Should You Buy a Handmade Knife?

[jbmonkey]

That’s where the first middle men came from. There were trade routes through the Americas. Free passage in tribal lands and between warning groups was granted, so rare goods could be had. This goes way back.
Flint for oranges…kidding, oranges are from China (oh boy)

if ya go back and read David's post it's using what ya have in the wild, not what ya can trade for....... if we are trading ill just trade for Sat phone and back to civilization I go.

up north he's got stones and rocks and plenty of them. we don't down here, in the wild.

 

[Vargold_Blades]

This whole article could have been about two sentences.

With most production knives being sufficient for most people's needs, a handmade blade is a luxury.
So if you want a unique, one of a kind knife... and you can afford it... buy it!

Lets not over complicate things.

But I have to overthink everything, that's my MO

 

[EngrSorenson]

What would be the fun in that?

the other thing you're doing instead of reading 1360 words.

But I have to overthink everything, that's my MO

I get it, and I commend your enthusiasm, but this is a safe space where most people understand the value of "handmade" or "custom".
It's kind of like walking into a crack house and telling the occupants the pros and cons of trying crack.

 

[Vargold_Blades]

Do you have a pic of a knife you made that you feel would be a good all around survival blade? And what is it about that knife that you feel makes it such and therefore a good value or advantage over a factory blade?

We would have to know what we are trying to survive, but lets assume its the wilderness. I designed this one to be easily indexed without needing to look at it. It has a longer longer blade with a scandi grind for processing wood and carving up critters. Lanyard ring for safety. Kydex dangle sheath for access when wearing a parka or longer shirts. And instead of jimping, I have a raise in the spine to better accommodate the sabre grip if self-defense became an issue. Squared spine for ferro rods, and a differential heat treat to withstand prolonged batoning. The handles scales are unique to each blade because they are wood, and much like snowflakes, no two wooden handle scales are exactly the same.

Could there be a factory blade that takes this all into account and mass produces it? Maybe. If you find it, you should buy one and field test it. I've put a prototype of this one through the ringer, know that it works, and stand by my product. To me it is worth it, but I won't tell you that this justifies the expense to everyone else.

 

[Mecha]

We would have to know what we are trying to survive

Zombie apocalypse, of course!

 

[jbmonkey]

Zombie apocalypse, of course!

that would require a titanium chopper or sword at the minimum

 

[scdub]

First, I'm flattered that you think I use CNC! All of my blades are made with a portaband, a 1x30 belt grinder, hand sanding, and a propane forge. To me, anything that isn't stamped out by robots and produced en mass in a huge factory would fall into the "handmade" category. Using CNC and CAD is fine with me as far as handmade goes, but when you start using machines to grind bevels or shape handles for you, then I'm not so sure if you can call it handmade anymore. Some day I would love to have a CNC machine to cut impossibly intricate details into the material.

"I’m curious to know how much hand-work vs. CNC work goes into your knives, or if there’s anything else you’d like to share about how they’re made, or who exactly makes them."

I design and make everything, from the work on my website, to the finished product shipped in the box. Since I do not have the gear to heat treat my own stainless, I stick to high-carbon steel, and follow the New Jersey Steel Barron's recipes. Basically, they are soaked at austenizing temp for ~5 minutes in the forge before being quenched in Parks 50 that's been heated to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Then they are tempered in the oven (two cycles of two hours) at 400 degrees. I would never claim that they are a specific HRC, but using that recipe, I think its safe to assume they are coming out between 60-62 HRC. Using the Keyring Katana as an example, my process is:

- Select a steel type (now its usually 80CrV2)
- Outline the blade profile on the flat stock
- Cut/Grind out the profile
- Mark/Scribe the bevel and edge
- Pre-heat treat bevel grind
- Pre-heat treat hand sand
- Austenize and quench
- Temper Cycle 1
- Temper Cycle 2
- Soak over night in vinegar for scale removal
- Finish grind the bevel
- Finish hand sand
- Electro etch the logo
- Make the sheath
- Protect the blade with some kind of oil or wax
- Package the blade
- Ship

This can take between 3 to 5 days, depending on what comes up while its going on. I also like to update the customer with the progress and some photos to make sure everyone is happy with the final result. Its entirely a one man show with the bare minimum equipment.

