Whats the difference between....

The differences can be hard to define. We were clear on production vs. custom, but with the arrival of mid-tech, the line was blurred.

Hand-made and custom are roughly the same. Not necessarily sole authorship, but within a knifemaker's own shop. Don't confuse customized for custom, though. Adding decorative touches to a production model still leaves a productoon model

 

This is an entertaining read and full of informative hints....

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1096724-People-who-blatantly-and-fraudulently-sell-knives-as-hand-made-when-they-are-blanks/page4


There are many tangible answers to your question, but I feel that this thread clears up a lot of those mysterious lines in the sand...

"Makers" facilitate the knife from start to finish;

- Idea originates, plans are drawn, drawing manifests it's profile in a chosen steel, blend of steels, or a steel

- Steel can be waterjet, torchcut, drilled out, forged, etc. in order to attain it's intended form.

- Knives are usually given an initial grind (bevels, drop point geometry, etc) leaving just enough meat on the steel to prevent possible warpage and to lessen the chance of a blade loosing it's temper during finish grinding.

- HT can be done in house or sent off to HT service. Some makers are equipped with specialized equipment for more exotic steels, some makers use simple steels or are skilled enough to do their own HT...

- Finish grinds ensue post HT.

- Handle options / materials are chosen, shaped profiled, and pinned onto the blade.

- The entire piece is finished. Sheath materials are chosen and are fit and finished to blade.

* ALL of the above Idea, purpose, steel, material scope of blades intended use is decided/chosen/directed/ by a customer from start to finish would be a Custom Knife.

Handmade or Custom; The idea is that you can add to, but not take away from the aforementioned steps.

 

A person who merely puts handles on finishd knife blanks is not a knife maker IMO.

Where are you going with this question?

 

They are regarded as knife makers in the Nordic countries, where most of the blades come from a single manufacturer.

Perhaps it is best to avoid relying on labels and find out exactly how the knife is, shall we say, created.

Of course, we have several sellers who flog knives made in Pakistan as custom made in the USA. They won't tell the truth, but the prices are too good to be true.