Interested on your opinion about custom makers who still take orders and offer great value. Who's work do you think currently is undervalued? Maybe some particular knife from custom maker. Why do you think so? Monetary estimate or comparison to another popular offering is not necessary, but would be very interesting.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
Who do you think is the next Hinderer?
- Thread starter effer
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
- Messages
- 3,736
Depends on what you mean, there are tons of makers that do more traditional styles that produce ridiculously nice knives and charge very little for them.
Hinderer makes a tactical knife, mostly machined parts, very much like Strider and CRK. Though he is a smaller operation.
Some of the handmade pieces coming out of makers shops blow away the workmanship on these mid-tech type knives.
Hinderer makes a tactical knife, mostly machined parts, very much like Strider and CRK. Though he is a smaller operation.
Some of the handmade pieces coming out of makers shops blow away the workmanship on these mid-tech type knives.
Kaizen1
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2006
- Messages
- 6,314
My understanding is that Hinderer makes all of the parts on the XM-18 himself down to the screws with a small exception of the Gen 3 which he outsources the primary grind and does the rest.
That's exactly what I have in mind.
Traditional or tactical ? ... Well, I like them both. Find myself carrying modern tactical a lot more often, just because for me they are more comfortable and easy to use.
I put Hinderer as an example, because of the late popularity. Some time ago he was just another custom maker, one of many. Now his knives are sought after, he has a big following, huge waiting list etc... and his true custom handmade pieces have doubled in price. We all know the story....
You talk about those "handmade pieces coming out of makers shops" that "blow away the workmanship on these mid-tech type knives "(CRK, Strider, Hinderer). What are they? At what price?
That's exactly the pieces I would like to know about.
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2009
- Messages
- 1,810
I think Hinderer folders are great knives, he makes all the parts himself, as Kaizen1 pointed out.
They are also a great investment if you manage to buy them directly from Rick, which is next to impossible unless you go to shows.
As for the most undervalued maker I would say probably Mayo, I see many of his knives selling on forums below what they cost originally. He is one of the makers with he most unique personalities and his knives are impossible not to recognize. His work is flawless and he uses different steels ranging from Stellite to S30V.
I think David Mosier is also kind of undervalued.
They are also a great investment if you manage to buy them directly from Rick, which is next to impossible unless you go to shows.
As for the most undervalued maker I would say probably Mayo, I see many of his knives selling on forums below what they cost originally. He is one of the makers with he most unique personalities and his knives are impossible not to recognize. His work is flawless and he uses different steels ranging from Stellite to S30V.
I think David Mosier is also kind of undervalued.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2007
- Messages
- 8,578
I know the knives arent popular but on the balisong market Shawn Greacen A.K.A balibalistic is ripping it up. If he ever decided to venture into folders and fixed blades i think he would definitely be in the running for the next "cant place an order" guy. In just a few short years he has moved from modification to kit assembly and now makes his own customs. He has a long back log to boot. Also if you consider the fact that he makes balisongs its a very small fan base compared to other knives. To have that many customers in line for a knife that isnt all that popular speaks alot about the guy. I like to compare his deep hollow grinds to Walter brends. And while most bali collectors may call my words blasphemy, i think he blows Jody Samson away.
Last edited:
I have been very impressed by all of the pictures I have seen of Yuna knives. The Mini-Hard Drop Point looks like exactly the kind of knife I would like for an edc. The ZDP material is superior (IMO) to most other steels (read -SV30). They seem very sturdy, have the titanium frame lock, and the bonus is, you can get the front of the knife in many materials and colors. I especially like the frn/wood look ones on the website. I am unclear about how many of the parts are hand made, but the ying/yang pivot is hand made of hardened material. If they were in the $200-$300 price range, I would order 2 of them.
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2008
- Messages
- 397
I agree... Yuna knives. Though I do not have one yet they have great materials, design and finish. They may not have as huge a following as Hinderer's but they aren't cheap either. Last I inquired they are at close to $500 which is almost on par with a Hinderer.
