What was your first true custom knife?

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viper5192

Joined
Aug 2, 2000
Messages
536
By that I mean one that is made for you by a custom/handmade maker, and for you alone. I have only a few. But here it goes.

My first was when I was going through websites and came upon Ray Kirks website.
Raker Knives

What struck me immediately was his prices for quality work. I had also seen a few of his knives in Blue's extensive knife album. Elliot told me they were "affordable" I was sceptical to say the least, seeing the caliber of his other knives(Elliots). And I didn't see the knife I wanted, so I tentatively made a call to Ray and told him what I wanted, little neck knife/dagger Damascus, Gold Lip Mother of Pearl handles. He quoted me such a low price i was blown away. More so when 2 weeks later talking to him he related that he had ruined the first piece of Damascus
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I immediately asked, how would that affect the price, and was amazed when he said it won't.
So a month later I had my first "custom made" knife in my possession. I will not let it go. Picture to come when I get one taken.

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Peace

Paul
Custom Knife Purveyor
"We support the new maker!"
I take Paypal. ask me how??
Circle P Knives

[This message has been edited by viper5192 (edited 02-27-2001).]
 
My first custom was a bowie from DeLeon custom knives. Actually, my dad ordered it for me as a gift. Dad likes to do wood working as a hobby, and has some extremely nice wood in his shop. In order to assure I had the best looking handle possible, dad selected some ebony from his personal stock and sent it to the maker to use. What I ended up recieving is a 10" blade of 1/4" thick ats34, with stainless fixtures, and ebony handle slabs with white spacers. Extremely nice looking knife, that also happens to be built like a tank....and wieghs about the same
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Richard Todd - Digital knife photography
icq 61363141
My WebSite
Do your site a favor, get quality digital images!!!
New photos added!!!
 
In 1988, I designed it and Butch Vallotton made it.

View


The blade is 1/4 inch thick, 5 inches long, polished and bead blasted. The knife is eleven inches long and heavy. It sounds like a guillotine when opening. I wanted a belly towards the front of the blade. The back lock is released by Butch's cam under the bolster. We called it the Mud Dragger because it was so big.
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Rick Gray - Left Handers Unite



[This message has been edited by RGRAY (edited 02-27-2001).]
 
This is the first knife I made as a custom order. Made it in 1997 for a hunter. It was also my first sold knife. (I have made knives since 1988 or so. Friends and family have recieved all the knives I made untill then)I made drawings for it at the table at a show. He said to me that among all those knives there was not a single one he could use. I told him I could make him one. (and did)

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Jens Anso, jens@ansoknives.com
(check out my homepage)
Ansoknives.com

[This message has been edited by ansoknive (edited 02-27-2001).]
 
My first folder was a Mel Pardue[1973].Liner lock,nothing fancy.Stolen in 1999.My first custom fixed blade was a Olsen.Great user.Gave it to my son who still uses it.

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have a"knife"day
 
Hmm. The old 'true' custom vs the Guild's definition: a custom knife is a knife made by One person for a customer. The customer may be the knife maker himself.

I have a couple dozen KMG definition 'custom' knives. I bought almost all of the directly from knifemakers at shows, and from internet web sites. I have only placed an order for a knife a couple of times, but I was ordering something the maker designed and which I had no design influence other than selecting blade, handle materials, and finish. I really like to buy the makers vision of what a knife should be, not mine. Since I collect knives as art, this approach makes sense.

On the other hand, a lot of people take enormous pride and pleasure in working closely with a maker to have Both the customers design ideas and the maker's influence the production of the knife. That makes sense too. I just have not done that yet. I would certainly not be interested in asking a maker to produce something that was not part of his normal body of work. If I did that, the maker would be more of a craftsman, and less of an artist.

I recently recieved a two-blade 'moose' double-lockback folder with 52100 blades from PJ Tomes. He won the Most Innovative knife award for this design at the Blade show 2000 last year. I did not want him to change the design at all. He did offer to make it with 420V blades and I could have chosen a material other than stag. But PJ's stag is outstanding. He searched high a low through his stock to find me a couple of gorgeous deep amber stag scales that are really thin and flat, making the knife very trim. It feels great in my hand.

