I'm new to the forum but have been lurking for awhile. This seems like a great place to ask about a custom knife maker I recently met.

I attended a seminar run by Andrew Jordan and was impressed by him and his knives. The question I have is I have no experience with custom knives and don't really know what I'm looking for. I know high end production knives (Benchmade Emerson MOD etc).

Any way has anyone had any expierence or used an Andrew Jordan custom knife?

this is his link http://www.jordanknives.com/index00.htm


Thanks

Hi Steve
First of all I never owned or used a Knife of A.J or another knifemaker of his caliber. His Work Is hard to compare with MOD
or any maker of Tactical Knifes, because he Plays in another League. The word "Custom" says it all, every Knife is made by him and a unique piece. It´s let´s say a piece of Art, and most of his Knifes won´t see regular use even if they are fully . They are to expensive and precious to use. His minimum price Is 350$ Going up to 3500$. If you want something unique buy one, if you want something for every day use, a cheaper Production Knive would do the job nearly as good as a knive from AJ.
Yours Stephan.

I don't use or have any of his knives either.
I do carry a couple similar caliber "custom" case-side lock folding knives made from hand forged pattern welded materials (some of which I watched being made in person next to the maker for two or three day time sessions.) They can be satisfying to carry "every day", which I do. They are often my starting point for discussion in explaining my fascination with historic migration era pattern welded swords. I have also given my favorite one as a gift to a good friend. Although most of us can not carry a similar price point sword to work, shopping, etc. and explain the historical methods and fascinating aspects of construction to others on a moments notice, you may be able to do so to a greater degree with a small fixed blade or folder of this style.

Some of the better patterns (cable, ladder, random) and executed blades have superior cutting efficiency when "slicing", which is pretty amazing once you try it side by side with homogeneous steel knives, spending a good hour trying different sharpening angles, and test cutting against semi-tough materials like 14 weight armour sole leather bends. This is not the same thing as shaving hair off your arm (generic sharpness), it is about efficiency of effort in slicing. I would rather cut the shipping strap, box, leather, etc. than my fingers. If you are looking for a beautiful artistic creation and utilitarian cutting implement all in one, you might inquire in more depth about his material selection, heat treat, checks for Rockwell hardness and flex, and even try some comparative test cutting with his work versus your favorite "Mod" model. It is very subjective, but I have found that most children can recognize it almost instantly in comparative cutting of a thick piece of leather. If you would part with $300 to $500 for a reproduction sword that has to spend most of its time left at home, what about a gorgeous heirloom knife with a historic basis in construction that you can carry with you most of the time, every day?

Just a thought.

Jared