Moving on from production knives

[K.O.D.]

Nope. Don't give a single shit if 9 million people have the exact same thing as me. A knife is a tool, not art. I value value, ergonomics, materials (in no order). There is NOTHING i need or want a custom designed knife for, as "flexing on the gram" with pics of some super sweet nonsense I've convinced myself is better then off the shelf isn't something i make time in my life for. Add to that the fact most "custom bladesmiths" are hacks and unlikely to be around to honor thier warranty (a story this very forum is full of) and im good with what's available off the shelf. You're certainly free to feel different though. That's the beauty of free will.


Side note- the only reason we strive for "unique" in this hobby today is because the internet has allowed like minded people to post pics of all thier same knives. In real life you don't see sebenzas, hinderers, demkos, etc in daily use. You will maybe see a few benchmades, cold steels, and a ton of import model kershaws, and a SLEW of gas station trash (with owners that are completely happy with them). Id suggest you stop giving into rabid consumerism, and chasing grails that don't exist, but then again, starving "custom makers" need your money to live too.

I care nothing for other people's opinions, and I am not on any social media platform such as IG. It actually annoys me when makers sell from these platforms only, and don't buy from them.

I know that very few people will care about my knife collection when I die. It will be divvied up between my nephews. However, as with many things, I value variety and uniqueness in knives. Hell, I generally don't buy more than one gun from the same manufacturer.

Spyderco was the only company I was "loyal" to, the only because I love the thumbhole. The one "production" knife on my list is a Military 2 in a unique steel, which could be a couple years.

As far as "regular" people not carrying "cool" or good knives, I disagree. I know quite a few people that carry, one has 3 Spyderco's, and I just met a father on my nephews baseball team who was carrying an old griptilian, which after talking to him it's his gym shorts carry knife, that he's not afraid to lose. He has Spyderco, BM and ZT for the rest of the time.

I've been thinking about this topic, and in the last 5 years, more often than not, I am underwhelmed or even disappointed in the production knives I've bought. They either don't meet expectations, have a feature that bothers me (Pro-Tech Malibu clip for example), or are defective. There have been a couple that with a good cleaning (I hate the black gunk that's being used for lube recently) and oiling the knife turned out to be much better than it was OTB.

I haven't had this experience with the high end stuff. Many, many production knives are collaboration with a custom maker these days, and I feel like while the custom/semi may not have the latest greatest steel, the attention to detail makes up for it.

For example, the M390 on my Cheburkov has better edge retention than any other knife I have in this steel. I'm guessing better, more consistent heat treatment and not being sharpened en masse on an automated machine helps.

So to me, that attention to detail is worth the cost, in addition to some of the unique materials found in some of these. I love that the aforementioned Cheb is linerless CF handled. It's so lightweight.

 

[Floatingby]

I care nothing for other people's opinions, and I am not on any social media platform such as IG. It actually annoys me when makers sell from these platforms only, and don't buy from them.

Me too, same with FB groups. I'm highly annoyed by those social platform that cut themselves out of the rest of the world. As far as I'm concerned, if it doesn't appear on a web search engine, then it doesn't exist.

 

[Slice-and-dice]

Agree with OP. I’ve gone the other way and am trying to buy and use vintage items made from more natural materials, like wood, bone, antler- not composite, plastic, or resins. Blade steels dont make sense anymore either. I don’t need an exclusive or exotic steel personally. Just heat treated stainless.

 

[Arathol]

Knives are functional. Art is not functional. Craftsmen don't make art.

Yet so many "craftsmen" are artists in their own right.......and produce art that is functional...

Neither of these are "production" knives either, they are hand made, one of one.....

 

[K.O.D.]

Me too, same with FB groups. I'm highly annoyed by those social platform that cut themselves out of the rest of the world. As far as I'm concerned, if it doesn't appear on a web search engine, then it doesn't exist.

I've been off FB for 3 years. Its too bad so many makers use these kinds of platforms, but to be honest, from what I've seen, many of those makers are ripping people off and/or making stuff that I have absolutely no interest in. I do not want or need a 10oz folding titanium prybar, or a folding titanium prybar of any weight.

Yet so many "craftsmen" are artists in their own right.......and produce art that is functional...

Neither of these are "production" knives either, they are hand made, one of one.....

I wholeheartedly agree. I'll post a couple pics of my "customs" later.

 

[K.O.D.]

The whole "design a knife" thing is pretty old. I'm tired of it.
It's start isn't from social media "influencers" either, believe it or not.
I first saw it in the 90's, In the beer scene.

Marketing companies, little start up ones, some genius right out of college thinks he's good with photoshop designs a beer label. Like That's a Real Job? haha.

Well.... he/she gets the idea to farm out the work, and "Open a brewery"
it's called contract brewing.
Some Other REAL brewery making Your beer.
There was a point where almost Half the micro's weren't making their own beer..... Hell, Samuel Adams didn't have a brewery for the longest time! just a marketing campaign.
They ended up needing one, I heard, Just so they could have brewery tours, haha and it gives them some street cred, Now.
idk if anyone actually makes beer now?


But....... I'm seeing the Same thing with knives the last 10 years or so.
Someone else does all the work!

I missed this post, but yes. Local brewery here, makes beer for lots of the local restaurants with their label on it.

 

[LimpCroissant]

Here’s an example of what I’m talking about, from a thread here on BF from 2002 in regards to one of the first makers I remember using the concept of ‘mid-tech’, Rob Simonich.

