Ray,
I disagree with your definition of 'custom', and here's why.
The root word of 'customer' is 'custom', so I see your point. However, if I make a knife just to make it..., for myself..., then I argue that I am the customer. The specifics are defined by me..., unique to my desires. Can't a knifemaker be his own customer?
What if the knife is a gift? There is no 'customer'. It is a one-of-kind, totally unique knife. Is it not custom?
What about all those knives on tables at shows? Are they not customs?
What if I commissioned a custom knife from you and sold or traded it years later? Is it no longer a custom knife when it becomes the property of the new owner?
What if I have a knife in my inventory of work which meets a customer's desires to the last detail. Does that existing knife become custom if I sell it to the customer or do I have to make one exactly like it in order to truly sell them a custom knife?
What about the word customer?
(I know you're pulling your hair out right now Ray.
) To be a customer, do you have to pay for the item? If so, then no knife given, raffled, traded, or otherwise aquired could ever be a custom. Correct?
Again..., I'm not sure this effort will yield the desired results, but I commend you for taking it on.
In my mind, there are three reasons people by knives. Performance, Asthetics, and Exclusivity. These can be achieved a number of ways and it is in the discussing of these methods where a true community is forged among those who love knives.
God forbid the day when a knife from one of our shops, with hours of love and creativity poured into it, can be cubby holed with a single phrase.
To me, a hand made knife has character. It has something of the maker within it. While it may be a simple tool, it's a complex process which gives it life. Let that process demand the lengthy discussions and explainations it deserves.