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

[GaiusJulius]

When the term “custom” or “a custom” is used in the knife world I think it refers to individual, artisanal makers who are not operating a volume production shop. Such knives typically cost, say, $300-1000, and are a decided upgrade in fit and finish to “factory” makers like GEC, Case, or Buck. I’d go further and say I think the term is most relevant to folding traditional knives, because there are comparatively many small makers of fixed blades so it’s less unusual and doesn’t necessarily warrant describing the knife as a “custom.”

 

[cbach8tw]

When I think custom, I think super high fit and finish and build quality. It never occurred to me it should be unique. Big disclaimer on my opinion here…I don’t own anything close to a custom by any definition.

We’d all enjoy seeing your custom/semi-custom/near-custom/made-to-order knife when it arrives.

I like the above quote, to me custom is taking the time and effort to make something of good quality, with talent and efforts from a maker that puts it all together. You can have some input as far as materials and design, but it is taking extra effort to make something of good quality.

 

[cbach8tw]

I had Adam Gray of AA forge ( before he got well known) make me a version of a Mike Mann (Idaho Knife Works) Cumberland knife, with different thickness, steel, and handle material, so even though it is an interpretation of another maker’s design, I still consider it a custom knife because it is not an exact copy and I had some input into its construction.

 

[cbach8tw]

Likewise, if I have a knife that is made by a company, and then have it modified to my specification, changing the grind and thinning the handle, it is not a custom, customized does not make a knife a custom knife. I had a Dunn hunter modified by our own David Marry, making it much better to fit me than the original design, but it is not a custom.