• The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
    Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
    Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.

  • Today marks the 24th anniversary of 9/11. I pray that this nation does not forget the loss of lives from this horrible event. Yesterday conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was murdered, and I worry about what is to come. Please love one another and your family in these trying times - Spark

Why do I have no desire to buy a custom/handmade knife??

S

suedeface

Joined
Aug 31, 2004
Messages
367
I'm very much into cutlery. In fact, I just made a list of all the knives I have had in my lifetime and it is nearing the 500 mark. Of all the knives I have had, and of all the knives I want to own in the future, I seem to have no desire to buy a custom/handmade. Why is this? I can see the draw, to have a knife made exactly to your specs, to have something no one else has, or to get a knife that someone put a small part of their life into making....but I'm still not sold.

Frankly, most production knives serve my purposes well. Some of my favorite knives are lightweight FRN handled folders and I see very few, if any, custom makers produce these type of knives. Also, many production companies test their knives in various ways before releasing them. If you have a one-of-a-kind custom made, how can you be sure of the quality? Then there is the price. With newer steels, tighter tolerances, and modern manufacturing technology, I feel I can get a comparable factory knife for a lot less than a custom knife with a warranty (usually) to back my purchase up.

Unless it is an art-knife or a special blade specifically intended to be passed down as an heirloom, I just don't have any interest in buying a custom/handmade, regardless of price. Am I crazy ,or does anyone else share the same opinion?
 
I don't think you're crazy...as I have had the same thoughts about paying for a "true" custom folder that is better than the fantastic production knives I have. I'll be watching this thread closely!
 
I would need to psychoanalyze you in detail to provide any sort of reasonable answer for this, since I don't know you. But, I think you already answered your own question.

suedeface said:
Frankly, most production knives serve my purposes well. I just don't have any interest in buying a custom/handmade, regardless of price.
Click to expand...

I think that kind of sums it up. Although for the record I too have no custom/handmade knives, but I know why. I don't want one, so far.
 
I have no attraction to custom knives whatsoever. I was thinking about getting one with my tax refund, but then I realized there aren't any custom knives that would suit my needs better than a production knife that is already there.
 
I never desired to own custom handmade knife too. for the very same reason as the OP.

but recently Andy's work (fiddleback forge) make me drool. I just need to buy his work at least once in my lifetime. :)
 
I'm in the same boat.

I have to be able to handle the knife first. Nearly impossible unless the custom knife maker wants to send me the knife for me to examine before purchase.

For now, I stick with proven brands.
 
My personal opinion is that you were looking for a topic to chat about and that is what occurred to you. I can't imagine that I would seriously ask some ones opinion of my sanity based solely on my desire to, or not to own a custom knife. Oh well
 
You guys should stay away from the handmade world; it's addicting.

In regards to holding before buying, any halfway decent craftsman should have a rule- If for any reason you're not happy with your blade, send it back in unused condition for a refund. You may have to pay shipping, but hey, these guys are trying to run a business after all.

+1 Southeast..
 
I'm more or less in the same boat. I own one or two custom, completely hand made knives. One I bought here, and one I had made for me as part of a life experience (visited Alaska for the first time, and just ran into a knifemaker out in the middle of friggin' nowhere). But for me, I don't see the appeal of a vast majority of custom knives, given at how many excellent production knives I own. I look in some of the "Show Your Custom Knife!" threads, and people produce some of these knives that look pretty...well, generic. Wow, another bone-handled camp knife with a drop point blade. Sweet. A wood handled several inch long survival chopper. Awesome. That knife won't do anything a $90 Becker (pick a number) won't do, and it won't stand up to abuse that the Becker couldn't handle. Or ESEE, or Ontario, or Kabar, or, or, or.

HOWEVER. That said, I understand that people buy custom knives more for the artistry side of knife collecting. I respect their right to do so, but for me, I just don't see it. I won't judge those who do however. I mean, there has to be some draw. You see someone in the Customs for sale section post up yet another stonewashed titanium this, super steel blade that folder, and put up some outrageous several hundred dollar (or even four digit) price and it's snapped up the same day. It's crazy.

But that's what makes this hobby great. :thumbup:

Edit: Fair disclosure, I'd forgotten that I've put my name on the list for a Skookum bush-tool. That would be a custom knife. Its simplicity appeals to me, and I felt like it would be a Mora I could really beat on if I ever needed to. So, again, I got no judgement against folks who love and buy customs.
 
Last edited:
Well just for fun, I'll throw my hat into the ring. You should buy a custom! There are plenty of reasons. Especially really well made customs, can offer an experience you will not get with a factory blade. You may think machined tight tolerances and fit n finish are good with the factory, and they are. But expert craftsman can make truly seamless transitions and flawless function.

I do get what you're saying. A factory knife suits and fulfills your needs just fine. Totally understandable, and in daily use either may perform just as well as the other. But there's another reason to buy a custom.... to support custom makers! These are the guys who help keep the knife world alive. If all custom makers vanished, factory production would go the way of walmart. Slamming out mass produced clones at lower and lower price points to appease the masses. It should be noted that many factory knife companies that we now adore were first started by a custom maker. Who may not have pursued his passion if no one bought his knives, support custom makers!:) Cheers!
 
