Question for Les - Maddog not custom?

Gollygee, I must be naive. I always thought a custom knife was one that was made to your specifications or one of the makers regular patterns that was custonized to your specifications. Otherwise it is a just a handmade.
 
RMLamey - i know we don't have to agree, but the reason i asked the question in the first place was to get everyone's opinions. i know that we are all entitled to our own opinions, but i just wanted to see what everyone's opinions were.

as far as maddog's knives go - i have only handled 2 of them. they were both rather roughly (crudely) finished. the edge bevels were uneven and wavy for the entire length of the blade, on both sides. it was very amateurish looking. but, i have heard so many respected people recommend them, that i have a labrat on order. hopefully, the finish will be better on this.

marco

 
Les, I agree on the rusting under the HC, I don't like that aspect either. As for D2 on a big knife, that is curious, just about everyone else says to stay away from it becuase of its low toughness compared to say A2 / 5160 etc. .

Marco were they the steel or ceramic ones? Both steel ones I have seen had very even grinds with a very high consistent polish. My ceramic Operator had the same problems you describe. The grinds were uneven and the didn't meet evenly at the tip. I fixed it with a couple of large DMT benchstones.

-Cliff
 
Cliff,

Most knifemakers will go off the imperical data provided by metalurgist to form their opinion as to the merits of a particular steel.

I based mine on using a knife in the field. I will give you that A-2, O-1, L-6 and 5160 hold a slightly better edge than D-2. However, these steel posses little or no rust resistance (chromium) in their chemical composition.

I based the choice of my steel a lot of factors. One of them was resistance to environmental effects.

I feel that D-2 is an excellent comprimise.

To our new Member Bill Boyd. You missed a lenthy thread.

A custom knife has two meanings.

First: a handmade knife, made to your specifications.

Second: any handmade knife, it is also a category name. The category name was created in the 70's, long before most of us even knew what a custom knife was.




------------------
Les Robertson
Moderator
Robertson's Custom Cutlery
http://www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com/rcc/makers.shtml
I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken.
 
I am a maker of knives for carpenters,
mechanics, Electricians & farmer/ranchers.
Most of them want a knife that will take
some hard use and also has some stain
resistance. D2 gives me both in one package.
I know some other steels have better toughness, and some have better stain resistance, & when asked to I use them but it's the users choice.

------------------
old pete
 
cliff - they were both steel maddogs. both of them were wombats. they weren't brand new, so maybe the owners had a hand in the poor cosmetics of these knives. i just thought that would be a strange coincidence, that the knives both had the same problem.

les - what did you mean that you find maddog's knives "poorly finished"? does anyone else find that maddog's knives are finished poorly?

marco
 
Marco, I have seen posts before commenting on getting a blunt blade, but nothing about the steel knives have such a poor finish as you describe. However I would be wary of commenting on the finish of second hand knives for the reasons you describe.

As for the overall finish, its not like there isn't a lot to look at in that regard. I would be interested to hear what Les considers a poor finish on the MD's he has seen. I know he has described them as plain and that I can understand as there is nothing fancy done to pretty them up, its all just function.

-Cliff
 
Marco and Cliff,

The 4 different Mad Dog's I have seen were nothing more than HC coated 0-1. I would be curious to know what grit his blades are finished to before they are HC.

Three of the knives had some type of rubber material slid over the blade. I have never found rubber to be a good handle material as it is very prone to dry rot, unless you are constantly coating it in silicon.

The Atak had a comfortable handle, much like the MPK. Is it just me or do these two knives seem alot alike? Although I have been assured tha Mad Dog's glue is the best. I still am not comfortable with a tang that does not go all the way to the end of the handle! Additionally, the one I saw, had no bolts or anything else (at least on the surface) that seemed to provide an a repetetive anchoring.

Guys, MD's knives are mostly in the $200-$300 price range. Based on the fact he has to make a living and occasionaly pay some salary. The knife fills the bill of a no frills "beater".



------------------
Les Robertson
Moderator
Robertson's Custom Cutlery
http://www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com/rcc/makers.shtml
I thought I was wrong once, but I was mistaken.
 
I must add my $0.02 worth. These knives are made for using in extreme environments - when you're out in the jungle or swamp, who cares if the knife has a pleasant looking finish? You just want the knife to perform and that's wht MD's claim to fame is. I own 2 MDs, one of them and ATAK - it has a comfortable feel and an exceptionally well-made sheath system designed to take punishment as well as being functional. While there are those that feel that a fine knife's sheath should be leather and not Kydex, which do you think will provide lasting functionality in extreme conditions? This is what Kevin designed the knife for. I agree with Les in that the tang/handle should not rely soley on glue and high pressure. I would feel more comfortable if there were a couple of bolts present. Other than that, we should all look at what the knife was designed for - I agree, it sure won't win any beauty contests!

Steve H
 
Les mentioned about steels that have any kind of plating on them, chrome or otherwise, and the subject of rusting. Years ago I worked in a chrome plating shop, and if metal is completely plated, it won't be subject to rust, which is erosion caused by liquids (water, for example). Scratch the plating away, just a bit, and moisture can and will attack the underlying metal. Remove plating from the cutting edge of a knife, and that steel is exposed and if moisture (like humidity) touches the steel, which it will, the metal is subject to rusting. Yes, if the knife is cleaned after use, and the bare steel is coated with a good oil, the surface will be protected from moisture and therefore rust.
 
Les, your prices are a little off. MD's standard line of 7" blades is ~$350. The larger blades like the TUSK and Panther (10") are close to $1000, and his short swords are ~$2700.

In regards to the rubber handle, I agree, I don't like it much at all. It is too soft and will wear through to the tang just by resheathing. However the g10-like composite he uses is far more durable.

The MPK is based on the ATAK so its no wonder they look similar.

Steve, you will not see bolts in the handle as MD does not want it to be able to conduct electricity. I think Mission has addressed this concern as the tang on the MPK widens towards the end so you can't pull the handle off, you would have to rip right through the grip material to do so.

-Cliff
 
Just FYI, according to Mission, the US Navy approached them with the design of how the knife was supposed to look. Mission and the Navy went back and forth and did some modifications resulting in the current knife.

The article can be found on Mission's site, at this url:
http://www.missionknives.com/articles/design_behind_the_mpk.htm

Spark

------------------
Kevin Jon Schlossberg
SysOp and Administrator for BladeForums.com

Insert witty quip here
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top