Jay Fisher - Fine Custom Knives

Custom Handmade Knives

This page is only for custom knife purchases. If you're interested in finished knives that I have currently available in my inventory, please click here for purchase details on finished and available knives.

If you're at this page then you've probably decided generalities or specifics on the fine knife you want. I've included information on this page to make the transaction clear and consise.

Over half my work is custom: made just as the knife client wants. Please remember that I only take a limited amount of custom orders every year, as demand is high, and I don't want to make my clients wait an inordinately long time.

What's the most important thing a client can do?

The most important thing is to keep me informed of address, telephone number, or email changes!

If you are an existing client waiting on a knife and have changed your address, telephone number, email or other contact information, you must let me know! Otherwise, when I've completed your project and I can't reach you, I'll have to sell your project to the public! Please, please, keep me updated!

How does this work?

$200 deposit, balance due on completion

• Usually through email, we discuss the type of knife and features and accessories you want.
• When you have decided, I give you a quote on the project with details and timline.
• If you agree to the quote, you pay a non-refundable $200.00 deposit per knife.
• I put your project in my lineup, and you wait. I work up the design, and start building your knife or knives.
• You wait.
• Okay, I have a long order list, so you patiently wait some more. Thanks!
• You keep tabs on your knife progress on my "Jay, where's my knife?" page on this website.
• Why is this taking so long? See a special page here for the reasons.
• I email you when your knife is finished, and you pay the balance and shipping.
• I send you your beautiful custom handmade knife or knives!

For more related details, please look at my Knife Sales Policy page here.

What about custom knife designs?

• A non-refundable $200.00 deposit per knife is required to start work on your knife. The deposit goes toward the cost of your project. This design fee is also your standard non-refundable deposit.
• You may choose from over 500 knife designs and patterns here, and you can mix and match handles and blades and specify sizes.
• You may submit your own ideas or design, and have me work with you to make the design workable and acceptable to both of us.
• If you have a very large or elaborate project, I may require a non-refundable deposit of up to half of the total cost of the project in advance. The deposit goes toward the cost of your finished project.

My money: how much and when?

Simply put, on most custom knives, I require a non-refundable $200.00 deposit per knife. After we have agreed on the knife I am to make for you, the deposit is used to purchase blade steel, handle material, and some of the expendables that will be used to build your knife. It also compensates me slightly for the initial investment of time to start your project.

For new custom knife designs, the non-refundable $200.00 design fee is required to pay for all my work on a new design for you. The design fee goes toward the cost of your knife. Read the details about the design fee here.

The only thing I ask is that when your knife is finished, please be ready to pay the balance so I can ship it to you right away. I realize that some people like to pay for a knife over time or with installments, but with so many knife orders in production, this would translate into an accounting nightmare for me. The easiest and most proven method I've used for over 30 years is the low deposit, and balance due on completion process. The waiting period also gives you, my client, the time to save up for the balance.

For more related details, please look at my Knife Sales Policy page here.

What if I want to pay more, sooner?

I get asked this question frequently, and I do not accept early payments on most custom knife orders. Large, elaborate projects that require a substantial investment in materials and supplies are an exception. The reasons I don't accept early payments are:

• The unthinkable: If something were to happen to me, I would not want to leave my family with a huge accounting nightmare to settle, as well as substantial debt to return.
• I like to keep my accounting simple. I don't want to have to use complicated spreadsheets and record keeping to account daily for every cent of a client's money. I don't have enough time to make knives, much less run numbers and keep complicated accounting records.
• Here in the US, we are taxed on income we make. Accepting large payments early requires me being taxed on money that I haven't made yet! This is not a wise business practice.
• The low deposit and balance due on completion allows clients to plan for, save, and set aside their final payment.
• Paying early is sometimes seen as a method to move a project up in the queue faster. That's not fair to those who've been waiting.
• If I am asked to hold a client's money or property, just as with holding a finished knife or materials and supplies owned by the client, I am now responsible for securing, protecting, and insuring his property against theft, fire, flood, or any of the unthinkable disasters both manmade and acts of God, including identity theft. In essence, if I am holding a client's money, I am doing the same job as a bank that is insured by the federal government. But there is no federally insured policy for knifemakers that will cover this, so it puts all of the risk on me, an individual knife maker. I am not a bank.
• There are more reasons, here's a link on my Business of Knifemaking page. Thanks for understanding.

