REAL custom knives

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Um, thousands of knives either take a lot of people or a lot of time for a few people. Either way, I don't think you'll easily find a company with enough extra resources to fill that request.

--JB

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e_utopia@hotmail.com
 
Real custom knives, no matter which definition you are using are made by the thousands.

Best check in the factory Section!



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Les Robertson
www.robertsoncustomcutlery.com

"If you are out to describe the truth, leave elegance to the tailor"
Albert Einstein
 
Damn, Les. That was the shortest post I have ever seen you make.
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E-mail until DEC 00: dogmanusp45@hotmail.com

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
George Orwell
 
Knives that are produced by more than One person do not fit the usually definition of 'custom' knife. You can arrange to have many knifemakers produce a knife to your specifications. But if you want to have someone agree to manufacture knives of your design and to pay you a royalty on each knife, your pretty much SOL unless you happen to be a very well known knifemaker. Even then, they come to You, not the other way around.

If on the other hand you have a significant supply of money, and want someone to produce thousands of knives of your design, which you will then attempt to sell on your own, I hear there are a lot of places overseas that would be glad to help you out for the right price.

I seriously doubt that any 'custom' knifemaker will be able to help you. Most are lucky to produce hundreds of knives in their lifetimes, let alone thousands. Nor would they want to.

Les is right, real custom knives Are made by the thousands. But they are all just a little bit different. And none of them were made by a factory. Some knives are produced according to a custom makers design in collaboration with a factory, like the Spyderco Centofantes, or the Benchmade Pardues, or the Kershaw Ken Onions. But nobody would call these Real Custom Knives.

Paracelsus, curious about just what the Titanium Anglophobe thinks is a Custom knife
 
Thank you ever-so-much, gents, for the input, but I really don't get this whole "custom" knife business. By definition, isn't "custom" something tailored to the individual? Something made with unique specifications?
And today is the fourth of July, a day when we should all be Anglophobes.

"No thank you."
Richard Nixon when asked if he'd like a drink of urine

[This message has been edited by TheTitaniumLimeySmasher (edited 07-04-2000).]
 
If you approached a manufacturing company, and provided them with up-front money, I am sure they would make whatever design you want. The mean green does the talking. The way I read your inquiry, you have an idea custom designed by you, but if you have 1000's made, it will become a manufactured knife. The general definition of custom knives leans toward, one-of-a-kind, hand-made to an individuals specifications, whether it be the maker or the customer. You sound like you want mass production of your idea.

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E-mail until DEC 00: dogmanusp45@hotmail.com

"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf."
George Orwell
 
TLS, Welcome to the forums! You are absolutely correct that being an Anglophobe on Independence Day makes sense
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There are rules established by the Knifemakers Guild which defines the use of the word 'custom' in knifemaking. Although you are correct, the strictest definition implies that the knife is made according to customer specifications.

But there are many problems with this definition of 'custom'. How much does the customer have to contribute? Choice of handle materials? Blade materials? Dimensions? Line and Form? Grind types? Heat treating techniques? It's a slippery slope, the word applies to a broad range of relative customer involvement. There are many 'custom' makers who will not take make knives to a customers specifications, preferring to create their own vision of artistry in cutlery.

As I understand it (and Les Robertson is the expert on this issue), Dogman said it right. The KG definition of custom knife requires that one person build the knife. A knifemaker building a knife to his own design, with no customer input, is still producing a custom knife.

Some folks like to debate the meaning of this word 'custom'. I think the words 'custom' and 'handmade' are necessarily difficult to define. More than one word is usually necessary to convey all of the relevant information about the knife's construction and design.

The knife you propose to produce would be a factory (or production) knife of your design. Good luck.

Paracelsus
 
I am moving this over to the General Forum it is really more directed to manufactures not makers and collectors of custom knives.

I would recommend that you contact several knife manufacturers to inquire about making a "private label" knife of your design.

Good Luck,

Larry
 
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