Why not get a nice custom for around the same price?

Nuke_Spook

Nuke_Spook

Joined
Oct 23, 2003
Messages
582
This is not meant as a rant, just a question. It seems like everytime there is a post about a knife for a certain purpose or a comparison of different knives for a certain price range, especially ~ $50 range, someone pops in with something like 'why not get a nice custom blade for about the same price'. A low priced custom is $80+ unless you are talking Tin knives. Who are the makers putting out 3"-5" bladed customs for around $50? Or do posters not realize that $50 and $80+ are not the same thing?
 
Personally, I like my $50-70 production knives. I don't know what I'd want in a custom at this point - I'm still trying out different sizes, shapes, locks, and materials.

Maybe in a few years I'll have a better idea of what I would want in a custom. At this point I'm just starting to tinker with my production knives.
 
I can think of reasons to get a custom. To get a knife designed to my exact specs and reqs would be cool, and I'm 100% sure it'll happen one day. But it's gonna cost a lot, although probably not more than an XM-18.
Ankerson's Custom Demko is a good example, I wouldn't get that particular one but pretty close. I'm not into fancy stuff, but scale- and texture type, steel type/HT, blade design, lock type, sure, it would be great to get it exactly the way I want it.

But customs for $50?? Who ever said that?? :confused: :rolleyes:
 
There are lots of customs you can find for 50 bucks-you may be limited as far as intended use, but smaller EDC neck/companion kind of deals, sure. Newt Livesay's NRG is a pretty awesome design, and check out Blind Horse Knives' Tiger Knapp.
 
I go to a lot of knife shows and search the internet all the time. I agree with the OP. I have never seen a 3"-5" "custom knife" for $50 (or even $80). My semi-custom knives from NWA, Okuden, and Brian Andrews were +/- $200. They are worth every penny. But they were not $50. Knives that cost $50 or less are Mora style (I have 12) or are common production with "rubber" handles (or no handles) and "surgical stainless" and/or probably made in china (think standard grade Gerber, Shrade, CS, etc.).
 
Let me try this again.

Chipped, I am not saying there is anything wrong with production knives.

Philwar, I am not asking why people get custom made knives. There are some very impressive knives being made by forum members and you can get exactly what you have in mind.

PayetteRucker, I was not saying that there aren't a few Tin knives / neckers being made for arond $50.

The question is why is it when people post specific criteria for knife including a specific price i.e. $50-$60, or requesting a knife like a certain style like a CS Master Hunter, that a post will appear saying "Why not get a custom knife for around the same money?". Are there unknown knife makers who are producing nice knives for lower prices that they are aware of or are the posts just the standard "Get a Busse" for customs? (and no I am not saying there is anything wrong with Busse or recommending them.)
 
I understand your question and it does seem a bit rhetorical. I know of no makers who put out a custom knife for $50.

There are some folks that forget that others have budgets.
 
PayetteRucker said:
There are lots of customs you can find for 50 bucks-you may be limited as far as intended use, but smaller EDC neck/companion kind of deals, sure. Newt Livesay's NRG is a pretty awesome design, and check out Blind Horse Knives' Tiger Knapp.
Click to expand...

but those really aren't "custom knives", but rather limited production knives by small shops.

i was looking at Newt's knives the other night. you can pick the design, and some of them are available in different steels. no ready options available to fine tune small things and i'm not sure if he does that or bnot.

for the BHKs, most of their site is "pick a knife and pay for it". some dealers have variants with custom scales, and they will modify stuff to your request... but most of 'em seem to be small scale production.

small. simple EDC or necker customs seem to start just around $100.

but buy what you like, what fits your needs and the kind of use you have planned for it. the options are endless.

there's a lot of good production stuff... it just depends what you want it for... but a few custom makers are actually less expensive than some production knives.
 
