While vacationing in AK, my SO and I happened to drive by I.R.B.I Knives (I'd Rather Be Independant). Virgil, the owner, gave us a 45-minute tour of his shop and spent a lot of time talking about his process and answering our questions. He was extremely accomidating and friendly. In total, Virgil and his associate spent close to two hours working with us. I really wanted a burl handle and he let me sift through all of the handle material he had on hand until I found what I was looking for. We ordered two small fixed blades made of L6 steel from old saw blades with birch burl handles. We got to choose the finish with no extra cost, I chose mirror and my SO chose acid etched. They came with custom sheaths made by his wife, Dawn Campbell.
Payment was not required up front. He puts a knife in his books and then contacts the customer once the knife is started. The customer only pays if they still want the knife, otherwise the knife is sold in the shop. The estimate for delivery was October through January. We emailed them on Nov 30th to check in. On Dec 8th, our email was returned and the knives arrived on Dec 19th.
Overall, we are very satisfied with our purchase and experience with I.R.B.I Knives.
Payment was not required up front. He puts a knife in his books and then contacts the customer once the knife is started. The customer only pays if they still want the knife, otherwise the knife is sold in the shop. The estimate for delivery was October through January. We emailed them on Nov 30th to check in. On Dec 8th, our email was returned and the knives arrived on Dec 19th.
Overall, we are very satisfied with our purchase and experience with I.R.B.I Knives.
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