Who collects custom and higher end knives?

gottobegeek · 2018-12-18T20:38:33.000Z

I have had in the past collected many knives, most expensive was the TGLB and a few other fixed INFI steel blades from Busse Combat, but mostly mid to high end folders from Benchmade, Chris Reeves, Spyderco and so on …none that I actually used, just fondled, carried briefly and/or test cut paper…. for fear of damaging their value or loosing them.

But now I am content with just a few, some only valued at $20 for example which fit my needs for EDC without breaking the bank…like Ganzo, Kershaw, CRKT, etc… which wont bother me much if they get lost, broken or stolen.

Tally-ho · 2018-12-18T21:00:33.000Z

Inexpensive high quality steel (fixed blade) = spyderco mule team. I didn’t pick the absolute best ones but i’m very happy with my S110V and K390.
I would have liked to try the maxamet.

Newlumen · 2018-12-18T21:07:07.000Z

I mostly collect flashlights… I can’t afford customs knifes… here are my shelf queen microtech OTF knifes… my edc is cheap spyderco pm2.

Steeldog · 2018-12-18T21:40:57.000Z

n10sivern:

Steeldog, his folders are very nice.

I hope to get one next year.

USA · 2018-12-19T18:14:18.000Z

Those Spyderco mules are a great offer. Can’t believe more brands don’t it, thanks for sharing it.

ChrisGarrett · 2018-12-19T17:08:45.000Z

Pat Crawford Combat Tanto with titanium scales in a limited run and a Randall 1-7 in stainless steel, that I had made for my father and now have, both circa mid 90s.

Most are just nicer factory knives and automatics: Spyderco, Benchmade, Boker, Hubertus, Dalton, Victorinox, Paragon and such.

Chris

n10sivern · 2018-12-19T18:24:49.000Z

Nice Randall!

vinte77 · 2018-12-19T19:03:58.000Z

I don’t own any custom knives but I own a couple knives that I consider “higher” end knives. I’ve got knives from benchmade, busse combat, spyderco, cold steel, and zero tolerance. I like to mod my folders with custom scales and other bits. I guess modding is in the blood.

ChrisGarrett · 2018-12-19T19:08:18.000Z

n10sivern:

Nice Randall!

Thanks. Didn’t know a thing about Randall until I was at a Miami gun show and met Capt. Chris Stanaback. We discussed things and that was the result. I agonized over whether to use 01 Swedish tool steel, or the stainless and went with the latter because I didn’t think pops would check up on it all that often, even being in dry Los Angeles.

There are a small snail trails on both sides of the tip area, but it’s pretty clean.

It’s a safe queen obviously, but I think that it’s a smart looking knife.

Chris

DBSS · 2018-12-19T22:54:38.000Z

The most expensive knife I own is a Jared Osler and Enrique Pena collab….that was 1900. Well worth it…IMO at least.
I regualrily carry knives in the 500-700 range. Use them just the same as a 20 knife.

n10sivern · 2018-12-20T00:50:39.000Z

I’m right there with you. I have a chance at a Jason Guthrie full dress in damasteel but it’s out of my price range at the moment.

DBSS · 2018-12-20T04:45:09.000Z

He makes a really nice knife. I have a Scout from him.
Right now I am looking for a Garath Bull lefty Shamwari…

PBWilson · 2018-12-20T07:49:34.000Z

One custom I own is a fixed blade by Ray Laconico with some beautiful Ziricote handle scales. He’s busy making beautiful folders now but I love the look of the hunter he made for me.

Another is an S90V small fixed blade that I’ve got to add scales to by Big Chris.

I also have a pair of fixed blade knife blanks by Koyote Custom Knives that need handle scales as well. I’ll see about taking a few pics soon.

I also have a bunch of the Spyderco Mules and have used a few of them a bit. What a great way to get a very high end “super-steel” for not all that much money. Maxamet, K390, S110V, CTS XHP and Cobalt Special are the ones I grabbed. Cool idea but I think they are looking to discontinue the program.

Anyway, I ought to use these knives more often (or at all!). It’s amazing how a good maker can create something beautiful and amazingly functional at the same time.

teacher · 2018-12-20T18:22:28.000Z

n10sivern:

I wish I could say the same. I don’t really have any inexpensive knives anymore and I’m not a fan of assisted openers. I’ll try to take a picture of my collection

Pretty much the same here, the only inexpensive knives I own are mostly those I had as a kid.

I ’started’ with Benchmades & have a safe full of those. Then back in 1998 I started my journey into fixed blade customs in the $200 - $600 range. A few of the makers I have knives from are Scott Cook , Wayne Hendrix , & Charles Ochs … to name three. I spent the day with Charles Ochs in Largo, Florida once & he is a super nice guy… Turns out my best friend knew him & introduced us.

Also fixed blades & folders by Michael Morris . If you don’t have some of his you are missing out!

The most custom fixed blades I own from a single maker are those from Robert Dark. I met him back in 2004 on Christmas Eve when I picked up a couple of fixed blades he had for sale on BladeForums. He only lived about 30 minutes from me so I drove over to pick them up. He is about retired now & recently took his website down…. but if you ever find one of his knives up for sale you would do well to grab it!! They don’t come any better.

Also have a bunch of ZT’s, ESEE’s, Falkniven, Case, & others. And more Spyderco Mules than I care to admit to. :person_facepalming:

Oh, and not to be forgotten are those by Chris Reeve of ‘Sebenza’ fame.

