paracelsus

[This message has been edited by Paracelsus (edited 01 December 1999).]
 
The Article of Darrel's that Larry posted on is a great one. That along with Paracelsus words should about cover it. Take time to really study the knives.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top