Recommended Custom Knife Makers?

S

samiamuc

Joined
Feb 27, 2017
Messages
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I would like to commission some custom knives from a movie. I can get the plastic prop replicas, but I want knives that I can actually use for camping, hunting, etc. I have never commissioned custom knives before and was hoping to get some recommendations of people/places to commission them from.

Thanks,
-Sam
 
Do not be surprised if the knives you saw in the movies do not work like the movie showed them working, be sure and ask the maker you chose what he thinks of the knife before he makes it.
Good Luck!
 
Ed Fowler said:
Do not be surprised if the knives you saw in the movies do not work like the movie showed them working
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that's gotta be one of the best things I've ever read here.
 
I am quite familiar with one instance where a well known knife maker, the late Colin Cox, make some copies for sale of a movie knife that he was contracted to build on what the designer assumed was a "work for hire" basis. He got a very nasty letter from a lawyer when he put the knife in a magazine ad and decided to make some other designs instead. What was interesting is that Mr.Cox apparently had a long time reputation for copying other firm's work, Randall in particular, but it was the movie knife that generated sufficient pushback to convince him that it wasn't worth his time.
 
samiamuc said:
I would like to commission some custom knives from a movie. I can get the plastic prop replicas, but I want knives that I can actually use for camping, hunting, etc.
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Clarify please? Multiple knives of same model, or different.

Do have a rough idea on what youd be willing to pay? You may be surprised at how much a handmade knife can cost.
 
I would not worry about copyrights or patents, man has been making knives for many thousands of years and no knife made today has not been made before. A good friend made a great knife and figured he would do all the legal stuff, he was very disappointed!! You have to hire your own lawyer and defend it.

If nothing else put a different color handle on it. You may get letters from attorneys, but I do not know of anyone who has been to court.

If it gets famous, be sure and tell folks where you got the idea, this is only honest.

If you intend on using this knife ask the maker how he tests his knives and what his guarantee is.
 
Which movie and which knife?
If it's something special it may have been discussed here already and could be easier to find the manufacturer/maker.
 
See of you can find out who the maker is and ask that person. I have a model that is going to appear in a major film and while I'm pretty open on people making close copies of my work I'm going to protect this one!
 
I should have been more clear in my post, I don't really know why I wasn't. I'm a big fan of the LOTR and The Hobbit movies (and books), as well as an outdoorsman. Weta, the company who designed the props for the films, sells high impact urethane cast replicas of the knives of Nori the dwarf and did sell the one knife of Fili the dwarf.
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I'd purchase them but I really want them made from metal and wood so that I can actually use them. I don't have the skill, know-how, tools, or equipment to make these. I know these will probably cost a lot of money and I'm willing to pay for it. I'd also supply the urethane prop replicas to anyone making them for me to use as a reference, as well as all of the pictures I can get. I'd then have to commission someone who works with leather to make the sheaths, but since replicas of these are not sold, they would have to be based entirely off of photos, screenshots, and the knives themselves. It may be a while before I'm actually ready to commission these, I just wanted to have an idea of some manufacturers to look at to get quotes from. If you recommend yourself (which is great), could you please give me a rough price estimate? Just to be clear - I'm only interested in one of each knife, even though the prop of Nori's knives comes with two.

Many people brought up the issue of copyright. I'll point out that lots of people sell homemade prop replicas from LOTR and The Hobbit on Etsy, and 99% I'm sure that 99% of them don't have permission from anyone. I'm also sure that it'd be okay as long as the make or the knives does not make them for anyone else and doesn't sue them to advertise.
 
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Hellize can make exactly what you want! Great guy, fast responses, friendly pms and a really fair price! He also works with leather for sheath and is pretty good too!
 
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