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company's that say their knives are custom hand made in the usa

i ask what is considered custom hand made ? there are company's out there that say that their knifes are custom hand made .but what i wonder is if there is a assembly line putting these knives togather even though they are hand made buy 10 or 12 people are this knifes custom hand made knives?this is unlike you have someone who fires the blade to putting it togather from start to end with their own hands.many would say that the only way you can get a custom hand made knife is to have a knife maker make it is this true?or can you get a custom hand made knife from a so called manafacture?i'm sure i'm not the only one who would like to know about this.thanks

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Comment by Alexander Noot on September 14, 2011 at 3:06: Very true Jan, honesty is the best policy all around.

Comment by Jan Carter on September 13, 2011 at 18:51: Robert I agree. Regardless of what method used, the customer should be made aware and make an informed decision based on their idea of what would be considered custom

In Memoriam Comment by Robert Burris on September 13, 2011 at 16:08: Also be honest, tell the customer how you make the knife up front and let him decide if thats the way he wants his custom knife made. A maker shouldn't hide what parts of a knife are bought and ready to apply to the knife. Alot of todays makers buy stabilized handles, thats okay, just put everything out in the open.

Comment by Alexander Noot on September 12, 2011 at 4:22: Then James, does that include....smelting the steel? Creating the coke for forging? Chopping down the tree/hunting down the animal for handles?

Skinning the cow for the sheath?

Creating the pins you use?

etc etc etc. Because all of those steps are needed in making your own knife.

A smith will say I make knives and tell a stock removal guy that he's not a REAL knifemaker. Because he doesn't forge. These kinds of debates go on all the time and are a bit useless in my opinion. Different people will have different meanings put to the term custom.

Comment by Mike Carter on September 10, 2011 at 0:15: There is always debate about what a "custom" knife is.

For factory knives, you can choose a particular model from their catalog, and maybe choose handles, blade finish, filework or other choices to make your "custom" knife. Of course many others may have also made those same choices from the menu.

For my knives, a custom often starts with an idea from a customer. Drawings are made and tweaked until we have a pretty good idea of what the knife will be. The customer chooses the type of steel, type of grind, blade finish, handle materials, bolsters and.or guard, filework, scrimshaw, sheath and every other detail of the knife.

Some will say a custom knife is one that is made to order for a customer. I disagree. When I make a knife for a show, to sell on my website, or just for fun, I make it to my custom specifications at the time. I consider that a custom knife.

Comment by Jan Carter on August 29, 2011 at 17:49: Kit,

I know when Donnie and I had 2 XX rehandled with exotic material. We showed them to the CEO of the company who said,"you have customized these nicley". So I really like the idea that if no one else has one like it it would be a custom, but not a handmade custom

Comment by Jan Carter on August 29, 2011 at 17:40: Kit,

I dont know about other companies because I have only seen GEC's process from end to end. I know that essembled by hand really does mean that. They do not assemble mechanically. I would guess a great many companies do put them in a jib

Comment by Kit Adams on August 29, 2011 at 15:44: I would hope that companies that put (assembled by hand) would mean that no automated machinery was used to put them together... but all it probably means is they put the parts into a jib and then sent it into a press to put the peices together at the right tolerances.

Comment by Kit Adams on August 29, 2011 at 10:20: @ Don

If you really want a dented Ferrari then yes, congrats, you have just costomized your Ferrari. You will be the only one with a size 6 boot print in the side of your Ferrari. Anything that you change on that will make it a one off, therefor it will be a custom.

We can stay on this car analogy if you want Don. You take your truck to a reputable shop, have them throw on new exhaust, a lift kit, new tires, a special paint job, and a few new speakers then they call that a custom. Why cant it be the same for knifes. What you are saying is that people like Chip Foose are not deserving of their credit as custom car artists just because they start with a stock car.

Comment by stephen tungate on August 29, 2011 at 10:10: kit is not being silly don.i think the same way.if you take a knife and put that knife down on paper and build that knife with your own two hands that is a hand made custom.because no one will have that same knife.and you built that knife to your own spec's. now if that is not hand made custom i would like to know what is?