When/how did you transition from production to custom slipjoints?

[navihawk]

I went the other way. I started out collecting customs. When my collecting got serious, then I switched to antiques.There's nothing like customs, but there's nothing like antiques. Just something about them.

 

[ThePepperhead]

I understand the "why" aspect of customs, but at what point in your life did the transition happen? Was it a natural progression with each knife being a bit nicer then the last until you're into customs? Did someone you know jump start you down the custom path?

As a father of two small children, I don't see this realistically happening for me until they're out of college. Honestly, knife collecting is fairly low on my priority list right now taking a back seat to having fun with the family (camping, boating, fishing, hiking, traveling, etc). Maybe that's how it will always be for me, but I'd like to hope that I will own one or two custom slipjoints.

I know this is off topic, but good on you! A hobby, no matter how great it is (like knife collecting), will never give you as much satisfaction as making memories with family!

 

[SteelSnob]

I was already in to custom knives when I started to realize I love slip joints so it happened pretty quick. I like both custom and production slip joints as long as they're quality.

 

[Steve_Holt]

IWhen/how did you transition from production to custom slipjoints?

When? sometime in the future after my kids graduate from college or after I win the lottery

But even then, there are so many new and old production knives on my wish list, I couldn't imagine really making a transition, maybe just a blend of both.

 

[bakerg2g]

I started with production knives,Case was what my Grandpaw collected and when he past away last year, I got his knives and I continued buying more and more and then I stubbled on the BF and looked at all the great custom knives on here for a while and then I thought of one custom knife I could buy that would make my grandpaw proud, And I got one of Keith Johnson's Sodbusters because the Case Sodbuster was the first knife my Grandpaw bought me when I was 12 yrs old and Keith's knife made me think of that time with my grandpaw and I had to have it !!! Thanks Keith and know I have
4 custom slipjionts and a few new friends and my grandpaw would be proud. This is best site of all time! great knives and great people !! Thanks.

 

[wagglebee]

I started with production knives,Case was what my Grandpaw collected and when he past away last year, I got his knives and I continued buying more and more and then I stubbled on the BF and looked at all the great custom knives on here for a while and then I thought of one custom knife I could buy that would make my grandpaw proud, And I got one of Keith Johnson's Sodbusters because the Case Sodbuster was the first knife my Grandpaw bought me when I was 12 yrs old and Keith's knife made me think of that time with my grandpaw and I had to have it !!! Thanks Keith and know I have
4 custom slipjionts and a few new friends and my grandpaw would be proud. This is best site of all time! great knives and great people !! Thanks.

Great story!

 

[rprocter]

It is here at BF that i have learned nearly all that i know about knives and that fired up my life long interest in knives into a Passion for collecting them.
I began buying very inexpensive, used knives on ebay, mostly Schrades and Camillus at first, but soon expanding to any knife i thought was well made and a good deal. i also bought some new USA production knives from dealers (Case, Queen, GEC and others).
I then progressed into buying vintage production knives, mainly USA but also some German and Sheffield ones. beaters at first, and now progressing into mintier examples. many knives made 70 or more years ago are just amazingly well made and most satisfying to own.
about 2 years into this serious journey i wanted a custom folder just to see what all the 'buzz' is about and to see how much better they might be than well made productions.
What i found out is that as far as a fine knife to use, productions, even inexpensive ones, work perfectly well and are all the knife you'll ever need in user situations. But what i also discovered is that most well made customs seem to have a 'personality' or 'presence' that is specific to each knifemaker. It's as though some of the makers energy, focus and determination to get the knife 'just right', resides within the knife.
after buying a number of customs i found that there are some custom makers whose knives talk to me the loudest, that the presence i feel in their knives is the most fulfilling. now i focus on trying to obtain more knives from these makers but am always open to someone new to me as well. There is also a rewarding sense of companionship one feels in dealing with and getting to know custom makers, as already mentioned by others.
this 'presence' i speak of is not something that comes through when viewing the knife on a monitor. it is a feeling i get when i have the knife in hand.
it is this special feeling that keeps me collecting customs.
It's a very expensive hobby, but well made customs can also be re-sold, usually with some monetary loss. i see this loss as rent paid for the pleasure of ownership for whatever period of time. so money spent on a custom is not gone forever as some of it can be recouped if need be. Also buying and selling customs here on BF, opens up another avenue for friendships which is also part of the joy our hobby brings us.
roland