Les Robertson

Answer: Even in the age of Instagram knife photos, online knife forums, and tweet-first-think-later social media, there is still a need for experts like custom knife dealers who stand behind their experience.

Editor’s note: An expanded version of this article appears in the book, KNIVES 2020.

It Takes a Certain Kind of Person to be a Custom Knife Dealer

Custom knife dealers must develop a unique skill set. Unlike knifemakers who, for the most part, only need to be concerned with their knives, custom knife dealers must familiarize themselves with hundreds of makers and their knives.

Through sheer repetition, custom knife dealers come to know more handmade knives and their makers than any collector can ever hope to achieve.

If you were to stand behind my table at a show, after three days of listening to me answer questions about the 50 or more knives on display, you’d have the handmade pieces committed to memory. Years later, you could still answer questions about any of those knives. Now imagine doing it for 34 years.

Something Only Time Can Give You: Perspective

This is what gives the purveyor of handmade knives the advantage of understanding what the market is truly about. The better-known dealers will buy and sell more custom knives in a year than most collectors will own in their lifetimes.

This should not be a revelation to anyone. If it were your profession or obsession to buy and sell handmade knives daily, developing a sense of “who’s who” in the market would be inevitable.

Generally, the custom knife dealers who are known as experts in certain knife styles have gained this reputation due in no small measure to longevity. Most of the nationally recognized dealers have been around for more than 10 years.

They Can See What’s Coming Before It’s Popular Elsewhere

The interesting thing about this expertise is that, for many of the dealers, it follows the trends. As with makers, many of the custom knife dealers are extremely versatile. Because of their unique perspectives of the entire knife market, some can move from specialty to specialty while still maintaining their reputation or even further developing their position in several areas.

Custom Knife Dealers Spread Knowledge

A custom knife dealer’s expertise is often sought out for a myriad of reasons. Magazines, such as BLADE, will solicit their expertise when researching stories on individual makers, trends or market sectors. In some cases, purveyors are commissioned to contribute or write articles based on their areas of expertise.

Expertise is further sought for seminars at knife shows like BLADE Show and BLADE Show West. Because of the spectrum of handmade knives submitted for judging at various shows across the country, a dealer is often called on to judge the pieces in these competitions.

They Increase the Return on Your Investment, Because They are Also Invested

For the more serious custom knifemaker and collector, custom knife dealers’ unique insights into the market are invaluable. Custom knife dealers can provide guidance with regards to pricing, position and potential return on investment.

I have given these words of advice to thousands of custom knifemakers and buyers: “Do your homework!”

What are the characteristics of a camp knife?

• Design suitable to clearing vegetation, preparing meals and handling general camp chores
• Fixed blade
• Blade length: 6 to 10 inches
• Full tang
• Guard
• Jimping
• Pommel

Camp knife: the name conjures images of unlimited locations and scenarios. Most would agree that a camp knife would be some type of fixed blade suitable for odd jobs while camping and meal preparation. Here are some specifics to round out that general definition.

Blade Length

Camp knives can start at a 5-inch blade but usually range between 6 to 10 inches. How much blade length you need often will depend on your campsite. If in an established hunting or fishing camp, a 6-to-8- inch blade probably will be all you need.

Longer blades would be necessary if you were making a campsite that was a short-term proposition. Areas may need to be cleared of thin vegetation for sleep areas or your tent. You may need to widen the trail or even break trail to get to your preferred hunting or fishing location.

Tang Size

The tang’s size often is used to off set the blade’s size, giving the knife better balance. Construction should feature a full tang—that is, the tang goes all the way to the end of the handle. Tangs can be hidden or exposed.

Guards

While there are many camp knives without guards, I prefer one with a guard, and I like it to be of stainless steel. Whether it’s a single or double guard depends on the knife and its intended purpose. Most camp knives should have at least a single guard.

Jimping

Thumb serrations (jimping) on top and in front of the guard should be considered as they give you better knife control.

Pommel

Some prefer some type of pommel on the end of the handle for hammering. While in the Army I found using an “infantry hammer”—a rock—allows you to hit harder and what you aim at. It also accomplishes the task quicker and eliminates the potential for knife damage.

Handles

Handles are often overlooked on knives. If you have ever used a knife for an extended period of time and the handle was too thin or too wet environment, I recommend a material to allow your hand to mesh with the handle.

Natural materials are often used for handles. With its hills and valleys, stag is an excellent choice. The problem with natural materials is they can shrink and/or crack over time, giving your knife an uneven grip, limiting its utility.

Synthetic materials such as rubber, G-10 or Micarta® can be excellent choices. Rubber will deteriorate over time unless properly maintained. This is especially true in a saltwater environment. When choosing a synthetic handle material, it is best to pick one with some kind of grip to it. Rag Micarta can be an excellent choice.

Incorporating some kind of stippling of the Micarta or G-10 enhances grip. One last thing: Give some thought to using orange G-10. If you drop your knife in the woods, the color gives you a fighting chance to actually find it.

The short answer: bird and trout knives.

Small game can be even more challenging to dress out than large game. Consequently, makers build what are called bird and trout knives, which generally feature thin, slender blades 3 to 3.5 inches long. You can find such knives with both drop-point and skinner-style blades.

The blade is primarily designed for the tasks of dressing out birds and fish, hence the name. Birds are generally dressed out to harvest the breast meat. Fish are dressed to get the fillets. (Most hunters and fishermen discard the remainder of the bird and fish.)

While a fillet knife may be the better choice for dressing out fish, you then must carry two knives.

The other choice is a folder with a 2.5-to-3-inch blade. Some feature a blade and a gut hook. As this implies, the idea is to insert the hook into the bird or other small game to pull out the intestines and the rest of the intestinal tract.

Generally, the ideal bird-and-trout folder has either a 2.75-inch drop-point blade or is a multi-blade with 2.25- or 2.75-inch blades featuring a combination of a skinner and a drop point.

While most don’t think of a folding knife when it comes to dressing out game, there is a place for such a knife in your hunting gear.