Snobbery & does "Handmade" belong

Keith Montgomery

Keith Montgomery

Joined
May 9, 2000
Messages
29,205
I read a post in another of the Bladeforums sub-forums where the person stated that he thought that the Custom & Handmade Knives forum suffered from snobbery. He posted that in his opinion there was not enough discussion of lower and mid priced custom knives. What do you guys think?

If people were to post more about lower priced customs, do you think that the threads would garner any kind of interest? Do we focus too much on the high end of the market?

Also, the title of this forum is Custom & Handmade Knives. Should handmade be there? It appears that whenever someone wants to discuss handmade knives that aren't customs, the thread are moved elsewhere. Should this forum be called " Custom Knives" and the handmade part just be left out?

To me, if there are members that would like to see more discussion about lower priced customs, they should start posting threads about such knives. That is the only way to see if they would fly.

As far as the handmade part of the forum title is concerned, I think that if we aren't going to allow the discussion of handmade knives, handmade should be removed from the forum title. In the past it has been confusing to people that wanted to post about Randall, Ruana, etc, just to find there threads moved to other sub-forums, and it would be better if it wasn't there. I'm not saying that we should discuss handmade knives, as I personally would prefer that this forum focused on custom knives only.
 
This is a bit confusing, Keith, I think you should first define
HAND MADE KNIVES vs CUSTOM KNIVES all over again, to
make it easier for everyone....

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
 
ddd said:
This is a bit confusing, Keith, I think you should first define
HAND MADE KNIVES vs CUSTOM KNIVES all over again, to
make it easier for everyone....

All the best,
David Darom (ddd)
Click to expand...

Indeed!

Why can`t a custom knife be handmade?!?

:confused:

Regards
/Magnus
 
Keith,

I think this a good topic - for discusion....

Something you all know and mention, is there are a lot of new knife makers.
And not enough new collectors being added to the pot, if you will..
So what I'm getting at here is, some one (new collectors and or older ones) need to look at new makers work, talk about, discus it, AND BUY IT.
Not saying all, just some of the better ones with potential in their work. To help with the cost it takes to learn - bacause...
There is a learning curve - time period in knife making, before one really becomes a successful maker.
And his work can stand on it's own.

There is probably a lot to be discussed and learned here, and threads like this can help a lot - I think? :thumbup:

Todd
 
Well I've found you bunch of knuts very responsive and helpful with my lower end custom/handmade knives. I know that you need thick skin at times but if I want to advance in my craft and expand my customer base I need to hear from a pack of !@#$!@#$@# (I mean this with respect and appreciation)at times. Noone ever advanced from hearing a big lovefest about your knives. Heck, my teacher tears me a new one just about every knife he sees of mine.

BTW if people want to see a pack of !@#%$!@#$!@#$ go to an umpire school, the instructors there would make Drill Sargeants faint. My second season of college ball I worked with a "big dawg" umpire. During post game his comment was that I was a horseshit umpire and he was glad that he drove so he wouldn't have to ride cause he didn't want to be seen with me. I pointed out that he had said earlier on in the post- game that I had improved.... "yeah you have but you're still a horseshit umpire." :(

People that accuse other people of snobbery usually are jealous anyways. :D
 
Custom & Handmade Knives forum suffered from snobbery.
Click to expand...

I don't think it suffers from snobbery , any more than the production forums suffer from failure to acknowledge that handmade or custom knives are worth the price to other people . There will always be those that prefer the higher end , but I bet they also appreciate the work that goes into any knife.

To see someone post " not my cup of tea , but I really like the quality" says a lot , it tell me they are not being a snob , just honest and appreciative.

He posted that in his opinion there was not enough discussion of lower and mid priced custom knives
Click to expand...

Then the poster could start some couldn't he ? Does the poster have any ?
I have never seen any squashing of the lower end of the custom/handmade market on these forums. I fail to understand his point.

It's pretty much a mute point to me. There will always be entry level customs , mid level and high level ( I am talking price , not quality of workmanship , the 2 do not always go hand in hand.

The people I have noticed who complain about the prices of custom knives , are usually the people who aren't buying them anyways.

I consider the knives I make handmade , not custom.
To me custom implies the buyer had input on the outcome of the knife , ie made to order , maybe not 100% to their specs but with a decent amount of input.

This will be a good discussion to watch.

Remember low end customs (handmade , etc ) will be different for everyone , what one may consider low at $500 , the next guy might consider it to be $200.

Perhaps it would be best not to categorize things to death ?
 
If truth be told about any knife custom, handmade or whatever no problem. A knife is no less custom coming out of a custom shop than if I make one sole authorship. This is where I think definitions get muddy. how many people working on a knife or making the parts matters? It is still a custom or handmade if any amount of people work on it, seems it boils down to personal preference in ones own definition and what that person is willing to spend on it.
Ken.
 