Thanks for this thoughtful answer.

To be honest, something about the presentation of your article and website made me a bit skeptical about how the knives were made.

You might consider adding some of the above information on your website to put other skeptics minds at ease as well.

Good luck!

 

[unwisefool]

Any recommendations?

Nope, cause I don't make knives. But maybe you should post in the blademakers section and see what advice people can give you

 

[beeinak]

Vargold:
Again, no disrespect towards you intended, but on your site you refer to ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ which can make it seem that there are other knife-makers operating under your brand so to speak. There are companies who do this, but if you are the sole maker, it would be nice to word it as such.

I live where it gets quite cold and when using a knife for something mundane like notching, making shavings or feather sticks (especially in the cold) I like to use my arm more than my wrist, and also tend to hold the knife as close as possible to what I am cutting. Your example of a survival knife with the spear point would not allow that as much as I prefer. Thumb ramps can be nice at times, but having the scales extend over the cutting edge could limit the abilities of the knife (IMHO). I am not trying to criticize your design- only giving my thoughts.

To me, a great ‘survival knife’ is simply a well constructed knife that I can truly depend on. We all have opinions on blade shape, length, steel, etc but knowing the knife is reliable is paramount to what makes me decide which ones I carry into the woods.

Back to your original post- I love handmade knives. I appreciate the thought, time, skill, pride, and uniqueness of things made by hand.

 

[Dr Rez]

Depends on the makers skill, experience, knowledge and execution. Not all handmade knives are created equal.

Can I just say...your customs are incredible. I hope to one day be in a spot where I can order one.

I know this is blowing smoke right up your ass but your knives and Malanika's are easily my favorites.

 

[EngrSorenson]

Can I just say...your customs are incredible. I hope to one day be in a spot where I can order one.

I know this is blowing smoke right up your ass but your knives and Malanika's are easily my favorites.

Blow all the smoke you want, man. That’s what OP was really getting at- the opportunity to own something unique to a maker that resonates with the buyer. It’s the fun part about it.

 

[dirc]

First, I'm flattered that you think I use CNC! All of my blades are made with a portaband, a 1x30 belt grinder, hand sanding, and a propane forge. To me, anything that isn't stamped out by robots and produced en mass in a huge factory would fall into the "handmade" category. Using CNC and CAD is fine with me as far as handmade goes, but when you start using machines to grind bevels or shape handles for you, then I'm not so sure if you can call it handmade anymore. Some day I would love to have a CNC machine to cut impossibly intricate details into the material.

"I’m curious to know how much hand-work vs. CNC work goes into your knives, or if there’s anything else you’d like to share about how they’re made, or who exactly makes them."

I design and make everything, from the work on my website, to the finished product shipped in the box. Since I do not have the gear to heat treat my own stainless, I stick to high-carbon steel, and follow the New Jersey Steel Barron's recipes. Basically, they are soaked at austenizing temp for ~5 minutes in the forge before being quenched in Parks 50 that's been heated to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Then they are tempered in the oven (two cycles of two hours) at 400 degrees. I would never claim that they are a specific HRC, but using that recipe, I think its safe to assume they are coming out between 60-62 HRC. Using the Keyring Katana as an example, my process is:

- Select a steel type (now its usually 80CrV2)
- Outline the blade profile on the flat stock
- Cut/Grind out the profile
- Mark/Scribe the bevel and edge
- Pre-heat treat bevel grind
- Pre-heat treat hand sand
- Austenize and quench
- Temper Cycle 1
- Temper Cycle 2
- Soak over night in vinegar for scale removal
- Finish grind the bevel
- Finish hand sand
- Electro etch the logo
- Make the sheath
- Protect the blade with some kind of oil or wax
- Package the blade
- Ship

This can take between 3 to 5 days, depending on what comes up while its going on. I also like to update the customer with the progress and some photos to make sure everyone is happy with the final result. Its entirely a one man show with the bare minimum equipment.

fwiw (and because you like to over think) - Larrin has a super in depth write up about heat treating 80crv2 - deep deep dive, 350 temper gives really nice high hardness while keeping a relatively tough result... and for the highest toughness, 450 temper seems to be optimal

enjoy -> https://knifesteelnerds.com/2022/06/23/how-to-heat-treat-80crv2/