Who does custom batches of folding knives?

J

Jdr226439

Joined
Jan 29, 2017
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24
I've recently been playing with the idea of making folding knives of my own design to sell but I have a few complications. I am currently living in barracks so equipment and where to store said equipment is a problem. That being said, I was recently explaining my ideas and dreams with a close buddy of mine and he asked me if there was a way to have your ideas outsourced.

My question is, if i were to make knife designs with the intent of finding a maker to create and/or sell a batch, where/who should I go to?
 
China. Seems like everyone who makes custom knives (Pena, Begg, Nadeau...) gets We, Kizer, or Reate to make production versions, usually in small batches. Of course you'd have to pony up the money for it, or get a Kickstarter going and see if you could get enough preorders to make it happen.
 
soc_monki said:
China. Seems like everyone who makes custom knives (Pena, Begg, Nadeau...) gets We, Kizer, or Reate to make production versions, usually in small batches. Of course you'd have to pony up the money for it, or get a Kickstarter going and see if you could get enough preorders to make it happen.
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Smart! I wish there were American options but it is what it is. Thanks for the help
 
Jdr226439 said:
Smart! I wish there were American options but it is what it is. Thanks for the help
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I believe there are, Millit being one of them, but for the type of build and quality (titanium, high end steel, excellent tolerances) it would be much more expensive.
 
soc_monki said:
I believe there are, Millit being one of them, but for the type of build and quality (titanium, high end steel, excellent tolerances) it would be much more expensive.
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Yeah man, I'd be looking for the higher quality production anyway. Fit and finish is one of the most important thing to me. I'll check that place out!
 
How many are you looking at per batch?
You'll have to order enough to make it worth the manufacturer's time and expense to tool up for a new design.
If you're looking for a batch of a brand new design and only want 100 or less ....? Isn't going to happen at a price point the consumer can afford; especially for an unknown brand/design.

When I managed a combination convenience store/game room/pizza parlor in the 1980's and 1990's, I looked into having some ink pens, and a knife with our name on them.
The smallest minimum orders I could find, Just to put our name on; black letters, no artwork, the pens had a minimum order of 250. (per color used for the name, random color for the pen body, black or blue ink refills). If we wanted pens with our name in black, red, and blue, for example, in the same order, we had to buy 250 each black, red, and blue.)
The minimum to get our name printed on the handle of the knife (on one side, not both) was 280 units.
Keep in mind this was on a knife already in production, no changes but what was printed on the handle.
In both cases, follow up orders for the same thing cost the same, and had the same minimum quantity, even though they didn't have to make the stencils for printing again.

I know Case is not interested in doing 300 to 500 of the annual Blade Forum traditional knife.
I think someone said Case has a minimum order of 1,000 to do a SFO.
In 2018 Buck made the forum knife. If memory serves, Buck had a minimum order of 300 to do that SFO, and that was on an existing pattern they had in production. (the 301 stockman. Changes from standard production was delete the spey/budding blade, long pulls on the clip point and sheepsfoot, Elk covers, CPM154 blades, and use the BF tang stamp.)

I don't know if Utica is still doing contract work, or what their minimum order is.

Be aware any special orders have to be fully paid for before they will make the first one. They don't do consignment.

You might consider contacting CRKT and licensing your design(s) to them. They work with several designers.
I may be mistaken, but I think Mr. Ken Onion got his start with them with his Ripple design. I don't know if he had any designs made before the Ripple.
(CRKT made the Ripple (with aluminum scales) before anyone else. I had the CRKT Ken Onion Ripple at least two or three years before Kershaw(?) had the Ripple in their line-up.)

Good luck in your endeavor. :)
 
If you're living in the barracks, and have the $30,000 - $40,000 cash you'd need to place a minimum order for a SFO you can afford the tools and space you need to make you're own knives. Every one of those "designers" mentioned above was hand making knives long enough, and quality enough, to gain a reputation that convinced a manufacturer to seek them out and license their work.
 
afishhunter said:
How many are you looking at per batch?
You'll have to order enough to make it worth the manufacturer's time and expense to tool up for a new design.
If you're looking for a batch of a brand new design and only want 100 or less ....? Isn't going to happen at a price point the consumer can afford; especially for an unknown brand/design.

