My Commissioned Custom
Brown Recluse
By John Isham

This is the third Brown Recluse that I’ve bought from AIK, a company that is a pleasure to do business with due to its high standards of customer service & satisfaction and because those at Adams are so easy going and pleasant to speak with.

I’m writing a review of a commissioned Custom Knife here, so this will not be a short review; (I’m aware that this is already 5 times longer than the average review you’ll find here— so sue me.) But I will spell out all of the pros and cons of the knife, so bear with me (and be forewarned)—I’m wordy.

I had been aware of the Brown Recluse’s existence for a while and had always wanted one but thought it out of my price range (or I should say outside of what I thought my wife would let me get away with). However, I had actually persuaded her to let me spend up to $1,500 to buy a Renzo Pascotto. I myself believed that I should buy one of the old master’s knives before he shuffled off this mortal coil; at any rate, I had convinced my wife of the wisdom of that. So, when I called Barry about the four or five Pascottos that AIK had for sale, he was, as usual, bluntly honest about their strengths and weaknesses -especially when I asked about their lack of snap/speed in opening, a surprisingly often heard criticism of Sr. Pascotto’s knives and one of my highest priorities aside from overall quality of construction. (After all, a good switchblade should open FAST, no?) After chatting for a while, the only knife that AIK currently had in stock that Barry could recommend for me —based on my priorities— was one that I found aesthetically unappealing. It was at this point that Barry asked me if I had considered a Brown Recluse; tuning to the AIK pages on the website, I looked at a few of them closely. I saw that indeed the workmanship- especially the fit of the scales to the bolsters- was FAR superior to ANY Renzo Pascotto, or for that matter, ANY knife I have EVER seen. (Take a close look —it surpasses belief!)

So here I was, having previously denied myself one of these due to price while shopping for a Pascotto. HOW ABSURD IS THAT, RIGHT? Then and there, I decided in favor of the new Young Master instead of the Venerable Old Master and am I ever glad that I did. That first one I bought is a Wasp body w/Hell Razor bolsters and Buffalo horn scales -a real beauty. If you don’t yet own a Brown Recluse and are considering buying one, I STRONGLY encourage you to buy it. You won’t believe the action & lockup. These knives feel as if they’re carved from billet. Do NOT let the price stop you. I guarantee you will find it worth every cent.

Time passes… Being somewhat of a fan of the Brown Recluse, I one day asked AIK if they could make me one with Woolly Mammoth Molar scales. Answer: Yes. Thus began a 3 month-long process of what turned into a fully customized made-to-order Brown Recluse. The molar that AIK had on hand did not appeal to me, so I looked at hundreds of different slabs of molar before sending AIK my selections from a third-party supplier. He was able to obtain my 1st choice and I was pleased. If, however, you too wish to order a Custom Brown Recluse with molar or ANY other material besides Buffalo or Cow horn, I do NOT recommend that you follow my example. Either go with the molar (or other material of your choosing) that AIK has in stock or let AIK send you a link to one of their own vendors. I say this because AIK was not happy with the way that the molar had been stabilized. Barry told me of this after the knife had been completed, so he may not have been aware of this at the time that he sent me the photos of the molar when received —or possibly wished to avoid disappointing me because he knew how much I liked THAT particular molar and did not want to send me back to start all over again, which, in turn, would have forced him to postpone the promised completion date. Or, perhaps he thought that they could overcome any potential problems with it. (I should also mention that I believe Andrew was out of town at an engraving seminar at the time that the molar arrived.) All of this is speculation, and I don’t wish to cast any aspersions.

Whatever the case, the molar had to be cut very thick, so thick, in fact that the incredible scales-to-bolsters fit found on my other two Recluses was impossible to achieve. (If this was NOT a Brown Recluse, I would not even mention it because the fit is VERY, VERY good; it just doesn’t have the impossibly flawless fit of my other two.) Of less importance to me, this is one very bulky and very heavy knife: it weighs 11.8 ounces. That’s a lot for an 11 inch knife. (Your average Brown Recluse is a pleasingly hefty knife to begin with; my horn-scaled Wasp body weighs 10.1 ounces and my Swing Guard, also horn scaled, weighs 10.3 ounces. For reference, a 28 cm Latama Classic w/Brazilian Cow Horn scales weighs 5.9 ounces.) Please do NOT mistake me— I have NO complaints about this knife; I’m only making the point that IF you should order a custom knife from AIK made with any scale material of your own choosing, DON’T even try to order it yourself without AIK’s guidance. This way, you will simply give them their best chance to do their best possible work with no surprises. That being said, that’s it for the cons.

Having told you that this had turned into a commissioned, fully customized knife, I eventually specified file work and engraving that I wanted. I’m quite proud of the scales that I chose even if I can’t recommend my method of choosing them. After all, they’re my only real contribution to the knife’s design. I just KNEW that they would make a striking knife, and I think I was right. My other concerns aside, they ARE beautiful! Andrew’s work on this piece is first rate: he cut the scales at just the angle I wished and, as usual, did a wonderful job on the file work and engraving. The final result is an extraordinarily beautiful knife and a treasured addition to my collection.

Among the many companies that I’ve bought knives from, or had knives repaired by, Adams International Knifeworks stands alone. Both their customer service and product support are unequaled in my experience. No outfit in the business will process and deliver your order faster than AIK. And their backup of their products is absolute. You gotta love small Family businesses like this one.

And then there’s Andrew Lee Adams. He stands by himself both as an Artist and as a Master Craftsman in making THE MOST BEAUTIFUL AND BEST BUILT HANDMADE SWITCHBLADES THAT YOU CAN BUY. I include the Italian “Old Masters”, for he is THE Young American New Master.
Well, I warned you: I’m wordy.
But I’m thorough.
John Isham

P.S. Note the SKU. How’s that for a personal touch! Jeez, did that make me feel tickled and proud at the same time. But that’s Barry for you— it was totally his idea, NOT mine. I was surprised and delighted. I have now attained immortality and can die happy.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]