How good can a knife get and do i need one?

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janobles14

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I am wanting to get another fixed blade. I have some that I use often but was thinking about moving up to something nicer. the best thing i have at the moment is a CRKT alaska guide series. its sharp and skins deer like a laser.

so here is my question...

are the high dollar blades worth the $250 - $500? do they cut better? hold an edge better? i know they are usually BEAUTIFUL!

so anyway, i am just wondering. and if they turn out to be worth it then i am looking for a little Xmas present to myself! any info on makers or designers would be greatly appreciated!
 
Well, it's just my opinion and all, but I think what you get from a custom maker is this:

1. Pride of ownership.
2. Generally higher level of craftsmanship.
3. Literally, a product made custom to what you want.
4. Sometimes better materials and heat-treat, but that's not a given.
5. In some cases you do get a tougher product, but that's not a given either.

I don't think that a custom knife is going to work any better just because it is a custom knife. You may like using it better because it is exactly what you want, but 50 dollars doesn't necessarily perform and better than 500 dollars. Also, there are some very nice factory knives that use good materials and have great heat-treats.

I would venture to guess that most people that buy custom knives do so because they like knives and because in some cases, they do perform better based on their needs. For example, assuming that the maker is good, a 500 dollar chef knife is probably going to outperform a 10 dollar one from Farberware, at least in the eyes of a professional chef (and sushi chefs spend far more than that on their knives, man). In your eyes, you might notice a difference in balance or something, but if your only an occasional cook, are you really going to care? Probably not.

As far as sharpness goes, that is dependent entirely on materials and geometry. Assuming a factory and a custom guy use the same steel and at least similar heat-treating methods, I don't think one is going to outperform the other. I am not saying that steel is steel: hardcore knife knuts have very well defined and passionately held views on the pros and cons of different steels. I will say that I would guess that you get a wider variety of steels to choose from with custom makers, but if your a fan of some commonly used steel, my guess is performance is going to be at least similar.

Pride of ownership goes a long way too. A beautiful knife made to your taste is inherently more pleasurable to use than one that comes off the production line. Again, not saying that there isn't pride of ownership in owning a production knife, but if your the type of cat that is appreciative of quality cutlery, your going to eventually want a custom.

With all that being said, it's just my opinion, and I am not some expert. I am relatively new to knives as a hobby and passion, and there are collectors, makers, dealers and generally more knowledgable people on the subject than me. Jeez, I mean, I might even be WRONG about something!

As far as suggestions go, just use google and start looking around. There are lots of makers and a wide variety of prices. THR has a few makers that show off their stuff that you might be interested in, but there are so many makers doing so much cool stuff that it is a little baffling at times...
 
GAK!! you beat me to it, TimboKhan!

I just deleted nearly the same thing you said almost verbatim. Drat...


I guess it just boils down to what you really want. You have a gazillion choices out there.
Check out Blade Forums for more info.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=669

Go to the "Makers" forum to see some incredible wares from many talented knife makers.
 
Your CRKT Carson is a Hell of a good knife and works well...I collect CRKT for that reason, good quality for good price...

The way you asked your question(s) almost guarantees the reply of yes! They will cut better, hold an edge longer, take an edge easier but not always...

The difference between a $50 and $100 knife is $50 and that's about it...The difference between a $50 knife and a $250 knife is mind boggling...First better steel, usually much better craftsmanship, better sheath and handle scales and of course your design--to a degree...

The problem of comparing steels to one another in a price range is horrific because the higher grade steel will (nearly, almost, probably) never be found in that price range...I don't know of any D2 (as an example) blades in the $50 to $100 range, only a very few in the $150 range and quite a few in the $200+ range...

The real difference lies in the $500 to $1,000 range and then it's maker's name and of course unique materials like mammoth/mastodon teeth, mokume, Damascus as well as steels...They won't perform any better then the $250 knife but not any worse either...
 
Agree with the above posts. I own a couple of higher end knives and really like them (Emerson, North Woods Scagel). I also own some good cheaper priced knives. I am currently in Afghanistan with the US Army, and will add that I did not bring anything that would not work (quality is not necessarily tied to price) or could not be easily replaced. When I get back home, some of my better knives will come back out.

Whether or not its worth it, is up to you. Here is my take. I like Colt Revolvers with ivory grips. Some folks want pay the cost or just don't care for them. For me, considering that its something I will own it a lifetime or at least plan to. Cost becomes negligible. You keep a $300 dollar knife for 5 years - how much a day has it really cost you.
 