This method of custom knife order and purchase has worked very well for me and for my clients for over 30 years. Testimonials here.

What payment methods do you accept?
Domestic Orders, here in the USA

 Not all methods can be used to pay for all types of purchases from every location. I reserve the right to choose what type of payment I accept. Thanks for understanding.

In order of the most frequently used payment methods:

1. Zelle: Since about 2019, this has been the fastest, easiest, and most frequently used method of paying the deposit and the balance of a knife custom order. It's free and private and safe.
2. Wires (or Wire Transfers): I accept both domestic and international bank to bank wires (also called wire transfers). Domestic wires are usually verified in 24 hours, international wires take 3-5 business days. Contact me for routing numbers and account details. You'll incur an additional small fee for this service; that is what the bank charges for initiating the transfer. This is the very fastest, secure way to pay for an order, and in some cases, knives can be shipped the same day!
   Direct Bank Transfer Wells Fargo and USAA: If you have an account with Wells Fargo or USAA, you can directly transfer the payment right into my account. This may be the fastest, easiest way to pay for your knife. Daily limits may apply Contact me for account and routing number information.
3. Personal check: I accept personal checks, but my bank may take a few days for the check to clear. The completed knife is shipped the same day the check is cleared.
4. Cashier's check: You need to send it USPS FedEx, or UPS, signature confirmation for security purposes. Your completed knife order is shipped the same day the cashier's check is received.
5. Money order: Upon completion, your knife order is shipped the same day that your money order clears my bank, which may take a few days.
6. Cash: Yes, I do accept United States currency. You need to send it USPS FedEx, or UPS, signature confirmation for security purposes. Your completed knife order is shipped the same day the payment is received.
7. Western Union Transfers: This is a good way to directly wire money. A fee is charged by Western Union. Click here to find a location, worldwide. Western Union can also be used to wire money directly into my account, please email me for routing information.
8. MasterCard or Visa:
   Beginning in March of 2017, I stopped accepting credit cards for payments. The reason for this is because for over two years, not one client had used a credit card to pay for their purchase! It made no sense for me to pay for a merchant account when none of my clients were using it. Clearly, direct wire transfer and checks are my client's preferred way of paying for their purchases, and they may well be using a credit card online through their bank to complete a wire transfer. I believe that in the future, wire transfer will be the main way that money and payments are made.
9. Payments or Layaways: I don't accept time payments (or layaway) for knives. I expect clients to have the balance due before the knife is delivered. The client can make arrangements with their credit card company, bank, credit union, or lending institution to pay the balance completely. 

What about orders outside the United States?
International Orders

Not all methods can be used to pay for all types of purchases from every location. I reserve the right to choose what type of payment I can accept. Thanks for understanding.

I accept these international methods of payment:

• International wire transfers: Bank to bank transfers: contact me for routing numbers. You will incur a fee for this service, which varies from bank to bank. Make the transfers in US Dollars at the time of the transfer. In my experience, this has proven to be the fastest, surest way to pay for a knife project.
• Western Union Wires: Contact me for my location details or look up the nearest location at Western Union's website here. You will incur a modest fee for this transaction, it is a good way to pay for your knife. Make the wires in US Dollars. Western Union can also be used to wire money directly into my account, please email me for routing information.
• Credit cards: Due to international limitations, I cannot accept payments by credit card.
• Money orders: I cannot accept money orders that originate outside the United States of America.
• Shipping charges and methods: I ship FedEx to all locations. Shipping by FedEx is tracked and delivery is guaranteed. Read about my shipping on a special page here.

