I found a new custom maker.

BePrepared

BePrepared

Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
4,441
I met this guy in a Facebook page for knife makers and collectors. At first glance, i was unimpressed by his designs, but I talked with him for a little while and realized that he just had no real idea what people in the US were looking for. He is in Pakistan, and has been making knives for his entire adult life. He does custom hardness, handle material, blade shape, grinds... basically he will do absolutely anything you can imagine, as long as he has access to the steel you want. His prices are astonishingly low... my kukri including a leather sheath will only be $120 including shipping

I gave him a few ideas, and he came up with the knives below. I'm having him make me a custom damascus skinner from 1095/15n20 damascus with come very interesting grinds and file work. I'm getting 2 different colors of horn handle material too. I'll be posting it up when I get it.

Here are some of the newer designs.

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I am not sure if this is a joke or not. If you are serious, rethink what it would cost in time and materials to make a project like this.
 
i actually asked him. He told me he makes about $100 a week at his normal job so to him, making 40 more after materials is a very big deal.

He lives in pakistan. Money is not the same there as it is here.

By the way, it's certainly not a joke. I risk almost nothing by giving him a shot, and if it turns out that he's as good as others who have ordered from him say, i'll have a nice piece at a bargain
 
OK. I just thought I would ask. If you are willing to take the chance, by all means go for it.
 
There are hundreds of similar knives on flea bay. Although they claim that the damascus is made from 15N20 and 1095 do you think that they import steel to make their knives? A good quality sheath is over $100 and your getting a whole knife for $120. :rolleyes:
 
I'll be quite happy to take the risk. I am under no illusions. It could be trash steel, but if it is, i'm out a hundred bucks and i have a knife that i can give away as an xmas present to someone who won't know any better.

On the other hand, if it turns out to be a quality blade with the 58rc hardness that i requested, and good fit and finish, i'll be very very happy
 
There's a man who sells his similar pieces at gun shows in the midwest. He says they are made by his family business in Pakistan. The knives work, have good edges, but they are somewhat crudely finished and the fit can be good or not so good. Very few are over $50. He has at least 50 different knives on top of his table. If the ones shown above are like his, there is a good reason for the poor picture quality.
 
I am more interested in supporting the domestic economy. The additional funds to have a US maker create a blade are worth the effort.
 
If you think you're gonna get high quality handmade knives at low quality production prices. .....

you're gonna be in for a surprise.
 
We had a skirmish in UK with makers from there.............it ended in tears.

The knives - particularly the integrity of the damascus - was just good enough to hang on the wall, certainly not the belt.

That was our experience, not that yours'll be the same............just sayin'
 
Be Prepared... I see you as an individual who asks a question gets the answers and forges ahead, regardless of what was conveyed. As your handle implies Be Prepared and to add... Good Luck with your venture. :p
 
Calhoon said:
Be Prepared... I see you as an individual who asks a question gets the answers and forges ahead, regardless of what was conveyed. As your handle implies Be Prepared and to add... Good Luck with your venture. :p
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that's occasionally true, but in this case, i didn't ask any questions
 
I saw some Pakistani damascus knives at a gun show awhile back. I asked the mouth breather who was trying to hawk them as quality customs if the little pits in the steel damascus were intended to reduce the weight of the knife and he said that all damascus will have similar imperfections because of the way is is made. :rolleyes:
 
The most important aspects of a knife aren't visible to the naked eye, so with something like this your buying a "pig in a poke" I believe its money better spent to invest in knives from a known maker with a reputation for quality.
 
Brisket said:
I saw some Pakistani damascus knives at a gun show awhile back. I asked the mouth breather who was trying to hawk them as quality customs if the little pits in the steel damascus were intended to reduce the weight of the knife and he said that all damascus will have similar imperfections because of the way is is made. :rolleyes:
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Poor quality in design, materials and workmanship are most always easily explained away by those who perpetrate it.
Perhaps you have found a tremendous bargain on quality custom knives, however the odds are greatly stacked against you.
Good luck!
 
rwt said:
i am more interested in supporting the domestic economy. The additional funds to have a us maker create a blade are worth the effort.
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exactly!
 
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