How much should we be involve in the process of a custom knife ?

[Mat1893]

how much do you think the buyer should influence the final product?
do you think it is better to rely on the style, creativity and experience of the craftman or to provide him with as much detail as possible to have a product that you feel is more yours?

 

[AFKitchenknivesguy]

Both, depends on buyer. I rely on the craftsman, but I don't see anything wrong or strange when wanting to your exact standards.

 

[ian]

We should be involved as little as possible. If you’re absolutely sure you want a certain thing based on your many experiences with other knives, ask for it. If you’re not sure whether you want something, either ask the maker what they think or don’t mention it. If you ask for some weird profile or atypical grind, chances are the knife will perform worse than what the maker usually makes, either because they don’t have as much practice doing what you asked, or because your idea was stupid.

 

[Tristan]

It’s a custom knife so the answer is customised for the individual. There are makers happy to work at either end of the input spectrum. I think a meeting of minds is key.
if you’re asking for something the maker is not keen to do, it falls apart.

 

[milkbaby]

I agree it depends on the buyer and the maker. If you have a really good idea of the specific characteristics you're looking for, then you should find a maker that is willing to cater to those requests. Not every maker will be interested.

My personal take from the few times in the past that I commissioned knives was to just tell the maker what I liked about their work and what I like in knives and let them do their thing. The first commission I ever requested was for a very flat profile which the maker accomplished. But once I actually started using the knife, I realized my request didn't actually make for a very good knife for my cutting style.

 

[ian]

Yea! Instead of drawing a custom profile or whatever, say “my elbow is so many inches above my cutting board when I cut, and I mainly push/pull, no rock chopping, and I have a shoulder problem that prevents me from raising my hand too high without pain” or something.

 

[NO ChoP!]

You should do your homework and find a maker whose style gels with what your looking for to begin with. Also, when you give a maker creative freedom you are guaranteed to get the best work. Dictating every single thing can really stifle that.

 

[M1k3]

Customize to the makers strengths. What they've done hundreds of times will be better than something they've done 0-5 times or so.

 

[Corradobrit1]

Everything M1k3 says. Then all I need do is tweak the profile, grind, balance point, weight to suit my personal needs. For me this is what customization really equates to.

 

[Barashka]

It's really across the range.
Sometimes it's better to just tell the smith what you like and he/she'll come up with something you'd want ... and that's how they like to work.
Sometimes you really know what you want and smith isn't into guiding and exploring options etc and are more than happy to deliver the product to exact spec.
Most smiths will have a very wide range of acceptable input. Don't be afraid to ask direct questions, or for guidance.

 

[Corradobrit1]

Many of the well known names no longer take custom orders. Basically making knives they know will sell quickly. Less hassle for them and probably more time efficient too.

 

[M1k3]

Many of the well known names no longer take custom orders. Basically making knives they know will sell quickly. Less hassle for them and probably more time efficient too.

Not to mention they don't get those head scratching, What The **** moments.

 

[ragz]

I've overall been more happy with customs when I give the maker more leeway.

 

[Mat1893]

Thanks to everyone for their valuable opinion.

My opinion is to let the makers do most of the jobs following their style and experiences.

Thanks again to everybody


Cheers .

 

[jacko9]

I don't know enough to make any suggestions so, I'll buy what they make relying on their prior success.

 

[daveb]

When I want something that's not "off the shelf", I'll give maker a functional description of what I want the knife to accomplish, ask if he has any problems with any specific criteria, then wait for happy mailbox day. If I'm interested in a particular style, steel, etc, I'll only ask those who are already doing that.

 

[The Edge]

As a maker, I would say either way. Knives are such a personal thing, that unless you know the style will work for you, you can end up with something that just doesn't gel with you.

Things I typically ask prior to starting a custom order:
Western or Japanese handle/ what material
Hand size/handle size/ grip
stainless or carbon
Cutting style
Blade Style/Length
Right or Left Handed
Height of Elbow from Cutting Surface
As well as a blanket question of what's important to them in a knife

Regardless, sometimes there's total freedom, or occasionally there's exact specs given for each occasion. Either way, even if I don't have a custom order, I'm working on something. Sometimes there are requests that require extra thought and time to perform, but part of making knives, and being good at it, is to never stop learning.

Learning to take constructive criticism is also helpful in determining what communication needs to take place. Something I may like on a knife may not work for someone else, so please feel free to ask questions. A knife maker will also have reasons why they do things their way. It's important to listen if they think something is a bad idea.