It might also be that a lot of them (especially the ones that you really like) are always hard to come by or take awhile. Most people (me included) are into the whole instant gratification thing.
 
Casey4545 said:
Well just for fun, I'll throw my hat into the ring. You should buy a custom! There are plenty of reasons. Especially really well made customs, can offer an experience you will not get with a factory blade. You may think machined tight tolerances and fit n finish are good with the factory, and they are. But expert craftsman can make truly seamless transitions and flawless function.

I do get what you're saying. A factory knife suits and fulfills your needs just fine. Totally understandable, and in daily use either may perform just as well as the other. But there's another reason to buy a custom.... to support custom makers! These are the guys who help keep the knife world alive. If all custom makers vanished, factory production would go the way of walmart. Slamming out mass produced clones at lower and lower price points to appease the masses. It should be noted that many factory knife companies that we now adore were first started by a custom maker. Who may not have pursued his passion if no one bought his knives, support custom makers!:) Cheers!
Click to expand...

Wait, what? I am fairly certain that custom knife-makers represent an exceptionally tiny fraction of the knife-buying market. If people stopped buying them, there would still be the millions of people buying Spyderco/Kershaw/Buck/Gerber/etc. products. I respect what you're saying, but honestly, look at what some of the biggest names are doing. They're licensing their designs to the big guys who go on to sell affordable versions of their knives.

In any case, I don't think you have to worry about custom knifemakers going anywhere. There'll always be folks who want to have something 100% custom made, or else own something by someone they've heard good things about. Nothing at all wrong with that.
 
I started buying customs after I had bought most of the production folders I wanted. It has gotten to the point that I don't see any new production folders that are different from anything I already have.

The other reason I have been buying some customs now is that I am no longer interested in folders with blades longer than 3". Although there are a few new production folders with fresh designs, Brous comes to mind, most are bigger than I want. There are some smaller customs out there that are different from the cookie cutter framelocks.
 
It depends for me. I have knives from a couple of custom makers that are without peer - fantastic. They far surpass any production knife that I have. I have also been burned by other custom makers with lousy knives and no real recourse. I have also seen still other custom makers go from "behind in orders" to outright fraud - taking money and delivering no product.

All you really have to go by is reputation. The ones that are good, and have a good reputation, well, there is a reason for that. For the others, caveat emptor.

With all the great choices from production manufacturers, I'm not too tempted to go custom very much these days. I like buying from an established dealer and being able to return the knife if it doesn't meet expectations.
 
I have found the midtechs to my liking. They are usually a little more unique than productions, but have almost a feel of customs. I have quite a few customs, but I hate to use them knowing their potential value. A midtech isn't that bad to use and carry daily for someone like me. I see gys all the time buying $1,000 + knives. I get it. Me, I don't have that kind of scratch to beat up or even use a knife that nice.
 
UI agree, it's not for everyone. After having been a knife nut for so long I started to find my taste moving from one genre to another. I'm lucky to have sampled many fine knives, mostly folders, production and midtech, also traditionals and wood carving tools.

More recently I've started looking more closely at handmade and custom knives. I got a stunning kitchen knife for my wife in CTS XHP.

Custom makers, from a pure performance perspective, can do things that a production company cannot. For me this means a very acute geometry. In this way I can have a knife that out cuts any production piece I've ever had. I have the ability to get similar geometry from a production piece, but not without sawing at the bevel for an hour (or more) on the edge pro and ending up with a 1/8" tall bevel. I like the refinement of a wicked slicer almost zero ground. Production companies can't do that due to warranty concerns which is totally understandable.

As for quality, warranty etc... All it takes is a little research. I won't buy from someone that doesn't test and offer an excellent warranty.

And to SouthEast- a Fiddleback is a great way to get a fantastic handmade knife. Andy's quality, history and warranty are first class. I just got my first two from him a few days ago, and the Kephart he made me in particular, is bordering on perfect.

Good luck guys. There's room for all of us. :)


Fiddlebacks-

hG2pV5F.jpg


Custom Santoku from Ian Hall (HallHandmade) -

AaQeL7U.jpg
 
Last edited:
Custom knives done right can outperform any factory blade. If you want the best of the best, get a custom. If you want something that'll get the job done that you're not afraid to scratch up, get a factory blade. As a custom maker, I myself would not want to scratch up the finish that I put hours into achieving. And although I know the blades I make are superior to factory blades, all I ever personally USE is factory blades. So I understand what the OP is saying.
 
rjfm1972 said:
Custom knives done right can outperform any factory blade. If you want the best of the best, get a custom. If you want something that'll get the job done that you're not afraid to scratch up, get a factory blade. As a custom maker, I myself would not want to scratch up the finish that I put hours into achieving. And although I know the blades I make are superior to factory blades, all I ever personally USE is factory blades. So I understand what the OP is saying.
Click to expand...

With all due respect, that makes it sound as if one cannot buy an inexpensive workhorse custom. Plenty of customs are made to work hard. Really hard. Also, custom does not necessarily mean super high price tag. You can get a custom from someone like Big Chris that uses the most high end steels available and still be in the same ball park as a high quality production.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top