My, my…… it is no wonder I’m broke. :person_facepalming: . :person_facepalming:

Yeah…. I do need ‘professional help’, no doubt. But still, I just don’t care for a cheepo knife. :money_mouth_face:
…………
Edit: Let me clarify something I was unclear about. The difference between an inexpensive & “cheepo” knife. I interchanged the terms incorrectly.

I do have some inexpensive knives that serve their purpose very well. In fact I bought three Mora fixed blades the other day on a deep sale far between $10 & $12 each. These are nice, well built knives & I have no doubt they will serve their purpose just fine. I have a couple of Kershaws, without the ’assisted opening & flipper; that are good too. Case brand knives are fairly inexpensive, but very good knives. Buck knives are top notch.

Though I do not care for most of their knives, besides their SALT & Mule models; Spyderco knives are good.

Bear Knives in Jacksonville, Alabama makes a fairly decent knife… but their fit n’ finish is woefully lacking. :person_facepalming: . They do a 95% job but just do not finish the deal. It is sadly amazing to me they do this.

“Cheepo” knives to me are those you usually get at the tool store or from that TV show that sells knives. :person_facepalming: … Those are just sad in most cases.

Custom knives, to me; are just in another class most of the time. The time, pride, & workmanship that most makers put into them is an example of pure craftmanship!!

Essexman · 2018-12-20T10:47:32.000Z

This thread needs more photos!

I’ve no custom high end knives, just production and a few Kiridashi.

Essexman · 2018-12-20T10:55:39.000Z

[quote=teacher]

n10sivern:

……………….
Also fixed blades & folders by Michael Morris . If you don’t have some of his you are missing out!

I have a wonderful Kiridashi made by Michael Morris. I true gent to work with and a stunning knife, I use it a fair bit in craft work, cuts very nicely and came with a great leather holder for neck carry.

teacher · 2018-12-20T10:59:14.000Z

yasenf:

….I consider them tools, i.e. paying for good steel/heat treatment/ergonomy, rather than bells&whistles. ……

Exactly!! Well said. :+1:

teacher · 2018-12-20T11:31:36.000Z

Essexman:

teacher:

Also fixed blades & folders by Michael Morris . If you don’t have some of his you are missing out!

I have a wonderful Kiridashi made by Michael Morris. I true gent to work with and a stunning knife, I use it a fair bit in craft work, cuts very nicely and came with a great leather holder for neck carry.

You know what I’m talking about then. :+1: … His knives are great & as you said, he is a “true gent” in all ways.
He has the heat treat on his knives down pat too. They are fantastic at holding an edge.

I intentionally tried to dull one of his knives once by cutting cardboard of various thicknesses. I wish I had kept track of the number of yards I cut, a conservative guess would be well over 500 yards. When I tired & quit, the knife would still shave hair from my arm. I was amazed……

PBWilson · 2018-12-29T22:26:23.000Z

Here are a few pics of a portion of my collection.

This is a custom Ray Laconico fixed blade made of O1 steel and Ziricote handle scales. I had Ray make this one for me years ago and I’m a little embarrassed because I can’t make myself use it. It’s beautifully hand sanded variation on a Loveless blade shape and it’s really comfortable in my hand. Ray makes really nice titanium and Carbon Fiber scaled folders now. Really stripped down and elegant in style.

Here are some blade blanks that I’ve got to make scales for. The top is a Fallkniven F1 in laminated VG-10 steel. The center two are Koyote Knives (he used to make knives on Bladeforums) with really nice convex grinds. I’m thinking of adding Ipe or Wenge scales to them. The bottom is a Big Chris kwaiken-style in S90V. It’s ground VERY thin and deserves to be used once I craft some scales. Cocobolo might look great on it.

Here are four of my users. The top is a really nice little neck knife made by Bark River. The next is a Survive! GSO 3.5 in CPM-20CV which is Crucible’s version of M390. I got in on the initial group buy, got a really nice price, but had to wait forever to get my hands on it. The next one down is my favorite and most used knife. It’s a Koster Bushcrafter with a flat-ground 3V blade. Most of his knives come with a Scandi grind, but I prefer this one. I really love 3V steel. Tough as nails, stays sharp a long time and is easy to keep clean despite not being stainless. It fits my hand wonderfully with the canvas micarta scales. The bottom is one of my many Spyderco Mule knives. This one is in CTS-XHP, but I have ones in K390, laminated Cobalt Special, CPM-S110V and Maxamet too. I bought a backup of each just in case. What a cool way to get some super-steels for a very reasonable price.

Hope you folks like the pics, even though the image quality isn’t so hot.

Speadge · 2018-12-29T23:10:10.000Z

Some nice knifes in this thread

What exactly is high end knife nowaday anyway? Does it needs to be Chris Reeve’s knife for $500? Or maybe custom made Sinkevich for $1.500 or more? Or maybe … just maybe … we can consider as high end knife also something like $150 - $300 knife (ie.Zero Tolerance, Kizer Bladesmith series, We Knife …)?
It’s nice to own custom made $1000 knife for sure, but taking into account that even some decent $20 - $30 knives (Kershaw knives, Ontario Rat, KA-BAR Dozier, Kizer vanguard series, Civivi, Opinel, Mora, Marttiini Condor … as example) gets the job done, I would consider everything above $100 or something like that as luxury (higher - high end).