What do YOU think when you hear "Custom"? (Traditional)

Custom does not necessarily denote a one-off knife. Some cutlers will make a knife for a customer and never make another like it. Another cutler may make a knife for a customer and later offer the same knife to others. The Lanny's Clip is an example of that. Custom does not necessarily denote exclusivity of parts either. If I ask someone to make me a knife and they order all parts from a supply house and assemble them, it could be considered a custom knife but that's a bit of a stretch. If I ask someone to make me a knife and they make all or a majority of the parts for that knife themselves then that is a custom knife. It's really an interpretation of what custom means to an individual. We all have "our" take on what custom is.
 
This is what vocabulary.com says about it:

Definitions of custom-made. adjective. made according to the specifications of an individual. synonyms: custom bespoke, bespoken, made-to-order, tailor-made, tailored.

I tend to agree with this definition. Also, I don't necessarily think it has to be made by only one person either. Also, in terms of quality, that's something totally subjective as well. Usually though, custom does mean quality.

I've been in a finish trade for 25 years and when I see terrible workmanship, I point it out to others and tell them 'that's custom work right there!' 🤣
 
My definition of the modern custom knife is one which is made by a custom knife maker, in a private shop, and the blade is forged/ground by hand.

A example of a non-custom.......Randall's, or as previously mentioned a Case/Bose collaboration.

It gets complicated because many makers today have their own customs and also have collaborations with factories. Enrique Pena comes to mind.
Sometimes makers can have custom versions of factory made knives, like Andrew Demko.

However.......a maker who does not offer you a choice in handle material or steel is still making a custom knife. Some makers will collaborate with you, some won't. The knives are still full custom's.

This is my definition. yours may be different but as our moderators often say......."I'll know it when I see it!"

This is about as custom as you can get ;) ............

 
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I think of the person making the knife rather than the knife itself. One guy with a shop - could be a fully equipped machine shop, could be a shed or a corner in the garage with a 60 year old Sears all-in-one and a belt grinder. Making individual knives one by one, or small batches, not a staff of employees (even if it's just a few) cranking out dozens or hundreds at a time.
 
Been brooding about this and I'm not sure I agree with the bespoke aspect: a one off that's tailor made. For a start, artisan makers will be people unlikely to want to be 'dictated' to :D and tend to have very strong ideas of their own as to what they will or won't do. Rightly so as their name is on the thing!

I have a knife from Kerry Hampton that as far as I know has not been made by him again, a Teardrop Spear. I asked him if he could make it, specified the type of scales I wanted & shield but left the rest to him - exact dimensions, blade steel etc. The result really pleased me but as I say I don't think he's made another one but if someone saw it and wanted the same then would mine no longer be a Custom? Obviously not in my opinion. Similarly, I got in touch with Jérôme Latreille last autumn after Corto_Malt Corto_Malt very kindly gave me a Gouttiere pattern. This is not very common these days and has fallen into neglect, I liked the distinct bolster and asked JL if he could make one for me , he agreed and asked me to send him the knife as a reference. He made me one which I am delighted with but apart from the scales, I had little input on other details- he didn't want to be tied down to any particular type of filework but chose one that suited it exactly, nor did he put a nail nick on it as it is a pinch open pattern. Again, I don't think he has made another one- yet - but if he does is mine no longer Custom as not a one off? Certainly not as no two handmade knives can be identical , the filework is different, the scales are different and if they're Stag or another natural material each piece is unique and made by the same artisan.

This is a very interesting thread with real discussion content and there's more to say on it as there can be no one definitive response.

Gouttière pattern by JL

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Steven65 Steven65 well stated. Some specialize in certain patterns, styles, etc. One could hardly omit Jerry Fisk because he doesn’t make a five blade Congress.
 
My customs are one of a kind, handmade, using high end materials. I have a couple bought on the exchange that were made for someone else but I liked their materials, shapes, etc. and they are one of a kind.

Moderns are the same. Premium materials, hand-made, and with details like file work or other decorative flourishes.