When I managed a combination convenience store/game room/pizza parlor in the 1980's and 1990's, I looked into having some ink pens, and a knife with our name on them.
The smallest minimum orders I could find, Just to put our name on; black letters, no artwork, the pens had a minimum order of 250. (per color used for the name, random color for the pen body, black or blue ink refills). If we wanted pens with our name in black, red, and blue, for example, in the same order, we had to buy 250 each black, red, and blue.)
The minimum to get our name printed on the handle of the knife (on one side, not both) was 280 units.
Keep in mind this was on a knife already in production, no changes but what was printed on the handle.
In both cases, follow up orders for the same thing cost the same, and had the same minimum quantity, even though they didn't have to make the stencils for printing again.

I know Case is not interested in doing 300 to 500 of the annual Blade Forum traditional knife.
I think someone said Case has a minimum order of 1,000 to do a SFO.
In 2018 Buck made the forum knife. If memory serves, Buck had a minimum order of 300 to do that SFO, and that was on an existing pattern they had in production. (the 301 stockman. Changes from standard production was delete the spey/budding blade, long pulls on the clip point and sheepsfoot, Elk covers, CPM154 blades, and use the BF tang stamp.)

I don't know if Utica is still doing contract work, or what their minimum order is.

Be aware any special orders have to be fully paid for before they will make the first one. They don't do consignment.

You might consider contacting CRKT and licensing your design(s) to them. They work with several designers.
I may be mistaken, but I think Mr. Ken Onion got his start with them with his Ripple design. I don't know if he had any designs made before the Ripple.
(CRKT made the Ripple (with aluminum scales) before anyone else. I had the CRKT Ken Onion Ripple at least two or three years before Kershaw(?) had the Ripple in their line-up.)

Good luck in your endeavor. :)
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Yeah, I figured it was to be expensive and that I'd need to get a lot made. I didn't know CRKT did that with new designers. I've always liked them, I'll have to check them out. Thanks!
 
eisman said:
If you're living in the barracks, and have the $30,000 - $40,000 cash you'd need to place a minimum order for a SFO you can afford the tools and space you need to make you're own knives. Every one of those "designers" mentioned above was hand making knives long enough, and quality enough, to gain a reputation that convinced a manufacturer to seek them out and license their work.
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As that may be, the barracks do not have space. I would have nowhere to put equipment...
 
Jdr226439 said:
As that may be, the barracks do not have space. I would have nowhere to put equipment...
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You can always rent/lease a small warehouse or shop space off base?
(I don't know if bases are under lock-down because of Covid-19. I wouldn't think they are, considering how many troops/sailors live off base.)
 
afishhunter said:
You can always rent/lease a small warehouse or shop space off base?
(I don't know if bases are under lock-down because of Covid-19. I wouldn't think they are, considering how many troops/sailors live off base.)
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I'd have to see what's available. We are under quarantine but i might be able to find some leeway
 
Jdr,
Are you planning on supplying the manufacturer with CNC ready CAD drawings? Or just sketches of what you think the knife should look like? I'd think that that would make a big difference in who you could partner with.
 
number9 said:
Jdr,
Are you planning on supplying the manufacturer with CNC ready CAD drawings? Or just sketches of what you think the knife should look like? I'd think that that would make a big difference in who you could partner with.
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I do suppose that would make a considerable difference wouldn't it? I have never done much on CAD but I guess that is the way of the future. Glad you asked that, I didn't even consider it until now. I guess that's why I came here. Thanks :D
 
I've never tried to design a folder. but I imagine that there's a lot to it, on top of what a fixed blade design requires. Besides the steel, shape, grind and thickness, you've gotta design the pivot, lock, stop pins and more.
 
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