Important: the client is responsible for paying his own country's taxes, duties, and fees. These vary by country. Also important is to know if your country restricts or controls imports of knives, as I can not ship knives or all types of knives to every country.

What happens if I can't pay for my knife order?

You'll see this sign in just about every business, and my business is no different. When the knife is completed, payment is due. If it's a custom order, it's likely that my client has had years to prepare for the payment, and my client can check up on the progress of his project at any time on the "Where's My Knife, Jay?" page at the queue.

When I inform the client that his custom knife or project is complete, the client has 10 business days to pay the balance, or the knife is offered to the public or other interested buyers.

• I do not accept installments or layaways. If a client has paid the deposit I expect them to have the balance due when the knife is finished. The client can make arrangements with their credit card company, or bank, credit union, or lending institution to pay the balance completely. I can't offer the same services as a lending institution. The knife is shipped as soon as it's paid for.
• If a client has decided they don't want or can't pay for the knife, then they forfeit their deposit, and I'll put the knife up for sale on my website. I will probably put it up for sale on the site for more than originally contracted for, as the knives typically appreciate in value while in the queue.
• I understand that things happen, and I also have to protect my work and investment of time and materials. I complete my responsibility of the project and sale, and I expect the client to do the same. It's that simple, and it's worked great for over 30 years.

For more related details, please look at my Knife Sales Policy page here.

What if the client wants to postpone the order?

The only thing I ask is that when the knife or project is completed, that the client be ready to pay for it. Unfortunately, things happen, the economy is tough, or there is a problem and the client still wants the knife, but can't get pay for the balance... yet.

There is no other company that will take a custom order and then hold onto the product indefinitely to wait for the client to complete the purchase. It's not reasonable to ask that of a knife maker, either.

Once in a while, but thankfully, not often, I get asked to postpone an order, or hold on to it because the client does not have the money to complete the purchase due to special or unforeseen circumstances. Though I understand that bad things happen, I've done my best to complete the knife order, and spent a great deal of money and time to complete the knife, holding up my end of the contract based on a very low down payment. If the person who ordered it can not pay for it, I still need to recover my investment.

Imagine, doing the work and a boss saying you'll have to wait to get paid, perhaps indefinitely. Ouch!

I reserve the right to accept or refuse the postponement of any custom knife order and also the balance due of the knife order payment. If a postponement is accepted, it can not exceed one calendar year from the time of the original order, or the order must be re-quoted.

This protects me from creating knives that are quoted at prices that are many years old, since the actual knife creation is made in the current year. For instance, asking a maker to postpone for an inordinately long time is like asking an automobile manufacturer to sell you this year's model car at prices that are 3-5 years old. That is unreasonable. If the quote is not agreed upon, the deposit is forfeited or applied to another project at my discretion.

Sometimes, if a knife is still in the very early stages of creation, it may be possible to reset it to the recent time of the queue as little effort has been spent yet on the job. But this only works for knives that are early in production, and the choice to reset the project in the queue is at my discretion and on an individual basis. Like my clients, I work for a living, and have to get paid for my effort, and I may need to sell the knife to the public to pay my bills and support my family.

Spreading out multiple knives over years

Occasionally, I have clients that wish to spread out their order of multiple knives. For instance, a chef may want to order a knife every two years until he has his toolkit filled, but wants to know in advance what all of them will cost. It is not reasonable to quote for a large group of knives and then have to work with that quote 5, 8, or 10 years later. Inevitably, everything goes up in expenses and costs of a knife, accessories, and even electricity that runs the shop. It is unreasonable to be locked into a quote that is many years old. That's like buying a current year model car, and 5 year-old car prices, and it's just not fair. Multiple knives that are not to be made at the same time must be individually quoted.

Thanks for understanding.

What about this long waiting period?

