questions about Andre Thornburn knives

knife dragon · Sep 18, 2014

hI FOLKS,
Well, it seems that i wanted to stop buying knives and truly i do. Yet, there is a problem i have been after a special flipper. I thought the Tighe Blade i have would quench my thirst for a special flipper. It's pretty, but it won't flip as it should. i was waiting for Brian to get his shop back in order because he said he had a flood.

i have been waiting, but i just can't take it anymore. i look at so many knives and once i start dreaming about flippers i think of my expensive flipper that doesn't flip properly. Brian promised he'd take care of it and i do believe him. yet, when i thought about the shipping and 2 trips at that and the wait in between coupled with the time I've already waited I have decided to just send the knife back.

So I have felt that Andre Thornburn's Flippers are the way i should go. wanted an R.J. Martin, but got no reply from his camp.

i have seen Thornburn's L51, as well as his L36 L Damascus bladed flipper as well as another L36 . i can't figure out why the L51 is so much more can someone please tell me why. it's like $1850. it's not a longer blade then the one i want,, nor does it have a expensive blade material it's N690 .

So what makes it worth all the extra by over $600, i can;t figure it out. I don't know the cost of his L 44's at all, but one was sold here back in 2013.
that knife is just freaking gorgeous imho. it seems the closer i get to something i really want there is a snafu. thanks for any help folks.

knife dragon · Sep 19, 2014

A Andre Thournburn flipper is on the way to me within a day or 2. not what i expected to be my 1st. Thornburn; but guess what my box of chocolates decided
for me.

:thumbup:

mr.ee's · Sep 19, 2014

$1,850 for a Thorburn doesn't sound right?
if it's not a misprint, then there must be something very special about it.
they've been showing up alot in the exchange lately, so you can go for a little instant gratification.

i have an L36 that i really like.
the flipping action is hard to describe other than smooooth.
it doesn't fire like a Shiro or a Leu. it's more graceful, if you can call it that.
it's not a framelock, so the scales make it a little wider and heavier in the hand which subtly changes the flipping feel into your hand.

maybe other owners can describe the feeling better.
here's a couple phone pics that don't really do it justice

knife dragon · Sep 22, 2014

thx. mr.ee's,
that's a nice bolster. the dude said he really didn't know anything/much about those knives. he said he would call me back in like 5 minutes or so. No call back though.
i'll try again maybe, just to find out the truth. i saw nothing in the description or specs that made it cost that or even close to that.

knife dragon · Sep 22, 2014

delete please

Rumline · Sep 22, 2014

Where do you see an L51 for $1850? I've seen them around $700-750 on the secondhand market.

mr.ee's · Sep 22, 2014

KD,
let's see that L50 when it comes in.

mr.ee's · Sep 22, 2014

KD,
let's see that L50 when it comes in.

knife dragon · Sep 23, 2014

Rumline said:
Where do you see an L51 for $1850? I've seen them around $700-750 on the secondhand market.

tricity knives i think it's called.

Mr. ee's,
i will do that as soon as i can . i only 2 photos by phone so far. I'm going to go get it now because i have an urge to flip it. i would describe the action as
sneaky smooth, that is more yin then yang in a wonderful way!

knife dragon · Sep 23, 2014

Rumline said:
Where do you see an L51 for $1850? I've seen them around $700-750 on the secondhand market.

tricity knives i think it's called.

Mr. ee's,
i will do that as soon as i can . i only 2 photos by phone so far. I'm going to go get it now because i have an urge to flip it. i would describe the action as
sneaky smooth, that is more yin then yang in a wonderful way!

oops seems i forgot how to post pictures. grrr

marthinus · Sep 25, 2014

I just checked the price at Tri-City custom knives and it is not $1850 but $850.

Looking at the pictures it seems that that specific L51 is still one of the early L51 models as Andre has changed the handle execution somewhat so it is quite rare.

knife dragon · Sep 25, 2014

marthinus said:
I just checked the price at Tri-City custom knives and it is not $1850 but $850.

