Do makers use their own knives?

Rusty McDonald

Rusty McDonald

KNIFE MAKER
For the first time I have actual used one of my knives as an EDC. I have been making them for a while but and have carried one every now and again but not as an every day user. I started making Slipjoints and would make one for my self and a day or a week later would sell it out of my pocket. So I would make another one. I have had one in my pocket for a while now and this is the first one I really got to use. Just wondering how many of you use your knives.
 
for some reason when I started in this craft , I decided never to keep any of my own work . If it does not sell I then give it to a friend or club . My wife kept one though . I designed one once that I really liked and had another maker make it for me .
 
Heck yeah, I use my own knives! I use my fixed blades for skinning deer and turkeys and cleaning fish and carry two slipjoints for every day use. I use a paring knife and bread knife every day for fixing my breakfast and a small fixed blade is used every day at my work bench for cutting anything and everything. I feel like I must use my knives in order to test them, I also give knives away to friends who act as field testers and ask my customers for feedback whenever I get the chance.
 
I consider myself a maker, because I have made 8 knives. I do use my own knives, and it's always fun telling people I make knives, and then show one from my pocket. Even though they don't look the best, people are still impressed by my work and knowledge about them.
 
The reason I started making knives was to make my own. If I wont use them why would anyone else. I feel my knives are better then store bought anyway excluding any custom makers. Of course thats my opinion and probably not anybody elses.:D

Now on the other hand I can see carrying another custom or handmade knife from a fellow maker If thats what your really talking about. I would love to carry every knife I see posted on Knifedogs.
 
I've kept a few that I felt were not acceptable to sell or that were new designs that I wanted to test. I have used the hell out of them without any problems. I think you need to keep one every once in a while to see if you are turning out good products or if you just really really like one that you make. Sometimes it's hard to make something for yourself when you are backed up in orders though.
-John
 
Got one of mine on my belt everyday. First, I like the size (that's why I designed it :)) Second, it's a great way to introduce your work to others.

BC
 
I use my own knives. When at home working in the shop or around the farm I carry a small drop point edc that I made, in the horizontal carry, and while hunting I carry one of my Pro Skinners. I even carry the edc to work somedays.
 
You would think that is a strange question, but I have seen some that don't carry thier own.Reminds of a time at the Guild show many years ago, standing out front having a smoke with a few other makers and this maker came out to pickup a Fed-ex box but had to borrow my knife to open it.Dave:)
 
I use my own knives with the exception of a small pocket knife(108 OT). If my shaky hands and weak eyes were better, I would carry my own pocket knife. I have a small EDC I use every day, a hunter for camping chores,and all of my kitchen knives were made by me.
Not being able to buy/afford quality knives is what got me started in this madness. When I started, I had no idea anyone would ever want to buy any of my knives. My first sale was a total surprise.
 
If I can't carry one of my fixed, I used to carry one of my own folders. Lately, though I've fallen in love with auto's and haven't made any yet so now I carry mostly Protechs.
 
Only my own. Started making to supply my knife lust, haven't stopped yet. It's just that now, I can only keep one at a time.
 
I think that if your making knives for sale, it very important to carry your own knives. I've been at this a long time, and still find myself disgusted when I'm at a knife show and I hear a knifemaker say... "This is the best (fill in the blank) knife there is!" When I know full well that the individual doesn't even participate in the activity that the knife would be used for. The importance comes because carrying and using one of your own is basically the "test bed", where you take a knife from proto-type, making improvements along the way, until you have a completed product.

Another thing that I have noticed over the years is that customers seem to have more confidence in your knives if they see you carrying and using them...and although I've never kept count, I have sold a large number of knives right off my belt, or out of my pocket.

I don't have a lot of what one would consider "standard models" but those that I do, got there after I carried them around for several months, using and improving them before I ever offered them for sale.

What do I carry? Daily I carry and EBK II on my belt, and one of my Progression I folders. Every year for hunting season I build myself a new knife, always trying something new and/or different for what I carried the season before.
 
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I always have one by my side if I'm out fishing, hiking, etc. Don't really hunt anymore other than at SafeWay ;)

If I was currently making more lock-backs I'd probably carry one all the time... like ALWAYS.

I definitely use them in the shop and kitchen... A LOT in the kitchen! cool 1
 
I use my large fixed ones. I carry a large one in the boat when I go after gator here in La,.. and I use some around the property in Natchez to get snakes to go away peacefully ,lol
And I test them to either failure or uselessness before I make another one like it for anyone, If you say "wilderness" or "survival" or whatever- it should stand up to whatever you can think of before you let one go.
Ive made a few automatics, but my large folders Ive only made the protos of each one so I need to make more before I destroy the first ones,lol.
 
This one has been well used, one time it was left sticking in a fence post for a couple months before I found it.
100_0623.jpg
 
hunters

three of my forged hunting knives, used the hell out of them
 

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Rusty I checked your website out , thats some nice work you do . And I must hang my head in shame , every knife that I make for me I ALWAYS say im not selling it , and when they show the money well yall get the picture .
 
I love using a knife I made myself and I'd never sell one that I wouldn't carry and use myself.

Good looking knife, Art!
 
shoot! it ain't complicated for me....i use the ones that i absolutely wouldn't sell, give or show to a soul! the complete screwups. for instance, i keep one by the wood pellet stove to cut open the bags of biomass....beautiful Model I (LOW serial number) in cocobola.....cracked to pieces from pin to end. yeah, i could re-handle, but......it's a heckuva blade! : )
 
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