What I do NOT consider custom are titanium framelock flippers that can be pumped out in large numbers. Shiros, Koenig, FSD, etc. They cost as much as customs but to me are at best mid-techs.


Here are a couple of mine, 3 full customs with a Benchmade Gold class Proper (maybe mid-tech, not sure). Customs are Vincenzo Balistreri (he is Italian and currently making customs) and Joel Chamblin.
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A Custom Traditional must pay tribute to older, much-used styles of knives, and be bespoke or made by a current artisan!! This Italian-style Sfilato is an interpretation of the old knife below it!! Made by Rhidian!! It's a long knife, but feels very comfortable in my Italian pocket!!;)Sfilato Comp 1.jpgSfilato EDC 1.jpgPepperoni.jpg
Seemed appropriate to slice some Pepperoni with it!! :p
 
A custom made knife is far from a panacea to quality.
Sure, many folk think of ‘custom’ as something of quality, but that can possibly be far from reality.
Custom generally means handmade, but handmade is no guarantee of quality, of fine fit n finish.
The other thing I’ve witnessed first hand, is someone ordering a knife to their specification of finished materials, colours and shapes - the result may please them, but would it read as custom to others..?!

Would suggest custom is more of a relative term these days than previously.

Custom to me means a thing of beauty, put together with class, a timeless piece - a balance of materials, of excellent design completed with superb fit n finish.
 
Custom does not automatically mean quality, a poorly handmade knife can still be custom.

To me custom means hand made with all freedome to alter within the makers ability.
 
If the person's name who cut the parts, did the heat treat, ground the blade, and assembled the parts in their own shop is stamped on the tang ... it's custom.

If a factory name is stamped on the blade or they are assembled by anyone other than the maker (mass produced in a factory) ... it's not custom.

"Made to order" can be custom but doesn't have to be. My Busses were made to order, made to my specs using available finish and cover options for the current production run, but not custom. When your knife is made to order and custom, ahhh, that's special!
 
What do I first think of when I hear of a Custom Knife , I think of an expensive knife that will not do anything better than some that I have . But that is not a problem .
But then I start to think about what design I would want to have made . After all , many of my knives are perfect knives except for >>>>>> . I have seen many knives at blade shows that are supposedly Custom Knives and are very nice and well made except for either this or that . Which blade would I choose ???? What handle material ??? WHO would I ask to do it ??? I think that I met the gentleman last March in a Cracker Barrel but his book is closed . Will I live long enough to even take delivery of it ???
I would like to send a knife that I consider the Perfect Shape , but 1/2 too long , to be made with Steel Liners , Steel Pins , Nickel Silver Barlow Bolsters , Carbon Steel Blade or Blades , and with the Very Best Sambar Stag available with a 5 or 6 Pull . I would even send him the Sample of the handle pattern .
I would want my Custom Knife made to my ideas and specifications with some minimal input by the maker . After all , he knows better what he can and can not do than I do .
Long answer to your question , but that is how I roll .

Harry
 
Chui said:
Custom to me means a thing of beauty, put together with class, a timeless piece - a balance of materials, of excellent design completed with superb fit n finish.
Click to expand...
I agree completely, Paul!! A custom should have all that, plus joy!! :cool:
 
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Call me simple I guess, but I got this off the f/s section years ago and have loved it ever since. I didn't order this from Ken, someone else did, or maybe Ken made several variations. And in fact waynorth waynorth has the same in stag. It is my only remaining custom left. I love it so much, i dont even recall what I paid for it. Now the knife in the my profile picture has a very similar condition. Didnt order it, near impossible to get on the list, and probably cost three times as much as that Erickson did. However, the Erickson represents another stage in my collection where ive moved on from modern stuff for the most part. Dont get me wrong, i still love the modern stuff to some extent. In fact the other day I got so aggravated from missing the marrow 86s 3 times that I was itching to buy something so bad that I filled a different hole that I had left empty for some time. However, I suppose im glad other people have similar tastes as I do as this Erickson is right up my alley. I did consider ordering a custom at one point but the sticker shock changed my mind, plus that maker tends to leave a rather large choil on his blades. I suppose time will tell if I ever order at some point.
 
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