Collecting Custom Knives – Some Online Resources for Beginners

CustomMade has been fortunate to add outstanding specialists in custom knives to our family of artisans.  Knife making is an ancient art with an amazing history that touches all our lives, from the cutlery in our kitchens to the tool kits of craftspeople and artisans everywhere.

"Baron Sidekick" by Johnny Stout Custom Made Knives at CustomMade.com

If you’re interested in a custom made knife for yourself or as a gift, browse through the custom knives gallery and discover beautiful knives like the “Baron Sidekick” by Johnny Stout Custom Made Knives, made with a Damascus steel blade, mother-of-pearl inlay and fossilized mammoth ivory, or this feather pattern Damascus hunter utility knife by Woodchuck Forge.

Feather Pattern Damascus Hunter Utility Knife by Woodchuck Forge at CustomMade.com

CustomMade artisan Hans Weinmueller of Knives & More has won awards for his miniature knife making, and you can find wonderful examples of his miniatures here.

Miniatures by Knives & More at CustomMade.com

If you’re intrigued with custom and collectors knives and want to delve deeper into the subject and start a collection, taking the first step might seem like a daunting task.  You’ll have many questions, and there are only two ways to get the answers: doing a little research and finding people who know more about the subject than you do.  Here are a few online resources that can help you get started.

Associations

There are numerous local, state, regional, and national knife collecting clubs and associations.  A good place to start is the National Knife Collectors Association.  Different levels of membership are available and all include benefits such as free admission to NKCA sponsored shows, discounts, monthly emails, and more.  If you’d like to start at a more local level, the NKCA website has an extensive listing of contact information for state and local clubs, too.

Social Networks

Online forums and Facebook are great ways to find fellow enthusiasts and discuss your topics of choice. iKnife Collector and BladeForums.com are two active online communities.  Both have considerable postings on many sub-topics and feature threads on custom knives, “The Custom Corner” and “Custom and Handmade Knives.”  You can also find iKnife Collector on Facebook.  Another excellent resource, Knifeforums.com, has multiple active threads related to custom knives.

Basic Information

The Wikipedia “knife” entry is a good place to start for some basic material, blade, and handle terminology, as well as a listing of types of knives.  Knives.com has information on the histories of various types of knives, numerous articles, how-to information, picture galleries, a Q&A section, and is also available on Facebook.  The website KnifeWebGuide.com, sponsored by CutlersCove.com Knife Emporium, has an informative section on Knife Collecting, including suggestions for selecting specialties for your collection and some recommended reading.

Take some time to review these resources, do a little reading, and introduce yourself either online or in person to others who share your interest in custom and collectors knives.  Keep this in mind: a one-of-a-kind custom made knife by a CustomMade artisan will be a great way to begin your collection.

Do any readers or members of the CustomMade community have other recommendations for websites, books, or associations of interest to the neophyte knife collector? Please submit your comments.