This has been discussed several times before and Timbo has summarized it pretty well.

The only thing I would add is that 80% of the cost of something is often in getting that last 20% of perfection. If perfect for you is in a $50 knife, so be it. If it's in a $500 knife, understand that it took a great deal of effort to get that perfection of grind line, heat treat, balance, materials.
 
well i am all about some pride of ownership! so the question then becomes, "what knife should i get?" id like real world experience or even simply handling one. i have around $500 to spend on one. fixed blade with sheath, 4-7 inch blade, mirror finish preferred, convex edge preferred, gotta look good!

im going to look around on the forums but if any knife makers have something they think might fit the bill then please post it here!
thanks!
 
One Randall is in that price range or two Bob Dozier or Damascus USA or three American Kami made knives, just as an example...

Go and check the sites like Blade Gallery, Blade Art, Rehoboth, Working Knives, Robertson's, The Knife Connection or Great Lakes Custom for knives...I've dealt with all of them and I listed them in my order of preference...

I like to keep my purchases to the $300 range for working knives and have gotten some excellent knives in Damascus and D2 (Dozier)...

Check the links for makers at K M D and I have twenty times that amount in my data base...

I've posted my favourite makers and those I collect and from where I buy things...Hope this helps? Good luck on your search...

Oops
I forgot A.G. Russell and Knives Ship Free...
 
Or...

You can buy 10 Moras for $100 and invest a little time to make sheaths for them (or like I do, one or two sheaths for each type). Sharp a razors, hold an edge quite well, easy to resharpen and if you loose one, you're out $10 and you just ring up Ragnar at www.ragweedforge.com and get another one.

I get the pride of ownership from the sharpness, and the fact that you can still get a good product for just a few dollars.

...but no....they are not beautiful nor are they works of art by any stretch and the sheaths are basically for shipping and of no use in the real world. The only place I have a Mora plastic sheath is in my Big Out bag because it is so light.
 
You can contact any of the knife makers that post here and work with them on coming up with a knife based on you're requirements.
 
do they cut better? hold an edge better?
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No.

I have a pretty sizable knife collection, including some customs made with exotic steels, Randell's, etc.

The sharpest, easiest to sharpen, and longest edge holding knife I own is an old Marbles Woodcraft made in 1916.

I paid about $15 bucks for it at a flea market.

It ain't as pretty as some, but beauty is as beauty does.

rc
 
That 1916 Marbles is a hand ground and carefully heat treated piece of tool steel (probably 5160). Much closer to a custom knife than most any production knife today.
 
Yes it is!
And it's one heck of a good knife too!

I still see old Marbles every now and then at gun shows & flea markets for fairly reasonable prices.

rc
 
If you can't tell the difference , then no you don't NEED one. Want , however is another story.

do they cut better? hold an edge better?
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Depends...depends on the maker , the steel , the heat treat , the blade geometry.... I for one do believe that custom with Paul Bos Heat Treat will indeed hold an edge better and cut better. But then that is just my personal experience from using customs.

Now the question you need to ask is , do you need that increased edge retention/level of fit & finish ? Is that worth the $$$ to you. Some may say yes , some may say now.

For the average guy , you certainly don't need a custom or even a high end production. A simple Case Sodbuster in cv ( one of my favs ) will serve for most purposes.

But to claim they hold an edge as well as most customs...sorry can't buy it. As HSO said , the older Marbles are a bit unique , you would be hard pressed to find many production knives today that are it's equal.
 
Buy a Custom Knife because you cant live without it, not because you can live with it.
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in that case i could go with the 45 or so that i have already! this is simply going to be a present to myself. let me say that i am not new to cutlery at all. i have ample experience with blades but they are usually more utilitarian in nature. this is going to be something that i can carry, use but not abuse, and (let's be honest) show off to my buddies and dad!

and holy crap! that black toe is AWESOME! to the website!
 
been looking around some of the sites. great looking stuff! let me add that this thing needs to be all kinds of hot looking. dont need diamonds in the handle but i want something snazzy!
 
If you are buying one of Randall's standard models, you can get one immediately by buying from a dealer such as AG Russell. Those dealers have standing orders with Randall and have NIB knives in stock. The mark-up is worth not waiting several years for your knife, IMO.
 
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