Why not post this in the custom forum? For just a few more minutes of typing you can have a thread in a better forum for discussing this topic :D
 
In my opinion, it's simple...You spend $50 on your first few knives...yeah they are nice but now you're addicted. Basically everyones trying to save you the hassle and the buying and selling of A TON of knives. You will get an XM-18 / Strider / CRK someday it's inevitable. I finally after 3 years of being a member caved and bought a Strider SMF, yeah it's nice but.....now I'm looking to get a Hinderer XM-18 3.5". I started off at the $30-$60 knives. Here I am and here you WILL be soon enough. So there is that....and there's the fact that no matter what your price is for a few more dollars there might be something WAY better.
 
Nuke_Spook said:
Let me try this again.

Chipped, I am not saying there is anything wrong with production knives.

Philwar, I am not asking why people get custom made knives. There are some very impressive knives being made by forum members and you can get exactly what you have in mind.

PayetteRucker, I was not saying that there aren't a few Tin knives / neckers being made for arond $50.

The question is why is it when people post specific criteria for knife including a specific price i.e. $50-$60, or requesting a knife like a certain style like a CS Master Hunter, that a post will appear saying "Why not get a custom knife for around the same money?". Are there unknown knife makers who are producing nice knives for lower prices that they are aware of or are the posts just the standard "Get a Busse" for customs? (and no I am not saying there is anything wrong with Busse or recommending them.)
Click to expand...

I get what youre saying and i also know which thread youre referring to. It irritates me too, when a guy is looking for input regarding some SPECIFIC knives and people start recommending every knife BUT the ones in the OP.

Regarding customs, i think its just a standard responce from the fanboys, like the ever-so-popular "get a busse/sebenza/military etc"

Either that or some people dont bother to read the original post. They just notice that everybody else is recommending a knife and think they better put in a good word for customs too.
 
i also think that often times we end up buying the more expensive pieces later (we are members of a forum dedicated to knives) so why not cut out the middle steps and just "get a busse"?
 
ginaz said:
i also think that often times we end up buying the more expensive pieces later (we are members of a forum dedicated to knives) so why not cut out the middle steps and just "get a busse"?
Click to expand...

Because its too much fun getting there :D

And the process teaches us alot about which style of high-end knife is right for each and every one of us.
 
Nuke_Spook said:
Let me try this again.
Click to expand...

Ok, fair enough, I didn't read it right.

The reason is people are idiots. Your question goes back to one of the major pet peeves, where people REFUSE to answer the question when they DID read it right, and instead decide to inject a bit of personal hot air into the issue.
Not gonna name names here, but certain fanboi crowds are particularly guilty of this. Ask "What <insert BRAND> folder is best for me?" and half the answers will invariably involve another brand, most often even a specific model.
Same for fixed blades. Lots of other answers will include recommendations for guns, pepper spray, taser, etc, all stuff that was not asked for and is irrelevant

It can be tiresome, best is just to ignore it. The reason people do it has a deep psychological cause that lies outside the scope of your question, but the essence is, even if they don't have anything objectively relevant to add, they still feel a need to be heard, to be interesting. So they offer their opinion, even if rationally they're aware it's not relevant.

Internet Forums are the petri dish of the human psyche. Not excluding mine. :D
 
Different opinions make this forum fun! :-)
Personally I don’t mind irrelevant answers if they show an interesting perspective.

I’m sometimes guilty of posting irrelevant answers and I apologize to those that are annoyed by that.

I don’t own custom knives, but because of this forum I might.
 
PayetteRucker said:
There are lots of customs you can find for 50 bucks-you may be limited as far as intended use, but smaller EDC neck/companion kind of deals, sure. Newt Livesay's NRG is a pretty awesome design, and check out Blind Horse Knives' Tiger Knapp.
Click to expand...

Blind Horse Knives are a DEAL.
 
Hi Nuke_Spook -

I was say the answer is either that the person posting this "information" is mis-informed about the subject, i.e. custom knives for $50, or they have inside information about a custom maker selling knives on the cheap.

The only custom made blades that I can think of that are larger than one of Stomper's Tin Knives are the Jeff White blades sold on the bay.

best regards -

mqqn
 
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