How important is it that the blade of a fixed-blade custom knife be as straight as possible as it projects out from the handle/guard? In other words, if the blade is somewhat crooked coming out of the handle/guard, does this necessarily mean the custom knife is substandard? I was told by a person who is very well known in the industry that if a blade is somewhat crooked coming out of the handle/guard of a custom knife, if the blade still cuts and penetrates proficiently and the knife is otherwise well made, that it does not matter. Is he right or is a custom knife with a blade that is somewhat crooked a sign of poor heat treatment or some other flaw? And exactly how straight does the blade have to be? Completely straight, 98 percent straight or how straight, exactly? And how can I, as a buyer, know for sure? Is it polite to sight the knife from the butt of the handle down the blade to the tip in the presence of the maker at a show, or is this considered rude? Or is it something that the maker should accept as part of selling his knives to the public? (name and address withheld by request)

When I first read this question I had not yet had my morning cup of coffee. I was still in my morning daze when I came to the “it does not matter” part. That woke me right up. I read this e-mail over a few of times because I could not believe any well-known person in the world of custom knives would make such a statement. 

I am not sure if the person who made the comment was a knifemaker or a dealer, but certainly the potential buyer was not a happy camper after hearing that statement or he would not have e-mailed me this question. I am glad he did. 

While I have no clue what type of knife it was, I can confidently say that the fundamental and basic requirements of any well-made custom fixed-blade knife is to be strong, hold an edge, be well balanced and be straight, to name a few. With the exception of some specialty knives such as wood carvers that are designed with a curved blade, all knives should have the blade and handle straight to each other.   

From what the questioner describes, the knife was assembled with the blade at an angle to the guard. If this is the case and the blade was coming out of the guard or handle crooked, it is due to poor fitting. This is the result of the blade and guard not being fitted at 90 degrees to each other. This can easily happen when fitting or soldering the guard in place. In the December 2005 BLADE® I wrote the story, “How to Make the Handle Straight with the Blade.” I tried to give a few tips for avoiding this problem.  

In the questioner’s case, I do not think the problem was due to warpage during heat treating. A blade that is not straight can occur for various reasons. When it does the problem can be easily corrected, unless the maker has a “does-not-matter” attitude.
However, people who use a knife for their everyday living may have a different point of view as far as using a knife that is crooked. I don’t think that any chef would feel comfortable with that type of knife when he has to chop vegetables. A chef works fast and very close to his fingers. If the knife is not straight, there is a good chance for an unwanted manicure. The same applies for a butcher or meat processor.  

Hunters need to have 100 percent control of their knives while they field dress a harvested animal. To have an accident in the middle of nowhere would not be a good thing.

Not to mention how important the balance is on a combat knife—if the blade is crooked, the knife will be hard to balance and hard to manipulate. Hopefully, no one, military or civilian, finds himself or herself in a predicament where hand-to-hand combat and split seconds make the difference in a life-or-death situation.

A crooked knife may have a blade that cuts well, but to say it is a well-made knife—I don’t think so. If the knife were well made, then it would not be crooked. This is not a cosmetic flaw such as a little scratch, it is a functional flaw.

How straight does the blade have to be? Let me put it this way: If you cannot see the crookedness with the naked eye and you need to use some type of gadget or straight edge to see it, then in my opinion the knife is quite acceptable.

Sight the knife looking not only down from the butt to the tip, but also from the tip to the butt.

As a buyer, if you are not sure of something, you should not hesitate to ask. It is not a matter of being rude or impolite. The potential buyer has all the right to check the merchandise very carefully and ask many questions of the maker or dealer. You should be sure you are making the right decision before the purchase.

Knowledgeable customers are good for business. In my opinion, all makers should welcome the critical eyes of the potential buyer or collector. A well-known knifemaker obviously put many years into his work and building his or her reputation. It is hard to believe that an experienced maker would sell a knife without seeing such a flaw.

Knifemakers all need to maintain their high standards and reputations. People spend their hard-earned money with the makers, so the makers need to keep in mind that their customers may need to depend on one of their knives.

If our ancestors had not tried for perfection we would not be where we are today. Let’s face it, the first precision tools and machines were made by hand. Today, everything is available to us to make a better knife, so those who say it does not matter are definitely wrong. The majority of makers, collectors and users are always looking for handmade quality. May they never stop.

Send your questions for Wayne Goddard or Joe Szilaski to BLADE®, POB 789, Ooltewah, TN 37363-0789 BladeEditor@fwpubs.com. Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with your full name and address for a personal response from Wayne, or e-mail him at wgoddard44@comcast.net. If you would rather contact Joe by e-mail, his e-mail address is joe@szilaski.com. If you wish, BLADE will not print your name with your question.