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what makes a knife "custom?"

mromeo23

mromeo23

Joined
Jan 22, 2013
Messages
386
I've been doing research on the forums and Google and I cannot find an answer to this question.

Take for example Grayman knives. They are a small mom and pop company that puts out limited numbers of their knives that you must order through their website. I would totally think that is a perfect example of a custom knife yet I see most people sell them in the production section.

Since I'm still somewhat new to knives, I only recently discovered Shirogorov knives. I noticed when in stock they are available from a few different knife sources, which I would have thought would make them a midtech brand, yet I see them mostly in custom sections.

Call me a noob or what have you, but I just don't understand haha. Can anyone clarify for me? Just curious really that's all. I enjoy learning and absorbing as much info as I can from everyone here who are much more knowledgeable than me.

Thanks!
 
Where or who the knives are sold through has absolutely no bearing on whether they are production, mid-tech or custom.

This subject has been beaten to death, it's Monday and I don't feel like typing out the answer to the rest of your question.

Here's a few previous threads to get you started.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-a-handmade-that-is-not-really-a-made-by-hand

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/986622-Followup-What-is-a-custom-knife

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/679542-What-IS-a-custom-knife
 
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Thank you for the links. As I said I did searches and couldn't find what I was looking for so I appreciate being point in the right direction.
 
mromeo23 said:
Thank you for the links. As I said I did searches and couldn't find what I was looking for so I appreciate being point in the right direction.
Click to expand...

No problem. :thumbup:

That first thread in particular is a good one. Lots of big names with some excellent opinions and comments on the subject.
 
It's all subjective. Here is my interpretation of the levels of knife-making:

Custom: a single person that creates a knife from blank materials with the exception of screws and washers. Generally, this person makes knives by the request of customers, willing to make small adjustments to the design for the customer. Now, a maker that does create his own hardware is just another step up the scale, but it makes no difference to me so long as he/she is grinding the blade, scales/liners and manufacturing the clip.

Mid-tech: A knife in which the maker who's name is branded on it contributed in a large part of production; not just putting the knife together. For example: grinding the blade or shaping the scales.

Production: Knives that have been created in an assembly-line fashion or by machine with a CNC in large quantities.

Everyone has different opinions on custom vs mid-tech vs production, but there is no true definition of each.
 
evanPGH said:
Ok, I'll bite.

How so?
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I think that's a personal thing. To some, it doesn't matter if the knife was made by man or machine, mass produced or hand built. Doesn't matter if it was made by a master smith or a kid in a sweat shop. All they care about is the resultant tool.
 
Thank you again for all links and responses to help clarify in my confusion. I definitely appreciate and respect those who take the time to help someone new who asks questions, even ones that have been asked often. I don't think there are many original questions when it comes to a subject so popular and with so many members.
 
It makes no difference in how the knives are made. If they are made to customer specifications, then it is a custom. If it's not..then it's not.
 
evanPGH said:
Ok, I'll bite.

How so?
Click to expand...

There are sloppy custom makers, there are amazing production makers. It doesn't matter how something is cut, what's used to grind it, the method of design, or how you get there. What matters is what's on the table at the end of the day. Far too many get caught up in the "custom is better than production" fallacy without taking the time to actually think about what they're saying.
 
All the responses have been very helpful. I also see what I've been doing wrong with the search function so I was finally able to find the other threads posted on this subject. So apologies for posting a common question but still the responses were appreciated.
 
mromeo23 said:
All the responses have been very helpful. I also see what I've been doing wrong with the search function so I was finally able to find the other threads posted on this subject. So apologies for posting a common question but still the responses were appreciated.
Click to expand...

All questions have been done to death. You could post "use the search function" to every single thing ever posted here.
 
To me a true custom knife is made by hand from start to finish. I have a Demko AD10 folder that was pretty much entirely hand made. The blade was hand ground, the filing was done by hand, the liners and lock fitted by hand. I'm not sure if some parts are precut, but I really don't think so. Hell, he even had the screws custom made.
 
If you go to a maker, hand him a drawing with your personal specifications and ask "can you make it?" If he complies, the product will be custom. If he varies from your design, uses pre-made parts that don't meet specifications, uses different steel, or changes your design in some way, it is not custom. Otherwise, the purchaser might still obtain custom by stating that he doesn't know what would be best for .... and the maker can use his imagination to make it all fit both mechanically and aesthetically with final approval of the purchaser.
 
Windwhistler said:
If you go to a maker, hand him a drawing with your personal specifications and ask "can you make it?" If he complies, the product will be custom. If he varies from your design, uses pre-made parts that don't meet specifications, uses different steel, or changes your design in some way, it is not custom. Otherwise, the purchaser might still obtain custom by stating that he doesn't know what would be best for .... and the maker can use his imagination to make it all fit both mechanically and aesthetically with final approval of the purchaser.
Click to expand...

Pretty much my thoughts. There are "hand-made" knives, knives made by individuals in a workshop, and knives made by small teams of people. None of those are necessarily "custom" as "custom" implies that it was tailored to a specific person. However, as a blanket term, I find it perfectly reasonable to call a knife made by an individual a custom knife, whether it was made for someone else or with a CNC machine or by hand. I think it's when you have models that you regularly produce and / or have employees that you run into the production and mid-tech categories.
 
I tend to agree Comeuppance,

I made a fair number of them in the 70's and 80's. If I had a customer at the time, I made it entirely to his specification or approval in cases where he "had no idea." But when I was not busy I custom built to my own designs. They were still custom, but built for me.

Some I later sold and someone might have asked if they were "custom" made. I would have said yes, that I built them to my own design and specifications. So your point is well taken. They were all "one of a kind though." Perhaps that is the crux.
 
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