What are the top 5 production knives that rival custom knives?

I do agree that Chris Reeve's and Hinderer's knives are more Semi-Custom's so I am not sure if its suitable list them here. They're great though.

Most knives Strider makes I think fall into this category.
Case / Bose collabrations
Buck Mayo TNT
Spyderco Sage(s)
Anything Bark River Knife & Tool makes
 
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the 'specialty' Buck 110's - like #5 & #6 (L to R) below:

IMG_3529.jpg


#5 is a CPM154 bladed goodie made for Bass Pro while the Al-Ti-N coated S30V #6 is an 'Alaskan Guide' made for Cabelas. Of course, the lefthand four above are from the Buck Custom Shop, the most expensive (flaming Koa and teardrop Damascus) costing $175 - but that was a couple of years ago - and the BG-42 blades on the others is no longer available. Still a bargain, you can have an S30V 110 made for you - with nickel silver bolsters - for likely a tad less than the AG 110! A $27 110 from WallyWorld is a nicely made knife, too... just don't look too closely at - or sniff - the sheath!

Stainz
 
Stainz said:
I would be remiss if I didn't mention the 'specialty' Buck 110's - like #5 & #6 (L to R) below:

IMG_3529.jpg


#5 is a CPM154 bladed goodie made for Bass Pro while the Al-Ti-N coated S30V #6 is an 'Alaskan Guide' made for Cabelas. Of course, the lefthand four above are from the Buck Custom Shop, the most expensive (flaming Koa and teardrop Damascus) costing $175 - but that was a couple of years ago - and the BG-42 blades on the others is no longer available. Still a bargain, you can have an S30V 110 made for you - with nickel silver bolsters - for likely a tad less than the AG 110! A $27 110 from WallyWorld is a nicely made knife, too... just don't look too closely at - or sniff - the sheath!

Stainz
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All very nice. :thumbup: I haven't owned a Buck 110 in over 20 years. If I buy one online or from the store - I'm going to get a sub-par example? Do I need to go to the Buck website to get a nicer version if one? Thanks :)
 
cziv,go to the Buck web page and they have a custom shop option there.You can pick a through a variety of materials to have a special 110 made.It is a cool feature,you would'nt be dissappointed.The customer service is stellar!:thumbup::thumbup:
 
If Chris Reeve and Rick Hinderer call their knives production knives, then they are production knives to me. You probably could call the production XM-18's Mid-Techs, but the Sebenza, Mnandi, and Umnumzaan have always been know as production knives.
 
Yeah, I agree, CRK are production. To my mind, a custom knife means that you've got the only one like it. I collect Randalls and I wouldn't call them custom even though there are practically unlimited numbers of handle material/design, spacers, etc. A model 19-5 blade is a model 19-5 blade is a model 19-5 blade.

Nothing wrong with a very nice production knife, though. They're just not "custom".

I recently acquired a Sebenza Tanto 21 and I'm liking it a ton, so that would go on my list as rivaling a custom knife.
 
Jesse B. said:
The only one I've owned that would fit is the Benchmade 630 Skirmish. The design feels both ancient and modern, brutal and elegant, and just plain beautiful. I sold mine (needed the money) to a guy in Moscow; probably not too many over there. (Titanium/S30V framelock; don't think Benchmade was using S30V very often but this one deserved it.)
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After reading this post I looked up that blade... I need one. Why is all the stuff I like discontinued?!?!

-Jack
 
cold steel custom series ( discontinued).
Hogue !!!!:thumbup:
CRK
Microtech
Benchmade Gold class
.
1012894512_6reUv-XL.jpg
 
I believe the op of this thread was trying to find the production knives that rival the quality of the customs not the uniqueness of them. How can you compare uniqueness of one knife to another to begin with? So therefore I still think CRK and Hinderers should be left out of the discussion because everything from price to quality is "custom" and the only thing different is the one of a kind uniqueness factor.
 
kawr said:
I believe the op of this thread was trying to find the production knives that rival the quality of the customs not the uniqueness of them. How can you compare uniqueness of one knife to another to begin with? So therefore I still think CRK and Hinderers should be left out of the discussion because everything from price to quality is "custom" and the only thing different is the one of a kind uniqueness factor.
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If the makers themselves call their knives production and they are commonly known as production knives, then why do you keep arguing the point that they are not production knives? :confused: Price point and fit/finish do not make a knife a custom knife. They just make a production knife expensive and very well built.
 
These two for sure, Hogue EX-01 superb knife, Buck-Mayo TNT, simply wonderful and the Sebenza are my three. Great topic!
 
CRK uses ultra-high precision techniques to amazing standards, but by my definition, they are indeed a mass-production shop in every sense of the phrase.

My picks:

CRK
Hinderer
Klotzli
William Henry
 
kawr said:
I believe the op of this thread was trying to find the production knives that rival the quality of the customs not the uniqueness of them. How can you compare uniqueness of one knife to another to begin with? So therefore I still think CRK and Hinderers should be left out of the discussion because everything from price to quality is "custom" and the only thing different is the one of a kind uniqueness factor.
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That was my intention exactly... it was about quality and not uniqueness. Thanks for making explicit what I thought most would intuit from the original post.
 
Tony8179 said:
If the makers themselves call their knives production and they are commonly known as production knives, then why do you keep arguing the point that they are not production knives? :confused: Price point and fit/finish do not make a knife a custom knife. They just make a production knife expensive and very well built.
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Good points. The Sebenza and XM-18 etc., are production knives, no doubt about it. Very high quality production knives. Their prices also rival some customs, from what I've heard.
 
Folderguy said:
Good points. The Sebenza and XM-18 etc., are production knives, no doubt about it. Very high quality production knives. Their prices also rival some customs, from what I've heard.
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I kind of hesitate to call the XM-18 a production knife. Not that I can't instantly find one available here or on eBay, but because the price is so much higher than what Rick charges directly. I assume a large part of that is because the supply can't keep up with demand.

In any case, I wonder if anyone might consider Kershaw's Speedform to be worthy of mention in this regard. The titanium, composite blade, and ergos seem quite nice for the price. Haven't heard too much of the fit and finish though.

I personally feel the ZT 0300 series would qualify. Production is good, the price is amazing, and it certainly stands out the most among my other knives, definitely in its own class.
 
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