Production/Custom Knives comparison

golok

golok

Joined
Oct 20, 2000
Messages
4,453
It has been often said that Custom knives are consistently better than production knives.

I wonder if this is true, because I know some production knives are excellent. At the risk of hurting the feelings of some Custom makers, these production knives (in my opinion) are way, way better than many Custom knives I know.

The main difference between production and customs knives is the price. The latter usually commands a higher price. The Custom knife owner can boast of having his own one-of-a-kind.

As for performance, depending on the type of usage, can be subjective at times.

We all know the output of better-to-excellent production knives is on the rise. This brings to mind the question of where custom knives stand in this whole game of pursuit of excellent production knives.

I suppose deep in the heart of every knife owner and collector is this indelible urge to own at least one Custom knife (for a start).

I for one is not knocking production knives at all. They are coming out - better, stronger and sharper.



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Make Love your strongest weapon. Compassion your shield and forgiveness your armour.
 
I like fixed blades with blades between 5 and 8 inches and under $150.00. Given this criteria - I regularly find that production blades are better values. I am often dissapointed by customs in this range.
 
Customs are better, if you know what you're buying. It's true, there are excelent production knives out there, but that's not the question. Let's talk about folders for example. A top production folder will usualy come in a $100-$200 range (wich doesn't qualify as cheap). A custom folder will be in $250-$500 (I'm not talknig about high end ones). Yes, it's twice the price, but if you're a quality freak (like me
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), go for the customs.

[This message has been edited by flava (edited 06-22-2001).]
 
All depends on the what production knife (or company) and who the custom maker is. Especially, when you're making comparisons.

There are some exceptional production knives and some exceptional custom knives on the market. Believe me. . .no matter if it's a production or custom ~ the more $ $ that you spend on a blade the better knife you'll end up with !

Whether you purchase production (low, intermediate or high enders) or purchase custom made knives or both. . .it's a personal choice and comes with more opinions than Carter has little liver pills.

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Livin' Life ~ Full Throttle
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[This message has been edited by GigOne (edited 06-22-2001).]
 
I think GigOne is closer to the truth. Because it is a custom certainly does not mean that it is of higher quality than a production knife. In the case of some of the top makers it is true but it is not the case with all "customs" or knives made by one maker. Obviously there are some outstanding custom knives. There are also some poor ones. The same holds true for production knives. There are excellent ones and poor ones as well.

What the factory provides is a lower unit cost for a given product. Production knives such as those from William Henry, Chris Reeve and others are of a level of quality that only the best of the customs can compete with them, and those that do are certainly more expensive. Factory knives from China and Pakistan are pure junk and, of course, there are plenty of products in between. It's a fairly broad marketplace and it's pretty hard to deal with universal statements in it. Take care.



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Fred
Knife Outlet
http://www.knifeoutlet.com
 
I don't see production vs. custom as a quality issue. I have a better time talking on the phone, exchanging e-mail, drinking beer, and smoking cigars with knifemakers than I would with a factory full of machines. The knives I receive from makers with whom I've become friends have warmth and life that no factory made product of any kind will ever have.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by averageguy:
I like fixed blades with blades between 5 and 8 inches and under $150.00. Given this criteria - I regularly find that production blades are better values. I am often dissapointed by customs in this range.</font>
Click to expand...

If you ever get the urge to try a custom you should check out Bob Dozier ( http://www.dozierknives.com/ ). Some of his models fall within your price range and his quality is second-to-none! I don't know how he manages to keep his prices so low.

I just bought my first custom from him. It's a 5-1/2" fixed blade spearpoint with a back-bevel and fingerguards. It looks great, came with an outstanding kydex belt sheath, and it is the strongest cutting machine I have ever seen. Also, Linda Dozier is wonderful to talk with.
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--Bob Q
 
Actually, the main difference between customs and factory stuff si that the custom is hand made by a maker who puts what you want on the blade!

Suppose you want a Camillus CQB-1 knife, but you want yellow micarta scales, bg-42 steel and a deeper finger cut out. Camillus won't make this knife, but a custom maker can.

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"Come What May..."
 
Brian. . .send me $200 and I'll spend time talkin' to ya on the phone. Will even come over to your house and help you drink all of your beer and smoke most of your cigars ! We'll have a blast talking about knives and whatever else you'd like.
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Livin' Life ~ Full Throttle
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Future Mayo owner, here.
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If I can just stop buying William
Henrys someday I can save my dimes.

Maybe Mr. Mayo(me kissbut, nooo)
could bump me to the head of his
8 mo. waiting list, and oh yah put
me on some kind of special payment
plan.
smile.gif

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Who the heck are we kidding here? A $10 Opinel will accomplish what most of us need to do with a knife. Anything more than that is just showing off and bragging rigths. Yeah I buy customs because I can, most are never going to be pushed to their limits. I've met every maker of one of my knives, and a few are very good friends. It's one of the neat things about being a knifenut. You can rationalize all you want, but the "Nut" in Knifenut is a major reason why we do what we do and spend our money the way we do. Nothing bursts a knifenuts bubble faster than what happened with my boss. He preferred my Camillus/DDR EDC over my custom made, stag handled Damascus folder with handmade sheath which costs about 10 times what the EDC did. We both exchanged looks that said the same thing, "Geeeez what an idiot!"
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Will Work 4 Knives
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IMHO the distinction between the top production knives and customs is increasingly blurred.