Looking at the pictures it seems that that specific L51 is still one of the early L51 models as Andre has changed the handle execution somewhat so it is quite rare.

ink
yes, i just looked and i was going to post the 1,000 price reduction. your post sounded like you thought i made a mistake, and i did not. I correctly stated the original price, as well as calling the store and getting no call back to tell me about the price discrepancy i pointed out to them. I think made a honest mistake and didn't know it until i called. still a little overpriced imjo. but not by so much now.

i want that blade type but a nicer handle/color ...

NOTE: MY L 50 is actually a L 42 from my further examination of that model online. the L 50's actually have a different bolster/blade shape as well as handle right off the bat. Still i love this knife, it's starting to love me too based on it's flipping behavior imho.:thumbup:

marthinus · Sep 26, 2014

knife dragon said:
ink
yes, i just looked and i was going to post the 1,000 price reduction. your post sounded like you thought i made a mistake, and i did not. I correctly stated the original price, as well as calling the store and getting no call back to tell me about the price discrepancy i pointed out to them. I think made a honest mistake and didn't know it until i called. still a little overpriced imjo. but not by so much now.

i want that blade type but a nicer handle/color ...

NOTE: MY L 50 is actually a L 42 from my further examination of that model online. the L 50's actually have a different bolster/blade shape as well as handle right off the bat. Still i love this knife, it's starting to love me too based on it's flipping behavior imho.:thumbup:

You are correct, I did think you might have the price wrong as I was shocked when I read $1850. For $1850, I would rather go for the 36M with Damasteel, engraving and Mammoth Ivory.

With regards to your L50 being an L42, I know there was a online dealer that had the two models confused. I see the L42 model at Tri-City is actually the L45 as well.

Bladegallery has a good list of the Andre T models that are labelled correctly according to model numbers and I see they even have a few available.

knife dragon · Sep 30, 2014

Hey Marthinus,

i saw a bunch here http://www.bladeconnection.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=696
Yet, you can see number designations that signify a certain type of blade that is the same basic design obviously. Then you see the same number designation that has a different design ! grrr 4 L45 are listed, 3 of them are same basic design obviously 1 of the L45 is ve different.

Knife Art had designations for the same L50, BIT THE KNIFE WAS DIFFERENT , both blade shape, bolster, and handle if i recall. I told the seller i was gonna try to contact Andre direct. he said he had a 2 yr wait and is not accepting orders, so i'll pitch him an interesting build imho anyway. you never know.
I don't mind waiting. but might snag a Curtis in the mean time, nothing written in stone right now you dig. I was tempted by a carbon fiber slim ... curtis flipper today.

marthinus · Oct 2, 2014

knife dragon said:
Hey Marthinus,

i saw a bunch here http://www.bladeconnection.com/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=696
Yet, you can see number designations that signify a certain type of blade that is the same basic design obviously. Then you see the same number designation that has a different design ! grrr 4 L45 are listed, 3 of them are same basic design obviously 1 of the L45 is ve different.

Knife Art had designations for the same L50, BIT THE KNIFE WAS DIFFERENT , both blade shape, bolster, and handle if i recall. I told the seller i was gonna try to contact Andre direct. he said he had a 2 yr wait and is not accepting orders, so i'll pitch him an interesting build imho anyway. you never know.
I don't mind waiting. but might snag a Curtis in the mean time, nothing written in stone right now you dig. I was tempted by a carbon fiber slim ... curtis flipper today.

The od shape L45 you are referring to is a L46 actually. You can compare it to the other 46 models listed on bladeconnection.

Knifeart just mixed up the numbers. The 42 should have been the 50 and the 50 the 42.

Scurvy092 · Oct 3, 2014

Tricity has some of the most ridiculous prices I have ever seen on knives. The only one that's worse is ebosshoss.