Someone may say-“Knife is just a knife, right? Well, not for people involved in the knife making community and the fanatic users. For them, buying a regular knife is not an option. They are only interested in custom made knives and it is a level of refinement for them.
But, are custom knives actually worth the money? It primarily depends on the customer. For someone who only wants a basic knife that can cut, clearly paying a couple of hundreds of dollars is not worth it. However, if you are a huge fan of blades and you often use them for your job or hobby it is worth it. Custom knives are suitable for individual needs and preferences which makes them unique.
In the rest of the article, we will also answer questions like:
- Why they cost so much?
- What’s so special about them?
- What is the difference between custom made and factory knives?
- Can you make any money by making custom made knives?
With that said, let’s dive into this interesting world of custom knives.
Why Are Custom Knives So Expensive?
I know many people who wonder why would someone pay $1000 or even more for a knife. Well, I was that person before I started making them. I simply could not find a good enough reason for such high prices. It all made sense when I finally made one.
Custom knives are expensive primarily because of more-labor intensive processes, high-quality material, and great attention to detail. The fact that custom knife makers take more time to make fewer blades, makes the price higher. In custom knives, you will typically find nice quality steel for the blade and unique wood used for the handle which also increases the final price.
While seeing someone paying even a few thousand dollars for a custom-made knife may seem ridiculous at first, hang on a minute. Let’s analyze this more in greater detail. People in the blade world usually start like anyone else does, typically with a basic pocket knife. After some time, they gradually learn to appreciate the custom made knives as their interest deepens and taste evolves.
Don’t forget, a custom knife is a precisely handmade product to the desired specifications of the buyer. The more complicated the blade is to make, the more required time to finish it. Therefore, a higher price.
Note that there is also a huge market for knife collectors who are ready to spend ridiculous amounts of money for a unique blade. The more unique blade is, then it is usually more valuable to collectors. I know one fanatic knife collector who recently spent $3000 on some Damascus knife. For many people, that amount may be outrageous but for him, it isn’t. He was so happy when he bought it.
A knife is worth whatever the market is willing to pay, at least to some degree. For example, if there is only one maker in some category of knives, the price will be higher. If there are five of them making similar products, the price will be lower. So, if you want to get into producing custom-made knives choose your niche wisely.
As far as I see, the fighting/survival knife market is oversaturated. On the other side of the spectrum, I don’t know many people make a living selling cutlery knives. Before you get into all of this, do your research and estimate your desired salary.
Keep in mind that you shouldn’t expect performance to track price as knives aren’t commodities. Just because some custom knife is three times more expensive, it doesn’t mean it is three times better. Instead, that knife might perform 10% or 20% better than the regular knife. You actually buy the handmade art of a skillful maker who invested his/her time and labor into this.
When it comes to the cost of labor, every professional knifemaker has to also answer the phone, keep up the website, wrap packages, go to the bank and the post office, and many other trivial things that require time. He has to pay for the fuel, material, advertising, grinding belts, and many many other things that are included in the final price.
Attention to incredible details is another reason why custom made knives are so expensive. Filing out that little joints so there are zero gaps between ricasso and handle, perfecting a finish on the handle, unique design, no pre-made fittings are just some examples. They all require a good skillset and an incredible amount of time to do it right. It would be impossible to do that in only 2 hours or so.
Custom-Made vs Factory Knives – Which Is Better?
Some people see knives as just cutting tools whereas others see them as much more. It is mostly about interest and emotional attachment at the end of the day. I see e a lot of discussions online about the differences between custom-made and factory blades. But is there any real difference?
Custom-made knives are noticeably superior to production factory knives. Custom-made knives offer higher-quality, greater attention to detail, better edge retention, and are suited to individual needs. They are also more durable and have a unique design. However, custom knives are much more expensive.
Ok, let’s get into this in greater detail.
In terms of sharpness, you will most likely to get a razor-sharp blade when you buy a custom made knife. Namely, the forging process makes the steel much stronger which helps to maintain sharp edges. Custom-knives are typically much easier to sharpen. On the other side, production knives may be sharp at first but don’t expect it to last very long. The sharpening is also much harder to do. As you can see, custom-made knives win in this category.
The material used in handmade knives is generally higher-quality steel than the ones used in production knives. High-carbon steel, Damascus steel, and stainless steels are materials you will typically find in handmade knives. Factory-made knives are mostly not forged, meaning they are not as hard nor strong as forged ones. So, custom made knives are the winner again.
Durability is another crucial factor when choosing a knife. As you can already assume, custom-made knives win this one too. They can endure many years of constant use while still keeping their shape and strength. On the other hand, factory blades are usually not durable due to the lower-quality steel so they will often dull or break under pressure. Again, win for custom knives.
Finally, value and design play a vital role in deciding which one is better. Since factory workers have a production amount they have to achieve, they usually don’t have a chance to focus on each blade. Because of that, the design won’t be nearly as good as the design of a handmade knife. Custom knife makers take a long time to properly design the blade which allows them to make a unique piece of art.
For all the mentioned reasons, custom-made knives are more valuable and therefore more expensive. So, if you want one, be prepared to pay for it.
Can You Make Money Making Custom Knives?
After reading all of this you may wonder is it possible to make some money on producing custom-made knives. It doesn’t matter if you are an aspiring knifemaker or simply just an informative person, here is the answer.
You can make money by selling custom-made knives after you put enough time and energy into developing your skills so you can make a high-quality blade. Some knifemakers do it only part-time earning $1000 per month while others may have a full-time income earning $5000 per month. It all depends on the individual skillset, available time, and financial goals.
Just don’t rush into selling knives if you are not ready. You must have at least some decent experience. I know that’s too relative but in the end, it all comes to how much time and practice you put into developing your skills. A person who invested 8 hours per day will reach professional-level skills much sooner than a person who did it only half an hour. So, someone may be ready in one year while others in five.
Also, know your market before you start a knife-making business. There is no use in producing knives if you have no one to sell them. So, do your research before taking any business action. One piece of advice I would give you is to focus more on the production work before you move into selling expensive custom knives. As a beginner, you will need money to reinvest in the business, and quantity work is often a better idea.
To learn more about knife making business, be sure to check Is Knife-Making Profitable? to find more info about this topic.
