Knife maker recommendations

[woodsltc]

My hunting knife/knives are from Bob Dozier.....he makes utility, meant to be used, custom knives.


Hunting - Dozier Knives

I've used his K-16 & KS-1 knives for my hunting, skinning, camping needs for years....these knives are relatively easy to sharpen and hold a shaving edge even after processing several deer/elk before needing the edge "touched-up". He uses different steels but is mainly known for his use of D2....my knives are D2.

Don

 

[BAM-BAM]

My hunting knife/knives are from Bob Dozier.....he makes utility, meant to be used, custom knives.

Hunting - Dozier Knives

I've used his K-16 & KS-1 knives for my hunting, skinning, camping needs for years....these knives are relatively easy to sharpen and hold a shaving edge even after processing several deer/elk before needing the edge "touched-up". He uses different steels but is mainly known for his use of D2....my knives are D2.

Don

Web site says..... 3 year backlog

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I Also like Bark Rivers.
They make a multitude of models.
Use every steel available.
Install a Wide array of handle materials.
Sometimes us Country Boys go Citified.
Here’s my Bark River City Knife.
Their version of a Loveless City Knife

 

[THE PILGRIM]

You want Bark River Big?
Of course you do!
Here’s a Bark River Smoke Jumper between a Randall No. 1 and Loveless Style Fighting Knife made by a local maker.

 

[woodsltc]

Web site says..... 3 year backlog

Check the AG Russell site .... he has many of the Bob Dozier models available on hand.

A. G. Russell: Your Source for Knives & Accessories | AGRussell.com

Don

 

[Ed Fowler]

If you like the design of the custom knife you are considering, there is one question that is most significant that you can ask the maker.

"How to you test your knives?"

His answer to this question should be very predictive, and is easily enhanced when you ask: "What is your guarantee?"

You will now have an indication of his dedication to a quality knife you can depend on should the situation arrive when you absolutely need a knife.

 

[Culina]

There are knives and then there are Knives. If you want a Bowie, I can highly recommend Bill Bagwell, I don't own any but I have a customer that collects them so I had the opportunity to examine plenty of them and I give them three thumbs up.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

I like Doziers’.
Only have one.
Bob likes old school D2 steel. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
Dozier is In the middle, Black sheath, Black Micarta handle.
As already posted, you can get immediate delivery of Dozier knives from A G Russell and others.
I got mine from a Dude in Houston!

 

[shoot870p]

Knives

Randall's can be ordered from dealers sometimes with out the 5 year wait- and at current prices. That is worth a look. Send a pm if you want a name if two.
I do not know ( I know- you can hear everything but the truth and money rattling) but I hear that blackjack knives are well made.
Good luck with the search. Let us know what you decide.

 

[beerthief]

look at Sam Stoner Amish guy makes beautiful knifes, lives about 5 miles from me

 

[indawire]

Blade research

Hop over to Blade Forum and gather some info there before spending your hard earned cash. Like this forum, it's populated with knowledgeable and opinionated folks who live and breath edged tools.

 

[jsfricks]

I highly recommend AA Forge and Fiddleback Forge. AA Forge knives sell within an hour or so when listed. Fiddleback list his on Fridays on the Blade forum, but many are available on several Blade sites too.

 

[DanceTiger]

I highly recommend Barry Dawson and his family at DawsonKnives.com.

 

[pburnster]

Knife Makers

Bark River Knives makes outstanding blades. They use high quality steel and do an excellent heat treat. Made in America. They are not inexpensive, but well worth the money IMHO. Look them up at Knives Ship Free or DLT Trading. You won't be disappointed.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

I have quite a few custom knives, none Randalls, none as expensive as Randalls. I can recommend Arno Bernard knives made in South Africa but he has plenty of dealers here. He always has folks selling his wares at the Dallas Safari Club Expo in January, sometimes several different vendors.

He uses a variety of exotic handles and his knives are gorgeous. And NOT INEXPENSIVE.

Arno Bernard - Custom Professional Hunting Knives Handmade in Africa

(c) Arno Bernard Knives 2018

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Speaking of Bark Rivers-
Here’s the small Gunny.
It’s was designed with Those Folks in Mind.

 

[F75gunslinger]

I'm going to go with almost my standard answer for many of these types of questions.

What knife will work best for you depends on what you're using it for. A huge fixed blade knife is overkill for everyday carry ( depending on where you live and what you do of course).A small pocket knife will do many things well, but may not be tough enough for your desired purpose.

Do you just want it to open letters, cut light duty items ( fruits, veggies,maybe skin the occasional fish or small game )?

Will it be used as a camp knife or as part of a bug out/survival bag ?

Are you concerned more with edge retention or all around toughness ?

Are you the type of person who is willing to care for a carbon steel blade on a regular basis, or would you prefer something stainless that doesn't need as much care ?

What type of environment is it going to be used in ? A really good knife for an arid climate may not do so well regularly exposed to moisture/salt water.

Steel is the same way. If you really want a knife for a particular purpose do some research on what kind of steel is best suited. Bladeforums.com is a great site for much of this info as they talk about nothing but knives, knife steel and makers.

 

[ralph7]

^^^^^Can you post a better picture? It looks very nice but I can’t get the picture to enlarge.

After you click on the pic, it will show another equally small pic.
Look up at the top of your page for the attachment tab and click on the x.
The pic should now be large.

 

[kwselke]

The production shops put out some good stuff. This from Buck appeared in my inbox today. https://www.buckknives.com/product/...nth&utm_content=August+2018+Buck+of+the+Month

When you start to talk high end steels the maker needs to have high end heat treatment skills and capabilities.

Think about what you want to spend and what you want the knife to be, then ask where you can find it. Many good knife makers have been mentioned in this thread.

 

[shouldazagged]

I would never presume to tell you not to look at the work of custom knifesmiths, but you couldn't go wrong with a working knife from Bark River Knife & Tool. I've owned several; and while I don't know if it's still in production, their Highland Special is as robust and versatile a field knife as I've seen. The two I've owned met your specs--four-inch drop point blades. They are cryo-treated A2 tool steel, Rc 58-60, not stainless but more resistant to rust and staining than most tool steels. They were diabolically sharp out of the box, held an edge extremely well, and could be stropped back to sharp on a piece of cardboard. They are convex ground.

BRKT offers knives in other steels as well, including the tough 52100 used in ball bearings and various stainless versions.

I don't know about stag--both of mine had canvas Micarta handles, smooth but with enough texture for a good hold when wet.

My first one was an early production model with a .150" thick blade. That's the one I've kept. The later one which I gave to my son was .170". I don't think you could destroy either one.