Greetings,
Looking for some clarification of the difference between, "Handmade", "Custom", and "Production"?
It seems there is a difference from I understand as a "Production" and "Handmade" knives.
thanks
hagatha
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.