So it appears that you may be asking if we should modify this forum to essentially codify what those guys are perceiving as being "wrong" ?:D I see a number of lower priced customs/handmades on here. I think that the Randall example is different than say, Ruana. A Randall thread might get shipped off elsewhere.........say to a Randall forum. I don't feel that Randall is "inferior" It is just that Randall collecting is such a highly specialized area with lots of people involved, so you are not going to get the best answer to you question in here. As for the whole "cutom v. handmade" argument, people have been trying to sort that out since long before I joined Blade Forums and we are still asking the question. This may be the unfathomable "grand unification theory" of knife collecting.:D
 
John T Wylie Jr said:
Perhaps it would be best not to categorize things to death ?
Click to expand...

I say the same for the time being, there is so much going on. Changes being made on all levels right now.
How everything is being made, the cost, Who's making? How much of it are they making? With what? Let the market - public sort it out, by wants -and demands.
You collectors here just need to educate the new guys with proper knowledge, of procedures and skills that goes into knives made different ways.
( Keep prodding and coaxing makers to put up tutorials on knife making and procedures that it takes to make the HIGH END pieces... already and in the next few years,
I think you will start seeing a lot of videos on this type of thing for help on that. )

Todd




.
 
jdm61 said:
As for the whole "cutom v. handmade" argument, people have been trying to sort that out since long before I joined Blade Forums and we are still asking the question.
Click to expand...

There is an argument about this!?!


Does it need to be "sorted out"??

Regards
/Magnus
 
I have custom knives in my collection that cost considerably less than a mid range Spyderco or Buck Product. I also have some that are worth a couple of Grand. I buy what I like not because of snobbery.


With regards to Custom and Handmade I think there is a difference between the two with regards to Forging or Stock Removal methods. I consider stock removal custom and the forged custom AND hand made...maybe thats wrong but it works for me...


Ren
 
Keith Montgomery said:
I read a post in another of the Bladeforums sub-forums where the person stated that he thought that the Custom & Handmade Knives forum suffered from snobbery. He posted that in his opinion there was not enough discussion of lower and mid priced custom knives. What do you guys think?

I think it's just another punch at this forum from the non-customs crowd. And it couldn't no farther from the truth. How often does a new maker post his work here only to encouraged and welcomed to the BF custom forum page after page?

If people were to post more about lower priced customs, do you think that the threads would garner any kind of interest? Do we focus too much on the high end of the market? Definitely not. IMO, this forum is extremely diverse. We see knives from the new maker that hasn't even starting selling his knives to some of the finest custom-HANDMADE knives in existence.
But of course, who doesn't like to see the finest of anything? Would you rather look at Ferraris or Hyundais?

Also, the title of this forum is Custom & Handmade Knives. Should handmade be there? It appears that whenever someone wants to discuss handmade knives that aren't customs, the thread are moved elsewhere. Should this forum be called " Custom Knives" and the handmade part just be left out? Please, let's not beat the "customs" vs handmades" question to death again. Though we could go on page after page dissecting why they are different custom and handmades have become synonymous when addressing the kind of knives shown and discussed here on this forum. If it's not broke, don't fix it.
Click to expand...
************
 
I think custom and handmade are one and the same to a certain degree.. I have not really noticed any snobs but I also think some words of encouragement should be given more frequently. It only takes a second to make a comment on a knife that someone has made and are proud of. Everyone started somewhere and no one apreciates a simple well done knife more than me.
 
Will Leavitt said:
I'm putting on welding gloves and forging apron. Putting my money on the "snobs."
Click to expand...


That's the pisser, we make the stuff, But they have us by the balls, :eek: cause they got the $$$....Just doesn't seem right?? We do all the work and they get all the pleasure... :grumpy: :D

Todd
 
Heeeeyyyyyy, I work for Hyundai as a Quality Control Test Track Driver :( I'd rather drive a Ferrari too :D We get to drive some high end cars that we refer to as "benchmark vehicles" to calibrate our Acceptable Quality Levels. :D

I can't believe you cracked on Hyundai sheesh :( We done worked so hard and our Santa Fes got 2nd in JD powers this year. :cool:

A big problem at least from the maker's point of view is that most of us operate in a vacuumn other than here. We're the best makers that we know and our friends know and their friends know... so it's one big lovefest. Now that the ole bullfrog done got puffed up, he shows up here and someone sticks a needle in him and he's all deflated and flat. :D To most people that hurts and they'll skulk off, to me that's a challenge and I'll work harder.

Edited to reply to Todd:

bigal2me said:
That's the pisser, we make the stuff, But they have us by the balls, :eek: cause they got the $$$....Just doesn't seem right?? We do all the work and they get all the pleasure...

Todd
Click to expand...

It's a tar baby, they gots money but we gots knives. They can't keep trading the same knives back and forth can they? :D And think of how cool we are compared to them. I KNOW my wife just thinks I'm sexy after forging all day and got my forge funk going. Why else would she demand I get my clothes off at the door? :D Oh yeah and head straight to the shower :(
 
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