Does Anyone Know Jeff White?

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MarfanTheMartian

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Hi,

I'm new here and I don't know all the etiquette, so forgive me if I'm making some error.

Does anyone know Jeff White, of Jeff White Knives? I'm referring to these. These knives are advertised as individually hand made by one guy, in America. The thing is, at $40 retail, is seems suspicious to me that an American can make any money hand crafting knives for less than $40 a pop. My suspicion is that these aren't hand crafted and or aren't made in America.

So I did some cursory searching for Jeff White and I came across this terrible website. Instantly I'm reminded of all those websites and fake facebook profiles where 3rd world shills pretend to be westerners to sell their goods. It just seems highly suspicious.

But I'm fully open to the possibility my suspicions are incorrect. So, does anyone actually know this guy or have more info?
 
It certainly doesn't look legit to me. Don't waste your time with these. There are plenty of knifemakers here who would be happy to make something for you.

The old "if it's too good to be true it probably is" certainly seems to apply here.
 
I actually did buy one of his patch knives off the auction site. The first one I received was bent/warped/curved to the left. I didn't get any response till I left negative feedback. I believe I was asked to ship the knife back, which I did, and later received a new one which was straight. Fit and finish isn't top notch but for the price, not bad at all. Sheath is also decent and worth at least $20 IMO. I remember seeing Dave Canterbury's review of one of Jeff White's knives and I tend to believe they are made in the USA. Again, definitely not the same quality as some of the custom makers here but for an inexpensive beater of a knife you can't go wrong. I would be very interested(and disappointed) if someone found out these were made in Pakistan

edit: Just checked out the self reliance outfitters website and realized the model I bought was the French Style Trade Knife
 
Jeff is the real deal. He is NOT a computer guy! I see him several times a year at the large knife and gun shows in the Indianapolis area. His blades are a good value for the money. I have one of his blades and I am very impressed. That said, I was able to hand pick the one I wanted. They take a wicked edge and hold it pretty well.

They are hand made! Jeff has a couple of guys working for him, but the knives are hand made here in Indiana. If I can help, let me know.
 
The Self Reliance Outfitters website you linked to has many of his models, and although a couple are priced at $40, the remainder are double or more. The more I looked at the website the more I found credibility. if THEY are supporting him, then it's notable.

There are LOTS of reviews on the knives. They DON'T look like Pakistani quality to me (That would be their cursory soft damascus steel).

I say they are probably a very good value for a 3-piece forged handmade knife. (Which is a very basic, proven, and easy to manufacture design.)

Price is related to output and efficiency. If this guy has figured out how to 'automate' his procedures and produce in quantity (and use cheap help), then he's figured out how to do it for less. The American Way!

I could be wrong, but they look legit to me.

Coop
 
I also noticed the more expensive models and wondered if the lower priced($40) ones were merely a way to gain repeat customers as they are a very good value, especially considering the included sheath. Also wanted to add that in referring to the knife as a "beater" in my previous post I did not mean a POS at all. I was referring to it in that manner more because of the price and the "primitive" finish it has. A knife you could throw in your truck, tackle box or camping gear without worrying about harming or even losing it
 
I have one of his nessmuks, and it definitely gets the job done. Holds a pretty keen edge as well. I didn't see it on that link, but he makes a pretty cool throwing knife too.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk
 
Jeff White knives are hand made in America.

They mostly follow historical patterns and are liked by re-enactors, but are also well made and suitable for light outdoor work.

Search for his name on YouTube.

I've never seen a poor review of a Jeff White knife. Like Opinel, inexpensive doesn't necessarily mean bad.
 
As far as I know Jeff is the real deal. I have owned many of his knives for bushcraft use and all were great workhorse knives and I like the primitive style. I think the way they are made allows for the reasonable pricing in the thinner blade models. To me anyway, the pattern of "hand forged" marks looks to be added to a flat stock removal method of construction but I have not been to his shop to see for sure. Either way they are a good deal for the money and most of mine have come with nice heavy Robert Jones sheaths. Jeff has done special designs for Self Reliance Outfitters and for the sheath maker, Robert Jones. He also has his own models that are sold online occasionally of direct from his shop.
 
I purchased his pathfinder phantom model last year which is a very nice looking blade and he seems to have done a good job with the heat treat. I really like how the handle transitions directly to the heel of the blade, so basically there's no ricasso.

Now for the not so good. After a few months of use, it ended up getting banished from my belt and relegated to the drawer.
For my hands, I found the handle geometry to be extremely uncomfortable and would get a bad hot spot between my index finger and thumb.
While the blade is obviously sturdy/durable because it has a low convex grind with 3/16 thick spine, this attribute makes it poor at slicing and carving tasks. In my opinion, this grind would be much better suited to a 1/8 or 5/32 thick blade.

I don't regret buying this knife, because it really helped me narrow down what I need/want from a fixed blade that's always on my person.
I now have a different American made knife which is much better suited to be my primary belt knife.
 
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I had one of his Bush knife. It was a good knife. Took a good edge and stayed sharp. I sold it. The guy wanted a Jeff White knife BAD so I gave in. Thinking about getting another. Mind you I have some nice ones like Bob Crowder and a couple of collectible Lakota's but when I had the Bush knife it got used quite a bit. The primitive finish works well with my old CVA Mountain Rifle.
 
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