My waiting period is shorter than some makers, and longer than others. Please click here for a detailed description of why. It also depends on your knife. There is a large demand for my custom work, so a waiting period is expected. I know of makers who may put you on a seven to ten year wait! Orders can get hectic, so, you may have to wait a bit. It will be worth it, I guarantee it. Read more about waiting and see who you'd be waiting with and why on my "Where's my knife, Jay?" page here.

What if a client can't wait? Sometimes a deployment is the reason for this, and the best I can offer is to have a knife client look over the Works in Production list, and keep an eye on my Tactical Knives for Sale page, as for each custom order I make one knife that I offer to the public. They may not last long on the "for sale" pages, so it may help to keep an eye on those pages weekly.

What if a client wants to add to, upgrade, or change the order?

During the course of a project's construction, or during the wait in the queue, a client might wish to add to, upgrade, or change an order. I reserve the right to accept or deny any changes in any order, and that includes additions to a project.

There are reasons I have to do this:

• Artistic preferences: If a project is underway, near completion, or complete, it has been created around an underlying artistic concept, which I have carefully considered. Adding to that concept may overwhelm the piece, adding more to it, confusing the idea, and, in essence, gilding the lily. Gilding the lily means over-decorating, over-embellishing, and overworking a piece of art that is already beautiful enough. Sometimes, doing so will simply destroy its beauty as the simple becomes the complicated. You can understand this when you see knives in display cabinets in big cities, that are essentially plain, simple, or even factory knives with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and complex gold inlay and engraving covering them over. There are jewelry stores and outlets that request this type of gaudy crust and at some point, it just becomes tasteless; like plaster cherubs painted with gold spray paint. As an artist, I reserve the right to say when enough is, indeed, enough.
• Time constraints: If you have commissioned a project from me, please understand that I have many, perhaps a hundred or more projects in the works. These are allocated time and schedule, and adding to an existing project sets everyone else's projects back. Considering that emergencies, equipment failures, injury, and mistakes happen in any artist's studio, the projects can be easily set back further. All of this time comes from other client's projects, and they wait while additional or different work is being done. Please remember that in sole authorship works, all the work is done by my hands alone, and all offhand.
• Money and expense: All projects for custom orders are quoted, usually years in advance. In the time while a project is waiting in the queue, the knife is appreciating. It's not unusual for a knife value to double while in the queue; many investing clients are counting on this! So when additional services, parts, or upgrades are requested, it's usually not economically feasible to charge today's rate for a quote that is four years old. If I charge today's prices for the work, a client may think it's too much; if I charge years-old prices for today's work, I short my business in expenses, materials and supplies, and time.
• Client's Situation: Once in a while, a client will ask to change his order. Sometimes, an upgrade is requested, sometimes, a downgrade. This is almost always because of the financial situation of the client. A financial situation has changed, for better or for worse, and the client wants that to be reflected on the order.
  If this is requested, it means an entirely new quote. The reasons are several, and include time spent on the project, planning and materials, supplies and expenses, design and workup. Continually changing an order is unreasonable and time consuming, so a firm, fixed quote has to be established.

This doesn't mean that I always refuse to upgrade, add to, or further projects, but it's something carefully considered. Any additional work would have to be quoted and the current rate, and would have to go back into the queue to be completed. For instance, at the time of this writing, I've got one of my older knives that is being upgraded with my engraving. The client is paying more than twice what he paid for the knife, just for the engraving!

Are there other fees or costs?

The shipping charge is extra, and it's based on the size, weight, value, and delivery method. I ship FedEx, and each shipping charge is calculated on an individual basis. See my knife shipping page here.

Is the knife guaranteed?

I guarantee my workmanship for my lifetime, for as long as I'm physically able. While I cannot guarantee refunds for elaborate custom projects, I will do my best to make sure you're satisfied. Over 3000 knife purchases over 40 years (over 30 years as a professional knifemaker) and tremendous positive feedback proves I'm doing something right! You are in good company as a patron and client, with some of the most demanding knife collectors and users in the world. They are all very happy with their purchases, and my fine collector's custom knives appreciate yearly.

For more related details, please look at my Knife Sales Policy page here.