What is it you Don't want on a Custom Knife

The 2 biggest things that bother me (just my personal taste) are;
Excessive file work. I know it takes a lot of work but it screams Pakistani knife to me.
Oversized makers mark. Some look like Nascar Logos.
 
A handle and guard that is not totally smooth when you hold it. Crisp lines belong on the part you don't hold, smooth out those bolsters and pommels.
 
Great comments so far and I will interject a thought... IMO all Handmade Knives are Art
Some of the plainest with clean lines sometimes look better than highly embellished pieces. Then again you need to stop and Smell the roses now and again to appreciate Art for Art's sake!
Here is some Blasphemy when we visited the Alamo museum they have a bowie on display there. Was not impressed when I first saw it as it is rather plain.
But the more I looked at the time it was made and craftsmanship it took using no power tools to speak of. It became a work of art...
 
Plain, pedestrian, knives that just scream that there is absolutely nothing special about them and really, no reason except foolishness for anyone to spend any more money on them than they would pay for a good quality pedestrian factory knife that is probably sharpened better, heat treated better, etc. With rare exception, I see no good reason to spend all kinds of crazy money on a custom knife for using purposes in this day and age when there are so many high performance factory knives available. It is like some folks are stuck in the 1950s. If it is not beautiful at prices above a couple of hundred bucks, unless you are some kind of soldier of fortune whose life may depend on it on a daily basis, IMO it is a foolish waste of money.

Also, if it is not sharp, I will not buy it. Period.


Other turn offs . . .

Brut de forge
Artificial materials masquerading as real
Dyed wood
Brass
Large or garish logos (I strongly prefer NOT to see a logo anywhere on the blade itself)
Crappy engraving (see too many knives "un-improved" by bad engraving)
Sharp edges on a folder when closed
Camel bone (really, any bone)
 
Last edited:
Overly thick grinds. It's clear so many knives out there were not thought up with the intention of cutting anything.

Proper steel. Don't choose a steel based on price and manufacturing, choose based on intended use. There are plenty of great inexpensive steels AEB-L, 14c28n, Elmax, CTS-XHP, etc. and plenty of higher priced offerings which offer amazing wear or impact resistance. I hate seeing expensive knives with D2.
 
cujobob said:
Overly thick grinds. It's clear so many knives out there were not thought up with the intention of cutting anything.

Proper steel. Don't choose a steel based on price and manufacturing, choose based on intended use. There are plenty of great inexpensive steels AEB-L, 14c28n, Elmax, CTS-XHP, etc. and plenty of higher priced offerings which offer amazing wear or impact resistance. I hate seeing expensive knives with D2.
Click to expand...

I have a feeling you fell for the marketing, considering that D2 and CTS-XHP are extremely similar makeup, and they have similar traits. They exhibit similar positive properties when heat treated correctly, and similar negative properties when heat treated poorly or the edges overheated post heat treat. I have never had a D2 knife rust, I'm sure the 3% Chromium helps in CTS-XHP, but D2 is much more resistant to rust than 1095 in my experience.

CTS-XHP Composition
D2 Composition

People buy the hype when it comes to tool steels. They think S30V is 10x better than CM 154 or ATS 34, they prefer the swiss equivalents of steels like 440c even though they're identical, and they prefer pretty much anything that comes from CPM or Carpenter.

As for the things I don't like in $300-$400 customs, I am really turned off by bad plunge lines. I don't care for damascus steel, and I don't care for filework. There is too much good figured wood to use cheap wood on customs in that price range. As far as steels go, I don't like 52100 in blades <7", and really prefer 3V for most knives that I would like 52100 in. I also pass up a lot of knives in that range because they're made of 10xx high carbon steels. With all the great stainless options, there's no good reason not to go that route. One pet peeve I have is when a maker neglects to use a process or material that would drastically improve the knife (like not tapering the tang on a knife that is handle heavy), just because it's not in their normal procedure.
 
Agreed on the "Handle Heavy" knife just makes it feel Clunky Balance is a key thing on a well made knife
There are many different ways to lighten a handle w/o tapering the tang...
 
Ebbtide said:
Large logos and / or names.
It's a knife not a truck.
Click to expand...

Agree with this, though names, if short, can work. All the way up to Loveless, I guess. ;)

Have to disagree with Ken on custom users. I have never owned a Rolex watch, but I have moved past the need for a Timex with thin strap that keeps similar time. I appreciate what goes into making a custom knife for design, fit, finish, materials and function. Like Coop says, you have to want it, and I do. I have enjoyed the hell out of the nice custom knives I have bought to use, or bought, then decided to use.

I think there can not be many embellishment features on a $300 - $500 knife in the first place. So, I would keep focused on design, proper heat treatment, fit/finish, etc.