I think in many cases (not all) many customs makers have, in effect, become "mini-factories". Many of these customs makers cannot possibily spend as much time on the road at shows all over the country and at the same time be spending time in the shop turning out knives. They, instead, rely on a small, well-trained group of workers that turn out the majority of their product (under the ultimate supervision of the maker).

I'm not saying this is bad or good, and they still generally turn out the quality product that we are willing to shell out our bucks for.

IMO, it is just a sign of the times in terms of basic business reality.

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Dick

AKTI Member # A001365
 
Will a Rolls Royce get you to the super market any faster than a Geo?

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R.W.Clark

Proud Member : California Knifemakers Association
 
In my limited experience with this it seems to me that there are a several different kinds of "custom" knives.

1. Precision Custom- These are knives that are made to be as well made and engineered as possible. Very expensive mostly due to the time required to get them within very exacting tolorances. Perhaps with some nice "looks" frills too.

2. "Looks" Custom- Probably not much better if indeed any better made than most production knives but the time and extra money goes into the look and perhaps exotic materials.

3. Really Custom- Couldn't be found anywhere else so it was made to order. Naturally expensive because they are usually handmade and one of a kind. Planning and experienmenting might go into a knife like this so that puts the cost up too.

4. POS Custom- Not particularly good in any real aspect but it is hand made by someone so the price is higher than it probably should be.

In my opinion:

#1 is worth the money to me. #2 isn't worth it to me but I wouldn't collect something based only on appearance. Some will though. #3 is worth whatever its worth to have a knife exactly like you like it so I tend to think its indeed worth it to the one who commissions it. #4 is crap but sometimes its worth investing in someone who is developing their skills.

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"I'm inuspeptic, frasmotic, even compunctious to have caused you such pericumbobulations."--Mr. E Blackadder
 
I like to buy production knives, and then customize them myself, the way that I want them to be.
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.

My customizing & tinkering also helps with the me/knife "bonding process".
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.

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Dann Fassnacht
Aberdeen, WA
<A HREF="mailto:glockman99@hotmail.com
glockman99@yahoo.com">glockman99@hotmail.com
glockman99@yahoo.com</A>
ICQ# 53675663
 
I've only just ordered my first custom, so can't speak with authority. But, from a lot of reading, I've become convinced that as a group, the knifemakers who go the route of the American Bladesmith Society are makers who can be depended upon to produce a knife of genuine value. Maybe I should limit that to those who've achieved their journeyman or master rating, or who are clearly dedicated to achieving those ranks. The last I heard, fewer than 80 people have earned the rank of Master Smith from the ABS. I ordered my knife from one of the better known Master Smiths.

I'm not so certain as someone who posted earlier that you always get better knives when you pay more money. I believe that certain manufacturers can be depended upon for basic quality control, while others cannot. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to buy knives that cost $150 plus when many say that you have to go through a significant number of examples to find a "good" one. I will continue to pay $50 or so for CRKT knives, or $80 for SPyderco knives because I know I'll get a knife that is well put together, that good QC has been exercized upon it before it shipped from the company.

I doubt anyone could spend much time on the Spyderco forums that Sal Glesser participates in without being convinced that quality is important at his company.

I fear that "caveat emptor" remains an important concept for the customers of many manufacturers and custom makers.

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Asi es la vida

Bugs
 
I think that Blackadder has a cunning plan..and I agree (mostly) with his assessment. I also agree with Bugs, there are many good production knives to be had, high quality, good materials and good QC. And just to be even more agreeable, knifenerd makes a good point, there are many little 'mini-shops' (Mr Carson and Mr Reeves for example) that are turning out good knives.

Still, Blackadders #3 is my favorite, I have a couple in this class and another on the way. There is no way that any production knife can be better than one you helped design and had made to your specs.

Steve-O
 
As anewbie trying tolaern as much as I can, I am staying with MT's and MOD's and some first run BM's and of course a few AMK's and a Paragon or four. But I cannot , with my very limited knowledge just plop down several grand and start collecting custom(s) I have yet to even know where to begin, so as YOU fine Gentlemen TEACH me,I have the knife bug and I GOTTA BUY SUM-TING. My safest and best bet is with the better productions for now....wolf.....
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Generally speaking, knifenuts buy customs because they love knives. It is true that customs are often extremely well made, but it is also true that no really needs to spend $300+ on a knife. Most customs are clearly designed with the collector in mind, i.e. someone who takes great pleasure out of knives for their own sake. That is why we see colorful anodizing, damascus, exotic wood, mother of pearl etc. None of that stuff serves a functional purpose. True enough some customs are no frills and very functional, Bob Dozier and Jens Anso come to mind, and their knives are relatively inexpensive because of their lack of frills.
As a purely practical matter no one needs customs but one cannot live a truly quality life if one only has bare necessities. If a custom knife makes one happy, then there is no reason not to collect or use them.
 
If everyone was forced to resort to using a Spyderco Endura for the rest of their lives, then there would most likely never be a problem with getting the task at hand accomplished. On the other hand, people would not have a unique knife. Pride is the primary issue when buying a custom or high priced factory. It simply feels good to know that you have a better knife than your friend has. You can dispute this all you want, but it is the plain truth of it. You covet what your neighbor has everyday, and when he pulls out a brand new wood Sebenza you have an automatic reaction to have a better knife.
 
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