Hi everyone, I'm totally new to collecting knives (started this month, previously just owned a super cheap Gerber) and am debating purchasing a fixed blade bushcraft knife for backpacking/camping as well as just joy of ownership. I'm more than a little unclear about the difference between the terms "custom", "semi-custom", and "factory". I had assumed that custom meant handmade one-offs? And if so, I don't get how you can have a middle ground that is semi-custom. Thanks in advance for any replies, still trying to get the lay of the land here.
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Difference between custom, semi-custom, and factory?
- Thread starter kubelik
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Strictly speaking:
Factory: mass produced, the type you buy in the local department store (Buck, SOG, Cold Steel, Gerber, Schrade, etc.)
Semi-Custom: The company produces a design, you pick materials, often made to order [anything including steel type, handle material, color (both blade and handle), sheath material/type] (Might include Bussekin, Relentless Knives, Jericoh Blade Works, etc.) A highly fluid definition, obviously! More expensive than factory, in general.
Custom: Design submitted by you, made to order. Usually only a one made (or different variations of the same one); therefore unique.
Factory: mass produced, the type you buy in the local department store (Buck, SOG, Cold Steel, Gerber, Schrade, etc.)
Semi-Custom: The company produces a design, you pick materials, often made to order [anything including steel type, handle material, color (both blade and handle), sheath material/type] (Might include Bussekin, Relentless Knives, Jericoh Blade Works, etc.) A highly fluid definition, obviously! More expensive than factory, in general.
Custom: Design submitted by you, made to order. Usually only a one made (or different variations of the same one); therefore unique.
Thanks for the clear response, adc5. Based on that, I'm assuming that the Benchmade gold class knives still count as Factory blades, but at the prices they are at, why wouldn't folks just buy customs?
Also, been seeing the term "mid-tech" used in a number of discussions, what is that about?
Also, been seeing the term "mid-tech" used in a number of discussions, what is that about?
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Mid-tech is really an amorphous term that means different things to different people.
Originally a custom knife meant that the maker cut out all of the parts himself, fashioned and hand fitted everything himself. That became pretty impractical so IIRC Ken Onion decided to have batches of handles and blades water jetted out to cut down on the easier to do work so he could focus on upping productivity while still doing all of the 'skilled' hand work himself.
Since then, most custom makers have gone that route where a lot of the rougher, easier work is farmed out but they still do all of the hand work themselves.
Now mid-tech can mean everything from a high end production company where the original maker never touches the knife (Chris Reeves, Microtech, Strider etc etc etc) to knives that are mostly done by other people, either in house or farmed out, and only a few final touches are handled by the maker (I believe the Hoback mid tech will be done this way and I believe the Begg mid techs are done this way) or it can even still be the 'original' definition as per Ken Onion.
It all depends on the person.
The problem is, once you above high end production knives, there is really no good ranking or definitions to use. It's up to the buyer to inquire as to the process the knife is made by.
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To attempt to simplfy a complex question:
Factory= Production knives massed produced by a manufacturer.
Semi Custom/Mid Tech= Knives made and/or assembled by an individual or knifemaker using a variety of equipment ranging from simple hand tools to sophisticated equipment where some components (often blades) are massed produced from complex equipment such as water jetting machines.
Custom= Knives created primarily by hand or using basic/simple tools/equipment by an individual or knifemaker resulting in one of a kind knives or different variations of a specific knife design. These knives are often commissioned by collectors or make to order by a custom knife maker.
Factory= Production knives massed produced by a manufacturer.
Semi Custom/Mid Tech= Knives made and/or assembled by an individual or knifemaker using a variety of equipment ranging from simple hand tools to sophisticated equipment where some components (often blades) are massed produced from complex equipment such as water jetting machines.
Custom= Knives created primarily by hand or using basic/simple tools/equipment by an individual or knifemaker resulting in one of a kind knives or different variations of a specific knife design. These knives are often commissioned by collectors or make to order by a custom knife maker.
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Hehheh. Because they're VERY nice production knives. Benchmade knows how to do some very nice 154CM heat treatments from what I've seen, at any rate. And a private knifemaker would be hard-pressed to produce a blade of comparable quality for the same price.
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I wouldn't go that far...
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Here's my example of my own semi-custom EDC. I used a blade blank from two fingers knife co, set/shape/polish my own handle scales, and make my own sheath. It's not a pure custom because I (personally) didnt make the blade, it's not a production cause I assembled/finished this on my work bench. I call it semi-custom because of materials/parts used and how/where it was constructed.
Locutus D'Borg
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And to confuse you even more, there are Sole Authorship knives, which are the pinnacle of Customs: the maker makes every part himself, including doing the HT and making the damascus. If you go to custom dealers, like Arizona Custom Knives, R&M Customs, etc., they will state if the knife is Sole Authorship. Pretty rare these days, as even custom makers generally order their damascus from Chad Nichols or Devin Thomas.
"Pretty rare these days, as even custom makers generally order their damascus from Chad Nichols or Devin Thomas."
Hang around this subforum and you'll find a lot of people make their own damascus. I'd venture a guess that on this subforum, most makers that sell damascus knifes make their own.
Hang around this subforum and you'll find a lot of people make their own damascus. I'd venture a guess that on this subforum, most makers that sell damascus knifes make their own.
Locutus D'Borg
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Many on this site do, but I would submit they are relatively rare within the greater Custom community. I could be wrong, though. I believe Don Hanson III makes sole authorship knives, as does Tony Bose.
That's kinda weird. I don't make my own damascus, but I do the micarta from scratch, and my sheathes, too (and the HTs a given).
About which part?
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well .. unless they mine the ore for the carbon steel, brass, etc and process said ore to metal - grow the trees for the handles, raise the cows for the leather, shear the sheep and spin the wool to thread in which to sew said leather, blend dyes for the leather .. etc, etc, etc .. then they really aint Sole Authorship.