- Joe
 
canineforge said:
I think there can not be many embellishment features on a $300 - $500 knife in the first place. So, I would keep focused on design, proper heat treatment, fit/finish, etc.

- Joe
Click to expand...

Agreed.

However, I would argue that if you are buying a Rolex (and I own a few myself), it is not because of its utility, it is for aesthetic and/or other reasons. Of course you are using it, too, but the principle reason you chose Rolex over Timex (or better yet, Seiko) was not utility. IMO, of course.

I think the same when it comes to custom knives. What I was trying to express (inartfully) was that I do not see any reason (other than maybe the exceptions I gave) to buy an expensive plain, pedestrian, custom knife for utility reasons. Someone may very well wind up using an expensive custom knife because they appreciate it aesthetically or simply derive joy from using it - like wearing a Rolex - and I totally get that. I just think it is generally foolish to believe that one could not get a very similar, or perhaps better, quality functional knife from the standpoints of materials, fit, finish, etc., from a factory knife today for a lot less money. Now if it is beautiful, and that is part of it appeal, then again we are moving beyond pure functionality, and into aesthetic value, and that is a different issue. All JMO, of course.
 
cujobob said:
Overly thick grinds. It's clear so many knives out there were not thought up with the intention of cutting anything.

Proper steel. Don't choose a steel based on price and manufacturing, choose based on intended use. There are plenty of great inexpensive steels AEB-L, 14c28n, Elmax, CTS-XHP, etc. and plenty of higher priced offerings which offer amazing wear or impact resistance. I hate seeing expensive knives with D2.
Click to expand...

I dont under stand why you say this. aeb-l is a great steel but it was invented in the 1920's and d2 is also a great steel and is a much more modern steel esp. cpm d2.
 
canineforge said:
Agree with this, though names, if short, can work. All the way up to Loveless, I guess. ;)


- Joe
Click to expand...

Before I understood who Loveless was I didn't like his knives for that reason&#8230; the nekkid lady, name and location on the blade made for instant rejection.

I really like knives marked on the spine.
There were a couple with a gold inlay on the spine that I thought were spectacular.
Wheeler?
 
Full tangs left un tapered

Bad grinds

Rounded tips

In most cases stainless steel unless it is a folder
 
Last edited:
Interesting how many people list big logos or maybe a better term is distracting logos as a turn off, but there are many makers that have them. I've never heard anyone complain that a maker's mark was too unobtrusive :)

I can't stand a bad grind, sadly it is often true from makers who have insufficient experience but not the guts to reject the grind, change the design in progress or price the blade considerably lower. I buy less than perfect knives from makers who are learning, but they must have a good edge.

Useless sheaths. Don't insult my intelligence. If a maker cannot make a sheath, don't. Learn how.

Thick blades that ruin cutting performance. Too many modern knifemakers have bought the line that thick blades means better.
 
Poor handle design/shape – Seems like handles are the hardest thing for a knifemaker to master. Some never master it.

Poor fit/finish - I hate to see knife that’s well-designed but poorly finished.

Poor proportions in general, but especially poor Blade/Handle proportions - If a knife’s proportions are not right at a glance, there’s no need to look any farther.

Overpowering Maker’s Mark - A mark should be easily noticed, but not the first thing to catch your eye at a glance of a knife. The RARE exception would be the few makers whose marks are so good that they are almost considered design elements. Examples are the Loveless Double Nude and Bruce Bump ‘football’ marks.

Poorly sharpened blades – Even knives that will never be used to cut need to be razor sharp, because knives are for cutting.

Bad Grinds – One of the most important aspects of a knife.

Brute-De-forge knives without scales/handle material – I don’t care how ‘cool’ or ‘in’ they are, a knife without a covered handle is crap IMO.

Cheap, low quality and/or brightly colored handle materials on expensive knives – I know some premium materials are hard to find, cost a lot and can be difficult to work, but if you don’t want to put up with it, just make cheap knives.

Stag & horn Knife Handles with excessive drop towards the butt – I despise a knife handle that looks more like a pistol handle.

Knife designs that are different only for the sake of being different.
 
cujobob said:
I hate seeing expensive knives with D2.
Click to expand...

I don't want to derail this thread, but this propagates a misconception surrounding D2, probably due to experience with all too common poorly heat treated D2. It needs an unusually long soak and the industry standard HT protocols are not optimized for cutlery, so there are a lot of poor examples of D2 out there from custom makers to large manufacturers who don't really know how best to process it.

Some makers choose D2 because it is the best steel out there for some applications. Good D2 will frequently beat the pants off of modern "super steels" in real world usage. I understand if you're skeptical. If you're curious, send me a PM and I'll lend you something in D2 that will blow your mind how good it can be.

There are a lot of good steels out there that are under appreciated because they don't receive marketing. And there are a few not so great steels out there that are very popular because they do receive good marketing.

Sorry to get off track here.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top