Simonich Mid-Tech

That's cool to see, thanks for sharing! I personally thought all these years that Tim Galyean was the first to use the term "mid-tech". I remember when he came out with his Junkyard Dog II, Lahar, and Turbulance in what he called the "Pro Series" which we all called mid-tech. I know on the Lahar he would have the handles CNC cut and made through outsourcing, and then he would hand grind the blades. Those things are super badass!

I've got a few customs myself and I love them dearly, however I sort of automatically tend to go to small scale, high quality production companies when I spend more than I usually spend on a knife. In my experience those companies usually have better fit and finish in the way of perfectly even chamfers, mating of materials/inlays, just about perfectly even blade grinds etc. Customs in my experience usually aren't as "perfect" in the price category that I can afford or am willing to spend. However customs most definitely have a different motif that is just as absolutely awesome with more exotic materials and knowing/seeing that it had a more hands on approach. I love both, as well as well made regular production knives.

 

[Crag the Brewer]

That's cool to see, thanks for sharing! I personally thought all these years that Tim Galyean was the first to use the term "mid-tech". I remember when he came out with his Junkyard Dog II, Lahar, and Turbulance in what he called the "Pro Series" which we all called mid-tech. I know on the Lahar he would have the handles CNC cut and made through outsourcing, and then he would hand grind the blades. Those things are super badass!

I've got a few customs myself and I love them dearly, however I sort of automatically tend to go to small scale, high quality production companies when I spend more than I usually spend on a knife. In my experience those companies usually have better fit and finish in the way of perfectly even chamfers, mating of materials/inlays, just about perfectly even blade grinds etc. Customs in my experience usually aren't as "perfect" in the price category that I can afford or am willing to spend. However customs most definitely have a different motif that is just as absolutely awesome with more exotic materials and knowing/seeing that it had a more hands on approach. I love both, as well as well made regular production knives.

Very true.... I see the makers who use CNC as midtech. Small numbers, or large, doesn't matter. Those knives are near perfect..... IF, that's what you want???

Some, want Perfect.
Some want nuisances of the human experience.

I can understand and appreciate both, in different contexts.

 

[LimpCroissant]

Very true.... I see the makers who use CNC as midtech. Small numbers, or large, doesn't matter. Those knives are near perfect..... IF, that's what you want???

Some, want Perfect.
Some want nuisances of the human experience.

I can understand and appreciate both, in different contexts.

Amen brother . That's not always what I want though, I sure do love me a knife that you can tell has been worked in every stage (or nearly every stage) by hand with tender caring love in the vision of the maker. Those are very special knives, especially if you know the maker from seeing them post in forums or other medias and kind of know their story, how they got to where they are, and how they make their knives. I LOVE seeing pics and short clips of them doing their different processes like grinding the blades, attaching scales, smoothing out the corners, all that. Plus, when you go for those type of customs you know that your money is going directly to a guy/gal that works hard and is trying to make it in the competitive knife game.

 

[Crag the Brewer]

Amen brother . That's not always what I want though, I sure do love me a knife that you can tell has been worked in every stage (or nearly every stage) by hand with tender caring love in the vision of the maker. Those are very special knives, especially if you know the maker from seeing them post in forums or other medias and kind of know their story, how they got to where they are, and how they make their knives. I LOVE seeing pics and short clips of them doing their different processes like grinding the blades, attaching scales, smoothing out the corners, all that. Plus, when you go for those type of customs you know that your money is going directly to a guy/gal that works hard and is trying to make it in the competitive knife game.

You are selling for them pretty good now!
Haha
I need to hire you for a spokesperson...

 

[LimpCroissant]

You are selling for them pretty good now!
Haha
I need to hire you for a spokesperson...

Haha

 

[K.O.D.]

Amen brother . That's not always what I want though, I sure do love me a knife that you can tell has been worked in every stage (or nearly every stage) by hand with tender caring love in the vision of the maker. Those are very special knives, especially if you know the maker from seeing them post in forums or other medias and kind of know their story, how they got to where they are, and how they make their knives. I LOVE seeing pics and short clips of them doing their different processes like grinding the blades, attaching scales, smoothing out the corners, all that. Plus, when you go for those type of customs you know that your money is going directly to a guy/gal that works hard and is trying to make it in the competitive knife game.

This is why I love my Alan Davis. File worked spine, jeweled liners and clip, Corsican ram bone handled, perfectly tuned detent and action. The Alabama Damascus is done well, very slicy blade.

It will always be a light user, but I have my Spyderco's to beat on lol.

 

[omegaprime8]

Pimping out your car doesn't make it art, neither does pimping out your knife.

Knives are functional. Art is not functional. Craftsmen don't make art.

If you lower the bar enough a good plumber is an artist.

This is not to say that a truly superior piece of work by a craftsman cannot become art. A good example is architecture: architects are not artists, they are designers. Buildings are functional, and the more architects try to make them into art the less functional they become, which defeats their very purpose. That being said there are a number of buildings that are recognized as art because they have transcended the confines of architecture while maintaining their practical use (eg. the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House).

Why say all that just to state the exception to your rule? I believe the guy that designed the Opera house is an architect. There some pimped rides that can easily be considered art. There is obviously a point where function meets form and the artistic value of it is in the eye of the beholder. Life is beautiful if you look for it and moreso when you make it.