Somehow I just skipped right over production knives and started buying customs. I have two brothers who seem to have just about every +/- $100 production knife there is. One has sent me several knives over the past ten years: a Gerber LST, a Bolt-action exchange drop point with saw, a Boker Speed Lock (he was in Germany), and most recently a Benchmade 710 BST. He seems to buy more knives than he needs and gives them away to justify buying more.
Although both of my brothers have a couple of Randall hunters (I consider these to be production pieces as well, although of a much better quality than most), they have not yet caught the handmade (custom) bug. Their Randall's cost as much or more than some of my hand made knives. I can't quite figure that one out. They loathe using their Randall's. I think they MUST be used to be fully enjoyed. Forget about the resale value. The money is Gone already.
I don't think of knives (production OR custom) as investments. There are MUCH better ways to invest your money. Focus on Quality and less on Quantity. Your knife budget doesn't have to change at all. And don't be afraid to use custom knives. Almost everymaker still living will refinish a knife for a very small fee. And some of us think that personal history marks on knives can ADD value.
As a recreational woodcarver, and someone who loves hand worked ART of all kinds, I was immediately attracted to hand-made forged knives. Seeing Daniel Winkler's work in a magazine is what kicked me over the edge into Knife Knuttiness. It was still several more years of reading and looking before I bought my first hand made knife. When I went to my first show and discovered good quality sole-authorship forged knives in plain tool steel for +/- $100, I was hooked. My budget has increased for hand made knives since that first show, but I still like a good hand made user that is inexpensive.
Since reading Bladeforums I've noticed A LOT of folks talking about collections with thirty, forty, or more $100 production knives. Don't buy so many production knives and save for a totally unique, totally cool hand made knife. Or two. Or three or More. Quality is much more enjoyable than quantity.
Just a few months ago, I was embarrassed to admit to one of my brothers that I was still carrying the Gerber LST everyday. So I upgraded to a Benchmade 850 designed by Mel Pardue, and a small Spyderco Centofante, and I also got a Ken Onion Kershaw mini task knife. I love these designer production pieces for daily carry, but if I could afford to USE a hand made (custom) damascus gentleman's folder with Mammoth ivory scales and damascus bolsters, I would have one of those too.
It is important for me to be able to USE my knives, even if they cost hundreds of dollars. But even I think that some knives are so expensive and exotic that you just can't stand to use them. There is no easy answer to the question "what is the price threshold for a using knife?". Only the buyer can decide that one. For me, this has gone up about 500% in the last few years. But a hand made gentleman's folder like I want is going to cost me more than a $1000. That is at least twice my comfort level for a using knife. So I don't have that Gentleman's folder YET. But I will someday. I think that the pricier production pieces are hard to justify, particularly when there is so much good hand-made knife making work being offered in the same price range.
Paracelsus