I know that PJ tried to make this knife special for me. And I appreciate it. Having a good relationship with a maker is a good way to get the 'extra' special treatment. I ordered the knife from him last November. A couple of weeks ago, it was waiting for me when I got home. No money had changed hands. I called PJ right away to thank him and we talked for a while about his search for 'just the right 'stag' for My knife. And he called a few days ago just to say hello. We never have never talked about money since I ordered the knife last year.I thought what I paid PJ Tomes was Very little for the knife, and the service I recieved.

Michael Gettier allowed me to invite a couple of knife makers to enjoy dinner at his incredible French restaurant the night of the Chesapeake show last December. I had the pleasure of dining with PJ Tomes (a southern gentleman) and Zaza Revishvilli, who is from Georgia
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In was an incredible experience. Particulary when Michael was giving us the tour of the kitchen and we got to talking knives. Everyone agree that Zaza's incredibly intricate silver filigree work would not past muster with the Health Department.

PJ shaved all the hair off my left arm just to demonstrate how sharp the knife he had just sharpened for Michael was. It is an interesting experience to have a tall, muscular man grab your arm and quickly and deftly shave all the hair off your arm in three or four quick strokes with a 10 inch chef knife. Especially considering the excellent wine we had enjoyed with dinner.

I know from talking to more experienced knife collectors that developing a relationship with a maker is the right way to have a chance to get those extra special knives. And makers who know that you appreciate their work as a knife, and are not necessarily going to be selling their work may offer you better deals, or simply go that extra mile to make you happy.

Paracelsus, customer

[This message has been edited by Paracelsus (edited 02-27-2001).]
 
My first custom was a Kit Carson Medium Model 4 with a drop point blade. This one has a Talonite blade thanks to the generosity of Walt Welch. I went to the '99 Blade Show, so I got to pick it up in person and meet Kit face-to-face for the first time.


<CENTER>Kit Carson Talonite Model 4
<A HREF="http://home.carolina.rr.com/senator/images/Carson_M4_Talonite.jpg"> <IMG SRC="http://home.carolina.rr.com/senator/images/Carson_M4_Talonite_small.jpg"border="3"> </A></CENTER>

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Kelly
My Custom Knife Collection

Member NCCKG, SCAK, and AKTI

Deo Vindice
 
Oh yes! One musts meet Kit in person, great guy!!

Oh yeah Para, Zaza is from Georgia, his southern accent is incredible, almost like he's from another country ;-) Could be as the Georgia Para means is a former Russian state. Where they did the add for Yogurt where everyone lived past 100 because they ate yogurt. Aw heck most of you weren't around that far back ;-)

nevermind :PPP



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Peace

Paul
Custom Knife Purveyor
"We support the new maker!"
I take Paypal. ask me how??
Circle P Knives
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Paracelsus:
Yeah, but is it a True custom knife Kelly?

Paracelsus
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</font>
Click to expand...


I guess that depends on whick of the 247 definitions of "custom knife" you happen to agree with. I do know this - I like it. I also know that it's worth every single penny that I paid for it.
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It must also be worth every single penny I paid for it to many others as well. I even had one guy who was so desperate to get my knife that he looked up the domain name registration info for my website to get my phone number (as it's unlisted otherwise.) He offered me 50% more than I paid for it without even knowing its condition. I still have the knife.
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I've gotten customs that were pretty much ordered from available designs. But the first time I actually saw a design I liked, had ideas for modification, and sought out a maker to bring it to life, it ended up like this.

Yeah, I know I flash that link around alot, but dammit.... I LOVE this thing.

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Sometimes I catch myself assuming that everybody knows their way around a pocket knife. Then I remember what the first three letters of "assume" are.
- James K. Mattis
 
It was a Howard Clark random pattern Damascus Bowie with a mokeme guard, oosic handle with a walrus ivory cap.

The knife was nothing short of fine. What sold me was the enthusiasm and knowledge of a young maker.

It was very quickly followed by a Mel Pardue auto with Devin Thomas ladder patterned damascus, mokeme handle with 4 pearl inlays.

