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Comment by Andrew Roy on September 26, 2014 at 6:33

I like to think what you are paying for when you buy a handmade knife is the ability of the maker to support himself with his hands. 

Think of the renaissance of craftsmanship that is going on in America with knives, woodworking, pen turning, etc.  Its an amazing thing to see.  If you've ever seen a Bruce Bump knife, then you know that there truly are Master Craftsmen in the here and now. 

While I am no master and no Bruce Bump, I have been able to support myself and my family since a layoff on May 1 2009 with full time knifemaking.  Since then my company has grown, we've moved into a facility seperate from my home, and I now employ 7 folks (including me) at Fiddleback Forge. 

What does that require?  It requires constant revenue, and the prices have to produce profits.  Period.  What I try to do is keep the prices as low as I can so that I can sell to the user market which is bigger.  That means that every time I add a cost, I have to add knives to the week to offset it/him/her.  When I stared full time work, I made 6 knives a week.  Then jumped to ten or 12, then hired folks and nowadays we make 42 knives a week. 

Then you have to be able to sell them.  This is where I got lucky.  I didn't know this back when I was an engineer, but I am very good at marketing and branding.  My knives aren't master works, they are good outdoor tools, but when it comes to branding and marketing, I'm a fish in water. 

Steel types draw certain folks and repel certain folks.  I, personally don't like stainless steels.  Soulless and lifeless and sterile even after years of use.  I also don't like damascus steels because of cold shuts and not knowing what the edge is comprised of.  I prefer good old homogenous 01 steel.  Easiest steel to sharpen and takes a great edge.  Some folks have a prejudice against 440C (undeserved, but true).  Some folks don't ever want rust.  I don't think its the steel that drives the price though.  I think folks are drawn to what they are comfortable using and sharpeining. 

IMO, what you are paying for is keeping Americans working with their hands.  Sure, you can always go get a Mora knife and by God it does everything any of mine will do and cost $295 less.  That extra $ isn't wasted though.  It keeps 7 of us working with our hands, and helps us donate funds to help 3 different kids with horrible medical issues pay their medical bills.  IMO, its money well spent, but then again, I'm kinda biased.

Comment by Shlomo ben Maved on September 25, 2014 at 14:16

What of then companies like Bark River, Zero Tolerance, Extrema Ratio, Entrek, TOPS, Emerson, Strider, Spartan, DPx Hest, Boker, Puma and other high end "commercial" makers whose prices exceed, in some cases far exceed, lots of custom makers?  Forgetting the stupidity of those $700 Cold Steel knives!

As and example, I spent less then $250 each for 14 of my 19 Bob Dozier knives yet I spent more then that for each of 20 of my Entrek knives.  The prior is custom, hand done, the latter not.

Comment by Tobias Gibson on September 25, 2014 at 12:08

A lot also goes in the way the blade is heat treated.  Basically, even today not all 1095 is going to be heat treated the same way. 

For instances some makers or companies may heat treat the entire blade  to thew same hardness while others apply different heat treatments to the cutting edge vs. spine.  In most cases, you will want a harder cutting edge so that will retain an edge longer but a tougher spine so that the blade will be stronger and hold up to batoning better.

Some knives that are designed for thrusting and not so much for slashing (bayonets and boot knives) will also be treated differently so that the blade is tougher (meaning it is harder to sharpen) but is less likely to break or nick.

This is why I have have so many problems when people ask what is best steel for a knife. The correct question should be what is the best steel for the task at hand?

Let's face it, if all the knife is going to do is hang on the wall and look pretty, then chrome plated Papier-mâché might be all you need.   And If you're going to go all Rambo and take on half of South East Asia for 20 years, then you might want a super steel comprised of an alphabet soup bowl of letters and numbers! 

This is why one companies 1095 might be better than another companies and this is also why you can't grind down the spine of a blade an actually make a good double edge knife!

Comment by Howard P Reynolds on September 25, 2014 at 10:10

Thanks, Shlomo.  I guess a Ford has most of the running parts of a Lincoln, but not the "custom" trim.  Some folks want Lincolns and some can do with Fords.  I can't argue with the "Lovelesses" of the knife world.  He, and others, design(ed) some great knives.  And, I guess Picasso used the same basic art paint, that unknown artists use, but it's what he did with the materials that make the difference.  I'm just not living at that level.  Still, if practicality is involved, a mass produced knife from a bulk manufacturer, given that their reputation is on the line for heat-treat too, will stay as sharp as a "Picasso" knife.  I am not at the level of buying the "Picasso" knife to sit in a display case.  Intellectually I can understand; practically, not so much.

Comment by Shlomo ben Maved on September 25, 2014 at 9:52

Well you are paying for the "custom" aspect of the knife -- if I want it 6mm or 10mm thick, I get it; if I want it 250mm long or 80mm long I get it; if I want stag handles, makune bolster and a lanyard hole, I get it.

The steel used, for most users and collectors is immaterial...I love D2 but also like O1 and A2 and if the knife came in any of those I'd be happy but I wouldn't hold out just for the D2.

You're also paying for the reputation of the maker...Loveless charged more because he could...Busse does because he can due to his marketing and his (non)proprietary INFI..

Comment by Howard P Reynolds on September 25, 2014 at 9:38

That is another thing I have been unable to grasp.  Even 1095 is selling for hundreds of dollars, from "custom" makers.  By now, I figure all the heating and freezing formulas for 1095, for knife use, have been worked out and, ain't no biggie.  I'm thinkin that 1095 from Ka-Bar or Ontario has all the heat-treat process of the "custom" blades, so why pay outrageous prices for 1095, or 440C, 440A, 420, etc.?  I'm stumped.

Comment by Shlomo ben Maved on September 25, 2014 at 8:39

Lots of custom makers are using 440C and selling them in the $Thousands, Jay Fisher as an example.

Comment by Tobias Gibson on September 25, 2014 at 8:31

As for the Gerber Legend -- it looks nice but it is way out of my price range and the steel used is over engineered for my needs.  I understand why some people like high end steels but at the end of the day  my cutting needs are pretty much met with 1095, 1070, 440C and 440A.   And I know it is treated like a pariah by knife folks but even 420 has proved worthwhile for a lot of everyday tasks.  But then you can't sell a  $700 knife using steel of this quality -- or can you?

Comment by Tobias Gibson on September 25, 2014 at 8:04

I can shoot a pistol righty or lefty but am better with the left hand.  When it comes to revolvers, I can put a right handed holster on my left hp and draw the revolver backwards with no problem.  Not so much with an automatic, especially an M191A1.

As for right handed knife sheaths, I'm used to wearing them on my left hip but when I was in the Army, I wore my MkII fighting knife suspended from the shoulder harness (tip down) and diagonally under my right arm pit..  It kept it dry and provided easy access and allowed my to pull it out properly. I was able to pull it out and replace in the dark with no worries of stabbing or slashing myself despite what looked like an insane place to put a knife.

Comment by Jan Carter on September 24, 2014 at 21:25

LOL, Howard do not do that!

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