Before we go too far overboard, I want to emphasis that the MAJORITY of custom knife buyers are fabulous people. Most know and understand that a knife is a cutting tool, and use it for it's intended purpose. What we are talking about here is a very small percentage of the overall buyers of custom knives, that generally fall into two categories... 1. Those who don't know any better. 2. Those who simply don't care. Those in the first group need only be educated. Those in the second group are the ones that any knifemaker should be concerned about, and in my opinion avoid.
I had to smile when I read
I'm beginning to see why many custom makers build collectibles...
. That's not a safety net either..... a number of years ago, there was a "trust fund baby" who started ordering/buying high end customs from some of the top makers.... one Ivory/Mosaic bowies was returned to the maker with a broken tip.....from the individual using it as a "throwing knife". Another was returned to the maker because the individual used a "rock" grinding wheel in an attempt to "clean off" the damascus pattern. And I personally had an Mosaic/Ivory "Fighter" returned from the individual with a chewed up blade, where he had tried to "install" serrations with a chainsaw file!. In all cases, the individual demanded refunds.
I can't speak for how things turned out for the other makers, but in my case, I first offered to repair it as best I could. When he rejected that, I offered a refund, minus the cost of materials. When he rejected that, I packaged up the knife "as is", and shipped it back to him, with a written statement of what I had offered, along with his rejections, and a printed copy of my warranty, with the section about alterations/modifications highlighted, not being covered under warranty. About a month later this same individual called me, TELLING ME (not asking or requesting) that I was going to build him a 10" Mosaic Damascus Bowie, and that he was going to deliver me a 1946 Willys jeep as payment. All I could think was "This guy is off his rocker!" Thank goodness that these types are a very small percentage.....but it's the reason I warn others when those "red flag" things come up...... this is the kind of stuff you simply can't make up!
The moral of the story is... The majority of knife buyers are fantastic people...... but for those who are not..... DO NOT let your desire to sell a knife override your common sense. If alarms go off in your head, or something points to a "red flag".. heed the warning! Otherwise it could become a case of endless grief that you create for yourself.