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" The real art of living is to keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post in memory of James Mattis

[This message has been edited by Gus Kalanzis (edited 02-27-2001).]
 
My first custom made to order for me was a Kwaiken by Phill Hartsfield almost 20 years ago. Black over red cord wrap.

My last one was made for me by Audra Draper, a sheephorn handled small damascus bowie - probably the most beautiful knife I own. It fits my hand like a glove.
 
I usually don't respond to these posts but I think I will this time.

If a customer calls me and asks for a particular style folder, with his specific choice of blade material and handle material, and wants to add a few other things to me, that is a custom knife.

I have made quite a few true custom designs. By some of you guys standards, if I built a second one using that frame (style), then it wouldn't be a custom. That isn't very practical, is it?

Para, just a question. Was the double lockback that PJ made for you a one of a kind? If he has used that frame before, what is the difference? It must fall under that KMG Custom definition you mentioned.

I personally think the Model 4 I made for Kelly was a custom. He asked for the style, blade material, handle material, and blade shape. I also feel that I made that knife special for him. Sounds like the same conditions as the one you got, Para.

I'll freely admit that I make lots of standard folders. Since I make all my own parts from scratch and in house, except the small screws, I guess Kelly's folder is in reality a handmade custom
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Man Kit all the stuff you do is great in my book! Didn't mean for this to become a debate, just a fact finding question ;-) and what I hoped to be a chance to see some great customs I have never before seen! It worked. Chill Para this is supposed to be a fun thread!

Kit I consider you a custom knife maker extraordinaire!



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Peace

Paul
Custom Knife Purveyor
"We support the new maker!"
I take Paypal. ask me how??
Circle P Knives
 
I guess I should have answered Para's question instead of being flip about it. Yes, I consider my Talonite Model 4 a custom knife. I just didn't want to get into a debate about what is and what is not a custom knife. That's been debated ad nauseum on this forum, and I doubt that nobody has had their mind changed because of it. I could really give a rat's ass what anyone else thinks about my knives. I buy a particular knife - custom, semi-custom, handmade, production, whatever - because it please me, not because of what others may think. Like I said before, I like my custom handmade Model 4. And it is worth every single penny that I paid for it.
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Kelly
My Custom Knife Collection

Member NCCKG, SCAK, and AKTI

Deo Vindice
 
It looks like some of you have trouble reading plain english. I agree that ALL of these knives are custom knives. That was my point! Sheesh...

In the definition Viper used the knife had to completely unique. I do NOT agree with that definition. Kits knives (and Kelly's knife) ARE custom. So yes, my Tomes folder is a custom knife. It was made for me.

I was just objecting to the TRUE custom knife thing because that is a slippery slope. If I took vipers definition seriously, I would have had to say that I have NO custom knives. And Mr. Viper would not be selling ANY custom knives at all at that web site of his.

Get it now?

Oh, and Paul, a businessman should have better sense than to tell folks to 'get bent'. And someone wanting to sell Custom knives ought to be more careful about how he defines that word or he will shortly be out of business for a complete lack of knives to sell.

This place is developing a serious Mob pack mentality lately. Enjoy folks!

Paracelsus

[This message has been edited by Paracelsus (edited 02-28-2001).]
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Paracelsus:
This place is developing a serious Mob pack mentality lately. </font>
Click to expand...

Only when there are weaklings among us...
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I this one a custom?
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<CENTER>Kit Carson Buckeye Model 4
<A HREF="http://home.carolina.rr.com/senator/images/Carson_M4_Buckeye.jpg"><IMG SRC="http://home.carolina.rr.com/senator/images/Carson_M4_Buckeye_small.jpg" border="3"></A></CENTER>


Gee, maybe I did buy this because I cared about others' opinions of it.
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Geez Kelly, YES. Of course it is.

But it would not be according to how this Topic was written.

Let me try this another way:

I have ZERO true custom knives. Sorry to have intruded in this elite thread. Edited to remove a comment about a business that I should not have made

I'm sorry I said anything. TRULY

[This message has been edited by Paracelsus (edited 02-28-2001).]
 
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