MT production autos...

[Mr.LaBella]

why is it people think that production autos are inferior to custom MTs?

obviously Lord Tone Tone did something to them...

but arent the production ones enough to get your juices boiling?

[bart-1]

I'm very interested in your opinions on this, however, if the best reply you can must! er is gibberish again, please don't waste your time. :viking: :gramps: :clydetz: :sailor:

[Kal El]

Well, the production versions are usually great to me. Especially since I can't really afford the custom jobbies too much, with the 'ol divorce debt hangin over. Can't wait to check out the new production Halo's and Tanto Scarab myself.

[Honch0]

why is it people think that production autos are inferior to custom MTs?

obviously Lord Tone Tone did something to them...

but arent the production ones enough to get your juices boiling?

Being a Dalton collector with only a smattering of production MTs, perhaps someone can point out the significant differences between the production and custom models.

From the pics I have seen, the differences appear to be cosmetic, i.e. mother of pearl handle inserts, polished blades, stainless steel frames etc. Unless the manufacturing process involves something else, the knives are essentially the same as production models from what I can discern in a pic.

Dalton has started to do customs as well and appears to be taking the same path. Please don't take this as a criticism. This is only my observation.

As to getting the "juices boiling" yea, a MT DA OTF gets me going pretty good. If Dalton ever makes one I'll really get goin...

[SuperD]

From the pics I have seen, the differences appear to be cosmetic, i.e. mother of pearl handle inserts, polished blades, stainless steel frames etc. Unless the manufacturing process involves something else, the knives are essentially the same as production models from what I can discern in a pic.



Not that I am an expert, but this seems to hit the nail on the head, so to speak. I think the 'production' knives are every bit as good fuctionally as their custom equivalent, just not as purdy.

[Hawaiian]

I think there actually may be three types.
1. Standard production run. Milled out, put together by guys who work in the shop doing assembly. Still one of the best production knives available.
2. Dressed up. A little more care is given to fit, finish and assembly.
3. Tony's knives. These are hand ground and hand finished. Put together by someone who knows what they are doing and tweaked to be just right. These are exceptional in fit and finish. At least the ones I have handled are.
Just my 2 cents.

[Komodo]

I agree with Hawaiian, there are at least three different "levels" of MT's.
IMO, the "fourth" level would have to be pre-2000 standard production run knives. These were the knives I first fell in love with. VERY high quality control, the knives that made it out of the shop worked with no problems for the most part. Fit and finish was the BEST you could find from ANY manufacturer. As MT grew, their QC fell by the wayside. They still make a GOOD production knife, but they could make a GREAT one, if they paid a little more attention to them. For that reason, the new production runs don't get my "juices boiling", but they do get them "running"! I would much rather buy a "Tonyfied" version for a few dollars more, where the knife is perfect than save a few bucks and have to send the standard version back to the shop for repairs.

[JackBlades]

"the "fourth" level would have to be pre-2000 standard production run knives. These were the knives I first fell in love with. VERY high quality control, the knives that made it out of the shop worked with no problems for the most part. Fit and finish was the BEST you could find from ANY manufacturer."

Yessir. My first MTs were a '98 L-UDT and 2 '98 Socom D/As, Tanto & clip. flawless knives, polished edges. perfect in every way. I went from there to the Brend collab's.........sweet as sweet can get. The LCC was cool when it came out, but the qual probs started showing up then. The UDT2000 and the L-UDT 2001 were prime examples of mass production taking over the previous image of hand-fitted quality.

Oh, well.....I remember when Benchmade, err...Pacific Cutlery was in North Hollywood cranking out some very fine butterfly knives. Hell, I remember when Emerson actually gave a damn about the knives he sold and the folks who bought them!

[Mr.LaBella]

I will add this, I dont necessarily want to bash MT because hey...its his company...but do you really think hes got a "clue" what the consumer wants?


or even how to run a business!?

I wish tone tone would jump on a forum or any other medium to ask/chat with people about what they would like to see/ be interested in.

i am sure this has been mulled over time and time again...

somebody ought to get the little guy in a headlock til he screams UNCLE!!!!

[wes]

I wish tone tone would jump on a forum or any other medium to ask/chat with people about what they would like to see/ be interested in.

i am sure this has been mulled over time and time again...



I think this is an excellent point, perhaps even worthy of another thread.

Are the most interesting / innovative knife makers members of the forums? Mike Stewart seems to be very active, to say the least, and produces a product that all agree is excellent. Sal Glesser is also very active and produces an excellent product. He incorporates and modifies based on what he reads. I know there are others as well.

With the knife market as small as it is, can a maker really afford not to do his/her research on the forums?

[Hawaiian]

MT does watch the forums. And while it is not Tony, a few of the MT staff have recently posted on Microholics. Many questions were answered. When they get attacked, they tend to lurk rather that post. Can you blame them?

[Mr.LaBella]

maybe I will have to do some more "inviting" to a friendlier bunch of hoople heads!

feel free to send them a link Hawaiian!

[Mr.LaBella]

bump for new ideas?!

[Hawaiian]

It seems that MT's new Ideas are in the D/A OTF area. Been awhile since we have seen a new side opener. Handled the Troodon proto at the Eugene show last weekend. It is a winner IMHO. Glad I ordered one. However, I also learned that the stainless handle run will cost 2k. I will be happy with the alum one. Fifteen hundred bucks extra for stainless handles?

[Mr.LaBella]

Hawaiian,

you were correct. I handled my second Troodon...my new D/E Titankote and the one Dylan won in our raffle of one!


awesome, truly awesome! Good work on motivating him bart-1.

kudos to all involved~>

Troodon= a winner:jdwink2:

[Dtex]

Are the most interesting / innovative knife makers members of the forums?
That'a be a Hardy High, Ho Hell Yea!!

I'm not trying to swap no spit here with anyone but,
I know that it is not an automatic, but IMHO, Josh Graham makes the the most unique knife I've ever seen. I got a Razel about 2 weeks ago, and haven't taken a MT out of the drawer to use since.The design is so practical, and functional, that I can't imagine why someone hasn't made one till now. I see on different forums that people use there knives to cut cardboard boxes, rope, open envelopes, clean there fingernails. I use mine to strip 750 mcm copper wire, CUT steel banding, hit it with a hammer to cut off screws, and nails sticking out of wire reels, use it as a screwdriver, everything!! It still looks brand new without a scratch, or chip. I'm not taking away from any other knife maker, but if I had to choose from the 15-20 MT's I have, or my Razel to be the last knife I ever use, or own, I'd only have 1 knife on my belt.

[bart-1]

I love the production stuff! I love the customs also! :kingkaxt:

[No.9]

While the cu$tom$ are surely works of art I buy knives to use them. Don't think I could bring myself to beat the hell out of one. Production models on the other hand....:chaos:

[xrayzebra]

Dtex: Very funny... were you reading my mind? I haven't carried any of my MTs since I bought my Razel either. I added on of Josh's little recurve pocket knives, too, and today was the first time in over a month I have had anything but a Graham knife on me. For some reason, I snatched up an old first production Benchmade 942 this morning, for a change.

But, not to divert the thread... I have never owned a custom MT. I have just always thought they cost too much for what they are, when the production knives are already so cool. I have been mostly carrying MT production knives for about 5 years now, and mostly otfs.

I customized my own for a while, when I wanted some fancy dressed knives, but the plain jane produciton knives have plenty of sex appeal - no customs needed for me.