Value of fixed camp/woods knife in O1

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N10siveRN

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Mar 6, 2018
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Forgive me for my dumb question. There is a small time custom knife maker that is kind of local to me that makes nice looking knives, but he only makes them in O1 steel. I know this is a common steel and nothing special. Just curious if his prices are in line with the value. It’d be a 5-6” blade, carbon fiber scales, matching fire starter, and a leather sheath. If the fit and finish was great, what would this commonly go for?
 
Just remember, with a knife like this materials aren't making up most of the cost.
It's the workmanship in the blade as well as the sheath.

If I saw such a knife for $150 I wouldn't think anything of it.
 
Hickory n steel said:
Just remember, with a knife like this materials aren't making up most of the cost.
It's the workmanship in the blade as well as the sheath.

If I saw such a knife for $150 I wouldn't think anything of it.
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That is an oversimplification.

A significant percentage of the cost of a knife from a custom maker is from that maker's reputation.

That 5-6 inch O1 knife is going to be way more than $150 from Randall, and wont be a custom. And will take 5 years to get.

And there is nothing at all not special or "common" with O1. It is an excellent steel used by many excellent custom makers.
 
Examples of his work. I’d like to support locals but I am just getting into fixed and I’m clueless about value on them. Prices are all over the place on them, and so is steels used and quality. I think he wants around $250 for the setup.
 

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Without knowing the maker or style of knife etc ... all Ican say is it could run you anywhere from slightly over $100.00 to several hundred.

But 01 is an excellent knife steel especially for camping/hiking/outdoors type uses ...

I would recommend you check out LT Wright knives ... many come in 01 or A2 and some now offered in 3V ... great prices for the quality you get ... and some of my personal favorite knives for the use you stated.

I would say think about getting carbon fiber scales if this is going to be a camp heavier use knife ... micarta or wood is alot sturdier less prone to breaking or chips and cracks.

just my 2 cents worth
 
JJ_Colt45 said:
Without knowing the maker or style of knife etc ... all Ican say is it could run you anywhere from slightly over $100.00 to several hundred.

But 01 is an excellent knife steel especially for camping/hiking/outdoors type uses ...

I would recommend you check out LT Wright knives ... many come in 01 or A2 and some now offered in 3V ... great prices for the quality you get ... and some of my personal favorite knives for the use you stated.

I would say think about getting carbon fiber scales if this is going to be a camp heavier use knife ... micarta or wood is alot sturdier less prone to breaking or chips and cracks.

just my 2 cents worth
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I posted a picture above of the style of knife. He also does sheepsfoot blades as well. I am planning on carbon fiber.
 
N10siveRN said:
Examples of his work. I’d like to support locals but I am just getting into fixed and I’m clueless about value on them. Prices are all over the place on them, and so is steels used and quality. I think he wants around $250 for the setup.
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An ESEE 6 in 1095 is going to run you about $150. With a "molded" sheath. That's a mass produced knife.

Is that knife, which looks pretty nice, worth an extra $150?

That is your call. How much is it worth having a knife that is unique to you? How much is it worth to "support your local knifemaker"?
 
I see the pictures now ... it looks like a decent design for a camp knife ... sheath looks to be of decent quality leather ...

I guess it comes down to what you like and want ... if the cost for the knife sheath and ferro rod as a package is $250.00 ... I can't say thats way out of line ... you will find many custom makers charging near the same or more ...

again depending on what you want or like ... you can pick up production knives such as LT Wright for less ... but as you mentioned it's nice to give some custom makers business and help local when you can ... and it seems within fair price range to me if you like it and trust the maker I think its a good style for a camping / hiking knife.
 
Yeah, I’d rather not get a production knife. I like the idea of supporting the small guy as long as his prices are reasonable for what I get. I like the thought of having a knife designed to be what I want. If what I showed above is comparable to others I think I’ll go for it.
 
Nevermind, thanks for the update.
 
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N10siveRN said:
Yeah, I’d rather not get a production knife. I like the idea of supporting the small guy as long as his prices are reasonable for what I get. I like the thought of having a knife designed to be what I want. If what I showed above is comparable to others I think I’ll go for it.
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Good for you!!! :thumbsup: I'd call it "reasonable" to "a pretty good deal" in that context.

Nice knife.
 
I’d pay the asking price for the knife pictured. Looking at the details, the knife is very well built and not thrown together. Don’t forget, you’re also going to get a warranty and he may throw in some free sharpening service. A big plus is that he’s local, meaning no shipping the knife off to have it worked on, no phone calls to explain any issues. That’s worth it’s weight in gold alone.
That really is a gorgeous knife.
 
marcinek said:
He is.
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That being the case, I would ask about handle construction and the type/weight leather used.

It sounds reasonable, but if he is skimping on the sheath, and using a lower grade CF (lots of voids), then ask about micarta or look elsewhere.
 
NJBillK said:
That being the case, I would ask about handle construction and the type/weight leather used.

It sounds reasonable, but if he is skimping on the sheath, and using a lower grade CF (lots of voids), then ask about micarta or look elsewhere.
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That's true. Though, 250 aint bad for a decent 5-6 inch O1 knife. And I happen to really like O1.
 
Nothing wrong with O1 for a knife. It isn't a new "super steel" but it is a good steel for a using knife assuming a person doesn't need high corrosion resistance. The value of a custom knife is affected by a lot more factors than the blade steel. I think reasonable size custom knives in O1 can go up to $300 or $400 easy enough.
 
O1 is a very good steel, if heat treated properly. I see nothing to indicate that this piece would be overpriced at $250. If you have handled his work, and if YOU think the quality is there, why WOULDN'T you buy it? MY opinion shouldn't matter.
 
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