As someone who is starting to get a little too involved in making a few knives, do it. Or go on ebay. I bought a finished "custom" damascas knife on ebay for around 40 bucks. The overall finish was terrible. I removed the scales all too easily. I plan on putting a decent handle on it and reshape the blade. If you have time and inclination I think you'd be happier starting from scratch. The kit knifes always look a bit sterile to me. A recent post shows a knife made with a file and belt sander that looked entirely decent. Actually, I using the same tools too. Not fast, but the end result is a bit more custom.