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Something Obscene Company Strikes Off in New Direction

July 12, 2018

Something Obscene Company will be growing and changing directions as 2018 progresses. According to the founder, an increased emphasis on production knives will open up the door for a heightened level of custom work.

“I’m trying to rethink the custom side of the business,” says Felix Archibeque, Founder of Something Obscene. “There’s too much overhead.” Archibeque faced a familiar problem as his books filled with orders: he didn’t have time to make anything new. Additionally, he – along with many other makers – saw a decline in the demand for custom knives. The time he spent working to fill orders and make knives didn’t pay dividends the way it used to.

So Archibeque says he will be funneling attention into manufactured knives. He saw major success last year with his Nemley Cleaver folder and wants to maximize on that potential. “I’m getting into the production game. That way I can get the best product out there with the least overhead.” Archibeque has already set several production projects in motion, including two new folders based on his J-Cape fixed blade: one with a thumb stud, one with a flipper. The fixed blade version is also in the works for production. “My goal is to have a new production model out every 3 – 4 months,” Archibeque says. “I want to be counted up there with the best.”

But that’s not to say Archibeque is leaving custom work behind. In many ways, he plans on taking it to a new level. “I don’t want to lose the craftsmanship. I’m going to do less builds, relearn, restructure how I do things,” he says. By doing away with order books, and with the production knives keeping his business in the black, Archibeque will be able to take as long as he wants on single custom pieces, done to high levels of fit and finish worthy of four figure price tags.

The new Something Obscene will make its debut at Blade Show West later this year. Archibeque says we can expect to see a dozen or so of these high-end customs, alongside the burgeoning production pieces. Despite his embrace of cutting edge manufacturing, Archibeque still sees value in the old fashioned way of developing his own skills. “I want to travel more, attend more shows, meet other makers and learn from them.”

Knife featured in image: Something Obscene Company Nemley Cleaver

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